Best Offer on Ebay Question.

[Jdalt]

When an item is listed on Ebay with a buy it now price and a best offer price, what sort of discount would you expect to get.


Example Buy it now is £399 - what sort of best offer would you expect to be accepted.

[fazersharp]

IT could be anything --- have ago
If selling you can set it up to instantly reject anything below X amount. Or if that is not set up they have 48 hours to either acept it or reject it. What I dont like is that it then stops me from bidding on another item (the same)  for 48 hours just incase they acept just within 48 hours and you then have to then buy it having won another

[lew600fazer]

To be honest a lot depends on the seller private or a company, stating the obvious I know. A couple of years ago I was looking for a GIVI top box for my SX and I trawlled the net and e bay. The one I wanted was advertised with a buy it now price and also there was a best offer price.
I think the buy it now was £199.00 I put in an offer of £174.00 thinking I was no way going to get it at that. The auction still had a week to run and I thought maybe if it had not moved he may try and bump me up a bit. My offer was accepted within an hour and I got the box (brand new GIVI) as advertised within two days. So as a guide line look for 10 to 15% discount.
Lew

[mickvp]

I would say a 10% discount is reasonable.

FWIW, I have had some luck in the past contacting the seller directly (if it's a company). They pay eBay 10% commission anyway, so if you circumvent the system they should be able to automatically knock that off. Still go through PayPal and select paying for goods and you will still get buyer protection too

[fazersharp]

It also all depends on how many "watchers" they can see they have. if its been on a few days and they have loads of watchers they are likley to hold out for better.

[Arfa]

Yeah, entirely down to the seller. However if they've purposely selected 'or best offer', they must have already conceded they'll let it go for less that the BIN price. As mentioned, if you go to low, you may get an instant rejected as you didn't meet the sellers minimum threshold. More often than not, a best offer will be countered and you then go in for a good old haggle: "£200? I'll give ya £150, nah I'll let it go for £180, oooh, how about £170 then... "  In each instance the buyer and seller has 48 hours to accept the offer/counteroffer. From a sellers POV, it'll really depend just how low ball your offer is, how many are watching the item, how many offers they've had already and how low they were. Ebay will tell you about other offers on the listing, just not their amounts.

In all instances, it's definitely worth a shot, worst they can do is say no, too low.

[Mattsplat]

I offer at least 10% less, more often than not they go for it 

[HarryHornby]

I've got some lovely furniture for sale on ebay at the mo, £95 or best offer each piece (this stuff is about £800 new) I got offered £50 the other day! 

[fazersharp]

I've got some lovely furniture for sale on ebay at the mo, £95 or best offer each piece (this stuff is about £800 new) I got offered £50 the other day! 

If you are going to be shocked by offers then dont put it on with a best offer option.
Instead put it on as an auction and with a starting price of the least you would accept and go from there

[Jdalt]

Thanks for the replies,


Thats the sort of range I was expecting, I offered £350 then £360 and still got declined at £370. I must admit I didn`t expect to get it for £350 but when getting rejected at £370 I am starting to think whats the point of wasting my time by even offering a best offer price.


 

[Mattsplat]

The last two things I have bought off ebay have had the offers accepted.

1st item was £399 plus £40 post, I just sent him a mail saying I wouldnt pay more £400 total....accepted.
2nd item was £150 plus £20 post, told him the same, I would only pay £150 total....also accepted.

I guess you either get Lucky or the seller is greedy 

[HarryHornby]

I've got some lovely furniture for sale on ebay at the mo, £95 or best offer each piece (this stuff is about £800 new) I got offered £50 the other day! 

If you are going to be shocked by offers then dont put it on with a best offer option.
Instead put it on as an auction and with a starting price of the least you would accept and go from there

Oh, agreed Fazersharp, I did expect some crap ones, but the cheek of people!  LOL

[fazersharp]

I offered £350 then £360 and still got declined at £370. I must admit I didn`t expect to get it for £350 but when getting rejected at £370 I am starting to think whats the point of wasting my time by even offering a best offer price.

Exactly -- sellers like that do wind me up what was it £399 if they were going to take no less than £398 then put it on at that as a buy it now - job done, Now you have used up all of your offeres havent you as you can only make 3 on each item

Also what winds me up is when there is a hidden reserve and you think you have won at an auction only to find out "reserve not met"  ---well for FOCs sake if that is what you want for it then start at that price

[Jdalt]

I have offered £370 for something else priced at £409 - response "Not possible for that price but will accept £390"


I don`t know why they bother with best offer at all.

[richfzs]

That sounds like the start of a negotiation, what's the problem?

[red98]

you got to go in with a low offer.....you can always go up...you cant go down 

[jason1]

You only get 3 attempts at a best offer, then ya blocked.I always go in low .Had a few steels in the past , but agree some are a waste of time and give no discount.     

[mtread]

you got to go in with a low offer.....you can always go up...you cant go down

Trigger did when selling briefcases to Del Boy 

[locksmith]

Old English Vinyl if I recall