HELP from all sellers! My account is being bombarded with Best Offer "Auto-Updates"!

[teenytrinkets]

tyler@ebay please help!

In the past week, ebay has "auto-updated" 30 of my listings with "Best Offer", on 3 separate occasions (Jan 23th, 26th, 27th) at 4am, and sent an email telling me which ones they've updated. So far, they seem to be only new listings I've created this month (and all have been created with "sell similar" which is what I always do).

I don't use Best Offer. This has never happened before. Another seller told me it's because I'm using "sell similar", but I've always done this with my older listings. Some of them have been almost 60 days old when i relist or sell similar. So this is definitely new... like they just turned it on for me.

I plan to experiment with new listings to see what triggers the auto-update with best offer, but I'd appreciate any help from sellers who have already been though this.

Apparently this system wide "feature" has been in place since 2018 (as I'm told) why is this only happening to my new listings now? Something's changed...

I contacted customer support to ask them to turn it off. They can't. See some info from them below. It seems incorrect. I have tons of items that don't sell within 8 days. And lots include shipping costs, so they are "overpriced" as such. There has to be a way to prevent them from being automatically updated!

I've also escalated my request to be excluded from these auto-updates to a manager, but of course, I'm not holding my breath.

Customer Support Chat snips:

"I understand that this is being added on the account. Best offer is the fastest growing format in eBay, with nearly a 10% increase in GMB year over year (data from before "Auto apply best offer" features were launched) When listings have best offer enabled: We are seeing a 10-15% increase in buyer engagement, such as placing offers, messaging etc There is a recorded 10% increase in conversion "

"We applies Best Offer if the item is listed above the recommended price, or does not sell within 8 days. You don't need to accept any offer made by a buyer. You can accept, decline, or send a counteroffer to the buyer. An item is identified to have Best Offer added if it was listed above the recommended price. The recommended price is based on prices of similar listings sold on eBay over the past 90 days."

"I review the details about Auto apply best offer and I actually check the update this is since 2018 update from our website, this being added automatically on the listings based from the price of the items and if the item is being overpriced system will add that, the workaround with the best offer is to set your parameters to automatically decline them. Put a blurb in your TOS that even though ebay is adding best offers, you are not accepting them at this time."

[femmefan1946]

I think my relisted titles on dotCA are relisting with Free Shipping.

This is annoying because the only titles I list on dotCA are too large to ship by LetterPost so I am using Calculated Shipping, which is only available to Canadian sellers on dotCA.

These are the automatic relists, so I don't really have a chance to notice.

When we use Sell Similar, there may have been some presumption on the part of the programmer that we would be reviewing the entire listing before uploading.

Which was adorable.

With any BO, we can accept, refuse, counter-offer, or ignore. Still annoying.

[teenytrinkets]

I recently had a BO from one of these "auto-updated" listings. It was a $18 item (that retails for $25) that was lowballed at $10 (because ebay auto-updates allowing an offer at 50% of the asking price). So, of course, I rejected the offer. The buyer then still purchased at $18. I shipped with no tracking, so it should be interesting to see if the declined lowball offer p*ssed the buyer off enough to INR me. But, the point is - all that best offer update did was annoy me and irritate the buyer. AND... By NOT accepting the best offer, I made eBay extra money in fees!

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

I think my relisted titles on dotCA are relisting with Free Shipping.

This is annoying because the only titles I list on dotCA are too large to ship by LetterPost so I am using Calculated Shipping, which is only available to Canadian sellers on dotCA.

These are the automatic relists, so I don't really have a chance to notice.

When we use Sell Similar, there may have been some presumption on the part of the programmer that we would be reviewing the entire listing before uploading.

Which was adorable.

With any BO, we can accept, refuse, counter-offer, or ignore. Still annoying.

---

One of the lovely parts regarding GTC vs Sell Similar adding bonus features in front of your back. Interesting though when GTC happens my listings do not update to show Russian Federation which is on my block list. When I use Sell Similar/Relist, Russian Federation DOES add automatically. It is VERY easy to forget when you do a bunch of relists/sell similar. The one main advantage is with either a new listing or using Sell Similar/Relist you get that courtesy email as physical record. From it you can check to see if anything is being added that you are not expecting. (If you have the time to do so.)

-Lotz

[teenytrinkets]

To be clear, this problem isn't occurring upon relisting... when I list, offers are OFF.

This is happening RANDOMLY and automatically by ebay.

The listings yesterday that were "auto-upated" to add best offer, were listed using "sell similar" over two weeks ago, and saved with offers OFF.

So ebay's system has an evening batch routine that scans (certain?) accounts, and using pre-determined parameters, auto-updates Buy It Now- only listings and adds the "Offer" feature. Then it sends an email to those accounts, identifying which listings they have updated.

