Best offer...pfft!

[Section103]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

I was just saying to my wife within the last couple of months that it is "BEST OFFER", not "the Lowest you think you can buy this card for offer".

I had a card that I listed for $50 and based that off the recent auctions on ebay and going with the lower sales, ebay had defaulted the offer option on and I missed it. I got an offer from a person for $20. I declined and left the best offer on as I was going to be on later listing more and figured I could fix that listing and a few others at that point. Later on the same person offered $30. I quickly declined. Then they offered $40. SERIOUSLY? Obviously $20 wasn't your best was it? There are times where I may have accepted that, but he had upset me so much by his original low ball offer I declined. I got to ebay and fixed the offer option at that point. Within an hour of his last offer someone bought it at my full asking price.

By definition, isn't it illogical for ebay to offer buyers 3 best offers then? "Best Offer" is clearly a misnomer.

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by Section103

By definition, isn't it illogical for ebay to offer buyers 3 best offers then? "Best Offer" is clearly a misnomer.

I think that this is the reason has a limit actually. The only reason I see why they allow 3 still is for negotiating as GLCHEN mentions...

Originally Posted by glchen

I've always interpreted the Best Offer process on ebay as a negotiation since you can counter-offer. Therefore, if the seller has a card for $100 w/ BO, and I think the highest price that I am willing to go is $75, then I will give an offer of $50. I completely expect the seller to counter-offer, and my hope is that we can reach a price around $75. If I make the offer $75 as my first offer, and the seller counters w/a $90, then I'm stuck. I've already given my best price, but that $90 might not have been the lowest the seller was willing to go.

As far as negotiating you don't have to start at $20 to get to $40 on a $50 item. That is just a low ball offer. If you are going to offer less than you are willing to pay I will just deny it I no longer do the negotiating without a conversation. If you want to tell me why you are only willing to pay $20 put it in the comment section to the seller. Okay ebay allows 3 offers... guess what they also allow you to communicate with the seller. These people should try it sometime they will get farther in negotiating if they don't just throw out a stupid low ball offer.