sthoemke
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posted on January 22, 2005 03:33:38 PM new
"1. What is Best Offer?
Best Offer is new feature which allows buyers and sellers to negotiate price on Fixed Price and Store Inventory format listings. The feature is opt-in for sellers on a per listing basis.
As part of the offer, buyers can include a text message of up to 500 characters. The text field can be used by the buyer to tell the seller why she/he should choose that offer and explain why the lower price is fair. Buyers may use the text field to negotiate shipping price in the event that the price has not been specified by the seller."
http://pages.ebay.com/bestoffer/
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tomwiii
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posted on January 22, 2005 03:36:57 PM new
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME???
VISIT: Ralphie's Eclectic Garden of Earthly Delights & Swedish Marital Aids here:
http://tinyurl.com/3rd5a
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replaymedia
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posted on January 22, 2005 03:39:56 PM new
I thought it was a bad idea when Ioffer and BargainAndHaggle did it, and I think it's a bad idea now that eBay's doing it.
It's my merchandise. It's my pricing. If you want to haggle, go to the flea market.
If you use this feature, you'll be inundated with hundreds of "How about a dollar for this brand new item that sells for $50 even at Walmart?"
Unless you can specify limits, like maybe only accpeting offers within a certain percentage of your fixed price, this is going to be a real pain to deal with.
--------------------------------------
Replay Media - The best source for board games, card games and miniatures on the web!
http://www.replaymedia.com
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tomwiii
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posted on January 22, 2005 03:46:53 PM new
Does a FREE LAWYER come with this outrageous SNAFU?
http://pages.ebay.com/bestoffer/faq/
 
VISIT: Ralphie's Eclectic Garden of Earthly Delights & Swedish Marital Aids here:
http://tinyurl.com/3rd5a
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ebayvet
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posted on January 22, 2005 03:50:36 PM new
Looks like it is opt in (thankfully!) and only for fixed priced items, not auctions. It won't affect me much because the last thing I want to do on ebay is haggle with bidders, and since I don't have to opt in I don't have to worry about it.
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classicrock000
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posted on January 22, 2005 05:47:40 PM new
Yo Tom...ya scales are tooo expensive..how about a buy one,get one free???
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tomwiii
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posted on January 22, 2005 06:03:37 PM new
For YOU, a SPECIAL on this scale only:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=88433&item=5535316818&tc=photo
VISIT: Ralphie's Eclectic Garden of Earthly Delights & Swedish Marital Aids here:
http://tinyurl.com/3rd5a
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classicrock000
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posted on January 22, 2005 06:25:04 PM new
hey tom thanks!!-I knew we were best buds LOL.
Nice store I notice you drop ship-gotta tell ya that would make me nervous depending on someone else to ship it for me.I have to have the item in my paws before I put it up for auction-guess Im paranoid.
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replaymedia
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posted on January 22, 2005 07:33:14 PM new
Tom, that auction's a pretty neat idea.
Have you ever had anyone email you asking why it's $4.99 and says FREE?
(Yes I understand it, but you know how eBay'ers are)
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Replay Media - The best source for board games, card games and miniatures on the web!
http://www.replaymedia.com
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sparkz
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posted on January 22, 2005 07:40:34 PM new
It makes no difference whether it's opt in or opt out. Once the idea catches on, store owners will start getting emails from prospective buyers wanting to negotiate the price of everything they have listed. I'm afraid this is one that Ebay is going to regret.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
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tomwiii
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posted on January 22, 2005 07:50:14 PM new
Sparkey: Yer correcto-mundo...
I couldn't figure out why this am I got a stupid ASK SELLER about one of my very expensive balances, wanting "to make a deal?"
WTF: does Ralphie look like Monte Hall or sumptin??
VISIT: Ralphie's Eclectic Garden of Earthly Delights & Swedish Marital Aids here:
http://tinyurl.com/3rd5a
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sparkz
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posted on January 22, 2005 07:56:43 PM new
Tom...Anyone who sells fixed price or stores is going to have to have a stock response ready to copy and paste into a reply, or they're gonna spend a lot of time typing polite refusals. Time that could better be spent typing descriptions for new listings. Wonder how many of these people will think this fiasco applies to regular auctions also?
