Best Offer option

[jenzaka]

Hi everyone:
Just curious to hear some thoughts on this BEST OFFER option. It is one of the newer additions to E-bay and in theory its seems like a great idea.
I have only used it once, but you have to enter a BIN price as well and my item sold for the BIN within a day so I really never had the chance to experience any BEST OFFERS.
Has anyone actually used it? What kind of results did you have?
Thanks in advance for your input.
Joy (Jenzaka)

[moogie1*]

hi joy, I haven't tried it yet and am curious too to hear what others have to say about it. thanks for the post.

[bad_manors]

Hello all,

We've had some good luck and fun with it. We now post this on any fixed price or store listings

Consider making a Best Offer.

We do look seriously at any reasonable Best Offers submitted on Fixed Price or Store listings. We love a good horse trade. But having said that, please do not tender any offer that is so egregiously inadequate, so woefully low that it causes the proprietors (us) apoplexy. It isn’t pretty, what with faces getting red and loud pronouncements on the state of buyer sanity and lineage. State your case clearly and calmly. Whining is strictly prohibited.

[moogie1*]

I LOVE it!! Brilliant.

If only it was ME who had thought to say that! :^O

[3alias33]

I like it as long as it's reasonable. I've items listed for $60 and had offers of $10 - come on!

Anyhow, as long as it's used as it's intended, it's great.

Deb

[croquet_team]

I've won something with it -- basically I think it's a good option if you submit a Best Offer that is reasonably close to the BIN, enough so that the seller will think, "well, is it worth losing this customer for a few dollars?". I think it's a nice addition to the spirit of inventive commerce.

[ononokajibwa]

It's an interesting option to say the least but unfortunately I have had some ridiculous offers - even after I explicitly stated REASONABLE offers only. I guess some people think $100 is reasonable for an item worth $1000. I have yet to sell something using the method - BIN is still the best bet.

[javax.swing]

I had one buyer educate me that once you open items up to offers it's stupid to pay full price.

[phoebescollectables]

I used best offer once on a $200 item. It was a 10 day listing. With 5 hours to go and no offers someone used the BIN for the full $200. I think a lot of buyers aren't aware of it.

I have an item that will do well at a regular auction, but I am considering putting it on ebay first with a high BIN and Best Offer to see what sort of offers I can get on eBay.

Michael

[scouttech-outfitters]

I think it'd the most useless option in the world...

But than again I use both the store and auctions and my auction items are my sale prices on store items intended to draw traffic to the store and the lowest I am willing to go in price.

Maybe this option would be useful for thos selling one of a kind items and collectibles, but would your starting price not already be the minimum price you have decided to accept?

modern_tech_solutions

modern_tech_solutions

[recped]

It's junk!

The only circumstance I can think of where it could work is on bargain listing day to put a very high starting price on something you are not really motivated to sell pressed to sell and/or uncertain of it's actual value.

I have a few things I'd be will to pay 10 cents just to see what sort of offers came through. Of course esentially you can do this anytime if you are willing to pay a reserve fee.

Of course I have a North American retailing background, haggling is not part of my business model, the bottom line is just that.

Ben
"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

[phoebescollectables]

I think both modern_tech_solutions and Ben hit the nail on the head. It works well for valuable collectables especially if you want to feel out the market. It also helps if you have a 10 cent fixed price listing day.

Michael

[dis-and-dat]

LOVE your post to go with the offer! We got a lot of ridiculously low and insulting offers, stopped doing it for that reason.....but making it fun like that sounds Great!! :^O