Sellers and best offers

What is everyone's experience with best offers on ebay? I've run across sellers that would let you offer 50% of the asking price (and had one accept).

Today I run across an auction with a buy it now of $265. I think it's a pretty good deal. But he has a best offer listed. So I submit $220. Seemed reasonable for an ungraded coin. But, declined immediately. So I think about it and end up offering $240? Declined. Now I'm half p***** off and half curious. I go ahead and submit an even $250. "DECLINED". LOL! Ok, what was the point of using "Make an offer" in the listing??

Now I'm likely going to pass just for the principle of it. That extra $15 is worth about 13 real dollars after fees.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

That's positively ridiculous. What, is he hoping someone will offer higher than the buy it now price? lol

I haven't even offered on such an item before because I know most of the people are greedy, angry folk who will decline anything that's not remotely close to their buy it now price.

 

Chances are the seller did not set up auto decline option correctly and simply pasted 265 on that textbox as well. keep in mind ebay does promos where its features are often given out for free.

 

I have this happen quite alot! Seems like the sellers dont really want to take an offer or are disgusted with one. Honestly I have a much higher rate of success just messaging someone thru the system and offering lower amount directly thru paypal. For instance, Saturday I find a nice candy store michigan cash register for $695. I message the seller and politely ask "Hello there!, I was wondering if you were accepting offers on your register or if the price is firm? Thank you for your time in advance!" I get a message back saying send an offer!

My experience with "best offer" is you always seem to get shot down unless you offer purchase price less the shipping or close to it! I just sent an offer for 40 dollars off a 129.99 listed price and was shot down "the items only have about 70 dollars in silver, I was leaving 20 for profit" so I said forget it. Last night that seller sent me a message saying I could send another offer! Like the Original poster said, I ignored it just on principle.

Lesson of the day....Words do not cost a dime, but can save you one!

 

As an E-Bay seller who uses the Best Offer feature on all of my listings, I think some of the comments made in this thread are born of frustration rather than fact. While there might be some sellers who are not using the feature properly, most that use it know what they are doing.

Any seller who has his auto decline set below a 10% discount is wasting their time and that of the potential buyers. If the seller is going to decline an offer of 5% off the list price, then the seller should not use the best offer feature. The purpose of the Best Offer feature is to encourage negotiation and allow both parties to come to a mutually agreeable price.

Having said that, buyers that are placing offers that are more than 25% off the list price should expect to see the auto decline kick in very frequently. This is especially true for lower value items.

 

I've had sellers accept offers at half what they were selling for. I got an ancient roman coin for half of it's initial price. Also got some US commeratives at close to half off (I bought 10 from the seller, so that helped). I find that if the auction has been going on for awhile, possibly relisted, then chances are good they will accept an offer. A lot of times they won't do half, but I start there and then sort of negotiate back and forth. Most of the time, I'll get decent prices.

 

Nope. I decided to send a message to the seller. Basically asking why he used it at all. And letting him know that my new offer is $210.

His reply:
" I am considering offers- you simply didn't offer enough."

LOL!! Good bye. Will never be buying anything from this seller. I knew this guy was bad news just by the responses he was giving in his feedback. A lot of people got ripped off with special "lots" of silver by the pound. and sketchy, vague descriptions for what he was offering. Lets just say some people (unknowingly) got sent A LOT of war nickels.

Another ebay land mine.

 

Got me thinking about those sellers that list a $10-$20 coin for $100, then mark it down to $50-$60.

 

I've had better luck with items that were "Buy It Now" with no "Best Offer" tab than I have with the "Best Offer" tab. As mentioned above, if there is an item I like, I will email the seller and make them an offer. In quite a few instances, it is accepted. I guess it's because he is not trying to employ a marketing strategy.

Speaking of that and a little off topic, there is an online dealer named Talisman Coins; they actually have some different and interesting offerings. Anyway, I was looking at the 2012 Canada 1/2-ounce dragon that is currently being sold by the Royal Canadian Mint for $29.99. If you look at the Talisman Coins site, the retail is listed at $59.95, the regular price is listed as $49.95, but the sale price is listed as $39.95. It says you are saving $20.00 when in actuality you are paying $10.00 over the price at the Royal Canadian Mint. To make it worse, the shipping charge is just a tad shy of the $12.99 the RCM charges. Now that's what I call some effective shystering; sorry, I meant marketing.

