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Ebay seller amricons - what a dirty thing to do - avoid this seller

Chargers49ersLakersChargers49ersLakers Posts: 133 ✭✭✭✭

Ebay 142151053050 Star Trek Michael Ansara A72 BGS 9.5 Gem Mint Auto 10. I sent a polite email question with contact seller, asking if they would consider lowering the BIN. I figured the worst that would happen is they say a flat no, and I would have bought the current BIN of $299.00. Doesn't hurt to ask, right? Maybe they give 10% or even 5%, or 0%, I would have bought anyway. I would have the card I want, and they have the money, win win. However, seller doesnt respond direct. They "respond" by raising the BIN to $399. I will NEVER buy from this person, they had several cards I would have bought. Not now. What a dirty thing to do. Add another jerk to the world's list.

Comments

  • tigerdeantigerdean Posts: 903 ✭✭✭

    I ran into a seller with a card that had a buy it now of $150 which also had a best offer option. I made an offer which was immediately declined and the brain surgeon promptly raised the price up to $500 and took the best offer option off. The card still continues to sit there months later, go figure.

  • $500........nice

  • When sending a message with "contact seller", it says "Make an offer (1) How do I make an offer?
    The seller hasn't enabled offers for this item. See if they'll consider — send a message with your best price."

    I would guess 7/10 I contact give anywhere from 5-10% discount, sometimes, though rare, even more.

    Perhaps you could put in your auction you don't accept offers in the description. When I see that, I do not contact the seller.

  • AhmanfanAhmanfan Posts: 4,353 ✭✭✭✭

    Yes I do that on items that are 'hot' with the flipping crews out there. Sometimes it helps. Good luck with your collection!

    Collecting
    HOF SIGNED FOOTBALL RCS
  • steel75steel75 Posts: 1,589 ✭✭✭✭

    I've messaged sellers that don't have a BIN offer. I don't lowball though. I look at comps and offer the going rate. I have had quite a few sell me the card, so it does work.

    On the flip side though, I did make a fair current market value offer for a card recently. Was told no thanks and sure enough they raised the price.

    1970's Steelers, Vintage Indians
  • 82FootballWaxMemorys82FootballWaxMemorys Posts: 1,279 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 1, 2022 10:26AM

    A non card item i was interested in recently has been sitting on eBay since April 2021 for $399.99 with Best Offer option available. I offered $299 which is about $50 above FMV. I probably would have done $350 on the item. Seller counters my offer with $395.99.

    Why have a best offer on a $400 item if your are only willing to go 1% lower? I declined. Now once a week i am receiving offer to buy-it-now for $395.99.

    Here's the thing selling folks if you don't want to be asked question as a seller don't add a Best Offer and to totally ensure zero buyer contact don't list on eBay. Otherwise, you made your choice, and I mean this in the nicest way possible S.T."pop-tart".U o:)

    Unless otherwise specified my posts represent only my opinion, not fact.

  • jeffcbayjeffcbay Posts: 8,948 ✭✭✭✭

    I always put a Best Offer option on my BINs, and always with an auto accept/decline price set. The only time I'm ever contacted is after an actual auction ends with no bids and they ask me if I'll take a slightly lower price. Usually I accept the offer because it's usually a fair price asked, and relist it at a solid BIN with the buyer's offer price and they instantly buy it then.

  • If there's no best offer listed, NEVER try to lowball a seller. The morons at eBay encourage this tactic, but it just annoys most sellers. Repeat, if I'm taking offers, I'll put that in the listing. If it's not there, don't ask me to lower my price and definitely don't offer me 75% of what I'm asking. EBay is NOT a yard sale or flea market where you can make an offer on something if you don't like the price.

  • MisterTim1962MisterTim1962 Posts: 318 ✭✭✭
    edited January 30, 2022 10:24AM

    Doesn't hurt to ask, right?

    Yes, it does hurt to ask. Again, if they don't have "best offer' in the listing, don't try to sleaze them down on the price.

