Best Offer Ebay Conundrum

Obiwancanoli

I ran across a nice looking (raw) Type II '13 Buff I thought would be a nice additiopn to my Type Set. The pix were clear, large, and offered a detailed view of the coin, along with a reasonably detailed assessment of the coin by the seller. The auction was as is, or Best Offer.

After pondering this a few days, I made an offer, based on my assessment of the coin's grade, the seller's description, and following some research of probable pricing ranges using three other pricing "guides", I determined the initial asking price out of line for the grade, and offered something about 25% lower, thinking this allows for some wiggle room on the seller's behalf, and presumed he might counter with something more to my liking.

The seller responded with a counteroffer - about 4% less.

It strikes me as odd that an auction - and a seller - with a B/O option would allow for more than a $2 difference, if his/her goal was to come to an arm's length agreement. By countering with such a meaningless (IMHO) offer, one would think it would have been more practical for him to simply offer the coin with a BIN and dispense with the waste of time in countering.

Now, I understand the seller has every right to ask whatever he wants, and I may simply move on to another alternative... this isn't about a difference of opinion. I suppose I'm simply thinking out loud, when I pause to contemplate why someone would offer a B/O option, when what they'll settle for is so close to the listing price as to be virtually pointless in offering the B/O in the first place?

AnkurJ

The best offer option is free, and you can set what you would sell it for if that offer comes in. I had a coin listed for $950, with automatically accepting any offer $900 or more. Someone offered $900, and the offer was automatically accepted.

But I agree, when you dont have much room, dont bother putting the best offer. There are very few true auctions on ebay anymore. It seems 80% of items are buy it now and are marked significantly higher than reasonable market pricing.

ProofCents

Best offer was a great feature ebay invented

notwilight

Buyers complain if your BIN price is too high. Now you're complaining that the BIN price is too low. He has the item priced very close to his best price. By having the BIN on the item you two can have a bit of a dialog. Hopefully he sent you a note?

I sometimes use high BINs. I sometimes use low. I never make everyone happy.

Ebay fees plus paypal fees are 10 to 15% so if that is what you guys are apart, maybe you aren't figuring in his costs.

--Jerry

LindeDad

Maybe he only put the best offer up on the item to catch your eye. It's a freee flag on your itme when a page is full of the same things.
And any fixed price item under a hundred dollars carry 15% fees on them even when accepting offers.

19Lyds

Wah Wah Wah.

At least he countered your offer.

Now you should consider countering his offer by going up 4% on your initial offer then possibly work it back and forth until a reasonable price is met.

fcloud

Reading between the lines the seller felt you low balled too much, so his counter was too high. Maybe he is hoping you find the middle.

RedTiger

Everyone is different. An action that seems reasonable to one person, might seem silly or a waste of time to another. A price that seems high to some, might be considered rock bottom fire-sale price to another, and so on.

Steve27

With BOs I can never figure what the seller is thinking; most are way overpriced, but in some instances the seller is well aware of it and others seem clueless. I usually make an assessment of the coin and figure what I would like to pay, regardless as to what the BIN is. I've had offers accepted which were about 25% of the BIN price, which surprised me, but seemed fair, and others where the seller counter-offered with a slightly reduced but still ridiculous price. Bottom line, don't waste your time thinking about what might have BIN (pun intended).

golfer72

<< <i>Buyers complain if your BIN price is too high. Now you're complaining that the BIN price is too low. He has the item priced very close to his best price. By having the BIN on the item you two can have a bit of a dialog. Hopefully he sent you a note?

I sometimes use high BINs. I sometimes use low. I never make everyone happy.

Ebay fees plus paypal fees are 10 to 15% so if that is what you guys are apart, maybe you aren't figuring in his costs.

--Jerry >>

I dont think he is complaining the BIN price is too low. Thats a stretch. I agree with the OP. If you are not willing to wiggle a little bit on your BO price dont list is it as such! That is just wasting peoples time!

Obiwancanoli

<< <i>Reading between the lines the seller felt you low balled too much, so his counter was too high. Maybe he is hoping you find the middle. >>



I assumed that, when I made my offer. Candidly, I offered what I felt was a fair value for the coin pictured, but that's beside the point. You may be right, however, in that perhaps he felt my offer was below his breakpoint. Still, it shows there are still differences in opinions on the value of coins - perceived or otherwise - and I know another will come along.

