eBay's latest 'Seller Makes an Offer' Option. How's it going?

[padraicpaul91]

I am interested to hear of sellers experiences with eBays latest option for sellers, where they can make offers to watchers of an item.

I had previously tried this once through the previous method via Promotions, and now with it directly linked to the active listings page. Neither attempt has seen much increase in sales, the present one realising 2 sales from offers sent on 75 items.

Also, below are a couple of aspects of the offer option that I find a little pexplexing:

Items for which I can to send offers: It appears somewhat random. They included my longest listed and most recent listing of less than 24 hours. The item may be a good seller or dead. No apparent relationship between number of watchers,when they became watched or most recent sales.  A total of 124 available to offer from 390+ listings, about 30% of items.

It would be great to target watchers with the items I want to most see gone but that doen't seem to be the purpose of this option.

Offers sent to less than all watchers. Again it appears a bit random, with offers going to all watchers of some items, with  fewer going out for most. As I end/relist on a regular basis, most listings are of less than 3 months duration.

Below is a list of the first dozen I checked, excluding solo watchers.

Watchers             # Offers sent

93                         6  (Biggest selling item, 3 year listing)

22                         4  (Just very popular)

6                           4

5                           4

4                           4

4                           3

4                           2

4                           1

3                           3

3                           2

2                           2

2                           1   

[fixnwear]

Countess, hallelujah!

Finally, a most detailed explanation, thank you!

Most of those points wouldn't heve ever even occured to me - no wander I was somewhat bewildered why all the secrecy!

• One can't afford the item right now but is tempted to buy because of that offer, leaving one without sufficient money to feed the children and pay the electricity bill, which results in one's power being cut off, frostbite to attack, and gangrene to set in.
• This one has, but for the different reason! That is why I don't like making offers, what if it's too low - and what if they accept - and then the above happens! Feel much more comfortable with offers commeng from sellers.

[jane-de-cluttering]

I’ve never had any success in sending offers to watchers.

But I might have thought 2 sales from 75 listings was not a bad result, on what is essentially cold-calling.

I think the opportunity to send offers to watchers has been extended to all ‘collectibles’.  [It was previously only allowed for four or five apparently randomly suggested items.]

And I think originally the offer could only be sent on items where there were at least two watchers.  And that the offer only went to two watchers, even if there were more.  But that has changed too, and the offer can be sent even if there is only one watcher.

And there is no way the seller can identify the watchers even if an offer is sent – with or without asterisks.

I agree with others that getting an offer is not a big deal but I know from experience that one not only gets the offer, but there are repeated follow-ups – almost to the point of harassment.  I do not want to be a seller who does that.