Question
Does anyone use it?
I'm a little disappointed that I went through my store and added the Best Offer feature to many of my items without checking out the feature in detail.
I have found that the only way a potential bidder/buyer knows that the Best Offer feature even exist on an item is to click on that particular item.
No where does eBay have an icon or anything else in the Search Results to find all the Best Offer items. (That is unless I have missed it somewhere).
I have written to eBay about the ability to see in the Search Results which items have the Best Offer feature without clicking on the individual auctions; such as the icons for PayPal; PayPal Protection; Gift; Giving Works; etc. But, you probably know the answer to that suggestion already, don't you?
So, does anyone use the Best Offer feature? If so, how do you let potential customers know that you offer this feature?
Answer
Awhile back I sold a couple of things and used the "submit best offer" option..Worked well for me...Sold one item for the asking price and got a reasonable offer for another....I've used it to buy items also...got one rejected offer, several others were accepted (and purchased).....
When I did use the option, I was running auctions (not store items) and what I did was add "Best Offer" to the auction title.....
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Good idea about adding "best offer" to the title. I've been adding BestO to all my store listings but haven't had even a nibble. Like you, elizdale, I was surprised to find that there's no option in search, even advanced, to show up Best Offers. It seems to me that this is one feature that has been sold hard to the sellers, but not much has been said to buyers. I've been doing a lot of buying in the past month, and haven't seen much about it. I did see it on a couple of auctions, but none of that "HEY, SAVE MORE MONEY!! USE BEST OFFER!!" hype that eBay usually puts up front.
Maybe it's forthcoming?
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I use the Best Offer feature - and buyers seem to find it on their own. I've never advertised it to any customers (past, present or future). I use it on the more expensive items in the $50-500 range and I usually receive ridiculous low-ball offers. (I sell antiques/collectibles)
You cannot counter-offer and it looks like a customer can only make one offer per item. One seller I know says right in their listing that they will only accept offers in the 75% range of the original price.
But I do get a few good offers so I will still use the feature and reject the rest. A closed listing shows the original price and the accepted offer price. Good luck!
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and it looks like a customer can only make one offer per item.
Yup, and if your offer is accepted it's a done deal...IOW, your "offer" is a binding contract to purchase, if accepted by the seller.....
Answer
Originally Posted by Phoenix24
Yup, and if your offer is accepted it's a done deal...IOW, your "offer" is a binding contract to purchase, if accepted by the seller.....
Yes, but they way the "best Offer" is currently set up is not really in the spirit of bargaining ... if my item is priced at $100 and you offer $50 and I reject, perhaps you'd like to come back with $75 ... most people that make offers like to haggle - not a one-shot offer.
I'd prefer more of a negotiating tool - like I could counter back with the $75.
Answer
I use it on everything, unless I forget to check the little "Best Offer" box when listing. I put a note in my store that all reasonable offers will be considered. Had quite a few sales, too!
And yep, if a bidder makes an offer that the seller doesn't accept, they can't make a second offer.
I discovered this the hard way: If you've got your listing set for "instant PayPal payment required", and you accept an offer, it wipes out the "instant payment" part. Seems like eBay would've set the payment up ahead of time, pending the seller's acceptance of the offer. In other words, it seems like the PayPal payment should be pending until the seller responds to the offer. But it doesn't work that way.
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I used it a few times when ebay introduced it. I got offers of $25 on a $150 item. Decided it wasn't worth the effort so I dumped it.
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I discovered this the hard way: If you've got your listing set for "instant PayPal payment required", and you accept an offer, it wipes out the "instant payment" part.
Does it come back if you decline the offer?
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I've used it a few times with great results. I countered an offer once and the person accepted. However, I did pay extra listing fees because I ended that item and relisted it for that particular buyer only. I've only gotten one low-ball offer.
Thanks for the Best Offer idea in the title. I was going to put BO in the Title but thought body order would be a turn off.
Hopefully, eBay will come up with something soon.