eBay coupon psychosis!

[bounce]

I have to be honest - I LOVE the eBay 15% off coupons.

As a seller and a buyer, this is absolutely the best offer that comes around each month (seems like it's been about once a month lately?).

But I have to tell you, from a sellers perspective, BUYERS STOP BEING SO GREEDY!

Perfect example on the sell side today...

I have had a card listed for almost 6 weeks now, Buy It Now price was $325 accepting offers. I have received no less than 6 OFFERS during that time at $275 for this card. In the past month and change, 11 of the last 13 sales of the card have gone at $300 or MORE, some as high as $365. I have countered every single offer that was over $250 at $300, but no one took me up on it.

Today, I reached out to the last two offers to let them know the card was still available, and that there was a 15% off coupon today that they could use. One of them offered on the card today again probably 10 minutes after I sent that message - at $275 again! I countered at $300. Buyer didn't accept, despite the fact that this very card would only cost $255 today after coupon, $20 less than the original offer!

Please keep in mind - I TOLD THIS BUYER ABOUT THE COUPON - I guarantee that's the only reason the offer came again.

Fortunately, the other buyer sent me a message and said thanks for letting him know about the coupon because he wasn't aware of it, he offered the $300 and picked up the card. HOORAY! I got my $300, he actually only paid $255. How is that not win win for both of us?

Here's the lessons I learned today:
1) There are still so many eBay users that are not being reached by these promotions, and this one was available to literally everyone. eBay is clearly not reaching it's users effectively.
2) So many of the regular eBay users are TERRIBLE AT MATH. If you're willing to pay $275 for a card that is all of a sudden 15% off, you could have literally offered $323.53 and paid only $275. Duh!
3) There are so many eBay buyers that EXPECT sellers to pass on every single discount/coupon that may come up, whether it comes to the seller directly or to the buyer directly - doesn't matter.


From the buying perspective, kudos to those that suggested "parking" items in your cart for days like today. I don't know that I'm going to be able to maximize the savings, but I do have 4 items already teed up and I'm searching for a couple others that will hopefully let me get to the max. And there's one card that's not quite the quality that I want but for 15% off I may still go ahead and pull the trigger.

I would agree with others that have said it's pretty tough to find things at decent buy it now prices, but I tend to define that as within 10-20% of the normal selling price. On days like today, I would certainly expect some sellers to know to be more aggressive in acceptance of offers that were close.

[PiratesWS1979]

I agree, some buyers are either greedy, stupid or both. I only list items on specials and started ACTUALLY LISTING WHAT THEY SAVE IN THE TITLE!! Still I'm offered far less than VCP.

[bmattioli]

eBay is obviously doing this for a reason to make money. Brings in more buyers hence look how I saved money.. Smart..

[Throttlesteer]

What about the greedy sellers that put ridiculous buy it now prices on their cards? It's not just the buyers

[bensie]

As a seller, I find that I'm less willing to work on price when these coupons are active. That said, I do understand the buyer psychology. When I submit a 'BIN/BO' price, there's no way to cancel it, so I don't want to stick a high BIN/BO price out there in case the seller doesn't respond until the coupon is expired. I tend to try to find auctions that close in the time frame, or look specifically at BIN items without worrying about best offer. It's a bit of a game, but stuff like this is part of what makes the hobby fun to me.

In any case, bounce, I have added you to my favorite sellers list. Your stuff is reasonably priced and I'll be sure to check out your store first next time a coupon comes up.

edit: I also feel bad sometimes because some people clearly don't know about the coupon. I drove hard (didn't reduce price) on a Koufax RC last night because I assumed the buyer would wait to pay until today and get a huge discount. I got almost what I had initially hoped, so I felt pretty pleased with the sale and the assumption that we both walked away with a good deal. Nope...poor guy paid immediately after accepting my counteroffer. Had he waited just a few hours, he could have gotten the card for quite a bit cheaper. :(

[canjond]

I agree with the OP. There is a card from a board member I've wanted on eBay for a little while now. We've communicated about it in the past, but we've always been around $100 off in price from where he wanted to be ($700), and where I wanted to be ($600).

A few weeks back, I threw in an offer of $650 because I had an 8% off coupon. No dice - we couldn't bridge the gap. Today, I emailed the seller and asked if he would take $700 for the card, knowing that it would cost me $600 to purchase it with the 15% off coupon. He said yes, so I threw in the offer and got the card. He got his $700, and I got my $600. I am happy and feel like I got the deal I wanted, and I genuinely hope that the seller is also happy. We obviously had differing ideas of value - or where we felt comfortable transacting on the card - and the coupon helped us bridge the gap and both get what we want.

