Thread: Have you run into problems with 'or best offer'

The last time I made an offer on Ebay though (week or so ago) the guy accepted it and I got a "deal."

My experience on eBay with "Make and Offer" has been dismal

I find myself saying "Why did you even ask if you don't want an offer"

I have had exactly 1 success in over 10 years, the company even honored it on arriving stock, contacted me said they were out and that they would accept my offer if I would wait 10 days for their new stock to come in..

But other than that it is usually .50 cents at best

I don't use ebay anymore, ever since they decided that in order to sell on ebay.com you need to fulfill a number of requirements such as having a number of sales before you're allowed to list international. On Belgian second hand sites, the format is much simpler (your bid is what you will pay, so not like ebay where you make a maximum bid) and best offer is more or less the norm.

JMO
If the auction is by a person or an offshore 'catalog' seller with a great many items or sales, it is usually put up by ebay and not honored.
YMMV
~Richard

I tried to sell a car part on ebay once but Ebay's rules made it impossible to complete the sale. I now have even more car parts I can never use (Isuzu Trooper 2 parts) and it looks like I'll have to try Ebay again....ugh.

It could be worse....Ebay could become very political like some of the other large websites and exclude based on one's opinions. With personal info being bought and sold they could look up an ISP address, figure out one's belief system, and refuse to list or allow sales. It might even be legal.

I like how Gunbroker works.....if you bid within 15 minutes of auction close, another 15 minutes is added. This prevents "auction sniping."

Myself, I prefer a face-to-face buy or just sending someone a check and they shipping it to me. Those method only work well with honest people though.

I had to bring this one back up. Yesterday I listed 6 items for auction on eBay. Radio stuff I had laying around taking up space. Tonight I had two people send me offers. I didn't set up my items with the offer option. Auto eBay thing I guess. I replied to the offers as no thanks as I will let them go for the opening bid price or more, or I will just keep them. I was nice about it. Then I went and looked at my items and all 6 are "or best offer". Figured out how to fix this and now the items don't have that option. Damn eBay. I guess they want to get some money and hope I will settle for a lower price. It ain't gonna happen eBay!

Lately I've had pretty good luck finding things I want and making an offer. What's different is I've been explaining why my offer is not only fair, but why it's likely the only chance the seller has to unload the razor. Things like pitting on the bevel, pitting so deep the blade width would have to be reduced substantially and other (what seem like) logical observations.

I was looking for a Torrey with a MOP covered tang really only for the pre-cut MOP and the set I found had a trashed blade. Wrote the seller that the blade was trashed but I wanted the MOP and made an offer accordingly ($10 I think) - and got it. So far in the last 4 weeks I'm 3 for 3 making offers.

On the selling side, I haven't yet seen the forced "Make an Offer" thing. I have a few Ducks up there right now and just checked them - no Make an Offer buttons - yet.

Go back and edit your listing. There is a box you check for receiving best offer.
Also, you can predetermine the least you will take if you like.
You also have an option to turn down offers under a predetermined threshold.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Go back and edit your listing. There is a box you check for receiving best offer.
Also, you can predetermine the least you will take if you like.
You also have an option to turn down offers under a predetermined threshold.

Done. I found them and changed it. The offers have stopped.

Best offers can be miserable as a seller as well. You get any number of people behaving with zero class. I usually use the opportunity to add them to the blocked list.