eBay

lichtpriester · ‎07-23-2013

Hey, sellers! Why do some of you give a "best offer" option with your listings, when you seemingly have no intention of even WANTING a best offer to be made? If you're selling something for $100 for example, and the only best offer that you will take is $99, then what is the point? No potential buyer is going to make an offer on something that's 10 cents less (or whatever) than your asking price, so unless you're willing to knock a few dollars off (depending on the original price of course) why waste both your time and that of buyers? Best offers SHOULD be reasonable, but so should the best offer amount that you're willing to accept.

moviestarmaker · ‎07-23-2013

@lichtpriester wrote:
Hey, sellers! Why do some of you give a "best offer" option with your listings, when you seemingly have no intention of even WANTING a best offer to be made? Unless you're willing to knock a few dollars off why waste both your time and that of buyers?

I feel your pain. I know what you're saying. Only one time in my life was my "best offer" actually accepted, and I was so surprised about it, I almost had a heart attack.

I think "Best offer" should mean your gonna get a substantially reduced price. Otherwise, you're right. Why bother?

"When you have the choice to be right or be kind, always choose being kind."---Wayne Dyer

View Best Answer in original post

moviestarmaker · ‎07-23-2013

@lichtpriester wrote:
Hey, sellers! Why do some of you give a "best offer" option with your listings, when you seemingly have no intention of even WANTING a best offer to be made? Unless you're willing to knock a few dollars off why waste both your time and that of buyers?

I feel your pain. I know what you're saying. Only one time in my life was my "best offer" actually accepted, and I was so surprised about it, I almost had a heart attack.

I think "Best offer" should mean your gonna get a substantially reduced price. Otherwise, you're right. Why bother?

"When you have the choice to be right or be kind, always choose being kind."---Wayne Dyer

discuss*stuff · ‎07-23-2013

Sometimes people don't have much business sense.

Just recently I committed to buy an item for $11.99 free shipping....(no best offer option).

The guy had something else of interest listed for $9.99 obo so I offered him $20 for both items out the door...in other words...$8.01 for the $9.99 item...now I realize that might be lowballing the guy just a bit but he would have saved more than the $1.98 I was requesting as a discount by combining shipping and saving on PayPal minimum charges...the offer was made close to the end of the listing...if it were me, I would have gladly accepted the extra profit and simply invoiced for the $20..

He came back with a counter offer of $9 which I couldn't have accepted even if I wanted to since the listing had ended prior to my seeing the offer.

He got $11.99 from me and I should have the item in a day or two.

If the quality is as I hope, he has another similar item of interest for $11.99 and that item for $9.99 obo...I think I might offer him $20 for both after asking him why he didn't want to make more money on the item than he would by selling seperately...bwaaahahaha.

ebay...the new spectator sport

pargran3 · ‎07-23-2013

I don't use it very much mostly because I was getting garbage like "I will give you a dollar for this if you include free shipping."

On the other hand, I have accepted a lot of best offers in the 25% range of discount.

If your offer is unreasonable, it will be refused.

If your offer is reasonable, it will be accepted.

No, I do not accept that the majority of sellers using the best offer option will only accept 99 on a 100 dollar listing. That would be stupid and why would you want to deal with a stupid seller?

Define substantial.

Radine

onemanstuff · ‎07-23-2013

Occasionally, especially with reasonable offers on more expensive items, I'll take a Best Offer, or I'll make a counter-offer that the buyer agrees to. However, about 80% of the time, the offers I get aren't "Best Offers", they're "Worst, Lowball Offers." For example, offering 30-40% of the asking price when I have shipping included. Sometimes, they're offer would mean that I am providing the item for free after my expenses, and I've taken my time and labor and the expense to procure the item to offer for sale. I get downright insulting offers. My motivation in doing this isn't public service - to unite people with items they want out of the goodness of my heart. I want to make some money for my time. I don't share your opinion that a buyer should expect a large amount of money off the asking price. Again, the idea is "Best Offer."

63tempest326 · ‎07-23-2013

I've had items up for BIN with best offer for let's say $100. I've accepted anywhere from $60 to $75 for them.

The trouble is there are too many people lowballing today. On one $100 item, someone offered $10. Being a good long time business person, I know better than to say something harsh. I just declined with no counter offer.

But, do you have any idea what I would have love to have said to that cheap person? Many believe because the economy has been so bad that people will accept any offer. I don't need the money that bad.

But, all that aside, there are times when some sellers will only accept a few dollars less than the BIN price. That's dumb business, and they won't make money in the long run.

"Life is really simple, but some insist on making it complicated" ~ ~ Confucius

grannyjsemporium · ‎07-23-2013

My best offers are usually at least $50 less than my asking price.

gagnon234 · ‎07-24-2013

I usually accept the Best Offers unless I'm going to go in the red by accepting it.

If it's a ridiculous low ball offer, I just decline it. If it is reasonable, I accept it. If it's so-so, I make a counteroffer of an amount between what they're offering and what I'm asking.

Also, if I've had the item for way too long, I check to make sure I'll at least break even. If I do, then I accept it.

dishesandglasses · ‎07-29-2013

I do use and enjoy the best offers, and most people make reasonable offers - and sometimes I even accept less than 50% if they are offering on all we have in a pattern. (Dinnerware dealer, if you could not tell by the name)

Lately I have noticed a string of idiot offers or should I say insults - A 12.99 item and they offer $1!!!! What are they thinking - do they not have a clue as to what we go through as sellers, or are they just rude and insulting as a hobby!

I think tonight got my gall when someone offered $12 on a $199 item!

How do others respond to this stupidity, usually, I just just decline the offer, but I just had to respond with "Keep the kids offline please" or Gee, A Whole Dollar!! All for me!!! WOW, can I spend it all in one place???"

I know it is childish for a 50 year old man to reply like that, but I just felt stepped on!

stinky*felix · ‎07-29-2013

I just block the buyer and let the offer run out.

resalesbytheseastore · ‎08-01-2013

So True

It seems to be worse when the listing gets close to ending. I won't accept pennies on the dollar, and don't understand the audasity of some buyers to make offers that are ridiculously low. Ebay is not a flea market, although some buyers treat it as such.

I just had a pair of high end pants listed at $99 with best offer. Retail the pants would have been $400. I received one offer of $25 that I declined without comment. A day later I received another offer for $20, ironically from another seller who sold the same brand.

I responded by making an offer of $30 on an item they had listed for $179, and waited to see how they responded. They replied telling me that they could not accept my offer because it was an "exclusive brand" and $150 was the minimum they would accept. They went on to say that offers of less than 20-25% would most likely not be accepted on their items. I responded to that comment with "Then why in the world did you think I would accept $25 for a $99 item?" Didn't hear back from them, didn't think I would.

gagnon234 · ‎08-02-2013

Dishesandglasses,
Thanks for my laugh for the day!

I have one fellow who consistently offers me in the $2.00 range (be still my heart!)

I want so bad to say . . . "If I accept this latest offer, I'll only be $_______ in the hole."

**injeanious · ‎08-03-2013

As a buyer, I have taken a seller up on a "best offer" now and again. Have been very careful, though, because I'm not a low baller just so I can get a steal. I like to be sure that the Seller still gets a decent asking price for the item in question.

I've never done multiple best offers with any seller but some of the things said above make me think it might not be a bad idea especially if it saves both of us shipping fees.

"Oh, Lord, help me to be pure, but not yet." St. Augustine (354-430)