[maddux311]

Then there are those that abuse eBay's return process when they use the coupon to purchase a similar item at a lower price and then return the other item that is priced higher without the coupon. I sold a card on August 18th for $900, item delivered the 22nd. The buyer started the return process on the 29th with Reason: Found better price.

[Marchillo]

What about the greedy sellers that put ridiculous buy it now prices on their cards? It's not just the buyers

Yup it works both ways.

I had one buddy offer $170 on a card listed at $185. Seller made him wait almost all day and then flat out rejected it. Why do BO on $185 if you are going to flat out reject $170 (my buddy’s first offer). Answer greed related to the coupon.

Then another buddy offered $180 on $205 and really got nowhere all day and settled at $190 late last night.

Guaranteed these negotiations would have gone different if there was no 15% coupon.

I did fine and picked up 3 cards and some supplies.

[tschock]

I have had a card listed for almost 6 weeks now, Buy It Now price was $325 accepting offers. I have received no less than 6 OFFERS during that time at $275 for this card. In the past month and change, 11 of the last 13 sales of the card have gone at $300 or MORE, some as high as $365. I have countered every single offer that was over $250 at $300, but no one took me up on it.

Apples to oranges, to an extent. What kind of offers did you have before the sale? Maybe the most of the buyers' target prices were below $275 and they were using the coupon to get below that point? And as you said, maybe they are just cheap or ignorant (even ignorant of VCP, perhaps)?

Similarly to what another poster indicated, why wouldn't a seller still offer the same discount during these coupon sales than they would outside of them? If you're will to take $90 for a $100 card, why won't you now budge from $100? Because the seller gets if for $85? Understand, I'm NOT saying you would do this, just saying it works both ways and I would guarantee there are sellers that approach it this way.

What I don't get is why more SELLERS (unlike bounce) that post here don't even put their ebay ID in their profile, let alone their signatures. Though I'm sure there are a myriad of reasons they don't.

[tschock]

As a seller, I find that I'm less willing to work on price when these coupons are active. That said, I do understand the buyer psychology. When I submit a 'BIN/BO' price, there's no way to cancel it, so I don't want to stick a high BIN/BO price out there in case the seller doesn't respond until the coupon is expired.(

Actually, there is an option to retract your offer prior to acceptance. At least I saw a link to do that on my review of an offer I made, though I never tried it. So I sort-of tried it last night by making an offer, with the intent of cancelling it if it got close to coupon expiration and had other items in the basket, but one I could live with if retraction wouldn't work and I missed the coupon.

[autograf]

Always remember. For many people, simple math is not so simple......

[52ToppsMantle]

Then there are those that abuse eBay's return process when they use the coupon to purchase a similar item at a lower price and then return the other item that is priced higher without the coupon. I sold a card on August 18th for $900, item delivered the 22nd. The buyer started the return process on the 29th with Reason: Found better price.

In my opinion, a buyer should not be able to initiate a return via the "better price found" option.

I would be ticked off as well, (as a seller) with someone doing that to me.

[swarmee]

Depends on your settings. If you accept returns, you accept them for all possible reasons. If you don't accept returns, eBay can only force a return for Item Not As Described. So if their first volley to you was "found a better price" then you can refuse the refund and eBay will -generally- side with you.

[Lorewalker]

Depends on your settings. If you accept returns, you accept them for all possible reasons. If you don't accept returns, eBay can only force a return for Item Not As Described. So if their first volley to you was "found a better price" then you can refuse the refund and eBay will -generally- side with you.

In this same scenario couldn't the buyer still have returned the card simply by picking Not As Described and force the seller (who does not take returns) to take it back? My gut tells me that eBay, and if not eBay then paypal, sides with the buyer most of the time especially if the purchase was funded by a credit card. The terms are pretty loose for the buyer for Not As Described.

[swarmee]

Yes, if that's what they put as their reason for return in the first place: Item Not as Described. But they would have to explain why it's not as described. Some buyers will intentionally damage cards in order to return them.
But in this case, the buyer messaged the seller that they had buyers remorse (found better price elsewhere). eBay will side with the seller in this case, as long as the seller doesn't accept refunds.

[Lorewalker]

Yes, if that's what they put as their reason for return in the first place: Item Not as Described. But they would have to explain why it's not as described. Some buyers will intentionally damage cards in order to return them.
But in this case, the buyer messaged the seller that they had buyers remorse (found better price elsewhere). eBay will side with the seller in this case, as long as the seller doesn't accept refunds.

