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A Seller's Guide to Depop's "Make Offer" Feature

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A Seller's Guide to Depop's "Make Offer" Feature

Depop has become a vibrant marketplace for unique fashion finds, and one of its key features is the ability for buyers and sellers to negotiate prices. The "Make Offer" feature makes the buying and selling process more interactive and dynamic by allowing for direct price negotiations.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know as a seller about navigating the Depop "Make Offer" feature, from understanding how it works to mastering the art of negotiation and leveraging tools to scale your business.

What is the Depop "Make Offer" Feature?

The “Make Offer” feature on Depop enables buyers to propose a different price for an item you have listed. Instead of purchasing at the listed price, a buyer can show their interest by submitting an offer that is below what you're asking.

This feature aims to create a more engaging marketplace where buyers and sellers can interact to find a mutually agreeable price. If you accept the offer, the buyer can then proceed to place an order for the item at that new, agreed-upon price.

How the Offer Process Works for Sellers

When a buyer is interested in one of your items, they have the option to use the “Make Offer” feature. If they decide to make an offer, you will receive a notification and an email from Depop with the details.

It's important to know that these offers are time-sensitive. An offer from a buyer is only valid for 24 hours. This means you need to be prompt in your response if you want to make the sale.

Upon receiving an offer, you have three main choices: accept, reject, or counter the offer. You also have the option to simply ignore the offer, though it is generally recommended to respond to all offers, even lowball ones, to maintain good communication with potential customers.

How to Accept, Reject, or Counter Offers on Depop

Managing your offers on Depop is a straightforward process within the app. Knowing how to navigate this system efficiently will help you manage your sales and communications effectively.

Viewing Your Offers

To see all the offers you have received from buyers on one page, you can open the Depop app and sign in. Tap on the shop icon, which is located in the middle of the bottom row. From the menu that appears, tap “Offers.”

You can also check all your offers by going to your 'inbox' in the app. This is where you can select a specific offer to review its details.

Responding to an Offer

Once you have an offer in front of you, you'll see clear options to respond:

  • To Accept: If you find the offer acceptable and want to proceed with the sale, you can tap the “Accept” button.
  • To Decline: If the offer is too low or otherwise not acceptable, you can tap the “Decline” button to reject it.
  • To Counteroffer: If you're willing to negotiate, you can tap the “Counter” button. You will then set a price for “Your New Offer” and tap the “Send Offer” button to send it to the buyer.

Engaging in communication is important during this process. If you choose to counter, you can send a polite message to the buyer to explain your position and your new proposed price. This keeps the lines of communication open and can lead to a successful sale.

Are Depop Offers Binding?

A crucial point for sellers to understand is that offers you receive on Depop are not binding. Even if you accept an offer from a buyer, the buyer still has to complete the transaction by placing the order.

This means there's no guarantee of a sale until the buyer officially makes the purchase. Similarly, you can accept as many offers from buyers as you want. There is no limitation on the number of offers you can accept at one time for a single item.

Additionally, the offer price generally does not include shipping. The buyer has to pay the shipping charges separately, on top of the agreed-upon price for the item.

Tips for Negotiating on Depop

Negotiation is a key part of the Depop experience. For sellers, understanding buyer tactics and developing a strategy can lead to more successful sales and better profit margins.

Understanding Buyer Psychology

Buyers are more likely to have their offers accepted when they provide a reason for their offer, no matter how trivial. They might message you to plead their case before even using the "Make Offer" button. Be prepared for these messages and have a strategy for how you'll respond.

Depop itself gives a tip that offers 5-20% below the current price are most likely to be accepted. Buyers are aware of this, so you can expect many offers to fall within this range.

Responding to Different Types of Offers

For small discounts, many buyers will use the "Make Offer" button directly. If a buyer is just looking for a small deal, an offer of 5% off is common. If your item has been listed for a week or more, you might receive offers closer to 20% off.

You should consider the age of your listing when evaluating an offer. If an item has only been listed for a day or two, you have more leverage to hold firm on your price. However, if a listing has been up for over a week, you might be more inclined to accept a lower offer to make the sale.

Keep in mind that the longer an item has been listed, the more a buyer might reasonably try to knock off the asking price. Some savvy buyers even track items to see if they get re-listed multiple times, which signals to them that you may be more willing to negotiate.

Effective Communication Strategies

When a buyer messages you directly to negotiate, always be professional and responsive. Get to the point, present your realistic counteroffer, and reply to their messages as quickly as you can.

