Getting offers below minimun bid on auction items gripes me

jayjones82

I'll start some of my auctions super low, but some I'll start at the minimum I'll accept (just depends on how much I paid). I get irritated when I list an item with, say, a $19.99 minimum bid that I know will sell for $50+, but people start offering $5 12 hours into the auction. I feel like Best Offer on an auction item should be above a starting bid. Is that auction etiquette or am I just be anal about it?

doubledragon

Personally, if an auction has a best offer option, I will make the offer way above the minimum bid. I am usually aware of what a card will sell for as well, so I try to never insult the seller with low ball offers. It's just good business practice.

ahopkins

I've been watching an item for about a month now with a minimum bid of about $35, but no one has bid on it by the end of each auction period. In this particular case, I think the minimum bid is too high, and so I've been waiting to see if the seller drops the minimum bid before I send him a best offer below his minimum.

I don't think I've ever sent an offer below minimum bid, but in this case I will probably end up doing so.

jay0791

In your auctions just say in description. all auctions go to end.
if BO then you can set an auto decline and/or accept
both of these should solve your problem.

craig44

I never get upset over any offer i receive. if I didnt want to field offers, I wouldnt have chosen that option when I made my listing.

PADIdiver

Maybe add a buy it now along with best offer? I think then you'll create a new reference point and get offers below buy it now but higher than minimum bid.

KnightRider

In a case where a seller has repeatedly listed an item with a minimum bid that no one's willing to pay, then ahopkins is correct in that it's entirely reasonable to submit an offer below the minimum bid, and the seller should expect this, because at that point, it's obvious to both the seller and the buyer that the item isn't selling for the asked price.

However, to the OP's question, if you're listing something for the first time, I don't understand why any seller would accept an offer below the minimum bid. With so many bidders waiting until the final 10 seconds of the auction to place their bids, it's foolish to accept anything lower than the minimum bid without first going the duration of the original auction. If I received such an offer before the auction ended, I would either not respond, or if I was concerned that the item might not sell, at best I would respond with "thanks for the offer, maybe I'll consider it if the item doesn't sell at auction."

But I wouldn't let it bother me. Even if an offer makes no sense, it's still somebody who sees the item and may turn into a buyer later on.

jmmiller777

On lots of cards such as, Heritage SP's, I will always bid less than the seller asks. I don't think that 30 cards valued at $90 plus $5 shipping is a fair price. Individual cards that are graded are all over the place, so I could see how you may think that the card is in one price card range when someone else views that differently. Don't get offended. There are those type of people who constantly scan auctions and try to low ball everyone, but I don't think you should just assume that the bid is being submitted as such. Good luck...

doubledragon

I guess in the end, what it all boils down to is the seller. Every seller is different.

dontippet

You have to remember that best offers on auctions is relatively new, and they may think this is similar to a best offer on a buy it now. I have made maybe two offers on an auction item, and both times my best offer was below the opening bid.

KbKards

I have purchased numerous auction items for lower than the minimum bid using the make offer. Sellers can set up auction listings exactly the way they would with a regular fixed price buy it now listing with the make offer. Now that eBay has forced automatic relisting of fixed price listings you will see more sellers taking advantage of their free auction listings to have fixed length buy it now listings with a make offer. Also it’s common for some buyers to avoid fixed price listings all together thinking there can be no deals to be had. So if you put those over to auction with best offer at the exact same pricing then they will be seen by more people. Based on some of the responses in this thread some buyers are thinking they shouldn’t offer below the opening bid but that what many of the sellers of these listings are looking for.

perkdog

Auto reject offer is an option sellers can use, I think a buyer has 5? Offers, recently I bought an expensive item with a best offer. The item was listed at $1900 and I started at 1400, 1500, 1550, 1575 and at 1600 it was accepted.

BunchOBull

The other side of that coin is the item listed at the same starting price three times in a row without sale. I'll offer below the starting price on that (and they often get accepted) because the seller isn't getting traction otherwise.

mtcards

I honestly feel its silly to have best offer option on an auction. That being said, many of the listings I see that have that on there have an item that generally sells for $25 and has a minimum bid of $35 on it, so naturally any offer would be less than starting bid.

In addition, there are many people that just make one lowball offer after another hoping to get a sucker. I see it all the time when someone offers $150 for a set where one of the cards sells for $3oo in its own. Its ebay, its full of idiots on both sides of the purchase....it took me almost 20 years to get used to it

PatsGuy5000

@jayjones82 said:
I'll start some of my auctions super low, but some I'll start at the minimum I'll accept (just depends on how much I paid). I get irritated when I list an item with, say, a $19.99 minimum bid that I know will sell for $50+, but people start offering $5 12 hours into the auction. I feel like Best Offer on an auction item should be above a starting bid. Is that auction etiquette or am I just be anal about it?

Totally agree - I have switched nearly all items to “buy it now” and once EBay adds “make an offer” after a week, I get some offers that don’t even cover shipping costs. I don’t even counteroffer because it was ridiculously low. I now have PWCC or Probstein do my more expensive cards via auction and it is better for me economically.

markj111

@jayjones82 said:
I'll start some of my auctions super low, but some I'll start at the minimum I'll accept (just depends on how much I paid). I get irritated when I list an item with, say, a $19.99 minimum bid that I know will sell for $50+, but people start offering $5 12 hours into the auction. I feel like Best Offer on an auction item should be above a starting bid. Is that auction etiquette or am I just be anal about it?

You are anal IMO.

NGS428

These fields are your friend. Just fill them in and you won't get any offers you don't want.