    I also noticed that the vast majoroty of people who send these offers are dealers trying to rip off sellers. I always check a person's feedback when they send these unwelcomed offers and 95% of the time they're high volume power sellers looking for cheap inventory.

  • CardGeekCardGeek Posts: 398 ✭✭✭

    If I want something that has best offer enabled I'm going to make an offer every time. So, the seller is likely never going to get the price they listed the item for, from me.

    If I want something that doesn't have best offer enabled I'm more likely to pay full price. I nearly never contact sellers asking for a discount. Maybe 1% of the time.

    I don't list with buy it now because ^^^. 80% of the time if I get a message from a buyer asking for a discount I'll reply with an offer of some kind. Sometimes I don't offer a discount. Sometimes I look at the price and raise the price because I think it's already too low. I don't mind stuff sitting on eBay.

    One thing you have to remember as a buyer is, you're just a screen name. It's nothing personal. I have no idea who you are. All I know is that you don't want to pay the price I listed the item for.

  • Besides potentially being annoyed if the BO option is not an option, it tells the seller you are actually looking to purchase the item. I generally price items with the lowest I will accept and don't include the BO option. When I do get an offer on these items, I tend to relook at my price compared to recent sales. Contrary to what some may think, prices can go both up and down. Until the item is sold, the seller can change the price all they want.

  • RufussCkingstonRufussCkingston Posts: 1,463 ✭✭✭✭

    Since it was listed in October, maybe by you contacting the seller, he realized that it is worth more this month ;)

  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,478 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Not something I've done often, but it can be effective with a normal seller for an item that has been listed for sale for a while and/or is not already priced appealingly.



    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • Chargers49ersLakersChargers49ersLakers Posts: 133 ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 30, 2022 11:28AM

    I don't lowball. Love your comment 82FootballWaxMemorys!! jeffcbay you are one of the great sellers, nice comment, you are the kind of seller we need more of. CardGeek is the seller we need a LOT LESS of on ebay. Very sensitive take offense easily. AVOID. "Sometimes I look at the price and raise the price because I think it's already too low. I don't mind stuff sitting on eBay." That means you are not interested in selling, only gouging. Yikes!

    And if it was too low, it would have sold!?!?!?!?!?!?! Raising the price will really bring in the buyers!!!

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,171 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MisterTim1962 said:
    If there's no best offer listed, NEVER try to lowball a seller. The morons at eBay encourage this tactic, but it just annoys most sellers. Repeat, if I'm taking offers, I'll put that in the listing. If it's not there, don't ask me to lower my price and definitely don't offer me 75% of what I'm asking. EBay is NOT a yard sale or flea market where you can make an offer on something if you don't like the price.

    What bothers me is when I price an item slightly below what has recently sold for and the "buyer" offers 50% of what I am asking.

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • smallstockssmallstocks Posts: 1,581 ✭✭✭

    I guess I am different than most people here. It doesn't bother me at all if someone wants to make an offer. If I am not interested I take 30 seconds to reply "no thank you". And every time I do the person making the offer is very polite and says thank you for considering it.


    Late 60's and early to mid 70's non-sports
  • CardGeekCardGeek Posts: 398 ✭✭✭

    @RufussCkingston said:
    Since it was listed in October, maybe by you contacting the seller, he realized that it is worth more this month ;)

    Well, maybe it's worth more to the seller this month. Value is a completely imaginary number. There are many variables. Even when something sells, it only sold because the buyer and seller both agreed on a number. It could have been worth more to the buyer or less to the seller at that moment X. The result number is really meaningless after the agreement is made between those two people. There is no guarantee anyone will be able to buy or sell at that price again. That was what it was worth, to them, then.

  • seablasterseablaster Posts: 188 ✭✭✭
    edited January 30, 2022 6:54PM

    Frankly, I'm more surprised that Kang's autograph is worth that kind of money.

    Long live the Klingon Empire.

  • basketballcollectorbasketballcollector Posts: 332 ✭✭✭
    edited January 30, 2022 7:10PM

    I can't figure out why the hell you all get so annoyed at every _________ thing on ebay. Offers, messaging, BIN, not taking offers, too high,etc,...