Yeah I understand in this example the buyer was honest because eBay affords such liberal return privileges. I figure it is pretty easy for buyers to make returns whether being honest or not. I have read in other places where buyers after 2 weeks return a graded card for Not As Described. I think eBay and paypal are pretty liberal with allowing returns whether a seller likes/permits it or not.

Thanks for the reply.

[swarmee]

In many of those cases, eBay will refund the buyer directly. Anything to keep their bad customers behaving badly...

[tab]

When I make an offer on overpriced items on eBay,99.9% of the time that is what I’m willing to pay and can only think of once that I accepted a counter offer.

I wish I could delete each listing as I see it and it will never show up again(like an email) when it is relished I don’t want to see it again unless it’s at a lower price.

[maddux311]

Yes, if that's what they put as their reason for return in the first place: Item Not as Described. But they would have to explain why it's not as described. Some buyers will intentionally damage cards in order to return them.
But in this case, the buyer messaged the seller that they had buyers remorse (found better price elsewhere). eBay will side with the seller in this case, as long as the seller doesn't accept refunds.

I accept returns though it is a double edged sword as you want to give a buyer assurance but there are those that abuse it. In this case, the buyer contacted me wanting to buy the card and asked for a discount(possible red flag I know). I let them know that I felt it was priced appropriately and on the high end for the grade. They ended up buying it and sent a note when paying to ship safe and secure. Fast forward to yesterday when I received an email from eBay that the return process was started. They buyer did not even worry with contacting me first. Needless to say that they will be blocked after I receive it back.

[Leon]

Always remember. For many people, simple math is not so simple......

When I had the Trucker Boy find (years ago) the guy and I struck up a good deal on one of the sets. I had offered 12k and he wanted 18k.
I said lets meet in the middle and he said no, but I will do 15k though. I said ok....

[Promethius88]

Actually, there is an option to retract your offer prior to acceptance. At least I saw a link to do that on my review of an offer I made, though I never tried it. So I sort-of tried it last night by making an offer, with the intent of cancelling it if it got close to coupon expiration and had other items in the basket, but one I could live with if retraction wouldn't work and I missed the coupon.

I have made offers during Ebay and Ebay bucks promos where the seller did not respond before the promotion ended. I cancelled the offers. The process is simple. I can say as a seller that if I have BIN/BO items and I know there's a promotion going on, I'm going to stay on top of things those days/nights in case I get a decent offer. That being said, I usually don't list with best offer and price the majority of my items where they have recently sold, not 10-15% higher.

[Exhibitman]

When I had the Trucker Boy find (years ago) the guy and I struck up a good deal on one of the sets. I had offered 12k and he wanted 18k.
I said lets meet in the middle and he said no, but I will do 15k though. I said ok....

That sounds about right...

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." H. L. Mencken

"You can fool some of the people some of the time and the rest you can jerk off" Robin Williams

[Stampsfan]

... I wish I could delete each listing as I see it and it will never show up again(like an email) when it is relished I don’t want to see it again unless it’s at a lower price.

Even worse for me, is looking at an item, not watching or saving it, and then eBay sends me an email saying "An item you were interested in...".

If I look at an item and then close it right away, it means I'm not interested in it.

[tschock]

If I look at an item and then close it right away, it means I'm not interested in it.

Or maybe it means the wife is nearby? Sort of like when you turn you head to look at an 'item of interest' and you quickly turn away. ;)

[NotVader]

Ebay has full time shrinks working for them I'd be willing to bet!
Nice post.

Lovin' Fla

CV

[bounce]

Apples to oranges, to an extent. What kind of offers did you have before the sale? Maybe the most of the buyers' target prices were below $275 and they were using the coupon to get below that point? And as you said, maybe they are just cheap or ignorant (even ignorant of VCP, perhaps)?

Similarly to what another poster indicated, why wouldn't a seller still offer the same discount during these coupon sales than they would outside of them? If you're will to take $90 for a $100 card, why won't you now budge from $100? Because the seller gets if for $85? Understand, I'm NOT saying you would do this, just saying it works both ways and I would guarantee there are sellers that approach it this way.

I don't see it as apples and oranges. I was getting $275 offers prior to the coupon, during periods when coupons weren't active. I reached out to a couple previous offerers DURING the coupon period, pointed out the coupon, and I got sent the same $275 offer. Only reason that might have made sense is if that buyer already used the coupon, but my message was clear about why I was reaching out again and what it would take.

I do agree with you - there are DEFINITELY sellers who try to get more during the coupon than they normally would have accepted otherwise. I think those folks are CRAZY - like I said personally I try to be as aggressive as I can be accepting offers during the coupons because I realize that's why the offers are coming.

Here's to hoping eBay continues sending these things out.