eBay

patken123 · ‎08-31-2013

I see a few listings for the item I'm interested in buying but need to know what is the rule of thumb when making an offer? For example if an item is $100 BIN or make an offer,does it mean the seller would consider selling it for $5 less ?,between $5 to $10?

How do I judge what's the lowest a seller would go? I have won a few items in the past (4 years ago) but it was $20 less on average,but it looks like now a days sellers would get offended if you offer that low and to retaliate they wait to the last minutes before they refuse the offer.(the can keep you hahging and stop you from making another offer with a different seller).

Does it have anything to do with how hot that item is selling? If it does ,why would a seller even consider selling it any lower if it's selling like a hot cake ?

Any input from you experienced sellers will be appreciated.

toby_le_pue · ‎08-31-2013

Sellers can set prices that are automaticly rejected if they are lower than

their set price.

That don't mean your price will be accepted if higher than the set price it just means

the seller will consider it.

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/best-offer.html

patken123 · ‎08-31-2013

Yes you are right ,I did notice that, a seller had set it up in such a way that a potential buyer can only get 3 shots at making an offer,if it,s all rejected then the only option would be to buy it now.

It was most efficient,least painful way I have seen so far,and yet some sellers give the standard 48 hours to respond ,I normally wait for a a day (sometimes 7-8 hours) if there's no response,I retract my offer,I did this yesterday,may have to do it again Tomorrow.

I just wish the sellers who give this (make an offer) option set up a reserve price and anything less is rejected automatically.

My main question was/is ,how much less is considered a lowball offer?

pjcdn2005 · ‎08-31-2013

I normally wait for a a day (sometimes 7-8 hours) if there's no response,I retract my offer,I did this yesterday,may have to do it again Tomorrow.

I can understand not wanting to wait too long however you also have to realize that sellers are not necessarily sitting at their computers all the time. It's a long weekend so some sellers may not check their accounts until Tuesday morning.

My main question was/is ,how much less is considered a lowball offer?

I don't think that there is an answer for that as it depends on the seller, how long they have had the item for sale, how much they paid for it, how popular the item is etc. Also, some sellers, but not all, put the BIN now price a bit higher on items that they are accepting offers for so that they have more room to negotiate offers.

I know that some sellers get insulted but if they put make an offer on their item and they don't want to look at low offers they should set it up so that offers below a certain amount are declined automatically.

If you can find some similar items that have sold on ebay recently, that might give you an idea of what the 'going' rate is. Just in case you don't know how do that, click on advanced next to search and click on completed items or during the search there is usually a completed items tab on the left side.

If you use .com you can search for just sold items rather than all ended listings.

patken123 · ‎09-01-2013

Pj ,great response,reasonable and to the point as usual.thank you.

In general I don't think putting offers is a good option for me,most of the time I would be better off just go with buy it now option,sellers of the type of items I look for usually don't go more than a couple of dollars less than the BIN price.

Here's the latest example:I made an offer $17 less than BIN ,the seller sent me a counter offer which was more like a message than a counter offer,his new price ?$1.80 less than BIN.

In my experience as you said if the item has been sitting at that price for a while ,there might be a chance to get a decent discount but for items that are very "desirable" I don't think that "make an offer" option is a viable one.

Thank you all for your inputs.

Regards.

Ken.

pierrelebel · ‎09-01-2013

"if the item has been sitting at that price for a while ,there might be a chance to get a decent discount but for items"

It very much depends on the item itself.

In electronics where prices are constantly dropping and now better models coming in regularly, no seller wants to sit on an item on the shelf for years.

In some collectibles however, the reverse may be true. I sell postage stamps to collectors and when I had a store on eBay, it was not unusual for an item to sit on the shelf for many years. The price was often increased every year until sold. The "Best Offer" function on eBay was not something I used and offers made by potential buyers at a price lower than listed were always respectfully declined.

As a buyer on the other hand, I never purchased an item at full price if "Best Offer" was available. Offering "Best Offer" implied the item was overpriced and negotiations were invited.

Different strokes for different folks.

patken123 · ‎09-01-2013

"As a buyer on the other hand, I never purchased an item at full price if "Best Offer" was available. Offering "Best Offer" implied the item was overpriced and negotiations were invited".

Hi Pierre,I do appreciate your experience and knowledge in buying and selling on ebay,what I don't understand about some sellers is why they give that "make an offer" option if they are not willing to negotiate any price lower than $2 to $3 less than BIN price?

I think it is reasonable to think (as a buyer) like you said above. Offering "Best Offer" implied the item was overpriced and negotiations were invited. Isn't it also reasonable as a seller to expect and be prepared to accept an offer $5 to $10 less than BIN price?

I mean why bother with a $1.80 discount?Who would go through the process of making an offer,wait for a reply,consider the counter offer ,etc,etc, for $2 ?

It honestly looks like sellers are obligated to put some of their listings with this option and they do it unwillingly,that's why they basically don't go any lower than a couple of dollars .

As you said it all depends on the item itself,I'm learning to ignore all the make an offer options if it's related to a popular /hot item,and just make offers on items that doesn't belong to the type of stuff the seller usually sells like the time I bought a table saw blade from a seller who sold sporting goods,or a woodworking tool from a seller who was selling China figurines.

Buying on eBay is fun if I learn to avoid unnecessary negotiations I am still learning.

Thank you all for your guidance.

pierrelebel · ‎09-01-2013

" prepared to accept an offer $5 to $10 less than BIN price?"

Of course it depends on the starting price.

$5 or $10 off an item listed at $15 may not be acceptable to most sellers using "Best Offer"

Instead of thinking in terms of dollars, it may be best to think in terms of percentage.

Anyone offering "Best Offer" should be able to accept 10% off. Most will consider 20% off, depending on the item.

Now, a potential buyer must be careful. I have seen a stamp dealer with starting price at full catalogue while these stamps typically sell at 50% to 75% below inflated catalogue value.

Why would a seller offer "Best Offer" and not be willing to accept a small reduction? I suspect it may be a seller using "Best Offer" to attract potential buyers, to get them involve in the buying process. A waste of time from my perspective but some sellers do have time to waste and have no consideration for potential buyer's time.

When I see items listed for a few dollars with "Best Offer:" I know I would be wasting my time.

queenpalmer · ‎09-02-2013

I am struggling with the same situation. A seller has had a sports card listed for 3 or 4 months at more than $50. It is a card of a specific athlete. I have bought comparable items for $15 -$25 in the same format with other sellers. It is an item that would enhance my collection. It is an collectable that appeals to a certain niche and is less than 2 years old. I do not feel this card will gain monetary value in the near future as the athlete has retired and the exposure they had is now almost nonexistant.