Ebay best offers?

[Ronnie73]

Almost always, when I list a card for sale on eBay, I uncheck the best offer option. After a week or ten days, if it hasn't sold, eBay decides on their own to add the best offer option, even though I unchecked it and didn't want any of their price decreases over time or anything else. Depending on what I list, certain cards I just automatically price at my rock bottom price. So technically there is no room for a best offer. When eBay does this, I try to catch it in time and have to go into each auction, one at a time and remove the checkmark again and then verify that it saved the change. Nearly half of them don't save the change, so I have to go in a third time. I hate it. It's even worse trying to explain that your not accepting offers on an item that says Best Offer. Other cards where I have room to make a profit on, when eBay adds the Best Offer option, I leave it there. I try not to do too much back and forth offers. If I made money and it free's up some cash for my T206's, I usually accept. Yesterday I got offered I think $10.20 on a card I listed for $15. I priced it at $15 because that's what the same card had sold for recently or I price it a couple dollars lower than the other cards in the same grade are listed for. I don't bother with a price guide. So I checked my records and saw that I paid $3.97 for the card. So I accepted the $10.20 offer. Many people would have countered at $12. But I've been on the other end of the Best Offer and when the seller is trying to get an extra dollar and change out of me, If I really don't need the card and it's basically something I'm gonna end up selling a year later because it doesn't fit anywhere in my collection, I just let the offer expire. But the only time I'd be cheap on a Best Offer from a buyer is if I never had the intension of a Best Offer option being added. When it happens, I'm completely honest and if there's a few dollars I can drop it at, I will. Or I just ask the magic question, Are you a Net54 or Tobacco Row member? If they say yes, A deal is done out of eBay and they pay even less than they offered, and I make more than I was even asking. It's great when that happens.

[hcv123]

I almost always list my items with "best offer". I am always curious to see what type offers people send. Sometimes they are reasonable, sometimes they are ridiculous. As far as what I will accept, it depends on a few factors including - How much $ do I own it for, What if determinable is current market price, How long have I had it listed, How much do I want to sell it. Certain items that I feel like I have priced right, I negotiate very little maybe 5%-8%, other items I have accepted offers at 60%-70% of my ask. 2 interesting scenarios just recently happened - I listed a card about 2 months ago at what was then the market price. I got an offer at about a 20% discount to my BIN - I looked back at current sales and the price on the last couple of sales had fallen - so I took the offer. I had another card that I have listed for a while (7months+) - I received a couple of offers at 20% off my ask. It is a REALLY rare card with no recent price history - I declined the offer and raised the price - realizing that I really wouldn't want to sell the card at even 5% lower than my original ask.
I do believe people often feel the need to haggle or will pass even on a good deal.
As a buyer - the rare times I offer less than 80% of ask,I try to support my offer with recent sales or some other relevant information.

[Jayworld]

I don't and have never understood the buyers that have a BIN or Best Offer, and you offer $2-3 below BIN, and then it is immediately rejected, and then you up it to $1 under BIN, and it is immediately rejected. This happens several times, especially for vintage sports magazines. At one point, the seller wanted $45, so I offered $38 (immediately rejected), then I offered $42 (immediately rejected), then I offered, on a lark, $44 (immediately rejected). As you know, if you get rejected three times, it does not allow you to make an offer anymore, but my point is, why offer a "Best Offer" if you aren't willing to accept $1 less than a BIN. I get it for a $10 item, but not for a $45. The magazine still sits there, and I was a legitimate buyer and would have (and do) pay immediately.

[sbfinley]

Literally 20 minutes ago about I found an item I was looking for at $349.99 BIN BO. Offered $325 - auto rejected. Offered $335 - auto rejected. Didn’t want to waste another 10 seconds of my life and bought it for $349.99. Well played guy.