 

If a seller lists a BIN with a reasonable price and a BO, I usually will offer in the neighborhood of 90%. If I think the BIN is a little too rich, it may be 80-85%. If I think the BIN is too crazy, I move on.

 

The easiest thing to do with the best offer is to make an offer once and thats it. If you make multiple offers it makes the seller thinks twice about accepting your offers. For some reason sellers start thinking, if he raised the offer by $30 maybe he would raise it by another $10 and so on.

 

Doug,

After reading your response, I am left feeling that you are confusing the "Best Offer" feature with something else. There are no bids involved with BIN listings! By nature, the Best Offer will always be less than the listed price unless the buyer's name is Harry Dunn or Lloyd Christmas.

 

Just last month received on myeBay board a messaged from ebay member Id___ since 2003 with 100 % Feedback.

Here is the messages that i received.



[TD="width: 70%"]Dear edwinrd117,


Hello, this seems like a good value, but would you accept $7 million?

- XXXXXXX
[/TD]
[TD="width: 30%"]Click "respond" to reply through Messages, or go to your email to reply
[/TD]

[TD="width: 70%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 30%"]
[/TD]

[TD="width: 70%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 30%"]

[/TD]
　


[TD="width: 16%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 44%"]1995 P Penny On Dime- Eleven Cents Unique Major Dramatic Error- Mint
[/TD]
[TD="width: 40%"][/TD]

[TD="width: 16%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 44%"]Item Id:
[/TD]
[TD="width: 40%"]120839062433
[/TD]

[TD="width: 16%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 44%"]End time:
[/TD]
[TD="width: 40%"]Jan-15-12 18:25:41 PST
[/TD]

[TD="width: 16%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 44%"]Buyer:
[/TD]
[TD="width: 40%"]XXXXXXXXXX (166
[/TD]

[TD="width: 16%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 44%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 40%"]100.0% Positive Feedback
[/TD]

[TD="width: 16%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 44%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 40%"]Member since May-11-03 in United States
[/TD]

[TD="width: 16%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 44%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 40%"]Location: FL, United States
[/TD]

[TD="width: 16%"][/TD]
[TD="width: 44%"]Listing Status:
[/TD]
[TD="width: 40%"]This message was sent while the listing was active


My Question here, If I accepted his Offer is He responsible to Pay for it? I also report this to eBay and called them with regards of hiHer eBay ID. I did reply on his offer until today not answering my reply.
On my responsed on his offer How you gonna pay for it? If you are really serious on this offer call ebay or pay pal to arranged to Pament for it. I am also waiting to hear from eBay or Pay Pal. If my buyer is quaified to purchased on this Item..


[/TD]

 

^ He was probably going to do a bill me later and use the 500k in ebay bucks, to buy himself a Lamborghini and drive to the border

 

^ That seems more like a joke, hence a message and not an actual "offer" through the system. What's even more funny, is how much you put that coin up for. Considering all the bids you received maybe you should have taken the cash.

 

I don't believe that that is an offer. I don't know if you had a Best Offer option on there. If he sent it as a offer, you would have had the option to decline, counter, or accept, and it would have been as a best offer, not as a 'message'. That's what I'm getting out of it.


I have a question, though. How did you come to this price for the coin? What is making it valued (as being available to buy) for over 10 million dollars? Who did the appraisal on it?

 

FUNNY ONE..Not even expected that..Bill me later..Anyway the bidder must be qualified, means financial status must be passed before go through to serious negotiation... Payment/Pick up will be arrange later. Representative from ebay/Pay Pal will also be there to close the deal...that was I informed thru telephone.
Edwinrd117

 

Exactly what I do on EBAY and DLRC. I know several of the better dealers are like Paul mentioned, but some aren't. I also do not do back and forth - I make my best offer and if it is declined then I do not make another offer.