Is eBay Trying to Kill Auctions with Make Offer?

by: maxmad

What a sad disgrace of a company ebay has turned out to be, just pathetic,

As a few have mentioned, next quarter results must be really bad, and as Amazon gets ready to Hire an Additional 100,000+ more workers for the holiday season this year, ebay continues in their quest of doing more destruction and devastation to their business and brand, they would actually be better off, if the fools who run ebay just stay home, and do nothing.

and here we go again for yet another disappointing holiday season sales for ebay, as others around them prosper and expand, ebay will find something someone, anything, anyone other then themselves to blame,

by: toolguy

@Rexford

BOOKS

You can sell used BOOKS on Amazon. . .

by: Marie

@mushroomcathy

Thank you for that great update.  Good to know that this problem will resolve itself today if they get the programming right this time.  

I hope that any of those that are affected by this issue will update the blog on if they do truly disappear by tomorrow.

by: Marie

@toolguy

Rexford is correct.  You can sell used items on Amazon.

by: toolguy

I looked and found some used tools on Amazon.

Here's a seller with 158 items listed

https://www.amazon.com/s?marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A3VVAA4UYQ83UH
&merchant=A3VVAA4UYQ83UH&redirect=true

Sold 4 items in the last 30 days

I couldn't pay my bills with only 4 items sold.

eBay wins hands down over Amazon. . .

by: Marie

@toolguy

To sell on Amazon does not mean you can't sell on Ebay too.  For me personally I currently sell on 3 different sites.

by: Snapped

''eBay's sandbox, eBay's rules''

It might be their box, but it isn't their sand.  They have no business price fixing items they do not own.  Especially since their performance in providing 'comparison data' to date shows their 'innovative' hacking can't differentiate between Pampers and a dipole transistor.  Especially since their 'pricing data' is then further skewed by including unconsummated sales, listed vice accepted price, and self-inflicted lack of market participation leading to apparent depressed values.

Which goes to the question - are they killing auctions?  

Did they not dump store to core years ago, in conjunction with an unbalanced 'push' to list fixed price?

Did they not futz up search to obscure listings during the bulk of their listing period, leading to a marked decline in watchers and bids?  Auction related sellers can't achieve fair value when most of their market is shunted elsewhere.

Did they not cease enforcing the 'obligation elements' related to buyers bidding and then paying for items 'won'?  Auction related sellers could not sustain absorbing a ten-fold increase in UPI.

And when bid participation started cliff diving, leading to so many single bid wins (if at all), did eBay themselves not encourage the strategy of starting auctions (thus paying higher listing fees) at the (higher than minimum) ''least price the seller is willing to accept''?  Auction related sellers can no longer entice bids by starting 'low'; that path now leads to insolvency.

Now, BO with an auction is not exactly a bad idea itself.  In fact, knowing active bidding might end any moment can indeed spur a more likely and perhaps sooner closure.  IF it were coded to automatically decline any offer below current bid.  But not based on eBay's whacked analysis of some 'acceptable' price.  Rather, based on a seller's desire to partake.  And under THEIR control.

Because it's the seller's item.  And, in current form, this another stupid eBay 'rule', if they're NOT purposefully discouraging (or trying to manipulate) auction marketplace performance.  If not, it's incompetent.

Maybe both.  

Incidentally, have you seen what those Chinese cats have done with that 'sandbox'?   They are never gonna get that smell out.

by: frustrated

Okay now they we have established that they are allowed to alter our auction listings.......without asking or even TELLING US (??)

Are we getting charged for the BIN fee?   Or any additional charges??

Do I have to go through a 43 page long bill that they DELIBERATELY make so it doesn't go in order, then I have to download, etc, etc, etc.

And yes all the smarty-pantses here, I do best offer is free, but there is a charge for BIN, so are we getting charged a fee on top of illegal manipulation of our listings???

by: quirkyantiques

@toolguy-so are YOU going to half price your listings if Ebay deems you're *over priced*?

by: toolguy

@quirkyantiques

That would never happen, I price my items to sell.