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
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CBlev65252
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posted on January 22, 2005 08:15:19 PM new
Are they out of their minds? Here's a response for ya: Dear Bidder: I'm sorry, but I cannot accommodate your request at this time. If haggling is what you really want to do, you can visit your local gasoline station to try and talk them down on the price you're willing to pay per gallon for your gasoline. The post office might even be willing to listen to your request for 10 cents off your stamp. Of course, once they've picked themselves up off the floor you may not like the answer you'll get. I, on the other hand, have elected to set my own prices. If I should desire less for what I sell I will start my auction at a lower price thus saving you the trouble of trying to negotiate a lower price and save me the hassle of having to answer a dozen requests per day. Thank you for your interest.
Someone at eBay has definitely lost it. Maybe they need an in-house psychiatrist.
Cheryl
"No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power." ~ P.J. O'Rourke
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sthoemke
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posted on January 22, 2005 09:28:20 PM new
Pretty nifty lookin scale ya got there
[ edited by sthoemke on Jan 22, 2005 09:30 PM ]
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Roadsmith
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posted on January 22, 2005 09:39:30 PM new
Meg W. doesn't want this to be a giant yard sale but she's acknowledging that it is, with this new feature. Only place in town where I can haggle a bit on prices. Grocery store, gas station, restaurants, etc. Just Say No.
___________________________________
Is it true that the only difference between a yard sale and a trash pickup is how close to the road the stuff is placed?
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jrome
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posted on January 22, 2005 09:57:20 PM new
You guys don't haggle when you buy stuff? Well, you're definitely missing out. I've saved money at retailers like Fry's, Staples, BestBuy, Circuit City (saved $120 on a Sony Clie), Amazon and even Target by haggling and/or price-matching. Some places don't haggle, but there's really no such thing as a fixed price. I can see how it's a pain in the ass for a business, but for a customer it's terrific. In store, it's pretty obvious when you can haggle and when you can't-- don't try it on a real busy day, for example. But many fixed price stores will haggle on price-- doesn't hurt to ask.
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ebayvet
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posted on January 22, 2005 10:09:34 PM new
Oh, I will haggle. I agree, they will work with you, especially on things like delivery charge, etc. I've gotten some nice extras.
That being said, the problem with doing it on ebay is that it is TOO easy to do it via email. I don't expect Best Buy to get people in there asking for 75% off an item, but you can be certain this will be the case on ebay. Someone with nothing but time can send out a ton of offers and waste people's time. In case you haven't heard, stores like Best Buy are starting to identify the people who waste their time (i.e. only look for extreme bargains) and not spend customer service time on them.
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pmelcher
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posted on January 23, 2005 05:43:22 AM new
If I WANTED to sell it for less, I would have LISTED it for less. Bad feature, bad, bad.
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stonecold613
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posted on January 23, 2005 06:13:39 AM new
It won't affect me much because the last thing I want to do on ebay is haggle with bidders, and since I don't have to opt in I don't have to worry about it.
I wouldn't count on that. I already get e-mails offering less for an item than I have it listed. Now with this new disaster coming in, you can bet all of the leeches will come out of the woodwork and bargain & haggle on everything, not just fixed price. You can count on endless as a seller e-mails, will you take $10 shipped for that $50 item? Add that to the price hikes coming, (7 day listing, other already announced) Ebay is clearly exploiding it's monopoly and killing it's sellers.
.
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Alive in 2005
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ltray
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posted on January 23, 2005 08:12:36 AM new
Stop, I think the term would more appropriately be "imploding", since eBay is about to manage to destroy itself.
IMHO, I think "Best Offer" is a bad move. But I can see many of the sellers using it just to clear out their inventory as they go back to off-line job market.
Once the momentum gets going, no one is going to be able to sell anything for a decent price on Ebay.
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Roadsmith
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posted on January 23, 2005 09:32:25 AM new
Is it possible sellers will have to begin starting with an artificially high price to counter the Best Offer bit? If it's rampant, that might work. If not, lots of items not selling because of that high price. Yikes.
