eBay automatically sender offers on behalf of sellers - offers increase right up to 50% discount!

[magpiecorner1]

Every day is a learning day!

There has been a default on offers sent - a ticked box - for some time now.  Whilst if I sent someone an offer of 15%, theoretically it can be time saving to have the offer sent to any subsequent interested watchers/buyers at 15% as well,  but I prefer to select my own discount amount or percentage individually - I'm rather whimsical like that. 

So I unticked the tick box eons ago - as all my listings are copies of previous listings I assumed that the boxes would forever remain unticked - and we all know assume means an ass out of u and me!!!!

I made a sale this morning, having put the item on less than a week ago, and sent offers out just once, it was a surprise - nay, shock - to see that the £59.99 plus p&p obo item had sold for £30 plus p&p!

Dealt with a lovely lovely knowledgeable CS agent, who confessed he was as stuck as me, but an equally lovely knowledgeable member of the selling team explained what had happened, apparently the unticked box was ticked - and nowadays subsequent offers are sent out at increasing prices up to 50% - actually I have no idea if they go even higher than 50%, my flabber was too gasted to ask!!

Not sure about the rest of you but I have a wee problem with, first off having no control of my selling price and, being a wee bit picky about such things,  no control of my mark up, gross margin, profitability etc.   Such things are never easy when your dealing with every changes fees and postage costs - but the idea of having absolutely no idea what price my item is being offered to the seller for is more than a tad concerning!! 

Whilst I actually might see the benefits of eBay, using this as a tool to move items that have been around for a while, this listing had been on for a week, I am just now starting to list my Christmas stock - one person's stagnant listing is another person's planning.

I am though considering doubling all my prices, tick the auto box and wait to see if 50% discount is the way to go!  Only hole in that thought is that folk are unlikely to add my items to their watch list in the first place, and I need lots of watchers to generate these ever increasing discounts.

Is this a new thing or have I just been lucky til now?  Certainly haven't been this lucky as a buyer!

[therenewalworkshopltd]

I got caught out with this as well.

The only real solution to it I found, was to end the listings and restart them.

Then with any subsequent offers, ensure that the box is not ticked.

It's worked up to now.

[ojewellery]

Any way to check which ones are on automatic discount i.e. in seller hub Listings tab, Search, if you select 'with offers sending automatically'  does it show that there are offers sending automatically? 

Sounds worrying to not feel in full control, although with control elements I can think of times it could potentially be interesting - unless its too formulaic then buyers would quickly learn the formula and knock things down 50%

[magpiecorner1]

I haven't found a way but the guy in the selling team told me he had cancelled auto-offers on all my listings.  Should have asked him how  but I was still reeling from the implications.

You could go to another account and put all your items on the watch list.  Theoretical you could send either individual offers  or a blanket discount - and untick the auto offers box!

Seriously thinking of testing - doubling my prices and see what happens - only drawback is not knowing for sure if the offers sent go beyond 50% discount.     

I've never tried it, but tempted to increase prices and sent offers with big discounts - 30%, 40% or eve 50%.   Though anyone promoting would have to be careful, is the promotion percentage is taken off the list price not the selling price.  LIke you, I can though see upsides. 

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Whilst I can see the temptation to be able to give massive offers to customers, if your prices are that high in the first place, your not going to get them actually looking at your items.  Which in turn means, that your not going to be able to send those offers.....

I've experimented a bit with raising prices and then giving more substantial offers.  But honestly, I don't think it's worth it.  I get more sales when the price is more reasonable in the first place, along with a small offer discount.  I never go higher than 10%, which is priced in already.

[ojewellery]

I know on Amazon that if they think you've price hiked you don't qualify to use promotions, get the buy box or receive visibility.  Not sure if its a sell similar that eBay would restrict, but changing an active listing could have an implication on impressions

Jewellery prices can be quite subjective and sell through rate in some areas is generally quite slow.  Rotational stock keeping, I've picked up an understanding recently, for jewellery is typically 12 months where as for clothes I believe its considered to be 12 weeks ( I guess seasonality plays a big part).  So finding your category typical sell through rate can help you with working out an action plan. 

I've sometimes trickle reduced a price on an item and its still not shifted.  Ended and relisted at a high price point then it sells.  I do think you can end up pricing yourself below the market and that puts people off so there is room for playing with prices.  There are also a certain percentage of people who wait for an offer - bargain seekers who'd rather buy at £90 with 10% off than £79.95.  I'd love to have a sweet spot where things are just the right price to sell but my little niche market doesn't have the sales volume for such clear destinction.

It'd be interesting to do an alpha/ beta test.  I changed my own brand pricing strategy having worked through some of the workshops with Catherine Erdlys resilient retail club, benchmarking against other jewellery brands.  My pricing seams to be working to cover overheads, take a wage and allow a bit of movement in price to cover outlay on slower moving items - so I have a group of slower moving products I could play with doing this.  Food for thought!

[vintage-rug-co]

Can someone advise me where to find the tick box please? Its something I wasn't aware of and got caught out by recently much to my surprise! Is it on an individual listing or in account settings? Thankyou!

[ojewellery]

I put all the screenshots and directions in this thread:

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Business-Seller-Board/Make-an-offer-automation-things-I-ve-just-disc...

[magpiecorner1]

Interesting comments.

I'm in an interesting market.  I see a huge variety in item pricing, the same item can be on at the same time with three or four widely differing prices, as much as £10 verses £85 for the same bulk standard pieces of the Mackintosh style items.   And sometimes they all sell, though not always.

I've a beggar for kite flying, mainly because some of my items are very rare, but more often because the seller through rate is both 9-12 months (completely agree with you there) and also seasonal.  Do three is time to play.

As I've stated, I'm working on my Christmas selling at the moment.  Unique items, that is one quantity per listing, are the devils work, takes me twice as long to list these days as in the past, and has always taken time, what with cleaning, photographs and pretty much individual research.  The resesrch of dates, makers etc can take an age.  So I'm listing now in the expectation (hope?) that I can manage half decent sales now, a percentage will sell in the summer and I'll have a decent number of listings by October.  

Been doing this a very long time, the days of shifting a great deal of stock through auction is well over, but the interest in the rare and collectable is still very buoyant, and eBay itself is still good for pearl fishing, so buying can be very cheap at times, giving profit margins I can play with.

I don't usually change prices on existing listing, but don't auto relist, and frequently end and change pricing (adding/removing free postage, or postage increases for instance).  Luckily, I don't think used and vintage, or indeed any unique listings, would be checked for price hiking.  

Hopefully will do enough to have a good winter,  do a fire sale just before Christmas, then close for 6 months in February.  

So I really don't need eBay flogging my stuff at 50% discount this week.