  • daltexdaltex Posts: 3,477 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Chargers49ersLakers said:
    Ebay 142151053050 Star Trek Michael Ansara A72 BGS 9.5 Gem Mint Auto 10. I sent a polite email question with contact seller, asking if they would consider lowering the BIN. I figured the worst that would happen is they say a flat no, and I would have bought the current BIN of $299.00. Doesn't hurt to ask, right? Maybe they give 10% or even 5%, or 0%, I would have bought anyway. I would have the card I want, and they have the money, win win. However, seller doesnt respond direct. They "respond" by raising the BIN to $399. I will NEVER buy from this person, they had several cards I would have bought. Not now. What a dirty thing to do. Add another jerk to the world's list.

    Of course if you annoy a seller enough he can block you from purchasing any item at any price.

  • daltexdaltex Posts: 3,477 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Chargers49ersLakers said:

    And if it was too low, it would have sold!?!?!?!?!?!?! Raising the price will really bring in the buyers!!!

    Actually, you'd be surprised at how well this tactic can work. Probstien has, or had, a system where every time a card didn't sell at auction, he'd relist for slightly less. Frequently when if finally got bids it would end up selling for more than the previous minimum and sometimes more than two back.

    There is no accounting for what people will do re price.

  • MisterTim1962MisterTim1962 Posts: 318 ✭✭✭

    Some sellers are emotionally attached to items as well. They can only justify selling the item if they get a high price for it. They won't take anything less because they don't really want to sell it.

    I broke up my collection of signed 1964 Topps Giants many years ago. I had 48 out of 60 cards signed. At the time, I sold them for high prices because I hated to part with them. Getting top dollar for them made it a little less painful. Of course, I only got $125 for my signed Mantle, so that one will haunt me for a long time!

  • MisterTim1962MisterTim1962 Posts: 318 ✭✭✭

    Yup, it was signed in blue sharpie and the card was near mint. But I had 10 years of fun times with the 1972 Road Runner I bought with the proceeds from my baseball card sales back in 2002.

  • am bored with this thread...moving on

  • Okay, let's talk about the 49ers! Too soon?

  • JoeBanzaiJoeBanzai Posts: 11,171 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @daltex said:

    @Chargers49ersLakers said:

    And if it was too low, it would have sold!?!?!?!?!?!?! Raising the price will really bring in the buyers!!!

    Actually, you'd be surprised at how well this tactic can work. Probstien has, or had, a system where every time a card didn't sell at auction, he'd relist for slightly less. Frequently when if finally got bids it would end up selling for more than the previous minimum and sometimes more than two back.

    There is no accounting for what people will do re price.

    I used to work with a guy who sold collectibles, not much into cards, he told me when an item he had didn't sell he often raised the price and it then sold. Didn't make any sense to me but he set up at a lot of local shows and seemed to do well.

    2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
  • WillymacWillymac Posts: 204 ✭✭✭

    Folks the buyer is the customer, you are trying to get their money….they can offer what they want and you can feel free to reject it…all you sellers complaining pay list price for cars and houses? I don’t think any offer to give someone hard earned money is insulting…you’re just as free to reject it as they are to offer it….be happy you have something of interest to someone…

  • Fritsch has done this for the last 30 years. everytime they sell an item they raise the price on the next one and all remaining items that are available

  • MisterTim1962MisterTim1962 Posts: 318 ✭✭✭

    Folks the buyer is the customer, you are trying to get their money….they can offer what they want and you can feel free to reject it…all you sellers complaining pay list price for cars and houses? I don’t think any offer to give someone hard earned money is insulting…you’re just as free to reject it as they are to offer it….be happy you have something of interest to someone

    The seller is the owner of the item, so he sets the price. Don't like the price, don't buy it. The problem is eBay has a best offer option that a seller can add to the listing. If it isn't there, don't be obnoxious and send them a lowball offer anyway. Again, eBay is NOT a flea market.

  • mtcardsmtcards Posts: 3,342 ✭✭✭

    I see both sides of this issue. As a buyer, it is moronic to have a BIN at $300 and when you offer $275, they decline and counter $295, I mean, what really is the point.