Besides, if I did 1/2 price my items I would still make a profit!

The key to success is buying your product at the right price.

I like to pay 1/10 to 1/5 of what I'm going to sell it for. . .

by: Marie

@frustrated

No.  They aren't putting a BIN price on anyone's listings, therefore they are not charging you the BIN fee on your auctions.  What they are doing is different.  They are putting a Make an Offer option on some auctions.  

Before this, sellers had the option of putting a Make an Offer option on their BIN listings.  That did not carry any additional fees.

by: bitbybit

Not sure if this has changed but store subscribers who list in the auction format are charged an additional fee if they add  BIN to auction listings. Some promotions will state no additional fees on BIN but it depends on the promotion.

As usual eBay makes everything as clear as mud. Best Offer, Make Offer, Buy It Now, Fixed Price, Auctions, Suggested Price, Guaranteed Returns, Guaranteed Delivery, Free Shipping, Global Shipping, Calculated Shipping, Money-Back Guarantee.....and so much more. Ebay keeps piling it on and I am not even getting into all the search issues. Do you think buyers may become a little confused?
...Not to worry! Step right up and see the great Promoted Listings! Forget what you are looking for, we have something totally unrelated and much better! Step right up.....

by: Marie

@bitbybit

All members, whether they have a store or not, are charged a fee if they add a BIN to an auction listing.  This article is NOT about BIN.

by: bitbybit

No kidding Marie! Forgot that you were the only one able to respond on here. Sheesh!

My response is what you told
@frustrated

You said:

"No.  They aren't putting a BIN price on anyone's listings, therefore they are not charging you the BIN fee on your auctions.  What they are doing is different.  They are putting a Make an Offer option on some auctions. Before this, sellers had the option of putting a Make an Offer option on their BIN listings.  That did not carry any additional fees."

I believe what I said was what "frustrated" was concerned about.  

by: Marie

@bitbybit
My post was not meant to annoy you.  And I'm certainly NOT the only person posting on this blog, it just apparently did not sit well with you that I responded to you.

You said "Not sure if this has changed but store subscribers who list in the auction format are charged an additional fee if they add  BIN to auction listings. " and I simply responded to your statement because you said you were "not sure".  Nothing more, just a simple response.  You are making more out of it than is needed or intended, but again I am sorry I annoyed you.

by: bitbybit

Also Marie, if you are not a store subscriber, the first 50 free auctions are not charged a BIN fee. Also, depending on the promotion, auction listings are not charged a BIN fee. If this is confusing to sellers, buyers most definitely will be. KISS

Calling it Best Offer in fixed price and then Make Offer in auctions IS confusing I would think to buyers. Add in Buy It Now to other auction listings that do not have the Make Offer and it becomes a mess. And we have Bidding in auctions but then again, maybe not. No wonder buyers prefer Amazon. Sites need to be consistent and simple.  

by: Marie

@bitbybit

I didn't address any of that in my posting to you.  I explained the ONE statement of yours I responded to.  Clearly I have annoyed you.  Again, my apologies.

by: bitbybit

"This article is NOT about BIN."

NOT meant to annoy me?! Get over yourself.

by: ib30667

Well isn't that what an auction is? Making an offer? I have several auctions going at the moment with bids. If you bid with an "offer" price, and someone bids with their "offer" price and it's higher than yours, either you decline to "offer" something higher or move on. Who thinks of this stuff at Ebay? Stupid.

by: forrosebud

The statement that it is not possible to remove Best Offer from your auction is NOT true.  Last week I listed a very collectible lucite handbag on a 7 day auction - No Best Offer option.  36 hours into the auction, I received an email that I have an offer on the handbag. A low ball offer. I emailed the buyer stating this auction is not up for 'offers'. I revised my auction and included a statement in the description that this is a 7 day auction period. I then removed the Best Offer option that Ebay added to my auction.  I also called Ebay (rep) to let them know I view them/the site as  divisive and unethical and that my auction is not theirs to manipulate.  The handbag sold at auction on July 18 for $51.00.