It simply made me conclude that if I were selling something on Ebay, my BIN and B/O numbers would allow for some wiggle room. I hadn't realized ebay fees would be 15% though... that's reaching a little too deep into your pocket. I could understand why I received the counteroffer I did...

coinpictures

Here's another possible scenario for those saying "If you don't have X% wiggle room you shouldn't even have Best Offer":

Seller initially offers a coin with a BIN price of $XXX and Best Offer. Over the course of several months, as it doesn't sell, he gradually lowers the BIN price, still leaving the Best Offer option. As time goes on and the price lowers, that means the wiggle room does too. Rarely do sellers remember to, or even consciously think to, remove the BO option when relisting or adjusting the price. This is especially true if you use the Markdown Manager to run "XX% Off!" sales on inventory.

So what you end up with after several price reductions is a price that may not have the same wiggle room as when the item was first listed, thus appearing like a seller is putting a Best Offer option in there when you think he shouldn't, when in fact that's not how things started.

I've been caught in that scenario as a seller once or twice - receiving an offer on an item only to belatedly realize that due to reductions even the full BIN price is now below my original cost, let alone after PayPal and eBay fees.

Not smart, but it occasionally happens... you just hope to minimize those.

notwilight

<< <i>

<< <i>Buyers complain if your BIN price is too high. Now you're complaining that the BIN price is too low. He has the item priced very close to his best price. By having the BIN on the item you two can have a bit of a dialog. Hopefully he sent you a note?

I sometimes use high BINs. I sometimes use low. I never make everyone happy.

Ebay fees plus paypal fees are 10 to 15% so if that is what you guys are apart, maybe you aren't figuring in his costs.

--Jerry >>

I dont think he is complaining the BIN price is too low. Thats a stretch. I agree with the OP. If you are not willing to wiggle a little bit on your BO price dont list is it as such! That is just wasting peoples time! >>



He may not realize it but he is complaining about the BIN price. Every BIN item with BO has a price which is the minimum that the seller will take. If I will take $100 for an item I have to choose my BIN price. If I set it at $120, then a potential buyer can offer about 17% less at $100 and I'll take it. Some potential buyers like to offer about 2/3 of the BIN price. So sometimes I'll set the BIN at $150. But some buyers don't like to see an unrealistically high BIN. Sometimes I want to set the BIN price as low as possible to move the item but want to have the BO option available so that when I get an offer I can replay with a message. Then I might set it at $105. This guy apparently did the latter and the OP doesn't like it.

One more thing, coin prices go up. I don't know what the item is but with bullion going up, perhaps he needs to raise the BIN price because the value of the item is going up. --Jerry

Coppercolor

I don't know about all the skepticism.

For unusual offerings, or those with extreme but thin markets like toned coins, novelties like original bank rolls, and those types of things that don't come along often it is very worth searching for that single anxious buyer with "buy it now, best offers".

Those that feel they must have what you're selling often drop an offer up near the ask price. Sometimes all you need is one fish to play the "BIN Best Offer" game very well. In that same scenerio where only one interested buyer shows up to an auction.... you leave tons of money on the table.

But commonly found or commodity coins listed with "but it now, best offers" are silly

botanist

While agreeing with the general gist of the various posters to this thread, I'd add that many ebay sellers are inexperienced and haven't given much thought to the possibilities. Also, many who list an unrealistically high BIN are merely taking advantage of one of ebay's free-listing programs, perhaps hoping to get lucky with a buyer who carelessly pulls the trigger without checking around, but not seriously expecting to sell at all. They then might add the best offer option not knowing in advance what they are willing to accept, but just testing the water. When buying, if I see a best offer option, I assume the seller will take at least 10% off, otherwise it just doesn't make sense to use that option. Finally, I'd add that "best offer" if taken literally doesn't allow any further negotiation. If you make your best offer and then the seller counters, and you increase your offer, wasn't your original best offer not honestly your best? I take it that way in my ebay transactions, so if I make a best offer, that's it right there, and when selling, if I decline, that's also it, but I might send a friendly note of explanation to soften the blow and encourage the deal.