    As a seller, I get so many lowball offers on items I dont have a best offer option enabled, I actually just ignore them now. Some sellers, not me, but some, have so many items listed, they cant (or dont want to) constantly edit their prices and sometimes cards drop in price to the point their BIN seems high, but it wasnt when they first listed it. My honest opinion, is if the item doesnt have a best offer option, dont send a best offer, especially if it is considerably lower than asking price, even if the asking price is higher than recent sales.

    IT IS ALWAYS CHEAPER TO NOT SELL ON EBAY
  • pab1969pab1969 Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭✭

    As a seller, I don't get upset if you send me an offer. If I like it, I accept it. If I don't, I will counter it. If it is a lowball offer, I ignore it. Not too much stress on my end. As a buyer, I will send offers. If the seller agrees great, if not I move on. I have purchased many cards over the years by sending offers, even when there is no best offer option.

  • daltexdaltex Posts: 3,477 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Willymac said:
    Folks the buyer is the customer, you are trying to get their money….they can offer what they want and you can feel free to reject it…all you sellers complaining pay list price for cars and houses? I don’t think any offer to give someone hard earned money is insulting…you’re just as free to reject it as they are to offer it….be happy you have something of interest to someone…

    Where do you live that you can pay list price for houses?

  • MisterTim1962MisterTim1962 Posts: 318 ✭✭✭

    Most who send lowball offers are dealers trying to flip the item. They'll state anything to con you out of the item.

    1) "I'm retired and on a budget." Then you shouldn't be buying baseball cards.

    2) "I'm a veteran." Thank you for serving, but way too many people claim to be vets who are not.

    3) "My grandson really wants this 1969 Clemente card." I'm sure your 10 year old grandson has never heard of Clemente and most likely, you don't even have a grandson.

    4) "It's kind of beat up and not in mint condition." I know that and priced it accordingly. Putting down an item I'm selling will never get you that item.

    And on and on it goes. That's why I have no tolerance for offers on items. The con artists wear you down!

  • KendallCatKendallCat Posts: 2,966 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Got an eBay message on a card I had on a watch list. Card was listed for around $20k while VCP is about $11k. Card did not sell and I get an automatic message it has been relisted, but this time it is for $25k. Wonder if some of these people have ever sold anything in their life before. I don’t want or need the card, but it is funny when sellers get huffy and when it does not sell they get all emotional and jack up the price - if it did not sell at $10 making it twenty will help 🤣

  • WillymacWillymac Posts: 204 ✭✭✭

    @daltex said:

    @Willymac said:
    Folks the buyer is the customer, you are trying to get their money….they can offer what they want and you can feel free to reject it…all you sellers complaining pay list price for cars and houses? I don’t think any offer to give someone hard earned money is insulting…you’re just as free to reject it as they are to offer it….be happy you have something of interest to someone…

    Where do you live that you can pay list price for houses?

    Ha!!!! Both are bad examples currently….showing my age…lol….what a dumpster fire both of those topics are now…..sad…

    You know what I meant ;-)

  • miwlvrnmiwlvrn Posts: 4,222 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Head-scratcher of my day: I just got a message from someone on an item where they stated the following (entirety of message pasted):

    "I will give you 30 for it"

    It is already bid on, sitting at $50 with a day to go and 16 watchers. The ebay user can see that it will already be sold for a lot more than what he offers, and can also see the quantity of watchers. So why in the world would this person take the time to send me such a pointless message? The item is certainly a relatively lower value item, with the price being where it's at anyway, but it is an auction, not a BIN-OBO. Just crazy to me that someone would bother to waste their time sending that offer/message.

  • ScoobyDoo2ScoobyDoo2 Posts: 839 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 4, 2022 1:52PM

    @miwlvrn .... he is saying to you your card is not worth what its at..... its childish ~ he could still live with his mother ~ hopefully he helps her with a chore or two and chips into the electric bill.

