"Best Offer" on eBay

[SevenOfDiamonds]

Hello everyone

I've always understood that making a "Best Offer" on eBay resulted in the seller either accepting your offer, declining it, or making a counter offer . . . but now I'm less sure.

Is there a difference in how it works between items with a "Buy it Now" price and a "Best Offer" option (where the offer will be lower than the BIN price), and a "Best Offer" option on an auction item (where the offer will be higher than the starting price)?

I submitted a "Best Offer" on an auction item and all that has happened is that it is showing me to have put in a starting price bid (causing the "Best Offer" option to disappear) but I'm sure that as other people make bids, automatic bids will be submitted up to the "Best Offer" I made. This seems to be no different from entering an auction bid of the same value.

So, is there a subtlety that I'm missing here? Or was it ever thus?

Cheers

David

 

[jimmytrains_0]

hi Dave,
I use the "best offer" option a bit , correct statement from you, but can i add recently ebay have now given suggested reductions of about 2.5% , 5% and 10%, the original start point. I always followed that 10% and postage could come off items as a reasonable offer, nowerdays the decline from seller usually is instant, up until the 10% under becomes your offer. All offers incurr the ebay postage calculation and some times this is over the reduction you want even if the 10% is expected, usually the bin price is a good price and the post is not .
best regards, Greenford calling Andy

 

[Madman]

Speaking of Evilbay, I don't understand an auction with a make best offer option. If people are bidding on an item and the bids are coming in, what is the reason for the make best offer option ?

 

[dutchelm]

The best offer is only available if there are no bids. Once there is a bit the option disappears. Sometimes you get realistic offers from someone who doesn't want to wait until the end, sometimes you get silly insulting offers.

 

[funandtrains]

As Mike said the Best Offer is removed once a bit is placed, so if someone places a bid before your offer is accepted it is cancelled. I think eBay brought it in to try and stop people making offers outside eBay and then the auction ended early for a spurious reason. I've both used best offer to buy and sell and can be useful. If there are a lot of people watching it does give you a chance to buy at a reasonable price before the mad last minute bidding starts. You can put in a lower offer than the starting price but these are normally rejected.