Jennings Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Why would someone include the "Make Offer" feature on an eBay listing if they're going to automatically (within half a second) decline every offer below their "Buy it now" price? I don't get it. An item was listed for £49.95. I submitted an offer of £35.95 that was declined. I submitted another offer of £39.95 that was declined. I submitted a third offer of £43.95 that was automatically declined. Doesn't really make me that interested in buying your item for your asking price quite honestly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john53 Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Sounds like a strange way to get bids. But who in their right mind is going to "out bid" the buy it price? But then again I see kits all the time for $100 plus that I just bought on e bay last week for $15. Go figure.---John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
graves_09 Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 The best I've ever done with "best offer" is knocking $5 off the buy it now price. I think it is just designed to draw more attention to the listing by making people think they have a chance to barter. The seller is hoping you will make offers thinking you have control, but really they aren't willing to budge much. Sort of like the guy at the flea market that marks his crap way above actual retail value and then says "make me an offer". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 Well, if that was the intention, it didn't work. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott Smith Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I bought a watch on best offer. Made a lowball ($20 less than the buy it now asking prices of $65) and they accepted it. And I've experienced the same as you did on other items though. Even got a counter offer once with something like $2 off a $75 diecast car. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ajd3530 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 I've actually won a decent amount of stuff with the make an offer option. Mostly older Monogram kits, decals, and AM resin. I normally go at it the same way I do if i am trying to bargin for a gun at a pawn shop. I normally make a lowball offer of about 60% the ebay seller is asking for. They'll usually (the ones who WANT to actually make a sale) come back with a counter offer of about 80-85%, then I'll try to bump them down about 5% off that. If they accept, everyone wins. They sell, and I get it at around 3/4 the asking price. Now mind you, alot of sellers who have a buy now option actually have a number pre-set for what they are willing to let it go for, and then they let the website take care of it. Kinda like on those shows where the feller will be outside the shop talking to the cameras saying "I want 20,000 for it, but I'll settle for 12,000." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel_B Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 (edited) I tried to buy something with this feature about a year ago. The seller was asking something like $40, I offered $32. Little while letter the seller sends me a counter-offer of 39.75. I bump mine up to 33, he comes back with 39.50. Since I didn't feel like exchanging a dozen more messages to finally settle somewhere in the middle, I just let it go. If you're that set on getting your price that you're only willing to come down 25 cents at a time, just set a firm BIN and don't waste people's time... Edited June 21, 2015 by Daniel_B Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Exhausted Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Wow, the time it took to counter offer for 25 cents less isn't even worth the time it takes to send it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
breadneck Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 You won`t see any sellers accepting such low bids. You have to be very close to the actual BIN price to be able to benefit from the best offer method. It`s just a friendly proposition from the seller saying hey i am willing to let it go slightly cheaper. These sellers are more inclined to selling, and don`t mind playing ball. Most times sellers tend to delay their response just in case someone else buys it...which almost never happens. Coincidentally, very much so, i just had a best offer expire on me. A Hasegawa jap. twin at BIN $12, and i offered $11. Very very unusual i utilize this approach when ebaying. (yes i do it too :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nerdling Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 I tried to use the BIN option a few times as a seller. I quit after every offer I got was an extreme low ball. I mean things like offering 15 bucks for an item that sells for 100. There's trying to get a good deal and than there is just being cheap. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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