GrumpyEd

Is there a limit to the number of best offers a buyer can make?
(I mean can you slowly move up to find the sellers set price?)

rlarick

<< <i>Is there a limit to the number of best offers a buyer can make?
(I mean can you slowly move up to find the sellers set price?) >>



can't remember if the seller can limit or expand - typically it is 3 offers, then you can't make anymore on that item until it recycles

Dabigkahuna

Reading between the lines the seller felt you low balled too much, so his counter was too high. Maybe he is hoping you find the middle.

I agree. The seller is probably waiting for you to show a better offer is all. I don't think he would have bothered to counter if thought other wise. imho


Larry
Dabigkahuna

derryb

"Make Offer" tells me the seller doesn't expect to get his Buy It Now price, so why even list it at the BIN price. "Make Offer" is just another way of running an auction that can be ended at any time by the seller.

RedneckHB

If the discount he was offering was $2 or about 4% then this is a $50 item. The Ebay seller will incur costs of almost 15%--Ebay, paypal, perhaps shipping fees. So your offer would have been for about $38. After the seller incurs his fees he will net about $32. If you accepted his offer his net would be about $41. That $9 spread between his offer and your offer may mean the difference of the seller making $4 or losing $4.

llafoe

I recently listed some items as fixed price on eBay for the first time. I didn't realize the "Best Offer" option was the default option. I've been getting sooooo many best offers!

I've listed items that routinely sell for $60-90 on eBay for $24-43. I'm a collector, so I dump items when I upgrade them... not to make a profit, but to sell those items. Remember, these items routinely sell for $60-90 on eBay. Most people are simply looking for a bargain... not a bargain for what the item is worth, but a bargain from the price you have listed. I also offer free Priority Mail, which in this case costs $10.70 (due to the size of the items).

People have been offering me $12 for these items... my cost is 12% eBay, 3% PayPal, $.50 to list on eBay, $10.70 to ship item... or $13 to sell a $12 item! Most buyers have NO idea!

BaronVonBaugh

Sometimes the seller has paid too much for an item. There is a coin on ebay right now I would like to have.
His asking price is double PCGS price guide. This is in a series that I normally pay 1/2 to 2/3 of PCGS price guide.
It would be an upgrade so I just keep passing over it. I just don't think he wants to hear a real world offer.

Bayard1908

<< <i>I ran across a nice looking (raw) Type II '13 Buff I thought would be a nice additiopn to my Type Set. The pix were clear, large, and offered a detailed view of the coin, along with a reasonably detailed assessment of the coin by the seller. The auction was as is, or Best Offer.

After pondering this a few days, I made an offer, based on my assessment of the coin's grade, the seller's description, and following some research of probable pricing ranges using three other pricing "guides", I determined the initial asking price out of line for the grade, and offered something about 25% lower, thinking this allows for some wiggle room on the seller's behalf, and presumed he might counter with something more to my liking.

The seller responded with a counteroffer - about 4% less.

It strikes me as odd that an auction - and a seller - with a B/O option would allow for more than a $2 difference, if his/her goal was to come to an arm's length agreement. By countering with such a meaningless (IMHO) offer, one would think it would have been more practical for him to simply offer the coin with a BIN and dispense with the waste of time in countering.

Now, I understand the seller has every right to ask whatever he wants, and I may simply move on to another alternative... this isn't about a difference of opinion. I suppose I'm simply thinking out loud, when I pause to contemplate why someone would offer a B/O option, when what they'll settle for is so close to the listing price as to be virtually pointless in offering the B/O in the first place? >>



I've encountered several eBay "sellers" who have done similar things. I agree that it's a stupid practice and waste of time. I decline the counter offer and promptly forget about the coin. Unless the coin is absolutely irreplaceable, I suggest you do the same.

NotSure

It's plainly obvious the seller knows what he wants for the coin. It's ridiculous for him to have a BO on the item if he's only willing to haggle 4%. He should just leave it at the BIN, or start it in a real auction for the BIN price, as, obviously, the BIN is pretty much what he wants for the coin.

ebaybuyer

one thing bidders routinely fail to notice is the time remaining in an auction, if ten minutes after the listing begins, someone offers 75% of my asking price, i decline, it makes much more sense to make an offer closer to the closing date rather than 5 minutes after it starts, a best offer means he will consider best offers does not mean he is willing to accept any offer. if you feel the price is too high, maybe it isnt the right coin for you, the seller will be more negotiable if a week goes by and the coin is unsold.

ebaybuyer

just curios BaronVonBaugh what coin are you referring to ?