Make an offer automation - things I've just discovered that may be of use

[ojewellery]

I've had a few sales that were a bit lower than I expected, but at amounts I'd previously offered so thought it was a glitch and offers were being delayed in being sent out.  Today, I discovered that in make an offer the 'automatically make offers' box is by default ticked.

Had it been announced, I probably wouldn't have ticked it and probably wouldn't have got some of those sales. Whilst I don't like to be opted into things without realising, I think this may be quite a nice useful feature for those of us that use offers as a selling tool.

It took me an age to find how to see what I'd opted into automation so thought I'd post and if others hadn't realised they'd opted into this you can amend your offers. 

Its that top right hand box, filter by 'With offers sending automatically'

From listing view in seller hub under Actions - you can then 'view offer settings'

If you view your offer settings the offer note can be up to 400 characters rather than the usual 250 so a bit more room for a pitch.  If you filter by the product group and then amend the offer note it applies to all the selected listings so you can tweak it to be relevant to groups.

[sheba-knows-best]

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@ojewellery wrote:

From listing view in seller hub under Actions - you can then 'view offer settings'

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Thanks for this OJ.

Seller Hub / listings view / Actions does not give me a view offers settings.

If I search my active listings I am told I have zero listings with offers sending automatically

I know that if I 'send offers' then I am able to tick the box which will start automating  offers on those listings. 

What I am confused about is how i can automate offers on those listings which don't as yet have any watchers?

Could you help? I have seen the ebay help page but it doesn't seem clear... Am I being slow?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/listings/selling-buy-now/adding-best-offer-listing?id=4144

[ojewellery]

I posted because I thought I was being slow and then thought others might find it clear as mud like I did!

The box shows when I use send offers - its auto ticked middle option left hand side of window towards bottom

[ojewellery]

As far as I'm aware you can only automate once you send an initial offer, in the way you say. 

The people able to receive offers appears to have been expanded beyond watchers though.  I don't know if first offer is just to a watcher.  The wording says something like those who've put it in the basket or viewed.

I'm sure I've had an offer or two recently for items I'm not watching.  I've also sold two pairs of cufflinks at an offer amount with only one watcher.

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

Ebay can be very sneaky at times with putting in offers when they werent wanted.

Any old trick in the book to get a sale.

I got wise to it and always open up "more options" to untick the box.

All my items are BIN so offers would result in a loss of all the profit.

[bojangled]

OJ I got into a mess with this about a month ago, one of my listings hit over 30 watchers, and when that happens (for the first time) something kicked in! All my listings had this option checked. No way to do bulk edit. 
Only way out for me was to send offers on the one listing, uncheck , and then all was calm. 
Check my post history on this subject, I couldn't find a way out. Help pages were useless, directing me to settings that didn't exist. 

[ojewellery]

I've just read your thread, thanks for the heads up.  Glad you found a workaround.

This is where I'm seeing the option to edit offers - it only appears, in the edit drop down, when I've filtered to the listings with automated offers turned on

[litp*records]

AFAIK if you click on the same listing 2 or more times, whether or not you add it to your watch list, you'll be eligible to receive an offer from that seller.

However I think that is just for the initial offer not for automated offers, I believe that you need to add the item to your watch list in order to receive one of those.

Happy to be corrected if wrong!

[ojewellery]

I originally thought it was just watchers.  The two click thing is useful to know, thank you @litp*records 

The policy states something along the lines if a customer has an item in their basket for two days their eligible to receive an offer.

[litp*records]

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@ojewellery wrote:

I originally thought it was just watchers.  The two click thing is useful to know, thank you @litp*records 

The policy states something along the lines if a customer has an item in their basket for two days their eligible to receive an offer.

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I frequently check up on what my friends have for sale on Ebay, of course I'm not going to buy anything off them and I do not want to give them "false hope" by watching anything!   Nevertheless I still get offers from then for time to time... and I worked out it's where I've accessed their page through clicking on the same listing several times.  

Without adding to my cart or anything

That is also why you sometimes have eligible offers to send yet you've got 0 watchers

[sabe5994]

I was not aware of this.

