Selling an item whilst the auction is still open.🤷‍♂️

[wilstirli_0]

Hello all,

I'm currently selling a pair of boots in an eBay auction and have already received a few bids.

There are still quite a few days left to go until the auction ends.

However, I have just received a message from an eBayer to ask me if I would accept an offer from them so that I could end the auction.

I have not replied to them yet, as I thought I would first seek advice from you guys, since I'm not sure if I can do that whilst an auction is still "live".

Please can you advise me?

Many thanks in advance,

Kind Regards,

W

[tressygirl · Accepted solution]

Nope,   you cannot do this now,  as your auction has bids,  and it would not be fair to the other bidders.

It works on the same principal as in a real auction house,  that is,  a buyer can approach a seller with an offer / buy it now price,  before the auction starts,   but when the auction starts, with bidding it carries on that way to the end , no buy it now prices / offers can be accepted.

[ear2fear]

I think you should be wary of people making you an offer when there are already bids. It usually means that they know it might be bidded up quite high, so they are attempting to lowball you to get it at a cheaper price. Why don't they just join the bidding otherwise? 

[ear2fear]

I just looked at your listing. Yes, those are some nice boots. The offer maker is attempting to get them on the cheap. 

[wilstirli_0]

Thank you, "tressygirl", for responding to my question so quickly. 🙏🏻 It is much appreciated.

Your answer is exactly what I thought initially, but I just wanted to enquire for confirmation from more experienced eBayers.

Kind Regards and thanks again,

Wil

[wilstirli_0]

Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly, "ear2fear", and giving me that good advice. It is much appreciated.🙏🏻

It is what I thought, that they are trying to get the boots for potentially a much cheaper price than probably what the final price would be at the end of the auction. 
Thanks for confirming those thoughts,

Kind Regards,

Wil

[eastern-lights]

My experience is that items sell for more by letting the auction run, than any offers received during the auction. I don't think I have ever received an offer that was higher than the item eventually sold for.

(And that's from the offerers who actually name a figure; most of them seem to expect you the seller to name a figure. Gah!)

[bennybabybear2013]

I never accept offers like this ... and I agree with what others are saying in that the person making the offer is trying to get a cheap deal!

Also, I think it shows a lack of integrity in that person attempting to buy ... and I have found that keeping my own integrity is really important when selling items. I am not a business, just a hobby seller, but think it is just as important for business sellers to always operate with integrity.

[four_mid_able]

You have 40 watchers OP so i'm guessing it will all go mad in the last 10 seconds 😜

[wilstirli_0]

Thank you, bbb, for your feedback. I agree totally with your comments.👍

[wilstirli_0]

Thanks for that info., d_i_h_f_f. 👀.      I certainly hope so! 😊👍

[mrs-trebus16]

Either ignore them or tell them to bid along with the others. If they want the boots that badly, they will bid the highest price

It's a dilemma when you get messages like that but in fairness to the other bidders you should ingore private offerers.

If you are expecting more than a certain amount, you should have your starting price set at that amount otherwise just accept the final bid

[wilstirli_0]

Thank you for your feedback and advice, mrs-t16, on this subject. Much appreciated 🙏🏻
Kind Regards,

Wil

[nextgenlive]

Never seen a real auction house operate in the same manner as eBay.

I put it the bidders bidding low are just as likely after the cheap bargain in the hopes nobody else bids than the person offering a higher buy it now than current bid.

If ebay was to operate anything like a genuine auction house it would allow a buy it now to remain in place if one was set until bidding had reached this level. Instead the moment a bid is placed the higher buy it now value is removed making the feature quite worthless as an added feature to a bid item. Any trader or chancer who has used ebay for a while knows this so places a low bid to remove any buy it now option.

Most early bidders are traders or chancers looking for a really cheap win. Half the rest are probably shill bidders. Does not leave much in the way of genuine bidders, I would not like to guess how many get taken by shill bidding from second and third accounts.

As a genuine buyer I tend to avoid auction items. Buy it now or best offer provides just about all I need with minimal hassle.

[*help_no_brakes*]

eBay is not an "Auction House".

[nextgenlive]

I know its not but not according to tressygirl who I responded to justifying why buy it now is not permitted post bid.

EBay mixing buy it now with bid listings is a worthless feature that potentially leads sellers into a false sense of security that someone might end an auction early buy pressing that button but it disappears the moment a bid is made. Therefore most early bidders are after removing a buy it now price with a cheap bid and are hopeful to force a bargain. These are the cheap buyers, mostly traders who will resell, commonly referred to as "scalpers".

Ones who ask about buy it now after bidding has started are not necessarily as described earlier, the price offered could be fair. I am sure only the seller can ascertain which is which.

A mixed listing may only be one for an hour. This is very poor in my honest opinion.

[*help_no_brakes*]

---

@nextgenlive wrote:

I know its not but not according to tressygirl who I responded to justifying why buy it now is not permitted post bid.

EBay mixing buy it now with bid listings is a worthless feature that potentially leads sellers into a false sense of security that someone might end an auction early buy pressing that button but it disappears the moment a bid is made. Therefore most early bidders are after removing a buy it now price with a cheap bid and are hopeful to force a bargain. These are the cheap buyers, mostly traders who will resell, commonly referred to as "scalpers".

How do you know  "early bidders" are placing "a cheap bid?

You have no iway of knowing what their maximum bid is.

---

[*vyolla*]

---

@nextgenlive wrote:

I know its not but not according to tressygirl who I responded to justifying why buy it now is not permitted post bid.

EBay mixing buy it now with bid listings is a worthless feature that potentially leads sellers into a false sense of security that someone might end an auction early buy pressing that button but it disappears the moment a bid is made. Therefore most early bidders are after removing a buy it now price with a cheap bid and are hopeful to force a bargain. These are the cheap buyers, mostly traders who will resell, commonly referred to as "scalpers".

Ones who ask about buy it now after bidding has started are not necessarily as described earlier, the price offered could be fair. I am sure only the seller can ascertain which is which.

A mixed listing may only be one for an hour. This is very poor in my honest opinion.

---

If a seller is adding a Buy It Now feature to their auction style listing they should start the auction at the lowest price they'd be happy to accept, then nothing can go wrong. 

[nextgenlive]

Because it is a tactic used to remove a preset buy it now price on any item that is also open to bids. They do not want to pay that. If they did they would have pressed the button there and then, don't you think?

Majority opening bidders on an item with a buy it now price are low ballers. The fact is inescapable.

[nextgenlive]

The only way that works is to start the bidding at the buy it now price as the moment a bid is placed buy it now is removed and an opening bidder is almost certainly a low baller who has bid under value to "remove" a buy it now price from the listing so nobody gets the opportunity to pay the asking price.

Mixing the two in the current form defeats the purpose entirely.