In other words, ebay is arbitrarily modifying my listings without my permission.

[Anonymous]

They're changing software again .. my listings are being scrubbed of catalog information the last screwup yesterday is the asking price is lower then the minimum offer setting I thing there was five. I had over 400 catolouged movies that I filled in the info to the max only to find a weeks work got scrubbed of items that wont even allow it to be listed in the first place.. sales down yep wheres my listing on the very bottom again below diffrent items then mine. I used to think my time was valuable not so much now I'm tired of trying to fix ebays software screwups
@teenytrinkets

[femmefan1946]

And I'm packing up another book tonight to ship-- free shipping again.

I had Calculated because it is 4cm thick and 754 grams.

Thank heavens I have lots and lots of cheap stamps.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

And I'm packing up another book tonight to ship-- free shipping again.

I had Calculated because it is 4cm thick and 754 grams.

Thank heavens I have lots and lots of cheap stamps.

---

And be grateful too that you have this GIGANTIC cookie jar we've heard about!! 🙂

Sorry. Bad Lotz!!! Couldn't resist. I would just like to have enough sales to afford the cookies!!!

At last count I think I'm out about 6 bucks this month. It still adds up!

-Lotz

[femmefan1946]

I've taken down half a dozen titles this evening. Only half way through my listings. At least I know the USD ones are okay, since they are always small enough to ship Flat Rate/Free Shipping.

And of course, I get a good discount on the postage stamps.

[teenytrinkets]

I think ebay owes you some money...!

[Anonymous]

Oh no! Do you use the bulk editor it's fairly easy to check the listings and do a fix in one swoop. I changed back to paid shipping lasting night. I took about 5 mins to do both accounts.. just curious have you been put on managaged payments yet


@femmefan1946

[ericsells75]

How is this not a bigger reported issue??

[teenytrinkets]

OMG, there's so many reported issues for sellers right now with no solution. Even Tyler isn't responding to his tags anymore. I suspect they're triaging permanent fixes, and in the meantime sellers get workarounds. I still can't use the word MASCARA, MASK, or MASQUE in any of my makeup & skincare listings, because those listings won't post on .com (because they're trying to prevent face mask sales to other countries). It took me WEEKS to test it out all on my own, and figure out the best way around it for my sales.

I'm still in the "investigation and testing" phase of this latest problem. I've created a combination of different "test case" listings to see which ones get triggered for "auto-best-offer" updates. In one week, I had to manually update 40 listings (which is 20% of my listings). Once I'm better able to understand their software's parameters, I can adjust how I list to avoid having to update 20% of my listings every week. Ebay should be friggen well paying me for system testing and debugging!!!! Lord knows how many other sellers are doing the very same thing right now, too, for whatever problem they're having!

[teenytrinkets]

@byto253

For your reading pleasure...

[byto253]

Thanks teeny trinkets.  I have recently retired and gotten into this so my number of items is small.  I can't imagine this happening here and there with hundreds of listings.   When you get a listing changed to allow offers, do you always get an email notification? 

[teenytrinkets]

Yes, i got another one at 4am this morning. Thankfully it was only one relisted listing, but I fear my other new listings are next.

I personally think a selection of sellers have been added to their auto-update, considering this update has been in place for a couple of years and I've never had it happen until January 2021.

[teenytrinkets]

@byto253 tyler@ebay

Based on my reasearch from the past two weeks, I can confirm that it is ALL APP GENERATED LISTINGS triggering Ebays auto-magic forced best offer updates. Here are my test cases and results (one week from listing date).

Listings that triggered the automagic update one week after listing:

1. All new listings using the APP (including sell-similar from these new listings).

2. All re-lists using the APP (regardless of listing age).

3. All sell-similar using the APP (regardless of listing age).

These listings did NOT trigger the automagic update one week after listing:

1. All new listings on my PC.

2. Sell similar of old and new listings on my PC.

3. Re-lists of old listings on my PC.

4. Ebay auto relists of old listings (GTC).

Thankfully, it looks like I can at least update the photo on the APP without triggering the update, which is my main reason for using the APP.

Of course, more time is required to see if the PC generated listings trigger it at a later date. But, this is proof that AGE and PRICE are NOT factors in the automagic update.

IT'S THE FREAKING APP!!!!!!

Oh, and I escalated this issue on Chat to a supervisor/manager who was supposed to call. It's been over a week and I did NOT receive a call-back. Ebay is REALLY neglecting sellers!

[byto253]

Interesting info about the app.  I listed some video games and used the app to scan URLs and get the auto generated info, then saved the drafts and finished the listings on the desktop computer.  Lo and behold I got the email that I was now able to take offers 🙂  

I am guessing that the app has some built in permissions imbedded or something.  To bad, that is a really handy way to handle the games.  Ok for just a few like I listed but I can see that being a headache for a volume seller.