Understanding eBay's Best Offer Feature

Understanding eBay's Best Offer Feature

In the dynamic world of online marketplaces, negotiation is a powerful tool. For both buyers looking for a great deal and resellers aiming to move inventory efficiently, the ability to discuss price can make all the difference. On eBay, one of the most effective tools for this is the eBay Best Offer feature.

This feature transforms a static, fixed-price listing into a dynamic opportunity for conversation and commerce. It empowers buyers to propose a price they're willing to pay and gives sellers the flexibility to secure a quick sale.

This in-depth guide will cover everything you need to know. We'll explore what the Best Offer feature is, how to use Best Offer on eBay as a buyer, the significant advantages it provides for resellers, and how you can leverage powerful tools to automate and scale your sales strategy.

What is the eBay Best Offer Feature?

At its core, the eBay Best Offer feature is a simple yet powerful negotiation tool. It allows a potential buyer to submit a price they are willing to pay for an item directly to the seller through a formal offer process.

Sellers can choose to add the Best Offer option to their listings, signaling that they are open to negotiation. When a buyer submits an offer, the seller has three primary choices: accept the offer, decline it, or send a counteroffer with a new suggested price.

One of the main benefits for a buyer is the ability to purchase an item immediately if their offer is accepted, without having to wait for a traditional auction-style listing to end. However, it's crucial to understand that even after an offer is accepted, the sale is not final. To secure the item, the buyer must be the first person to complete the payment.

How to Use Best Offer on eBay: A Buyer's Guide

Using the Best Offer feature is a straightforward process. If you've found an item you're interested in, learning how to use Best Offer on eBay can help you secure it at a price you're comfortable with.

Finding Listings That Accept Offers

Not every listing on eBay has the Best Offer option available. To find items where you can negotiate, look for a "Make Offer" button directly on the item's listing page. This is the clearest indicator that the seller is open to receiving offers.

If you're actively searching for deals, you can filter your search results to show only these listings. After performing a search, simply select the "Accepts offers" option, which typically appears at the top of the results page.

For a more targeted approach, you can use eBay's Advanced Search functionality. To do this, go to Advanced Search, enter your keywords for the item you want, and scroll down to the "Buying format" section. Select "Best offer" from the options and then click "Search" to see all relevant listings where you can make a deal.

How to Make an eBay Offer

Once you've found an item with the "Make Offer" button, submitting your proposal is simple. Here is the step-by-step process:

1. Initiate the Offer: Select the "Make Offer" button on the listing. If you've added the item to your Watchlist, you may also see a "Make Best Offer" option next to it there.
2. Enter Your Price: A field will appear for you to enter the price you are willing to pay for the item itself. Remember, your offer only applies to the item price; shipping costs and other terms from the listing remain the same.
3. Add a Message (Optional but Recommended): You will see an option to add a message to the seller. This is a great opportunity to add a friendly, personal note, which can help your offer get accepted.
4. Proceed to Confirmation: After entering your offer, select "Continue." You may then be asked to confirm your payment and shipping details. Some offers may require you to select a payment method and enable autopay, which means you will pay for and secure the item instantly if the seller accepts.
5. Submit Your Offer: Finally, select "Send" to submit your Best Offer to the seller.

If you're purchasing an item that offers personalization, you can add your personalization comments in the "Message" field after selecting "Make Offer."

What Happens After You Make an Offer?

After you send your offer, the seller has 24 hours to respond. If the seller doesn't respond within that timeframe, or if the listing ends before they have a chance to reply, your offer automatically expires.

There are three possible outcomes from the seller:

• The Seller Accepts Your Offer: If your offer is accepted, you will be notified. However, this does not mean the item is yours yet. The item remains available to other buyers until you complete the payment. The first person to pay wins the item. The only exception is if you enabled autopay when making your offer; in that case, payment is collected automatically, and the item is secured for you instantly.
• The Seller Declines Your Offer: If the seller declines, you can still try again. On most items, you can make up to 3 offers. In most vehicle categories, you are allowed up to 5 offers.
• The Seller Sends a Counteroffer: The seller might respond with a different price. You can then choose to accept their counteroffer by proceeding to checkout and paying, decline their counteroffer, or continue negotiations by making another offer yourself.

Can You Retract a Best Offer?

In certain situations, you can retract or cancel a Best Offer if you made a mistake. The rules are time-sensitive. You can retract an offer if:

• There are 12 hours or more left before the listing ends.
• You placed your most recent offer less than an hour ago.

However, you will not be able to retract your offer if:

• The listing ends in less than 12 hours AND it's been more than an hour since you placed your offer.
• The seller has already accepted or declined your offer, or sent you a counteroffer.
• You have already made 5 offers in that specific category.

To retract an offer on the eBay desktop site, go to "Bids/Offers" in My eBay, find the offer, and select "Retract offer." You can also do this from the item page by selecting "Review offer" and then "Retract offer." On a mobile browser or the eBay app, you'll need to use the Best Offer cancellation form.

When a Seller Sends You an Offer

Sometimes, the negotiation process is initiated by the seller. If you add an item to your cart or your Watchlist, the seller may proactively send you a special offer for that item.