  • CakesCakes Posts: 3,450 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Chargers49ersLakers said:
    am bored with this thread...moving on

    Classic post!

    Successful coin BST transactions with Gerard and segoja.

    Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
  • davin72davin72 Posts: 88 ✭✭✭

    @KendallCat said:
    Got an eBay message on a card I had on a watch list. Card was listed for around $20k while VCP is about $11k. Card did not sell and I get an automatic message it has been relisted, but this time it is for $25k. Wonder if some of these people have ever sold anything in their life before. I don’t want or need the card, but it is funny when sellers get huffy and when it does not sell they get all emotional and jack up the price - if it did not sell at $10 making it twenty will help 🤣

    That card wouldn’t happen to be a 1971 Greene would it?

  • @MisterTim1962 said:
    Most who send lowball offers are dealers trying to flip the item. They'll state anything to con you out of the item.

    1) "I'm retired and on a budget." Then you shouldn't be buying baseball cards.

    2) "I'm a veteran." Thank you for serving, but way too many people claim to be vets who are not.

    3) "My grandson really wants this 1969 Clemente card." I'm sure your 10 year old grandson has never heard of Clemente and most likely, you don't even have a grandson.

    4) "It's kind of beat up and not in mint condition." I know that and priced it accordingly. Putting down an item I'm selling will never get you that item.

    And on and on it goes. That's why I have no tolerance for offers on items. The con artists wear you down!

    I use " I'm going to have to pay $100 to PSA to get the card graded"

  • mrmoparmrmopar Posts: 1,030 ✭✭✭✭

    I'd like to say that a certain percentage of people selling sports cards make up the dumbest batch of morons ever assembled, but I'm sure that is simply true of the human race in general. Too many stories that are almost too unbelievable to repeat. I swear some do these things simply to spite the buyer, even if it means the card will never sell. Now that is a business model we can all get behind, right?

    I collect Steve Garvey, Dodgers and signed cards. Collector since 1978.
  • miwlvrnmiwlvrn Posts: 4,222 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Had a new one happen with an ebay potential purchase yesterday that I haven't seen before. I submitted a good offer on an item in the couple/few-hundred range. The seller accepted the offer, but then sent me an invoice that included him trying to slide in another $100 on the "extra charges" line in order to see if he could sneak it through unnoticed and still get his initial asking price despite having "accepted" the discounted offer. Pretty shady IMO. Makes me wonder if I've ever paid for an item with similar invoicing without noticing, or if this has happened to others here.

  • swish54swish54 Posts: 687 ✭✭✭✭

    @miwlvrn said:
    Had a new one happen with an ebay potential purchase yesterday that I haven't seen before. I submitted a good offer on an item in the couple/few-hundred range. The seller accepted the offer, but then sent me an invoice that included him trying to slide in another $100 on the "extra charges" line in order to see if he could sneak it through unnoticed and still get his initial asking price despite having "accepted" the discounted offer. Pretty shady IMO. Makes me wonder if I've ever paid for an item with similar invoicing without noticing, or if this has happened to others here.

    Did you call him out and ask him about it?

  • miwlvrnmiwlvrn Posts: 4,222 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yes. He replied that the extra charge was because his lowest price was what that new total would be, meet him there and we have a deal. I am now guessing it might be more likely that he actually hit accept by mistake instead of make counter offer, as opposed to just being shady from the start, but either way, I received the adjusted invoice before I sent the message to him asking about it, not him writing to me first to explain it, which doesn't sit right with me.

  • bobbyw8469bobbyw8469 Posts: 7,139 ✭✭✭
    edited March 15, 2022 6:36AM

    @miwlvrn said:
    Yes. He replied that the extra charge was because his lowest price was what that new total would be, meet him there and we have a deal. I am now guessing it might be more likely that he actually hit accept by mistake instead of make counter offer, as opposed to just being shady from the start, but either way, I received the adjusted invoice before I sent the message to him asking about it, not him writing to me first to explain it, which doesn't sit right with me.

    I would not pay the adjusted price. Tell him you pass.

  • I can't figure out how the hell anyone makes money on ebay ?

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