BIN/ or best offer: how do you reject the unacceptable offer?

digicat

I've noticed more and more sellers not countering offers, and instead allowing offers to expire without response.

This seems just lazy to me, as I prefer to engage my customers.

I always set an auto-reject number on any item I list, and like to use the counter-offer feature when an unacceptable offer comes in (unless the potential buyer is being obnoxious and sending stupid messages along with the offers, then I just reject the offer).

Could ignoring offers be some passive/aggressive form of telling the potential buyer to "f* off?"


On the other side of that, I've had a lot of potential buyers not respond to counter-offers, allowing them to expire.

mtcards

A lot of times it would depend on the offer.

This is how a recent BIN/Offer exchange went for me

Card was Emmitt Smith 1997 EX-2001 A Cut Above insert
Book is $50, but these have been selling for way over book in some cases recently

His BIN - $80
My offer, knowing the last one sold for $48 was $48
His counter - $68

I decided to pass since it wasnt something I wanted to spend too much on and honestly about $48 was my top I wanted to pay

His listing ran out, he relisted with a BIN/BO of $68
I offered $50 this time and he took it


Sometimes its the card

If the first offer is too low from the buyer, the seller may figure its not worth the counter
If the counter is too high, the seller may figure its not worth to re-counter

Some sellers just have BIN/BO to field offers and see with no intention of ever selling

BunchOBull

Some sellers keep low dollar offers open in order to create a false sense of interest in the card. If a serious buyer sees that standing offers exist, the theory is that they'll be more inclined to offer a high dollar amount or simply hit the BIN.

<<spelling edit>>

grote15

Some sellers just have BIN/BO to field offers and see with no intention of ever selling

This is true and you will see even more of these auctions now that fixed auction listings are also free through December.

scotgreb

I rarely use BIN / Best Offer but when I do, I set an auto accept / reject so there is not need to counter.

For those that make an offer on a straight BIN, I either "counter" by simply lowering the BIN -- or I respond with "I appreciate the offer but believe the card is fairly priced"

Seems to work for me.

Scott

ldferg

Sometimes the seller doesn't know there is an offer. The automated emails with eBay are very unreliable.

perkdog

I just decline, if a guy wants the card he will come back with another offer.

Funny story, Im not sure if any of you remember Keith Weinhold. Well he was stuffed with cash and a very motivated Vintage Football buyer a few years back when I had a PSA 8 52 Bowman Large Chuck Bednarik BIN on Ebay for $1200. He came in on an offer for $600, I thought of letting him know I was insulted but decided to just decline, well ofcourse he comes back with $900 and again I stone him and decline. Sure enough he buys the card for $1200 then becomes a member here and we also became friends. IMO just decline and hold your ground without being rude, you never know how it will turn out.

Jakt

I've run into situations where I make an offer and the seller is so insulted that they blocked me. Granted, it was a low offer, and I get them myself, but why block someone from future sales?

swartz1

what "seems" lazy to you is a strategy by the sellers...

digicat

<< <i>what "seems" lazy to you is a strategy by the sellers... >>



I figure that could be the case, but sometimes I end up watching my 3 offers all get ignored, then I can't make any more offers.

When I see an item with a lot of "expired" offers, it makes me think that the seller isn't serious, and I am sometimes less likely to submit an offer myself.

digicat

<< <i>I've run into situations where I make an offer and the seller is so insulted that they blocked me. Granted, it was a low offer, and I get them myself, but why block someone from future sales? >>



Yeah, I ran into that once myself. Dude had a card listed for 3x what it had been selling for at auction in the past week. I submitted an offer around the average price of the recent sales. Got rejected. Submitted an offer for the highest of the most recent sales, and got rejected. When I went back to make a 3rd offer, I found that I had been blocked. A few days later another came up and I won it for a "normal" price.

