I absolutely love the best offer feature for so many reasons, however, right now I am downright irritated by it. It seems like recently I've been getting so many crazy low-ball offers that I'm frustrated by the whole thing.
Ok, emotions aside, here are reasons that I LOVE the best offer option:
- gives you (as a seller) an opportunity to see what people may think is a reasonable price to pay for your items
- Allows you a chance to take the money even if it is less than you had originally planned
- discourages buyers from trying to get you to make a deal outside of eBay that may put you at risk
- Allows you to still make the sale if it just so happens your competition is only slightly cheaper. (example: Buyer sends the offer to you because you have higher feedback when in the old days they would have just gone with the competition)
Now, here are my thoughts on why I dislike it:
- low ball offers. Waste my time and hurt my feelings
- doesn't allow for "immediate payment required"
So, as you can see, the pros out-weigh the cons, so I use it in just about every listing. I don't require immediate payment anyway so really, for me, the only con is an emotional one and this is business so I can't let it get to me.
Just sometimes it is insulting to have an item up at auction and someone puts in a offer for 10% of what you have it listed at. That is 10% of the price, folks, not 10% off.... just 10%!!! I think I'm going to try that in the "real" world one day. Go into a shop in the mall, pick up a dress with a $100 price tag, take it to the counter and in as serious and sincere manner as possible say "I'll give you $10 for it, what do you think?"
or maybe a car lot... that is a place where there is lots of wheeling and dealing going on. Sticker price $30,000.00 and I sit down with the lot manager and try to offer him three grand.
Think it would work?
NO!
Why would people think it would work on eBay?
Irritating. I guess it is a result of so many people selling their stuff for a loss or the other bad eBayers who trump up their descriptions to make their garbage sound like a diamond. I hate that people have that perception of eBay.
Sorry for the rant. Just needed an outlet!
But, eBay does have a simple solution to my problem. Use the auto-decline option. Unfortunately, I just haven't set it up yet. So, let me go now and do that!
2 comments:
Yes, I agree totally... I sell music and I don't see why buyers say to themselves 'I can afford to pay £2 for this record but not £4.' And when you look at the same title via Google searches established sellers are charging £5+! What does £2 buy for me? A couple of litres of milk and a bar of chocolate... Not worth it for all the time and effort I go to clean, photograph, sort, and list the item, and 'babysit' the listing, not to mention my high electricity bills resulting from running a PC 6-10 hours a day. Not sure if you know this expression but in the UK we call these people 'chancers' :D
No, I had never heard that expression before. I'll remember it though and make sure to try an use it to impress my brother-in-law who lives in the UK.
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