07-13-2016 05:27 PM
I recently revised all my listings to include Make An Offer so that local buyers had an easy way of letting me know they wanted to do a Cash Payment for Local Pickup. This move was part of my lockout-strike readiness plan.
I don't normally enable Make An Offer since I instead utilize Markdowns, or revise listings to alter pricing. Also, I did it with the Bulk Editor so there was no simply way to create the rule where you auto-reject or auto-accept offers of a certain amount. Or at least no simple way I could see at the time.
Consequently, I have been flooded with insultingly low offers. Like offers that are five per cent of the asking price.
Is this normal? Or is it just me?
I'm curious. And a little offended.
07-13-2016 05:51 PM
"Consequently, I have been flooded with insultingly low offers. "
That is why I do not and never did offer "Make an Offer" in my eBay listings.
Quite the contrary. My eBay store pricing policy clearly states: "As a matter of long standing policy and in fairness to all eBay participants, offers at prices below my discounted listed prices are never entertained. "
Now, I understand some sellers and buyers consider eBay a large online flea market. That concept of "bargaining" may work for them.
It is not for me.
07-13-2016 06:12 PM
That is what you get without the minimum you will take. I used to do what you did and same thing. I got fed up so now all best offers have a minimum.
That way any low ballers get automatically notified as a no and they give up.
I quit listing anything on Ebay at auction at less the minimum I will take, if it is fixed price and no offers, that is what it means (Ebay will now let buyers make offers on anything), and if I do accept offers I put in the lowest I will take.
It really cuts back on messages as low ballers get the auto decline. and you don't get a zillion messages.
07-13-2016 06:15 PM
I have tried Make An Offer a few times on expensive items in the past but people want everything for nothing so I don't use it anymore. You end up bartering back & forth. The only way it works is if you have it automatically accept or reject offers.
07-13-2016 06:26 PM - edited 07-13-2016 06:30 PM
I use the Best Offer feature quite a bit and it works very well for me. I rarely run auctions and for me it's a viable alternative. I buy and sell a lot of items that way.
I agree, there has been a recent trend to get numerous low offers that aren't even in the ballpark. You can set the listing up for automatic reject or accept but IMO that's counterproductive. That's because offers beget offers. When others see that someone has made an offer the item looks more appealing and it also bumps you up in the search and often puts your item up on the side feed thingy.
Of course I don't get insulted when the offer is low as every offer has some value. Those sellers who do get insulted might be better off avoiding this feature.
There’s a bit of an art to it. I’ve learned that when I counteroffer that the shopper rarely accepts. That is: Most of the time (not always) they really are offering their best price and not playing games.
Also, a lot of the offers are from re-sellers and that's OK. I buy that way as well. BTW: The reason some buyers make low offers is because those offers sometimes get accepted too.
07-13-2016 06:29 PM
I can only tell you that I've used Best Offer for many years with great success, but I very rarely use it on anything of lower value (say under about $50 US) unless I really didn't care about the final price.
I've found it's only effective with more expensive items ($100+) where there is enough "wiggle room" for both parties to find a comfortable compromise. Otherwise you can expect a host of fishing expeditions, fire-sale style, as you've discovered. These are buyers who are just hoping that "Best Offer" on lower-priced items signals seller desperation -- especially if the whole store looks like that -- and that they might get lucky. There's no reason to be insulted or offended, it's a well-known phenomenon.
Others may disagree, but I've seen problems reported with auto-accept/auto-decline. I personally avoid those options. For example, buyers will take a stab at their 3 allowable offers to try to reach the lowest possible price, which you are then obliged to honour. Or buyers make offers that stipulate free shipping where shipping is already stated in the listing (not allowed, but buyers will try and eBay won't intervene). Then you have to decide whether to provide free shipping or lose the potential sale entirely.
I'm not sure I understand how the disadvantages of using Best Offer on lower value items helps with local pick-ups during a CP disruption. Do you mean you're counting on buyers being forced to correspond with you before purchasing so that you can suggest cash on pick-up if they're local? Buyers making a Best Offer won't automatically be prompted by eBay to advise you of their shipping option selection. Few will even think of asking when they make an offer. Using Best Offer for that purpose seems to me like adding another potentially awkward and money-losing complication to an already troublesome situation.