However, a few weeks ago a thread here had started regarding some walking sticks, several of us searched the items as we were talking and since then I've recieved a few offers from that seller, even though I haven't put any of their items on my watch list.

I did wonder what was going on with that, so thanks for that info.

[sheba-knows-best]

Thanks for this thread.

Sigh, as ever, it seems what could be a great tool isn't made simple - and is, as ever, being applied sneakily when it might not be wanted.

What I would like to do is apply it to certain items that have been either hanging around a bit too long, or just low-price items where I'm not too worried about returns from impulse buys. What I don't want to do is put it on some of my favourite high price, hard to fit, one-off items (especially when it comes to GSP), where basically I want to have a look at a buyer before accepting. Am I right in thinking this tool is all or nothing? ie on all your items or on none of them?

[litp*records]

The automatic offers will only work on the items you set it up for,

Say if something is up for £20 and you offer one buyer £15, tick that box to say "automatically send offers" it will only send that offer of £15 to future watchers of that specific item. It won't affect your other listings.

[sheba-knows-best]

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@litp*records wrote:

The automatic offers will only work on the items you set it up for,

Say if something is up for £20 and you offer one buyer £15, tick that box to say "automatically send offers" it will only send that offer of £15 to future watchers of that specific item. It won't affect your other listings.

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er...okay.... thanks... but.... this does contradict what bojangled said above though? Or am I misreading?  @bojangled 

[ojewellery]

My findings are the same as @litp*records  I have just tried what I think @bojangled mentions as a method for turning all offers off.  I've sent an offer without automatic offers ticked.  I'm still showing well over 100 listings with automatic offers.  I would imagine the method works if used on a single listing and a new offer without automation over rides a previous one with automation.

If you click on or off the automatically make offers its in the same status the next time you go to make an offer but you have the option to untick.

When I edit the offers through the method posted about in the listing view of seller hub, they can be edited individually and removed individually from being part of automatic offers.

It'd be great to have a detailed help page or introduction piece from eBay rather than us all stabbing round a bit in the dark.  Maybe its some thing to add to the list of questions and clarifications on Thursday/ Thursday week.

[bojangled]

Good Morning 

At the risk of confusing people even more, I think what @litp*records says is correct, as it's intended use. 

However the amount of watchers on one item seemed to trigger it across all my listings.
Hate to say it but it may have been a glitch....

Jo

[sheba-knows-best]

Thanks everyone. I think I understand.

So remaining annoying thing is until you have a watcher you can't add this automation to an item, right?Hmmm...one just needs a few friends 😀  Seriously though, why can't this be added to any item? It makes perfect sense to use it on a few 'undersellers' where you don't need to keep an eye on who is buying.

[bojangled]

I definitely think it's a good question for the Wednesday chat, as you say Sheba it would be a good tool with some criteria settings info. 

Want to point out that I keep mentioning number of watchers triggered it because on my initial search on the help pages it seemed to indicate that was a thing,  I can't find it now!

Jo

[sheba-knows-best]

I'm dithering a bit about this.

Doesn't it also affect your list of watchers waiting for an offer? If the offer was automated - I presume the watcher doesn't make it to your list to get sent one manually?  I normally sent offers at X%. But sometimes, for lots of reasons to do with item/current sales income, I might send an extra big discount to try and seal the deal. I don't want to lose that opportunity.

[ojewellery]

@sheba-knows-bestI was initially not for it, then found its advantages, then made someone a really low offer (they didn't want a full set of something so the offer was for a part set) and couldn't remember if I'd turned off automatic offers.

I then spent a ludicrous amount of time trying to turn off that one offer - which is why I posted what I'd found at start of thread.

You're right, the watchers don't come through to your 'make an offer' list.  So if you're wanting to be more generous you can either go in and reduce the amount on the auto offer or turn them all off so you can play it by ear.

There is a bit of a thought process to go through with if you amend a price or have an item on sale, I believe all offers are calculated as a percentage off (not an exact amount - even if thats the option chosen), so say an item is £100 and you offer £80 (20% off), then decide to reduce or have a £20 sale so the item is showing as £80, I believe (but haven't yet tested) automatic offers would offer at £64 (unless switched off).