When you make a best offer on eBay

[i43770]

Just curious about your best offering habits.

 

[mburgin]

personally a best offer should be exactly that, a best offer. if you leave wiggle room then it's not exactly your best offer then. on very rare occassion have i bit on a counter offer. if i get one, 99% of the time i decline it and move on to another item.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

IMO, a Best Offer should be just that, your best offer.

im not a fan of the "counter offer"

 

[JackLondon]

I usually make my very best offer just in case someone else comes along and snaps it up before any counteroffers can be made and responded to. Happened once where I made a really low offer, figuring that a counteroffer would be made that I could live with. While waiting for a response/counteroffer, someone came along and used BIN to grab it.

Since then, I just give it the absolute highest I would be willing to pay and if I get it, I get it.

 

[Johan Santana 57]

in my experience, the fairer your offer, the more likely the seller will get greedy and counter you for a few bucks more.

So I leave a little leway but not enough to make mine a lowball offer.

At least thats how it seems with me, that if I do make the fair offer I end up getting a counter for higher, declining it, then winning it for less later.

 

[Tomlinson21RB]

in my experience, the fairer your offer, the more likely the seller will get greedy and counter you for a few bucks more.

So I leave a little leway but not enough to make mine a lowball offer.

At least thats how it seems with me, that if I do make the fair offer I end up getting a counter for higher, declining it, then winning it for less later.

I feel exactly the same. I used to make my "best offer" and would always get a counter trying to squeeze $5 or $10 more than my offer even if my offer was going rate. Since then I started offering just a little less and expecting a counter.

 

[EricInCT]

Let's see....I had a card for 300 and was offered 50. I guess that guy left a little wiggle room :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Fandruw25]

I make my best offer. If a seller counters I decline 99% of the time. Usually when I do this I get a message though asking why I didn't counter back :lol:

When I sell, I never counter, I figure it's called best offer for a reason, why should I try to haggle?

 

[Roy Birchler]

It all depends on how badly I want the card.

 

[Penno]

It all depends on how badly I want the card.

There is some truth to this for me. I will offer a little lower than I'm willing to pay for two reasons. First, as mentioned, some sellers like to squeeze an extra $5 or $10 out of an item. Second, I might get lucky and get a card under priced.

However, thats about as far as I go. My 2nd offer, if I don't accept the counter, will usually be my best offer.

 

[hive17]

There is some truth to this for me. I will offer a little lower than I'm willing to pay for two reasons. First, as mentioned, some sellers like to squeeze an extra $5 or $10 out of an item. Second, I might get lucky and get a card under priced.

However, thats about as far as I go. My 2nd offer, if I don't accept the counter, will usually be my best offer.

It's like you're riding shotgun in my head when I purchase. I do and think the exact same way.

The seller may think they are getting that extra money, but that's what i was really willing to pay.

 

[Billy Packer]

I can only think of one occasion where I've actually had a first offer accepted by a seller. Every other time the seller has countered. I used to bid the max I would be willing to pay and found myself either having to bid against myself or pass on the item. Now I always underbid a bit with the expectation that the seller will try to counter me no matter what my bid is.

 

[studioclint]

I always under bid. I always get counter offered. Why would I offer my max amount when I could buy the same item in auction format with the chance of it going cheaper. I really try not to buy with the best offer format. I kind of dislike it.

 

[studioclint]

Let's see....I had a card for 300 and was offered 50. I guess that guy left a little wiggle room :lol: :lol: :lol:

Yeah I am sure that happens all the time. I have to say it goes the other way too. For some reason when people list a Kerry Wood card with BO they often a want 4 times the going rate. One time someone list something for 40 bucks. I offered the going rate of 7 bucks. They countered with 12. I thought it was funny that the counter offer was 28 dollars cheaper than their Buy it now. I didn't real expect to win it for 7. More just testing the waters.

 

[Card Magnet]

Unless it's something I absolutely must have, I leave a little wiggle room. To me, it's like buying a car, you never go in and offer the most you're willing to pay.
If it is something I really want, I'll either just BIN or offer my top price to eliminate the chance of somebody else getting it.

 

[theplasticman]

I just offered 175 for a Will Clark card, it was declined and the next day the item is won for $175 by someone else :lol:

 

[magplaidmxpx]

I typically offer just a little bit lower than my absolute "best" offer as well... sellers nearly always counter-offer, no matter what i offer, so I go with that usually...
As a seller, I really hate it when people lowball... some sellers list things really high and hope to get an offer, but I usually list just a little bit more than what I would expect to get for the card. That way, somebody who really wants the card still won't get ripped off if they just use BuyItNow, but those with casual interest can put in a reasonable offer... It just bugs me when something usually goes for $50, so I list it for $54.99 or something, and somebody offers $20... that's just not cool

 

[hofautos]

i lowball...love to haggle...

 

[MattinglyAlexander]

Let's see....I had a card for 300 and was offered 50. I guess that guy left a little wiggle room :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sounds like me. Was it me? :lol:

 

[Russ S.]

It all depends on how badly I want the card.

There is some truth to this for me. I will offer a little lower than I'm willing to pay for two reasons. First, as mentioned, some sellers like to squeeze an extra $5 or $10 out of an item. Second, I might get lucky and get a card under priced.

However, thats about as far as I go. My 2nd offer, if I don't accept the counter, will usually be my best offer.

My tactics exactly!!
Couldn't have said it better myself.


*This tactic landed me a very sweet Ripken PC card that is inbound. Will post it a day or 2, so be on the lookout.