"Allow buyers to make offers or a fee may apply." <---- What?! New pop up WARNING

[drcncpa]

Really?  I kept turning this feature off, and still got a number of "offers". 

For vintage items, often the listing value is difficult to determine as a small scale seller.  We cannot be experts in every category of antiques.  This forced “Offers” feature is going to be very predatory against sellers.  The Ebay selling process is going to become more like Craigslist, where every idiot within 500 miles will inundate your phone with rediculus and time-wasting offers.

Is ebay phasing out the Auction style format?

Are millennials so impatient that they cannot stay focused long enough for an auction?

[fashunu4eeuh]

Ok, when did the pop-up show up? While you were listing an item without best offer, and when you clicked the button to make the listing go live, a warning pop-up appeared saying you should reconsider best offers or you might get charged a penalty? 

[dhbookds]

can you do a screen shot of the popup? or of what you are talking about "fee may apply"

[thatsallfolks]

Please post a screen shot of this pop-up warning. Until I see the actual message, I'm of the opinion that you misread it. To me, it sounds like there are two separate, unrelated statements.

[drcncpa]

[drcncpa]

There are actually two warnings.  Here is the second one that appears at the bottom.

[cynthealee2]

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@drcncpa wrote:

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The fee will apply if you end the auction with bids to sell to some one that "made you an offer" and then you accepted it by ending the listing that had bids.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Ending-an-item-with-bids/m-p/28750452#M1252738

[drcncpa]

From above:

"The fee will apply if you end the auction with bids to sell to some one that "made you an offer" and then you accepted it by ending the listing that had bids."

It does not imply that.  See second image.

[thatsallfolks]

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@drcncpa wrote:

From above:

"The fee will apply if you end the auction with bids to sell to some one that "made you an offer" and then you accepted it by ending the listing that had bids."

It does not imply that.  See second image.

---

Have you used all of your 50 free listings this month?

Were you revising a listing, or posting a new one?

[drcncpa]

No. Have not yet used all of my Free Listings.

Yes. Was revising the Scheduled Date. 

[thatsallfolks]

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@drcncpa wrote:

No. Have not yet used all of my Free Listings.

Yes. Was revising the Scheduled Date. 

---

Thank you. They've really gone 'round the bend with this one.

[drcncpa]

Investigating further.

[cynthealee2]

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@drcncpa wrote:

From above:

"The fee will apply if you end the auction with bids to sell to some one that "made you an offer" and then you accepted it by ending the listing that had bids."

It does not imply that.  See second image.

---

Second image tells ME  that I would be charged .35 to add best offer to the listing...

But I list only through Auctiva and I don't get these stupid pop ups  so I could very well be wrong.

I do on the other hand list auctions on a regular basis, have never used "best offer" or "make offer" options and my listings are going up just fine and I'm not getting any extra fees or fines.

[retrose1]

OP, that is ebay's way of reminding sellers about how they want things done.  And that if you do not do things the way the freebie listings are laid out, they will charge you for it.   I never see that kind of manipulative stuff because I make and store my listings in a listing program.

It has appeared that the latest bosses do not understand how auctions really work - and that what they don't understand, they get rid of in favor of the more familiar that their data and surveys and analitics says will make them more consistant money.

OP, it also appears that you do not understand how auctions work.  You do not start them high in the hopes that they will go higher - especially if you do not know the value of the item.  You will get more interest and more bids on a high demand item if you start low and let everyone who might be interested have the hope that they will get it at a price they can afford.  And then the value will be set by the buyer.

There is a common phrase about starting the items at what you want for them - that is for BIN.  For auctions, you start low so that you will recoup your  costs and break even OR if you know that it has a lot of interest, you can get away with startig at 99 cents and let it run.  Way too many sellers have auctions that start at manufacturers retail, or at guide mint price and then complain because no one is bidding/buying.

Also you need to do some research on your vintage items and present them properly.  I am looking at your Borsalino Hat listing.  Is it a fedora or a bowler, because if it is a real bowler, stiff and molded into shape, a person buying a fedora is not going to be happy, because they will not be able to change it.  Borsalinos are worth big bucks if they are a wide brim fedora, the name only carries about 30% more on average style hats. 

Also, is the size still true or has it shrunk over the years.  The leather interior band tends to shrink if not used and the felt follows.  The highly desirable 7 3/8 may really be a 7 1/8 and that means that it won't fit and that will be a snad.

And you really should have displayed it on a head, real or manniquin rakishly at an angle with maybe a hint of a wood handled umbrella at the side (a la John Steed), presentation is everything if you want to lure the big bucks.  Just sitting it there with the name will not do it and you will get average bucks.

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

@drcncpa

Just a thought. Were you perhaps using a promo? There have been promos where it was only a free insertion if you used Best Offer.

Although as far as I'm aware, there hasn't been (to date) a way a seller could add a best offer to an auction. Only ebay could do that.