Automatic 'Best Offer' - or Ebay finds new ways to annoy me

[lupercal]

This is purely venting, after an annoyting, time-consuming episode.

I noticed tonight that I had a message that read (something like) "Good News - your items now qualify for 'Best Offer'. Customers really like this, because bla bla bla"

Since, as far as I could remember, my items ALWAYS qualified for this, and I almost never use it, I found this information odd but otherwise uninteresting, until I discovered that ebay had apparently arbitrarily applied 'Best Offer' to a whole swathe of my items.

An annoying phone call ensued, during which i asked them if they could stop doing this, and please remove the 'Best Offer' options from the items they'd applied them to. I was told there was no way they could do this in bulk, but the 'good news' was that I could go through all the auctions one by one and do it myself.

I explained that I realised this in the first place, and hung up. Luckily I managed to find themall and remove them before anyone actually made an offer and things got tied up while I declined it and explained to them why it shouldn't even have been there.

Ok. Back to normal viewing.  Thanks.

[*tippy*toes*]

It's surprising how many are reporting that eBay is putting best offer on their listings, when they clearly don't want that. The disturbing part is, eBay is putting an auto accept offer for less than half the price. Unless these sellers are on the ball, they are losing out big time. The sellers are removing the best offer and eBay is putting it back again.

Even if it's only appearing on some items, if it's more than say 20, I'd be ticking the lot and then bulk editing to remove the best offer. Saves having to go through one by one.

EBay should stay the hell out of seller's business. This latest thing really takes the cake. They have stooped to a new low. How dare they set an auto accept offer of less than half the price the seller wanted.

[lupercal]

I also noticed that the latest iteration of the ipad app defaults to 'Best Offer'. I couldn't immediately see a why of preventing this, so I just loaded the item photos which were on the ipad, saved the drafts, and finished them on the PC/website. This wasn't, BTW, how all those Best Offers suddenly got in there. Last night I definitely had none.

I can't really see the benefit to ebay from doing this, unless it's because, since they've given me so many $1 listings, they make more money from a high turnover at a low price, than from a low turnover at a high price. In any case, if they're going to make a regular practice of arbitrarily doing this without warning, someone needs to remind them who the damn seller is.

[countessalmirena]

I wonder whether sellers ought to place something in their Terms and Conditions to address this...

PLEASE NOTE: This item has a Buy Now fixed price. Best Offer is not enabled and will not be entertained.

In the event that eBay arbitrarily change the settings on this listing to enable Best Offer (including where eBay may arbitrarily enable Auto-Accept), any offer or purchase under such conditions will be deemed a breach of our terms and conditions and will be cancelled.

We regret any confusion that may arise as a result of eBay changing this listing arbitrarily, and refer any affected individuals to eBay Customer Service who may be able to explain to them why random listings are being arbitrarily altered by eBay without permission, without sellers' knowledge, and against Australian consumer legislation.

This is half tongue-in-cheek as I expect buyers would simply be put off by anything of that nature.

[lupercal]

If they persist with this - and something tells me it may not be a one-off - I would probably consider something like this. I would want to word it very carefully to ensure that it doesn't accidentally come across as hostile to the customer, though.

Of course, even then it would depend on the assumption that customers always read the description, and I know that I sometimes neglect to. 

[twyngwyn]

I can't see "make an offer" on ANY of your listings......or, have you managed to fix already?

OK, re-read & you have done so....good on you....poor form eBay 😞

[davewil1964]

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@countessalmirena wrote:

I wonder whether sellers ought to place something in their Terms and Conditions to address this...

PLEASE NOTE: This item has a Buy Now fixed price. Best Offer is not enabled and will not be entertained.

In the event that eBay arbitrarily change the settings on this listing to enable Best Offer (including where eBay may arbitrarily enable Auto-Accept), any offer or purchase under such conditions will be deemed a breach of our terms and conditions and will be cancelled.

We regret any confusion that may arise as a result of eBay changing this listing arbitrarily, and refer any affected individuals to eBay Customer Service who may be able to explain to them why random listings are being arbitrarily altered by eBay without permission, without sellers' knowledge, and against Australian consumer legislation.

This is half tongue-in-cheek as I expect buyers would simply be put off by anything of that nature.

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The main issue would be eBay arbitrarily deciding the seller is no longer in good standing and cancelling their account. Crows can tell you what avenues of appeal exist in that case.

[countessalmirena]

eBay's certainly got the pocket on "arbitrary" sewn up in their favour. You're right - I can imagine any sort of disclaimer concerning this being greeted by eBay with all the enthusiasm of a Texan home intruder facing a homeowner waving around a gun. Somehow one just knows that the gun isn't loaded and that the intruder has steel-capped boots...

[lupercal]

Yes, fixed already.

[pancaket52]

I was exploring the new Selling Form with a dummy listing and was caught out by the 'hidden' ticked 'Make an Offer Box'.

If anyone is using the new Listing Form this is hidden between the type of sale i.e. Auction or Buy it Now and the post charges in very small blue letters ' Add your own specifics' You have to click on this for the Ticked Box to drop down.

Since unticking the box I have made a couple of real listings and it has stayed unticked - but I will keep an eye on it.