offers on auctions

Is there a way to stop offers from being made on auctions? It wouldn't be so bad if buyers used that option properly but no they still look at is if the starting bid is buy it now price
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Re: offers on auctions

Stop it? No.

Perhaps adding a complaint about the practice on the Wednesday chat.

Or eBay could make it impossible to make an offer on Auctions that is lower than the asking price.

 

I suspect we have two options.

Ignore the unwanted offer and/or Block the member.

Use a stock letter like those @ricarmichas prepared over the years and cut and paste a (polite) boilerplate response.

Message 2 of 9
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Re: offers on auctions

Yeah I blocked both users who did it. If I counter with a message explaining it's an auction & the offer is below the starting bid & they still don't get it I can't be bothered with them.
I was just hoping that we could turn that off like when they automatically add offers to buy it now listing's. Seems like something like this could actually ruin an auction is people keep thinking they should be offering less
Message 3 of 9
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Re: offers on auctions

I have to wonder if the techie who programmed this actually knows how auctions work in the Real World.

And I understand there are several different variations of auction format.

 

With Auctions down to only 15% or so of listings, and most of those including Buy It Now options, it's my belief that eBay only keeps the Auction format around as a way of differentiating themselves in a mostly Fixed Price marketplace.

 

It's my observation that Auctions are used mostly by new sellers, who may not realize they have another option, and in certain categories, mostly Collectibles. 

Message 4 of 9
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Re: offers on auctions

I have no idea if it can be  done but if you can take it off when eBay adds it to BIN listings I would think that you could do the same when they add it to auctions??  It isn’t something that is mandatory on all auctions.

Message 5 of 9
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Re: offers on auctions


@slaneyenterprises wrote:
Is there a way to stop offers from being made on auctions? It wouldn't be so bad if buyers used that option properly but no they still look at is if the starting bid is buy it now price

Revise your listings to remove the Best Offer........

 

Going forward switch to the Advanced Listing Form (it might have a new name these days), I can't absolutely confirm but I've heard that eBay is only auto-adding Best offer to sellers using the Quick Listing Form.

 

I don't think blocking people who make these offers is a good idea, they see a listing, it shows Best Offer (added by eBay) so naturally they think that offers are welcome.

 

Generally speaking I don't buy from sellers using Best Offer but if I did I would certainly make some sort of offer rather than just pay the listed price. If the seller turned down my offer that doesn't mean that I no longer want the item.

 

If I made an offer (as invited to do so) I'd be pretty annoyed if I went back to buy at the listed price and found I was blocked for no apparent reason.

 

 



"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.
Message 6 of 9
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Re: offers on auctions

I to have been given offers on Auction listing.    I still like to use the auction format when I have something new or different from anything that I have listed before.    Many I have had people as me for a buy it now price.   Not really knowing even a close price realization I always tell them that I do not accept offers and will not change an item from an auction to a best offer or buy it now.

An example being recently on my other listing site,  I had an item that I started out at $4.00 with no clue as to what it might bring.   If it would have sold for $10 I would have been happy.   It sold for over $500.   Had I been asked to put a buy it now price or taken offers,  I am sure I would not have even got close to the $500

Once an item does not sell at auction,  then I look at best offers or buy it now

Message 7 of 9
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Re: offers on auctions


@reallynicestamps wrote:

 

It's my observation that Auctions are used mostly by new sellers, who may not realize they have another option, and in certain categories, mostly Collectibles. 


Or when there is an auction-only listing promo!

 

I sold a few books with the auction-only promo last week and two of them were bought with 30%+ BIN too sunglasses

Message 8 of 9
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Re: offers on auctions

Last night I had someone ask me if I would take less than the current bid on an ongoing auction!!!!

What does one say to that? (I cobbled together a polite decline)

Allowing offers on auctions seems a somewhat unthunk idea in my mind, it just causes unproductive work for us 99% of the time.....
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