Send an offer directly to member (eBay message function)

[beng182]

Hi,

According to eBay (Help section): ''If a member sends you a message about a fixed price listing, you can choose to send the member an offer to buy the item at a discounted price.''

Here is the procedure:

How to send an offer:

1. Within the message from a member about your Fixed Price listing, click Send an offer directly to member.

2. On the Create your offer page, enter the offer price, quantity (if applicable) and any message you want to include to the buyer.

3. Click Submit to send your offer to the buyer.

   However, I do not find this option anywhere. I have tried with members sending me questions on Buy It Now listings (without the Best Offer option in the listing), and I can't reply to them with a private offer. I've tried to find this option for hours on Help page, forum, and so on. Does this function still exist in 2017? Because I don't want to add Best Offer options to my listings directly, because there are too many lowball offers. I would like to be able to use this private offer link in message, provided by eBay.

   Thank you for your help

   (Edit: I have also posted my question on ebay.com, and US members told me that the function exists, but I still don't see it so I need to know if it's also available for us Canadian...)

[ypdc_dennis]

---

@beng182 wrote:

However, I do not find this option anywhere. I have tried with members sending me questions on Buy It Now listings (without the Best Offer option in the listing), and I can't reply to them with a private offer. ... Because I don't want to add Best Offer options to my listings directly, because there are too many lowball offers. ...

---

My approach for a member interested in a lower price, is to exchange emails through eBay to agree on price, then set up Best Offer for that listing -- and then tell the potential buyer they can make an offer for that price and it will be accepted. I usually give a time frame to make an offer, after which the Best Offer is removed.

...

For Best Offer you can set a minimum price -- offers below that are automatically rejected (and you don't even see the lowball offers).

-..-

[momcqueen]

That feature is only available for listings created on ebay.com. 

It's not to be found on ebay.ca. 

Like ypdc_dennis, I have created a workaround wherein I create a new, limited-time listing of three days with the user's ID in the title at the agreed-upon price. And I only do it for bundles. 

[ypdc_dennis]

I can't find anything about that option the eBay.CA help files.

[beng182]

That's exactly what I've done for one of my customer who wanted to buy more. But the thing is once you use the ''Best Offer'' option, you cannot remove it from your existing listing. So now I have to deal with way more messages than before, from customers trying to get a better price. That's why I would like to be able to have only listings without ''Best Offer'', but in the same time, being able to send private offer via message for special orders.

[momcqueen]

Or you could create a whole new listing for the buyer and the offer. Like I said below.

[beng182]

You're right there is nothing about it on ebay.ca but only on ebay.com. Maybe it's only for people who list direcly on ebay.com? I wish we could be able to use that function too.

[beng182]

It's a nice idea, with the user id in the title, so it would not include other buyers. I think I will do this next time.

[momcqueen]

I've never had another buyer try to purchase something that wasn't for them but, just to be safe, I always include that it's a Custom Lot or Bundle for so-and-so in the Item Description too. Also, I limit Shipping options to the buyer's location only to limit the item's exposure to the world at large.

Doing it this way is a little extra work but I've used it dozens of times with success.

[momcqueen]

It only works with items listed directly on ebay.com. I've looked and tried prior to this.

[ypdc_dennis]

Good point about bundles, For those I'm willing to create a custom listing. Although my last one was an unbundle -- selling 9 items instead of 10 as listed -- same price, but the buyer gets the benefit of $20 less in shipping (amazing what shaving some grams off a parcel can do).

[beng182]

Thank you very much. Mystery resolved 🙂

[ypdc_dennis]

"... once you use the ''Best Offer'' option, you cannot remove it from your existing listing."

Actually you can -- as long as there are no purchases made on the listing, Best Offer can be removed.

[ypdc_dennis]

Since the feature only exists for eBay.com -- and since you have flat rate shipping for some of your items why don't you list those on ebay.com?  And you get monthly free listings on top of those for ebay.ca

Here's a list of current generic shipping choices when listing on eBay.com for the Canadian seller (who ships from Canada):

To the USA
Economy Shipping from outside US
Standard Shipping from outside US
Expedited Shipping from outside US

Outside the USA, to Canada and the rest of the world
Economy Int'l Shipping
Standard Int'l Shipping
Expedited Int'l Shipping
You can have up to 5 separate International rates for countries you select (such as Canada).

-..-

[beng182]

I was thinking about it once, but I was hesitating because eBay stated it was better for Canadian sellers to sell in Canadian dollar. However, I'm still not sure which site has more benefits for us.

[ypdc_dennis]

You can list on both sites, it does not need to be one or the other. Select listings that have the best change of making use of this ebay.COM direct offer feature.
Just make sure your paypal has Cdn$ and US$ set as active currencies if you sell on both sites.

[momcqueen]

"You can list on both sites, it does not need to be one or the other."

Yes, of course, but it cannot be the SAME listing created separately on different sites if they are likely to overlap in terms of shipping destinations since that would violate the Duplicate Listing policy.

I know that you mean a Canadian seller can have 50* items listed on ebay.ca and another 50 different items listed on ebay.com but the Original Poster and others to come afterward may not.

*Or as many as you are allowed under your Selling Limits and/or decide to pay to have listed.