Incidentally, are you aware that eBay doesn't provide for any communication by the seller in accepting a Best Offer (unless you're counter-offering)? It's either accept or decline, no message permitted. That has always seemed strange to me, because sometimes I want to immediately thank a buyer for their offer, but that's how eBay has decided to deal with it. The Best Offer "message" box, when available (for counter-offers) is very skimpy -- about 150 characters if I recall.
You will, however, see the buyer's general location (city/province(state), but not actual address) once they make an offer, which presumably would allow you to message them directly about possible local pick-up. The problem is that any communication before an offer is accepted might be ill-advised.
Why not continue to show "local pickup available" on your listings then message buyers directly to discuss possible local pick-up once they've chosen to purchase an item? You will have their complete address at that point and you can always suggest cancelling if the arrangement doesn't work. Surely this would be easier than showing all your listings with "Best Offer", which to my mind has the effect of advertising a "going out of business" sale.
I'd be more than happy to help with any advice if you do want to use Best Offer on select items. Since I've used it for years, I've pretty much run into every wrinkle and permutation possible. My view is that it does work extremely well if used in specific situations.
07-13-2016 06:36 PM
@rose-dee wrote:
Incidentally, are you aware that eBay doesn't provide for any communication by the seller in accepting a Best Offer (unless you're counter-offering)? It's either accept or decline, no message permitted.
The way I get around that is by counter offering a dollar or so above the counter offer. For example: These offers often come from buyers purchasing more than one item and sometimes I counter offer a dollar above theirs and make sure they understand that shipping might not be free for additional items.
07-13-2016 06:41 PM
@sylviebee wrote:I use the Best Offer feature quite a bit and it works very well for me. I rarely run auctions and for me it's a viable alternative. I buy and sell a lot of items that way.
All of the points in your post above ring true with me too.
One thing I wanted to add, for the sake of others considering Best Offer (and this fits in with your comment that offers encourage other offers), is that eBay does record on the FB page whether a Best Offer was accepted. That can be enticing to other buyers, who may otherwise be reluctant to try an offer out on the seller.
Like you, I've found that counter-offering usually isn't worthwhile, and I agree that most buyers, when making an offer on a relatively valuable item, have probably given the amount of the offer quite a bit of thought in advance. I'd say that I accept well over 90% of offers made. But then my buyers (probably like yours) have an understanding of the value of the items they're thinking of purchasing.
I think the reason Best Offer can be successful on higher-priced items is that it gives the buyer an opportunity to play a role in the process. Since auctions are becoming rarer on eBay, a lot of the fun of getting a bit of a bargain through a buyer's own efforts is gone.
07-13-2016 06:48 PM
mi's post hit home for me as well though.
The past two or three months I've received more low ball offers than ever before. Either that's a fluke or a recent development.
07-13-2016 06:53 PM
"Consequently, I have been flooded with insultingly low offers. Like offers that are five per cent of the asking price.
Is this normal? Or is it just me?
I'm curious. And a little offended".
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
All my listings have a best offer option...
It's the best way to sell GTC listings. You never have to reduce your prices because there is always a "best offer" option.
I occasionally receive very "low" offers that would be deemed offensive, but the advantage is you don't reply to the offer and let it expire. Other buyers will see you have offers (offer prices are never shown to other buyers) so you can generate some interest for your particular item.
On many occasions buyers will just click "Buy-It-Now".
Best Offer has worked really well for me over the past 10+ years.
07-13-2016 07:01 PM
I still don't quite understand how using Best Offer in 'mj's' situation is really a solution to the Canada Post problem.
In my view, Best Offer should be used strategically for the intended purpose. Using it as a workaround? I don't know.
07-13-2016 07:09 PM
@rose-dee wrote:I still don't quite understand how using Best Offer in 'mj's' situation is really a solution to the Canada Post problem.
In my view, Best Offer should be used strategically for the intended purpose. Using it as a workaround? I don't know.