[Exhibitman]

Maybe the seller doesn't really want to sell but has to list the item for sale for some other reason (e.g., the wife demands he start selling stuff) so he puts in a high price and doesn't budge? Could it be a very rare item? Or he could be into it for too much and doesn't want to take a loss?

Can't forget the nutty market right now with some items, either. There are a growing # of players it just makes no sense to discount.

[TedWill1939]

Originally Posted by Jayworld

I don't and have never understood the buyers that have a BIN or Best Offer, and you offer $2-3 below BIN, and then it is immediately rejected, and then you up it to $1 under BIN, and it is immediately rejected. This happens several times, especially for vintage sports magazines. At one point, the seller wanted $45, so I offered $38 (immediately rejected), then I offered $42 (immediately rejected), then I offered, on a lark, $44 (immediately rejected). As you know, if you get rejected three times, it does not allow you to make an offer anymore, but my point is, why offer a "Best Offer" if you aren't willing to accept $1 less than a BIN. I get it for a $10 item, but not for a $45. The magazine still sits there, and I was a legitimate buyer and would have (and do) pay immediately.

This is exactly what I'm talking about. I have never had this happen outside of card collecting.

The only explanation that makes any sense is what Ronnie73 said about ebay doing a OBO wjithout seller approval

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by Ronnie73

Or I just ask the magic question, Are you a Net54 or Tobacco Row member? If they say yes, A deal is done out of eBay and they pay even less than they offered, and I make more than I was even asking. It's great when that happens.

Until eBay reads your message traffic and cancels your account...

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Until eBay reads your message traffic and cancels your account...

Exactly. If a buyer messages a seller about an item and that item is then taken down, thats an instant red flag for Ebay.

[Eric72]

Yes, eBay adds the best offer option without seller approval.

A message will suddenly appear in my inbox titled, "Your listings can now accept offers to attract more buyers." The body of the email goes on, "Your chances of selling have just gone up...Buyers can now make offers on your listings..."

As Ronnie described, this wasn't requested...eBay just makes it happen. The first time I got an offer this way, I was more than a bit surprised.

So, put yourself in the seller's shoes. You list an item and specifically do not want to deal with offers. However, eBay basically ignores your wishes and offers begin to appear. I can see why some sellers would reject every offer.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Yes, eBay adds the best offer option without seller approval.

A message will suddenly appear in my inbox titled, "Your listings can now accept offers to attract more buyers." The body of the email goes on, "Your chances of selling have just gone up...Buyers can now make offers on your listings..."

As Ronnie described, this wasn't requested...eBay just makes it happen. The first time I got an offer this way, I was more than a bit surprised.

So, put yourself in the seller's shoes. You list an item and specifically do not want to deal with offers. However, eBay basically ignores your wishes and offers begin to appear. I can see why some sellers would reject every offer.

God, that's weak. There should be something automatically added to where it says 'Make Offer.' Maybe something like, "I don't want to field offers in any way, shape or form, but EBAY MADE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Yes, eBay adds the best offer option without seller approval.

A message will suddenly appear in my inbox titled, "Your listings can now accept offers to attract more buyers." The body of the email goes on, "Your chances of selling have just gone up...Buyers can now make offers on your listings..."

As Ronnie described, this wasn't requested...eBay just makes it happen. The first time I got an offer this way, I was more than a bit surprised.

So, put yourself in the seller's shoes. You list an item and specifically do not want to deal with offers. However, eBay basically ignores your wishes and offers begin to appear. I can see why some sellers would reject every offer.

When Ebay does that to me, I just go to edit auction and uncheck the best offer option.

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by Jim65

Exactly. If a buyer messages a seller about an item and that item is then taken down, thats an instant red flag for Ebay.

I recently bought an E121 from an eBay seller, after a couple cryptic emails I ended up calling him and making a deal, we talked for 30 minutes about life in general, his unemployment and his pending double knee operation. I asked him how he handles just that problem. He said he would double the BIN price and in the event the card sold we would split the profit. After a few days the listing disappeared.