As a seller I use this option from time to time as well....and I agree, that the lowball offers are just ball busters. When I get one of those I usually decline and also send along a note that reads something to the effect of "are you kidding me??" It usually gets the point across. SOmetimes I use the low threshold decline feature, but like you David, I usually opt to see what kind of offers I do get on certain things.

I've sold a couple of things recently using the best offer feature to people offering reasonable offers with good results.

i've used the offer button and have purchased items via this method. i don't use the auto emails. i'm a stickler about 'who' i do biz with and even if the offer is good, but i get a bad feeling from them, i will reject it. it's very important to me that i remain in control of my sale.

When, and it is very rare, but they are there right now, I see them on my MIJ stuff, I offer the fair market of around 25-40 for snares, 30-50 for toms and basses. My offer is from experience, the rarity of the wrap, and most of all the overall visual condition of the drum. Most of these people have no clue. They post a later Hoshino, or Pearl, from the end days of stencils, at stupid money, like 90, or 125....come on, research a little, you will find the average sale of MIJ snares is 37 bucks. Almost without fail, I get a nasty note along with the decline....hey, I am trend setter, what can say? I am trying to keep the trend at the average price. I have seen some go for over 100, which in my opine is stupid money for one of these. Granted, it was a nice desirable wrap, but come on, it needed lots of work. And I am certain it went to someone looking for that wrap and took the BIN to get it off market, as I saw no offers on it. It went for BIN.

In short, which is this is now not, I use it to make what I feel is a fair offer.

Do I low ball, eh, sometimes, if I know the seller is not at all informed and educated. You can tell by the description if they know what they have.

I confess! I'm a BB!

Actually, this subject is very timely. I wanted to buy a drum on EBay recently, but it was obvious that the seller didn't know what the drum was and had it priced WAAAAAY too high. It had been coming up re-listed for about the last month and every time, it didn't even get a single "best offer"....nothing.

So, for his $200 BIN, I offered $35. But I didn't do it to be a BB. I did it because that's what I was willing to pay for the drum.

He counter offered $90. I was pleased that he seemed to want to deal, but that price was still about two times too much for the drum.

I then emailed the seller and informed him that I collect these drums and knew their value was much lower. Then I upped my bid to $50.00 which I told him was my absolute top offer. He declined and kept the drum on auction. Okay. Easy come easy go.

But, it's re-listed again! I do kinda want it, but not nearly bad enough to rip myself off for it. Also, I did some research and the drum is missing some essential parts that would likely have to be fabricated (by me) before it would be considered as being really complete. So, now, I don't really even want to offer $50 for it -seeing as how the missing parts will take a bit f investment and the "payoff" in the increased value wouldn't really offset the money he wants for it "as-is".

I imagine the drum will continue to be re-listed infinitely until it sells for the price he wants. On the other hand, he must be losing some potential profit on it every time he has to re-list it. The seller has 100% feedback, btw, so he's not a bad guy. He just doesn't "trust" what I am telling him the drum is really worth -probably because he thinks he'd be getting ripped off.

If he really wants to sell it, then his pricing has to come back to reality. I want him to accept a reasonable offer, but to him, my criteria for "reasonable" is his criteria for "lowball".

See what I'm saying?DOH

I fall in the number 4 category for low-priced items, say under $40 to $50.

I fall in the number 3 category for higher priced items, say above $200 or so.

Ah I see, it is making sense to me now. It may not be an intentional ball bust as I would normally take it, just the offer they/you want to put on the table.

From a sellers standpoint though it is probably not taken like that and why some sellers would get upset about it.

I do agree though that some sellers are out in left field on listing prices and they feel that is what their item is worth.

I will continue to just decline the low offers!!

It never hurts to try and see how low a seller will go :)

David

If I see "best offer," then I see someone who is willing to haggle. That said, I don't bust balls.

I tried it the other night for the first time on something cheap just to see what would happen. The item was $8.50 + $3 shipping. I wanted two and offered $7.50 per plus $3 to ship both.

Offer was accepted in less than 10 minutes.

That is a goo offer and I would probably work with that as a seller.

I do want to at least mention that a buyer can ask for other things like free shipping.

A few times I was about to accept an offer and noticed the buyer wanted free shipping and a discounted price.

David

I wonder if the ball busting low offers are made to see if the seller possibly didn't know how to set up that feature correctly and the system allowed a seven dollar bid on a fifty dollar item to be accepted? Maybe some people automatically offer ball buster low offers trying to find this situation? Just a thought. I don't have any real world experience on Ebay.

toodles

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