___________________________________
Is it true that the only difference between a yard sale and a trash pickup is how close to the road the stuff is placed?
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northwoodsguy
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posted on January 23, 2005 10:08:22 AM new
Dear Meg:
I don't want to pay $2.00 for a reserve fee.....would you accept 25 cents?
Dear Meg:
I have no desire to pay 40 cents extra
for a 10 day auction....would you accept
5 cents?
Dear Meg:
My eBay fees this month are $500.00....
This is more than I'm willing to pay.....
would you accept $40.00 ?
Sheesh....if they want to do something
for the sellers, how about bringing
back the Book Categories, for starters?
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classicrock000
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posted on January 23, 2005 10:15:22 AM new
probably nobody reads anymore
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OhMsLucy
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posted on January 23, 2005 10:26:32 AM new
Hi all,
I don't plan to participate in Best Offer. It seems pretty stupid for the seller.
Of course people can still send emails trying to bargain but there's no need to answer. Well, I suppose a 15-point bright red NO might not be too much trouble.
I never answer those idiots. Better I spend my time putting them on my blocked bidder list. I imagine there will be some who think that's not a good idea (a buyer is a buyer is a buyer...) but I don't want any bidder who's shown themselves to be a cheapskate before they even bid.
JMHO (and I'm sticking to it...)
Lucy
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Kevinatgrannys
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posted on January 23, 2005 11:03:06 AM new
Well, it has already started!!!! Here is a copy of what I found in my inbox this morning:
"Hi there, I see that ebay is going to start making sellers take offers on the stuff they're selling and I thought I would go ahead an make an offer to you. You have a bunch of XXXXXXX up for sale and I would offer you 75 cents a piece for them if you will ship them for free. Do we have a deal?..."
I edited out the item and the idiots name. The item he is refering to is listed in groups of 10-20 at $2 each. In other words 10 for $20... I politely wrote back and declined the offer and told him that this feature is not available yet on ebay and I WILL NOT be opting in for this new feature! Then I politely went and put this blithering idiot on my blocked bidder list. Oh joy, more time spent weeding the real from the unreal!
Kevin
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ewora
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posted on January 23, 2005 11:47:07 AM new
About every 3 or 4 months I have a "sale" where I list items at bargin prices just to get them out of the house. My cut and paste answer will let them know if and when the item goes on sale if it doesn't sell before the set date. Take your chances like everyone else...idiot. Bottom-feeders. Hey! Let's encourage the bottom-feeders.
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ewora
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posted on January 23, 2005 03:04:39 PM new
I just got an email asking for a break on shipping. I looked up her auctions and she charges more on shipping then I do. Pretty cheeky...
Anyway, I said no can do but I will send you a coupon for 10% off your purchase with a paypal payment.
I was a little torn... on the one hand you just want to ignore the little beggers. On the other hand you don't want to alienate anyone.
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ebayvet
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posted on January 23, 2005 03:09:11 PM new
Sometimes you just have to not deal with them though. Yesterday I got an email asking for shipping to Singapore - This item costs $5 to ship via Global Priority Mail, and I quoted $6. I also use a private insurance carrier, so I pay for that and average it per package. I don't think I was being unreasonable about shipping, but he wrote back and said other sellers charge $5 and I should look into that. Yeah, I am still looking into that lol.
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pmelcher
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posted on January 23, 2005 03:14:04 PM new
Kevin, what does he mean eBay is going to MAKE sellers accept offers? No way does it say that, give 'em an inch and they will take a mile. LOL
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tomwiii
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posted on January 23, 2005 03:39:52 PM new
Well, I think the NEXT site improvement for Meg-the-She-Witch is to EXPAND the BLOCKED-BIDDER list to around, oh, I don't know, how abouts say 5000???
"For too long, too many people dependent on Social Security have been cruelly frightened by individuals seeking political gain through demagoguery and outright falsehood, and this must stop.The future of Social Security is much too important to be used as a political football." ~ Ronald Reagan
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