eBay: "Best Offer"

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by Guy E, May 10, 2015.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    Once I got a $100 record for $50, which took me by surprise. I probably still overpaid.

    Other times I don't understand why the seller offers a best offer in the first place. You offer $9 for a $10 CD and they decline it. You offer $9.50 and they still decline it. So why even offer the feature???
     
    live evil and Vinyl Addict like this.
  2. Vinyl Addict

    Vinyl Addict Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA


    Exactly. It's a waste of time it seems, with some sellers.
     
  3. gedsmit

    gedsmit Fair Weather Member

    Buy it now prices are generally over-inflated anyway, but 50% is a result! I tried that once and the guy came back with "Hey why don't I just give it away!" :D
     
  4. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    I just made a best offer and the seller countered with an offer that was a mere $1 less than the buy-it-now price. Again...why even bother? It's a measly dollar.
     
  5. GentleSenator

    GentleSenator what if

    Location:
    Aloha, OR
    ha! exactly. what's the point?
     
  6. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    I list most things I sell with a "best offer" button. When I do, I am typically willing to consider offers of 10-20% below the listed price. Occasionally something without a clear set value will be listed for a while and I'll consider lower offers. I try to price competitively, but I certainly will consider--and usually accept--offers that provide a 10% or more discount from the asking price. IMHO, if you aren't willing to accept offers in that range, you shouldn't even provide the button.

    I've had people offer offers that represent 5-20% OF the asking price. (Not 5-20% off; 5-20% OF). I will usually block a buyer who does that. It just annoys me. I won't ever bother responding, that's for sure. There's nothing to be gained by that.
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2015
    quicksrt likes this.
  7. Guy E

    Guy E Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Antalya, Turkey
    Well, I received my Eric Andersen CD today. It sounds nice and I'm very happy to have acquired it for $25 instead of the $50 asking price.

    I checked Amazon just now and the only available Used CD of 'Bout Changes 'n' Things Take 2 is priced at a whopping $2,527.23 (plus $3.99 shipping).

    [Gulp]

    :yikes:

    :cool:
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2015
  8. Guy E

    Guy E Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Antalya, Turkey
    I once was bidding on an autographed George Jones gig poster, an old school boxing type poster with the bands of color. There was a reserve and I didn't get up to it, my high bid was $75. A few days after the auction ended without a sale the guy re-posted the auction with a Buy Now price of $60, which somebody else beat me to. I mean, WTF?
     
    Vinyl Addict likes this.
  9. milankey

    milankey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, Ohio, USA
    When I sell stuff on ebay at a fixed price the page is set up to include the Best Offer as default option. I have to unclick it twice to remove the Best Offer. Ebay wants sellers to use Best Offer because it may increase the chance of a sale and a commission for ebay.
     
  10. Dennis Metz

    Dennis Metz Born In A Motor City south of Detroit

    Location:
    Fonthill, Ontario
    It's funny how some sellers offer the option, but won't take less than asking price or very close to asking for their item. :cheers:
     
    GentleSenator likes this.
  11. Tuna82

    Tuna82 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    North Carolina
    I lowball offer all the time. Sometimes people need quick money so I always add a note saying I pay immediately (which I do). For every rude note I have gotten back, I have ended up with a cool item for half its value. Just because I start low doesn't mean I won't pay more...my thoughts are its worth a try.
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2015
    Vinyl Addict likes this.
  12. Vinyl Addict

    Vinyl Addict Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA

    I sometimes will do the same, depending on how high the item is.

    My favorite is when they make the exact same counteroffer 3x
     
    GentleSenator and Tuna82 like this.
  13. Lebowski

    Lebowski Hey, careful man, there's a beverage here!

    Location:
    Greater Boston
    I've had most of my Best Offer successes when items are in their last few hours. It's the same mentality as at a record show: you get good deals at the end. Many sellers would rather get something for their item than nothing (and be stuck with it).

    This was not a huge savings, but I recently bought a mint copy of Joe Jackson's Night and Day after making a $6 offer on a $10 asking price within a few hours of the item ending.
     
    Tuna82 likes this.
  14. I have never won a best offer at 50% of the buy it now price and don't recall ever making an offer like that. I do receive nonsense offers on some of my listings with best offer options. All of my listings offer free shipping since eBay final value fees make that the best option and if the offer is less than shipping cost, I just block the bidder from annoying me again.
     
  15. Vinyl Addict

    Vinyl Addict Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA
    Free shipping affects the final value fee?
     
