Ebay, sellers making offers to watchers

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

I definitely see your point about the price manipulation.



But in this case, the seller is not fielding offers. The seller is the one submitting the offer. These are items that are listed with a BIN with no Best Offer option. Somehow the seller knows someone is watching their item and they can choose to send that watcher an offer. Once the watcher receives the offer, it's theirs to either accept or reject, it doesn't let them counteroffer (I think that's the way it works, but I would have to double check that). So no haggling back and forth.

Yeah, I guess I don't have a problem with that aspect of it. It's similar to Ebay sending an e-mail when an item on your watch list gets reduced. Good marketing move, which was actually something Ebay used to do years ago, but for some reason, I haven't gotten notifications for that in what seems like years.

Now I just stumble across price drops when I double check my watch list every once in awhile.

[frankbmd]

I prefer flea market haggling to sellers who list a price as “firm” and then drop it in a few days or every few days in some cases.

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

I prefer flea market haggling to sellers who list a price as “firm” and then drop it in a few days or every few days in some cases.

I once made an offer to a seller, he listed the item at $100, I offered $80 and he declined. A few months later he relisted the item at $60 and it sold. I sent him a politely worded message reminding him that I offered $80 and he turned it down. He didn't respond.

[savedfrommyspokes]

Originally Posted by Jim65

I once made an offer to a seller, he listed the item at $100, I offered $80 and he declined. A few months later he relisted the item at $60 and it sold. I sent him a politely worded message reminding him that I offered $80 and he turned it down. He didn't respond.

Not sure if this is what occurred in your case, but the story is familiar. Many sellers buy in larger groupings and then break the larger groupings down into smaller parts to resell. Over the few month period you mention, the seller could have sold off the other parts of his larger purchase for a greater than expected profit thus allowing his to sell the item of your interest for a lesser price. At the time you offered $80, he may have anticipated needing $90, but with other parts selling for more than expected the item became worth only $60 to him.