You'll receive an email and a message in My eBay if a seller sends you an offer. Each offer from a seller is valid for 96 hours or until an offer is accepted, whichever comes first.

When you review the offer, you have several options:

• Accept the Offer: If you like the price, select "Go to checkout" to complete the purchase. Just like with offers you make, the item remains available to other buyers until you pay for it.
• Decline the Offer: If you're not interested, you can simply select "Decline offer."
• Make a Counteroffer: If you think you can get a better price, you can select "Make a counteroffer." You can then enter your desired amount (not including shipping), add an optional message, and send it back to the seller. You can send a maximum of 4 counteroffers in response to a seller's initial offer.

Tips for Using eBay Best Offer Effectively

To increase your chances of success, it's important to be strategic. Sellers who accept offers are generally flexible, but they also take fair proposals seriously.

• Be Reasonable: A lowball offer is more likely to be declined without a counteroffer. Being reasonable with your initial price increases the odds of the seller accepting or at least beginning a negotiation.
• Add a Friendly Message: Use the "Add message to seller" option. A polite, personal message can make your offer stand out and show you're a serious buyer.
• Check the Listing Date: If an item has been listed for a long time, the seller might be more flexible on the price to finally make the sale. Check the original listing date for a clue.
• Use Your Offers Wisely: eBay limits the number of Best Offers you can make on a single item. Expired, declined, and retracted offers all count toward this limit, so make each one count. eBay will let you know when you're using your last offer.

The Reseller's Advantage: Why Use Best Offer on Your Listings?

For eBay resellers, the Best Offer feature isn't just a sales gimmick; it's a powerful business tool. Opting to use eBay Best Offer on your listings can provide numerous strategic advantages that lead to increased sales and business growth.

By enabling this feature, especially for listings that have a lot of competition, you create a more engaging buying experience. It combines a fixed-price option for buyers who want to purchase immediately with an implicit invitation for others to negotiate a small discount.

The benefits are tangible:

• Understand Market Demand: Best Offer helps you understand the price your average customer is willing to pay, providing valuable data for your pricing strategy.
• Faster Inventory Turnover: The flexibility of negotiation encourages sales of products that might otherwise remain unsold, leading to faster inventory turnover. This gives you a competitive edge and boosts business profits.
• Increased Visibility: Listings with Best Offer attract more interest because buyers actively seek out reasonable deals. This increased visibility can lead to more views and potential sales.
• Engage with Buyers: The feature provides a direct channel to communicate and build rapport with potential customers, which can lead to repeat business.

Managing offers across dozens or hundreds of listings can be time-consuming. This is where automation becomes a game-changer for serious resellers looking to scale.

Supercharge Your eBay Sales with Reeva

Effectively managing eBay's Best Offer feature is key to maximizing profits, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. For resellers looking to grow a sustainable business, efficiency and scalability are everything. That’s where we come in.

Our all-in-one platform is built for resale businesses to simplify selling, automate time-consuming tasks, and provide the tools you need to grow on eBay and beyond.

Sell Smarter and Faster Across Marketplaces

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As reseller Northwest Fab Finds notes, our platform presets most essential fields, "including tedious eBay fields. This is a HUGE time saver." This allows you to reach more buyers effortlessly with our multi-store support, a feature Hiview Reloved used to easily expand their business to eBay.

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Automate to Accelerate Your Growth

Imagine being able to manage offers without lifting a finger. With our platform, you can. We empower you to send personalized offers to buyers automatically, keeping your sales engine running 24/7.

But automation doesn't stop there. We also handle auto-delisting of sold items to prevent overselling and can relist stale products to keep them at the top of search results. This level of automation has a direct impact on sales. Nuzzydeals saw a 7x increase in sales and a 60% increase in listing speed after using our platform.

AlistairBP, who now sells 10-15 items a day, says our auto-delist feature is the one he "couldn't live without." Stop wasting time on manual tasks. Start your free trial of Reeva and let automation boost your sales.

Manage Your Growing Business with Ease

As your business scales, so does the complexity. We provide the management tools to help you grow without the chaos. You can update and manage hundreds of listings in bulk, track sales and profits with powerful analytics, and even give team members access with multi-user accounts.

Our customers' success stories speak for themselves. TUFFNY cut their admin time by 30%, giving them more time to source. Vintage Vault saw the number of items they sold increase by 372% in just three weeks. These are the results that come from having the right tools to manage and scale your operations effectively.

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Conclusion: Negotiate and Grow with Confidence

The eBay Best Offer feature is an invaluable tool for both savvy shoppers and ambitious resellers. It introduces crucial price flexibility into the fixed-price model, leading to faster sales, increased visibility, and a better understanding of the market.

For buyers, it’s a direct path to negotiating a better price. For sellers, it’s a strategic lever for turning inventory into profit more quickly and efficiently.

To truly harness the power of Best Offer and scale a modern resale business, automation and intelligent management are no longer optional—they are essential. By streamlining your listing process, automating repetitive tasks like sending offers, and managing your entire business from one place, you free up invaluable time to focus on what matters most: growing your brand.

Ready to transform your resale business? Start your free trial of Reeva today and discover how our platform simplifies selling, automates tasks, and helps you grow with ease.