eBay

aruyt75 · ‎01-04-2019

Man, eBay is seriously ratcheting up the meddling with sellers' listings lately, what gives!? This is the 3rd time in the past week I've gotten an email telling me they are changing MY listing to include BO, when I don't want it. Also, I'm being plastered with a lot of "this item may not sell, you should really lower the price" blue buttons all over my listings page. Plus, it seems half the time when an item is relisted, certain options are turned on, or listing duration is changed. And they are actively promoting paying for increased visibility. They must be desperate for sales or something, because this is way way too much micromanaging sellers' accounts!

goodluckselling · ‎01-04-2019

The eBay message frequency is nothing compared the selling on the river. The best offer feature was announced over a year ago so it is not new.

From the announcement link (Oct 2017) - Click Here

Recently, eBay began adding Best Offer to fixed price and auction-style listings. Based on previous tests, we found this feature drives higher sales conversion, especially in cases when the starting bid or fixed price is set higher than the recommended price.

In auction-style listings, the option for a Best Offer disappears after the auction receives its first bid.

Also the last sentence in the announcement says this - There are no plans to enable this feature for business sellers.

The sentence in RED gives you a way to not have this feature in your listings.

Good Luck Selling!

pjcdn2005 · ‎01-04-2019

The river has best offers on listings??

adkhighker · ‎01-04-2019

Yup, you said it, "agressive meddling" for sure. That's probably the best phrase yet that describes it so far.

Hopefully someone from up there in the front office will read all the complaints coming in to the sellers forum about this so maybe they'll realize what an imposition it is that they're shoving down sellers' throats without the sellers' consent.

gracieallen01 · ‎01-04-2019

@goodluckselling wrote:
The eBay message frequency is nothing compared the selling on the river. The best offer feature was announced over a year ago so it is not new.

From the announcement link (Oct 2017) - Click Here

Recently, eBay began adding Best Offer to fixed price and auction-style listings. Based on previous tests, we found this feature drives higher sales conversion, especially in cases when the starting bid or fixed price is set higher than the recommended price.

In auction-style listings, the option for a Best Offer disappears after the auction receives its first bid.

Also the last sentence in the announcement says this - There are no plans to enable this feature for business sellers.

The sentence in RED gives you a way to not have this feature in your listings.

Good Luck Selling!

That is one of the REALLY funny parts - Of course it drives sales conversion. One can GIVE anything away.

Oh, yeah, higher than who's recommended price? ebay's? What's that got to do with the price of tea in China?

Not saying 'NO' doesn't mean 'YES'.

The foolishness of one's actions or words is determined by the number of witnesses.

Perhaps if Brains were described as an APP, many people would use them more often.

Respect, like money, is only of 'worth' when it is earned - with all due respect, it can not be ordained, legislated or coerced. Anonymous

blueeggsandspam · ‎01-04-2019

@adkhighker wrote:
Yup, you said it, "agressive meddling" for sure. That's probably the best phrase yet that describes it so far.

Hopefully someone from up there in the front office will read all the complaints coming in to the sellers forum about this so maybe they'll realize what an imposition it is that they're shoving down sellers' throats without the sellers' consent.

It's aggravating for buyers, too. How are the buyers supposed to know eBay has meddled with the listing?

When some sellers fire back at buyers over these unsolicited offers (solicted by eBay, but not by the seller), buyers are taken aback and less likely to use the feature or even the site. I had one seller decline my offer of 15% off which was comparable to what others had sold for. He then doubled the asking price. That was nearly a month ago. It's still for sale. I ended up finding one for less than my offer to him. It worked out for me, but other buyers aren't so patient.

abfabvintage · ‎01-04-2019

Hi, Good. I keep reading about this "...no plans to enable this feature for business sellers." Does that mean the OP (if he is a business seller?) needs to change his registration with eBay? As a non-business seller? I also keep reading this BO can be avoided/unchecked if you list with the Advanced Tool? (or is it that other tool?). I don't use eBay tools to list so I have no clue.

I ain't got the brains to make this up (Fantastic Beasts)

adkhighker · ‎01-04-2019

@blueeggsandspam wrote:
@adkhighker wrote:
Yup, you said it, "agressive meddling" for sure. That's probably the best phrase yet that describes it so far.

Hopefully someone from up there in the front office will read all the complaints coming in to the sellers forum about this so maybe they'll realize what an imposition it is that they're shoving down sellers' throats without the sellers' consent.
It's aggravating for buyers, too. How are the buyers supposed to know eBay has meddled with the listing?

When some sellers fire back at buyers over these unsolicited offers (solicted by eBay, but not by the seller), buyers are taken aback and less likely to use the feature or even the site. I had one seller decline my offer of 15% off which was comparable to what others had sold for. He then doubled the asking price. That was nearly a month ago. It's still for sale. I ended up finding one for less than my offer to him. It worked out for me, but other buyers aren't so patient.

Exactly. From all the complaints coming in, it's creating not only confusion for both sellers and buyers, but it's also creating animosity between them, which is something we don't need more of because there's more than enough animosity going around already.

The buyer you mentioned who doubled his price after finding out ebay put the Make Offer on his listing without his consent probaby figured he had to increase his price dramatically to give him enough room to accept a lower price when the offers started rolling in, offers he never wanted in the first place.

gramophone-georg · ‎01-04-2019

@adkhighker wrote:
@blueeggsandspam wrote:
@adkhighker wrote:
Yup, you said it, "agressive meddling" for sure. That's probably the best phrase yet that describes it so far.

Hopefully someone from up there in the front office will read all the complaints coming in to the sellers forum about this so maybe they'll realize what an imposition it is that they're shoving down sellers' throats without the sellers' consent.
It's aggravating for buyers, too. How are the buyers supposed to know eBay has meddled with the listing?

When some sellers fire back at buyers over these unsolicited offers (solicted by eBay, but not by the seller), buyers are taken aback and less likely to use the feature or even the site. I had one seller decline my offer of 15% off which was comparable to what others had sold for. He then doubled the asking price. That was nearly a month ago. It's still for sale. I ended up finding one for less than my offer to him. It worked out for me, but other buyers aren't so patient.
Exactly. From all the complaints coming in, it's creating not only confusion for both sellers and buyers, but it's also creating animosity between them, which is something we don't need more of because there's more than enough animosity going around already.

The buyer you mentioned who doubled his price after finding out ebay put the Make Offer on his listing without his consent probaby figured he had to increase his price dramatically to give him enough room to accept a lower price when the offers started rolling in, offers he never wanted in the first place.

When eBay first started there weren't "sellers" and "buyers"... there were TRADING PARTNERS.

Then eBay bought PayPal and needed to create animosity between ex trading partners in order to force PayPal for ~~double profit~~ "our own good".

Since then, deepening the animosity to make eBay appear as the "good guy" has only gotten worse.

Chaos is NOT an "industry standard".

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-04-2019

Ebay has taken a stronger role in trying to increase sales and conversion, and while this may be an understatement, it has not pleased many sellers such as yourself.

I understand and I am sorry for the frustration that you are experiencing.

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-04-2019

From all the complaints coming in, it's creating not only confusion for both sellers and buyers, but it's also creating animosity between them, which is something we don't need more of because there's more than enough animosity going around already.

IMO this comes under truer words were never spoken.

pjcdn2005 · ‎01-04-2019

Castle, as a buyer, how do you feel about ebay adding best offer to sellers listings?

goodluckselling · ‎01-04-2019

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
The river has best offers on listings??

No I am not saying what the Amaz messaging is about but I can say I get several every day to do this or do that try this let us do that for you, etc.

Good Luck Selling!

goodluckselling · ‎01-04-2019

@gracieallen01 wrote:
@goodluckselling wrote:
The eBay message frequency is nothing compared the selling on the river. The best offer feature was announced over a year ago so it is not new.

From the announcement link (Oct 2017) - Click Here

Recently, eBay began adding Best Offer to fixed price and auction-style listings. Based on previous tests, we found this feature drives higher sales conversion, especially in cases when the starting bid or fixed price is set higher than the recommended price.

In auction-style listings, the option for a Best Offer disappears after the auction receives its first bid.

Also the last sentence in the announcement says this - There are no plans to enable this feature for business sellers.

The sentence in RED gives you a way to not have this feature in your listings.

Good Luck Selling!
That is one of the REALLY funny parts - Of course it drives sales conversion. One can GIVE anything away.

Oh, yeah, higher than who's recommended price? ebay's? What's that got to do with the price of tea in China?

Nothing is being given away? Not sure how you got to that conclusion? Last I knew sellers have the final say whether they will accept the offer a buyer gave them or not.

Also the answer is yes eBay's recommended price. eBay is managing its marketplace. eBay is working with its buyers and sellers on the eBay marketplace so yes the suggestions are eBay centric. How come this is so hard for some to understand?

Good Luck Selling!

pjcdn2005 · ‎01-04-2019

I'm fairly sure that the op was complaining about ebay changing his listings, not about the fact that they are sending messages about it so your comment about Amazon didn't make sense to me.

I'm not sure why you find it so difficult to understand why sellers are bothered by their listings being changed. I've never had them had it to my listings but it seems obvious to me as to why it bothers some people and it would bother me. Sellers who put best offers on their listing generally do so because they know they are willing to accept a lower price. Since ebay doesn't know whether a seller is willing to accept a lower price, why add the best offer option and have a buyer think that perhaps they can get the item for less? If the seller is totally unwilling to negotiate the price then there should not be a best offer option on their listing. It can end up annoying both sellers and buyers.