NVbaseball

A lot of people when asked to make a "Best Offer" will do just that ... make a best offer. A counter offer would be meaningless. Rejecting it or ignoring it function exactly the same. Some may take it to mean "F-off" others take it as a polite "No thanks"

digicat

<< <i>A lot of people when asked to make a "Best Offer" will do just that ... make a best offer. A counter offer would be meaningless. >>



I don't agree. As as seller, I've found that my buyers' true "best offer" is seldom the first one submitted.




<< <i> Rejecting it or ignoring it function exactly the same. >>



For the seller, but it's lame customer service. It makes the guy who submitted the offer wait for 2 days before getting confirmation that the offer is indeed not accepted. As a buyer, it's a drag to wait around, since the seller can go and accept it at any time. In effect, if you're shopping around, your frozen if you don't want to risk buying two of the item you're hunting for.

WalterSobchak

When I create the auction, I figure out the dollar amount I would consider to be insulting- and then I set it up to auto-reject any offers of that amount or lower.

Any offer I actually see; if I don't take it I will always send a counteroffer. Under no circumstances would I just let the offer expire.

JasonM32

I prefer to get a reject notice when I make offers but if they let is expire I don't take it as an F you. There's two sides to every story.

I used to be more cautious with my offers for fear of insulting someone. Then I kept seeing cards that I wanted to make offers for selling very cheap for low ball best offers. Now I just make my offers and if they get offended then fine. I'm sick of losing out on good deals for fear of insult. If the buyer thinks my offer is too low I hope they will come back with a counter offer. Many times they don't bother and let it expire which is their perogative. Everybody wants a good deal and I don't think the guy who makes a low ball offer is any more of a jerk than they guy who wants 4 times the market value for his card.

My recent offer story goes like this. A vintage card that I want is listed for $400 or best offer. It's been listed for months and months with no offers. In my opinion that seller is out of touch with the market and wants way too much for the card. Perhaps he doesn't really want to sell it and is just hoping to find someone willing to overpay. Whatever. The same card in the same grade sold this week for slightly over $100. I attempted to bid $175 for that card but my internet connection timed out and my bid didn't go through. I lost. So, I went back to the $400 obo guy and bid the same $175 and it expired after 48 hours. No decline, no counter offer. Perhaps he didn't get the email but either way. He has a card that isn't likely to sell and I have a hole in my collection.

Some buyer are happy to get offers and at least start a dialog abou their cards. Some people get offended and don't bother responding. I really don't worry about it. Buyers or sellers shouldn't feel bad for trying to get the best deal. Sometimes offers that people accept and reject will surprise you. Sometimes people are willing to overpay for a card they really need. It all part of the game.

zep33

<< <i>

For the seller, but it's lame customer service. It makes the guy who submitted the offer wait for 2 days before getting confirmation that the offer is indeed not accepted. As a buyer, it's a drag to wait around, since the seller can go and accept it at any time. In effect, if you're shopping around, your frozen if you don't want to risk buying two of the item you're hunting for. >>



I think you can withdraw your offer if you find another one

digicat

<< <i>I think you can withdraw your offer if you find another one >>


Yeah, but isn't that the same as bid retractions?

zep33

<< <i>

<< <i>I think you can withdraw your offer if you find another one >>


Yeah, but isn't that the same as bid retractions? >>



I know when you make an offer, some kind of message shows that you can withdraw your bid under certain circumstances. But I've never looked at what those circumstances are though.

I wouldn't consider it the same as a bid retraction. Especially if you've given the guy plenty of time to either accept or decline the offer.

zep33

Here's are Ebay's 3 "official" reasons you can retract an offer - sames a regular bid retraction:

It's OK to retract a Best Offer if:

You accidentally enter a wrong offer amount (for example, you submitted an offer for $9.50 instead of $99.95).
The description of an item you have placed an offer on has changed significantly.
You cannot get in touch with your trading partner by email or telephone.

If I had an offer out there and a day or so later it's still unanswered and I find another one, I'll be taking the other one. What if it's a time sensitive item? Like Birthday or Christmas present.

Just because Ebay gives the seller 48 hours to accept/decline or ignore, doesn't mean he should