My eBay pet peeve - Sellers with Best Offer Options who don't want to negotiate 1 1

[MadGenius]

So this annoys me to no end and there are a few sellers on eBay who are repeat offenders (and who I no longer want to buy from). I recently made an offer on a book which was in line with recent sales and less than 10% off the asking price (9.1% to be exact). Seller counters with a price that is less than 3% lower than the asking price. To me, this is not even significant discount. Sellers can sell books for whatever they want to, but if they want to use Best Offer on their listings then they should be willing to negotiate at least a little. Otherwise drop the Best Offer and don't waste people's time.

[01TheDude]

just a thought -- might be wrong --- they might not have even put the items up as accepting offers originally and then had Ebay help them out by altering the listing. Happens to many of us-- and I can see why some are just tired of fixing all these "helpful" ebay tactics.

[ADAMANTIUM]

That depends on the asking price for best offer...

I have one up for $349, I'll take $330, but no way I'm taking close to $34 off...at 9%

[DjMartini]

2 hours ago, MadGenius said:

So this annoys me to no end and there are a few sellers on eBay who are repeat offenders (and who I no longer want to buy from). I recently made an offer on a book which was in line with recent sales and less than 10% off the asking price (9.1% to be exact). Seller counters with a price that is less than 3% lower than the asking price. To me, this is not even significant discount. Sellers can sell books for whatever they want to, but if they want to use Best Offer on their listings then they should be willing to negotiate at least a little. Otherwise drop the Best Offer and don't waste people's time.

Did you counter his counter?

I know sometimes sellers are looking to see how much you are willing to put in for the book, so they counter with a higher price than what you put in (regardless of how much of a discount it is from the original price). I know I at least counter once with offers that I get, to see how much the buyer is willing to buy the book for. My pet peeve is when a buyer puts in an Offer, I counter and then I never hear from them again. If both parties have the ability to counter (I think at least 3 or 4 times), why not use them all to meet somewhere in the middle? 

 

[MadGenius]

49 minutes ago, DjMartini said:

Did you counter his counter?

I know sometimes sellers are looking to see how much you are willing to put in for the book, so they counter with a higher price than what you put in (regardless of how much of a discount it is from the original price). I know I at least counter once with offers that I get, to see how much the buyer is willing to buy the book for. My pet peeve is when a buyer puts in an Offer, I counter and then I never hear from them again. If both parties have the ability to counter (I think at least 3 or 4 times), why not use them all to meet somewhere in the middle? 

 

Nope. My initial best offer was just that - my best offer. The item wasn't a must have for me and wasn't especially rare, so I didn't have a problem walking away if I couldn't get my price, which was more than reasonable. 

[I like pie]

This and sellers not leaving feedback. So won't now unless they do first.

[kav]

33 minutes ago, I like pie said:

This and sellers not leaving feedback. So won't now unless they do first.

yes these are two of my peeves for sure.  Dont put a best offer if you're only willing to go down a few scraps of cash.  Instead just list it for that amount and remove best offer wtf.

[punksdropdirtysrh]

Agreed this peeves me too. But I am aware eBay puts Best offer on some listings without Seller approval. 

[01TheDude]

1 hour ago, MadGenius said:

2 hours ago, DjMartini said:

Did you counter his counter?

I know sometimes sellers are looking to see how much you are willing to put in for the book, so they counter with a higher price than what you put in (regardless of how much of a discount it is from the original price). I know I at least counter once with offers that I get, to see how much the buyer is willing to buy the book for. My pet peeve is when a buyer puts in an Offer, I counter and then I never hear from them again. If both parties have the ability to counter (I think at least 3 or 4 times), why not use them all to meet somewhere in the middle? 

 

Nope. My initial best offer was just that - my best offer. The item wasn't a must have for me and wasn't especially rare, so I didn't have a problem walking away if I couldn't get my price, which was more than reasonable. 

Time out-- in the title of your thread you state "Best Offer Options who don't want to negotiate" - yet when they respond with a counter offer-- YOU are the one who stops doing any negotiating. To me-- what you are doing is giving a take it or leave it offer and whining that they don't take it and for some weird reason-- THAT is not negotiating on the sellers part?

very confusing.

[Gaard]

2 hours ago, DjMartini said:

Did you counter his counter?

