Ebay "Make Offer". Automatically declined even though very close to asking price?

[vyacheslav]

Greetings,

I'm sure most of us are familiar with the "Make Offer" feature on an ebay item. I also know that the seller can set up parameters to automatically accept or decline an offer if it's within X% of the asking price.

I have had two recent experiences where I submit an offer and it's automatically declined, even though I'm within 10% of the asking price. In both cases, I did another offer that was 5% below the asking "Buy It Now" price. They were both automatically declined.

My question is, if you're not going to take 5% of your asking price, why even bother with the "Make Offer" feature. I mean, by including a "Make Offer" feature, it shows you are willing to accept fair and reasonable offers. If 5% less than your asking price isn't reasonable, why bother? By the way, in both of these instances, both items were less than $300, so we aren't talking a lot of money at 5% or 10%.

Anyone else experience this?

V

 

[dboomer]

It is possible the seller typo’d the form or they think it to be a benefit to interest prospective buyers even though it may have zero effect. I would suggest messaging the seller and get the answer.

 

[Winston_Wolf]

From what I recall eBay auto-fills some parameters, including the percentages in the Make Offer part of the listing, and I also think that seeing what those numbers are require you to open a pull down or something kinda weird. eBay also brow beats sellers with nonsense like "you should accept offers 'cause 62.573% of sellers also offer it too." I think a lot of less savvy sellers don't always think about every single little option eBay offers during the listing creation phase, and that can often create unintended friction between the seller and the buyer.

I've listed things myself before and didn't realize until the listing was live that "make offer" is turned on as a default and had to go back and make changes. eBay's entire business model is to make it as easy as possible to get people to sell sell sell and they've automated the listing process to take all of the thinking out of selling.

The flip side of this is some people often put things on eBay that they really don't care that much if it sells or not so they aren't all that worried about what people think of the listing.

 

[vyacheslav]

Thanks Gents. Winston, I agree all ebay cares about is sell sell sell, but if that's the case, wouldn't the "Default" parameter be to accept offers within a certain percentage? No one is selling if an offer within 5 or 10% of the asking price is automatically declined!

 

[harryconway]

..... why even bother with the "Make Offer" feature. I mean, by including a "Make Offer" feature, it shows you are willing to accept fair and reasonable offers.

Like WW states ....... when you post an auction ..... the seller has to "cancel" the Make Offer feature. These sellers you're dealing with either didn't/don't know that ..... or are too lazy to change it.

 

[Winston_Wolf]

Thanks Gents. Winston, I agree all ebay cares about is sell sell sell, but if that's the case, wouldn't the "Default" parameter be to accept offers within a certain percentage? No one is selling if an offer within 5 or 10% of the asking price is automatically declined!

Which plays into my notion that some people aren't all that interested in really making the sale or taking less than the opening bid. But offering "make offer" keeps eBay's annoying "are you suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure you don't want to accept offers?" pop up from popping up.

I've literally done that exact thing before, use a relatively close "automatically reject" number just to make eBay happy. I eventually stopped accepting offers because I still had people sending me lowball offers through "ask seller a question" as if just because I was open to offers I was willing to pretty much give away what I was selling.

My usual routine these days is either list something as a no reserve auction at a price that covers my investment or if I really want to move something quickly I'll give a modest buy it now price. "Make offer" is great for eBay, because it makes it much more likely the item will sell at any price...which is all eBay cares about. They gave up listing fees a long time ago because all the money is in the final value fees. But "Make Offer" has greatly contributed to a lowball culture among buyers.

Honestly, I've fallen into that trap myself as a buyer. I've seen something I wanted, and a reasonable price, but the seller was open to offers, so my first instinct was to see if they'd accept a number that knocked a few bucks off...and I thought to myself "what are you doing?!? Just pay what they're asking, because you know it's a fair price!"

 

[BobC]

I have asked myself this very question. I once offered $30 on a $35 item that was rejected. I then offered $32 and that was rejected. I messaged the seller and asked him why he offered a "Make An Offer" option if he had no intention of accepting offers. Crickets. No reply. I moved on, and I have no patience with idiotic Ebay sellers as a result.

 

[JimmyM]

I have asked myself this very question. I once offered $30 on a $35 item that was rejected. I then offered $32 and that was rejected. I messaged the seller and asked him why he offered a "Make An Offer" option if he had no intention of accepting offers. Crickets. No reply. I moved on, and I have no patience with idiotic Ebay sellers as a result.

Why even bother with Make an Offer for a $35 item?

 

[Bo Eder]

I feel bad for this "Make an Offer" debacle. I've often used it and had it automatically decline anything that was too low for me, but never anything close to what I was asking for. Sellers just gotta be more conscientious on how to set that up. Of course, if they don't intend to accept offers, they can set it up that way too. It's kinda like the music business in a way, it takes all kinds. And we just gotta be cool with that.
Right now, I just made an offer on a DSLR camera and it accepted my offer and told me the seller will get back to me in a day. I just assume if the seller never gets back to me, he doesn't like my offer, but I'm only asking for $30 off which for me, is like asking for free shipping and no tax. So we'll see how it goes.

 

[BobC]

Why even bother with Make an Offer for a $35 item?

Because he included make an offer. So I made offers. Something wrong with that?

 

[JimmyM]

Because he included make an offer. So I made offers. Something wrong with that?

I meant why did the SELLER bother with make an offer, not you.

 

[BobC]

OK, fair enough. That's the big question. Why did he even bother? I have no idea. He didn't answer when I questioned his reasoning.