If a buyer is interested in more than one of your listings, they might try to create their own bundle in a message. This is a great opportunity for both of you. It's reasonable for a buyer to ask for 10%, 20%, or even 25% off for a bundle, depending on the items. This moves more of your inventory at once.

Dealing with Lowball Offers

Depop sellers should know that buyers can and will make lowball offers. The decision to accept or reject these offers is entirely yours. While it can be frustrating, it's recommended to respond to all offers. A simple rejection or a polite counteroffer keeps you engaged with the community and shows you're an active seller.

Ignoring the offer is an option, but responding can sometimes turn a lowball offer into a reasonable sale through negotiation.

Scaling Your Resale Business with Reeva

Managing offers, listings, and sales across multiple platforms can quickly become overwhelming, especially as your business grows. This is where powerful tools can make a significant difference. If you're looking to scale your resale business on Depop, Poshmark, eBay, and Mercari, our platform is designed to help you succeed.

Our all-in-one platform is built for resale businesses to simplify selling, automate tasks, and accelerate growth. Many successful resellers, like Nuzzydeals and Vintage Vault WV, trust our tools to run their businesses more efficiently.

Are you spending too much time on manual tasks? Start a free trial of Reeva today and see how automation can transform your business.

Streamline Your Listing Process

One of the most time-consuming parts of being a reseller is creating listings. We help you sell smarter and faster. You can turn photos into complete listings instantly. Just upload your photos, and we'll generate titles, descriptions, and prices for you.

With one click, you can publish your items to all marketplaces without switching between tabs. This multi-store support allows you to reach more buyers effortlessly. As FabFam, a reseller from Washington, says, "Reeva has cut my listing time by more than half. I can take photos, voice-to-text my details, and let Reeva handle the rest."

Automate Time-Consuming Tasks

Growing your business means you need to save time wherever you can. We offer automation features that boost your visibility and maximize sales.

  • Send Personalized Offers: You can automatically send personalized offers to buyers without lifting a finger. This is perfect for platforms like Poshmark and can be adapted to your strategy on Depop.
  • Relist Stale Products: Keep your items at the top of search results by automatically relisting stale products.
  • Instantly Delist Sold Items: Prevent overselling across platforms with our auto-delist feature. When an item sells on one marketplace, it's automatically removed from the others. AlistairBP from Georgia calls this feature something they "couldn't live without."

Imagine cutting your admin time by 30% or more. That's what users like TUFFNY from New York have experienced, giving them more time to source new products and expand their offerings. Ready to reclaim your time? See a demo of Reeva in action.

Manage and Grow with Powerful Tools

As your inventory grows, management becomes more complex. We provide the tools you need to manage and scale with ease.

  • Bulk Management: Update and manage hundreds of listings in bulk.
  • Business Analytics: Track your sales and profits with powerful analytics to make data-driven decisions.
  • Multi-User Access: Give team members access with multi-user account options as your business expands.
  • Built-in Accounting: Keep accurate records with built-in accounting tools. Connect your bank accounts, upload receipts, and categorize income and expenses automatically. "No more spreadsheets," says PCT Vintage Finds from Florida. "My bookkeeping is now all automated."

Our platform is accessible anytime, anywhere, on mobile, desktop, or tablet, without needing a Chrome extension or keeping your laptop on for operations. Hiview Reloved from New York says, "I’ve created more listings in the few months of using Reeva than I was able to create all of last year when trying to do it on my own."

Conclusion

Depop's "Make Offer" feature is a powerful tool for creating a more dynamic and interactive marketplace. By understanding how it works, developing a solid negotiation strategy, and responding to offers professionally, you can increase your sales and build a strong reputation as a seller.

Remember that offers are not binding, so communication and quick follow-through are key. Treat every interaction as an opportunity to engage with a potential customer, and don't be discouraged by lowball offers—see them as a starting point for negotiation.

As you grow your resale business, managing offers, listings, and inventory across multiple platforms like Depop, Poshmark, eBay, and Mercari becomes a significant challenge. To truly scale and focus on what matters—sourcing great products and making sales—you need the right tools.

We simplify and automate running your resale business, giving you back valuable time. From AI-powered listing creation and one-click cross-listing to automated offer sending and full-service accounting, our platform has everything you need to grow. Join successful resellers like FabFam, AlistairBP, and Vintage Vault WV who have transformed their businesses with our help.

Ready to take your resale business to the next level? Start your free 7-day trial of Reeva today and see how much easier it is to grow your sales and streamline your operations.

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