I know sometimes sellers are looking to see how much you are willing to put in for the book, so they counter with a higher price than what you put in (regardless of how much of a discount it is from the original price). I know I at least counter once with offers that I get, to see how much the buyer is willing to buy the book for. My pet peeve is when a buyer puts in an Offer, I counter and then I never hear from them again. If both parties have the ability to counter (I think at least 3 or 4 times), why not use them all to meet somewhere in the middle? 

 

This is exactly what I do. It's called negotiate.

[RockMyAmadeus]

4 hours ago, MadGenius said:

So this annoys me to no end and there are a few sellers on eBay who are repeat offenders (and who I no longer want to buy from). I recently made an offer on a book which was in line with recent sales and less than 10% off the asking price (9.1% to be exact). Seller counters with a price that is less than 3% lower than the asking price. To me, this is not even significant discount. Sellers can sell books for whatever they want to, but if they want to use Best Offer on their listings then they should be willing to negotiate at least a little. Otherwise drop the Best Offer and don't waste people's time.

I had an entire thread about sellers listing for...shall we say...."much more than FMV" prices, who refused to negotiate, wondering if there could be a list maintained of the worst offenders, like the infamous Blackstar. After all, people complain about Chuck's prices on a regular basis.

It didn't end well. 

"How DARE you!! People can ask whatever they want, and who are YOU to try and pressure them down?"

I thought that was called "the work of the free market", but what do I know...?

 

[MadGenius]

50 minutes ago, 01TheDude said:

Time out-- in the title of your thread you state "Best Offer Options who don't want to negotiate" - yet when they respond with a counter offer-- YOU are the one who stops doing any negotiating. To me-- what you are doing is giving a take it or leave it offer and whining that they don't take it and for some weird reason-- THAT is not negotiating on the sellers part?

very confusing.

2% off is not a negotiation in my mind. To me, that is basically a take it or leave it offer. 

[01TheDude]

7 minutes ago, MadGenius said:

2% off is not a negotiation in my mind. To me, that is basically a take it or leave it offer. 

you literally have no idea how haggling works, do you?

Negotiation is a back and forth-- you started by suggest a price-- they countered with their new price-- YOU ENDED IT THERE-- in other words-- you are the responsible party for ending any "negotiation" because you refused to continue. Stop blaming them when you were the one who offered a single price and did nothing more.

And apparently you had one price in mind regardless of what they did since you stated as much. So you were completely the one who was not negotiating and only giving a take it or leave it offer. If they agreed with your price-- a sale occurs and apparently anything other than that is some sort of slap in your face? wow-- inflexible much?

 

Edited August 20, 2018 by 01TheDude

[ADAMANTIUM]

The price was fair to you, but you don't "know" that the offer was fair to the seller.

How am I supposed to be taken seriously if I list a $300 book at $334 just so that someone can ask for 10% off

If it is too much an over shot no one is going to take a chance at best offer...or take me serious as a seller

I always took best offer as more of, "around this price"....sometimes 

@RockMyAmadeus  may be the wisest of us all. If the seller didn't take your offer, he didn't need to sell. Just as you didn't need it have to have the book. The seller didn't need or have to have the money  even if it took a year to sell. 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2018 by ADAMANTIUM

[ADAMANTIUM]

Your a good sport @RockMyAmadeus

I remember that thread

I believe some with best offers are "out there", and i am taking this thread and yours to heart, as I am just now attempting to sell on eBay. 

I will agree there are books "out there" that seem like drek with a best offer and why some would hold out for the higher price I'll never know

Did you know that eBay charges a 37 cent fee if you don't make your listing a "best offer"?  

Edited August 20, 2018 by ADAMANTIUM

[ADAMANTIUM]

Had to edit silly auto corrects, but an interesting topic this is mmmm...

[RockMyAmadeus]

8 minutes ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

@RockMyAmadeus  may be the wisest of us all.

That sound you heard was the collective eyes rolling out of everyone's heads and landing on the floor.

 

[ADAMANTIUM]

2 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

That sound you heard was the collective eyes rolling out of everyone's heads and landing on the floor.

 

You have your merits! At least you make me critically think 

This will sound funny, but critically think was the motto for my college

Edited August 20, 2018 by ADAMANTIUM

[ADAMANTIUM]

Critically think! My auto correct ugh

[RockMyAmadeus]

45 minutes ago, MadGenius said:

2% off is not a negotiation in my mind. To me, that is basically a take it or leave it offer. 

I agree with you. It's totally token, and not at all a serious negotiation counter. It's a subtle "eff you." If you'd offered 10% off my books, I would have accepted in a heartbeat.