Trust me, it works fine for Local Pickup. My local kijiji ads provide instructions. The price I am willing to accept for Cash Payment and Local Pickup is different than the price I can afford to accept for an item where domestic Free Shipping is included in the price as well as paypal fees which are avoided with Local Pickup for Cash Payment. Having the terms specified in the offer is the only way to ensure they are followed when the offer is concluded. I've spoken to the required parties within ebay and paypal to confirm this.
It would work better if Bulk Editor allowed one to set an auto-reject limit.
By the way, contrary to your earlier assertion, it is possible to send a message as part of the procedure when one Declines an offer. I just did this. One is not required to Counteroffer to gain that field.
07-13-2016 07:30 PM
@mjwl2006 wrote:Trust me, it works fine for Local Pickup. My local kijiji ads provide instructions. The price I am willing to accept for Cash Payment and Local Pickup is different than the price I can afford to accept for an item where domestic Free Shipping is included in the price as well as paypal fees which are avoided with Local Pickup for Cash Payment. Having the terms specified in the offer is the only way to ensure they are followed when the offer is concluded. I've spoken to the required parties within ebay and paypal to confirm this.
What I'm trying to grasp is the process. How do you specify terms in an offer that hasn't been made by the buyer yet? Since a buyer can alter terms of sale through an offer, even terms that are clearly stated in a listing might be subject to change by the buyer in that event.
Or are you using Best Offer in the hope every potential buyer will make an offer so that you can always counter-offer to include specific terms? Do you still have "Buy It Now" available as well? When you say your Kijiji ads provide instructions, do you mean you're referring your eBay buyers to Kijiji to see those instructions?
If the procedure is workable, I think there might be other sellers who would be interested in the mechanics of the arrangement and might like to know specifically what you do when a buyer makes an offer on one of your listings.
By the way, you are probably quite right about "Decline Offer" always providing a message box. I so rarely decline any offers, I'd forgotten. Apologies!
I suppose I still don't understand how the disadvantages of Best Offer that you've experienced are a better solution to the shipping issue than directly messaging the buyer after a sale. What's the point if you're attracting a whole lot of lousy, low-ball offers that are upsetting you?
Maybe it's too late in the day, but there's something about this that isn't making complete sense to me. Can you explain more fully?
07-13-2016 07:43 PM
07-13-2016 08:35 PM - edited 07-13-2016 08:36 PM
@rose-dee wrote:By the way, you are probably quite right about "Decline Offer" always providing a message box. I so rarely decline any offers, I'd forgotten. Apologies!
_____________________________________________________
I've never declined an offer either. Some sellers who are insulted by low offers jump on the decline button.
It's much better to counteroffer and keep it going for as long as possible because each offer shows up as a new offer and that can boost the item even more.
07-13-2016 08:38 PM
07-13-2016 08:59 PM
The one big advantage of offers is you can check the buyer out before committing to anything, as long as you don't put the $ amount you will accept
07-13-2016 09:04 PM
@mjwl2006 wrote:
Counteroffer seem to be ignored by buyers. Then they time out and say Expired on the item history which, to me, always looks like the seller didn't care enough to respond. And I think that looks badly on the seller.
Are you saying that this history can be viewed by buyers?
If so, would you please tell me how they see that? I thought only sellers had that info.
07-13-2016 09:18 PM
07-13-2016 09:34 PM - edited 07-13-2016 09:37 PM
Okay, here we go.
This is one of my listings but one where I've used Best Offer for months (I have a selection of high-priced items that have been OBO for awhile unlike the free-for-all with lately) http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Transformers-RESCUE-BOTS-BLURR-Race-Car-PLAYSKOOL-HEROES-Hasbro-NEW-Recruit-/...
Here is the listing as it appears to any old person browsing it, I came at it while not logged into my account, and from a Google search.
This is what you see -- and by you I mean you, me, anyone and/or their neighbour's dog sees -- when they click the link that says 53 offers. These were auto-declined. No prices, you can see. But if I had manually counteroffered and the buyer didn't reply, it would say 'Expired' but not who allowed it to expire.
See what I was saying? When I see 'expired' next to a log entry, I always assume the seller is unmotivated and uncommunicative. It's discouraging to me. As a buyer. As a seller, my thoughts are slightly different.