  16. Chris_G

    Chris_G Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    As a buyer, most of the sellers will accept my best offer. The thing is, sellers who use the "best offer" feature, are sending a message to buyers that they are willing to take less money for the item.
     
    GentleSenator and Lebowski like this.
  17. Lebowski

    Lebowski Hey, careful man, there's a beverage here!

    Location:
    Greater Boston
    Exactly.
     
    GentleSenator likes this.
  18. R. Totale

    R. Totale The Voice of Reason

    The seller pays Final Value Fee on the price of shipping by any means, so there's no FVF difference between charging $3 for shipping or adding $3 on to the cost of the item and calling it "free shipping". But, if you do the second and the buyer decides to upgrade to a faster shipping method you do not have to pay the FVF on the upgrade, because you did make a free option available. It used to also be that you didn't have to pay FVF on overseas shipping costs if the first domestic option in your listing was free, but I'm not sure that's still the case. I did catch them charging me FVF on foreign postage before and they've reversed it, but I haven't sold anything overseas since the new Paypal policies regarding returns went into place.
     
  19. Absolutely, I pay 8% of the sales price to eBay and 10% of any shipping fees I collect. So rather than sell a $50 item that costs $10 to ship for $50 with a $10 shipping fee, I will sell that item for $60 and offer free shipping. The fees are either $4.80 or $5, my choice. Another benefit, the buyer must either not leave feedback for shipping charges or leave 5 star feedback for free shipping, where if I charge any shipping, the buyer is free to leave 1-star for shipping charges.

    If the item I am selling is going to have shipping cost that will vary by buyer location, I will sell the item as buy it now with free shipping and best offer option. Whether or not I accept a best offer can depend on where the buyer lives and the shipping charges, that way I won't accept an offer that will net a price lower than I am willing to accept, I have control.
     
  20. This is wrong for me and I assume any other top rated seller with listings meeting the necessary criteria. Shipping fees collected are charged at 10%, no discount. Final value fees on the sales price are charged at 10% less a 20% discount for all qualifying items, in my case all items I sell. When eBay made these changes years ago, I quit charging shipping on most sales.
     
  21. I probably should add I believe eBay made these changes to charging fees on shipping costs for two reasons, additional revenue and to push sellers into offering free shipping. For whatever reason, they believe buyers like free shipping. As a buyer I always seem to look for lowest price shipped, whether shipping is free or not.
     
    Vinyl Addict likes this.
  22. Defdum&blind

    Defdum&blind Forum Resident

    Right on! As I see it the changes were done for two reasons as well; the first is of course free money from shipping costs for a service they do not provide (this was ruled illegal in the EU) and second was to thwart the users of a fee avoidance technique (i.e. a new DVD player for $1.00 and $199.00 for shipping). Feebay only received their cut from the dollar for the item and nothing on the shipping cost. Now they get their cut on the entire amount.
    It was a win/win situation for them as the savvy sellers would now add the actual cost of "Free Shipping" into the "Buy It Now" price. The sellers think they are clever and Feebay still gets the same amount for their piece of the pie.
     
  23. Defdum&blind

    Defdum&blind Forum Resident

    As a seller I have received the usual low ball on some items. A recent offer was for 75% off a $199.95 item. My response was "are you really asking me to sell this mint sealed LP for less than one in good condition?" No counter offer.
    As a buyer I made an offer an a rare pre-recorded reel that I knew should go for a lot more than the "Buy It Now" price. As the seller would not ship outside the US (I'm in Canada) I offered $20.00 more than the asking price if they would change the listing to accept international sales. A win/win situation.
     
  24. Vinyl Addict

    Vinyl Addict Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA

    I look for lowest price shipped also, with one exception.
    Anyone selling an LP for $3, and wants $22 to ship can keep it. I wont buy that item just for the principle. Id rather buy the $22 item for $4 shipped. Some of the shipping prices are ridiculous and eBay needs to do something about it..
    They also need to punsish buyers who won an auction but never pay. Even after opening a case, they dont even get a slap on the wrist.
    I had a kid send me a message once "Im not paying you. Its not my fault it sold for that much". I alerted eBay and got nowhere. Cant even leave the buyer Neg feedback. So at least in the future, others will know how the buyer really is. Such a joke ebay has become.
     
  25. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    As a seller I will generally check on what the item has sold for recently and base my pricing on that usually at that number or slightly lower. If I received a "low ball" offer and in my opinion based how I price the item (as in not jacked up to the highest number I have seen posted) I outright decline without a counter offer as I feel that the buyer is not serious about the purchase. To me a 50% offer would not be something I would consider.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine