Banned by seller for making a 'best offer'

[kidres0]

Some idiot had an item he listed for $14 AUD and I made an 'best offer' of $7 AUD and he rejected the offer, then banned me. There was not a word exchanged between us, all that was exchanged was a 'best off'. Which is fine. Wouldn't want to deal with that cockroache anyway. But why can I still see his listings? It's like ebay is trying to troll me. If I can't buy anything from this jerk, why do I have to see his listings?

[chameleon54]

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@kidres0 wrote:

Some idiot had an item he listed for $14 AUD and I made an 'best offer' of $7 AUD and he rejected the offer, then banned me. There was not a word exchanged between us, all that was exchanged was a 'best off'. Which is fine. Wouldn't want to deal with that cockroache anyway. But why can I still see his listings? It's like ebay is trying to troll me. If I can't buy anything from this jerk, why do I have to see his listings?

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I had to check that I wasnt the seller you reffered too because I just blocked a buyer in similar circumstances in the last few days...............

I regularly block buyers who make stupid offers, ( and yes 50% of the asking price is a stupid, insulting offer ), no contact, no reply to messages, just automatic block.............. Why ? ..............Because frankly if they are stupid enough to make insulting offers, then there is a very good chance they will be difficult about other parts of the transaction. 

Lifes too short to try to deal with idiot buyers like that and the few dollars I would make by selling an item at half my listed price is just not worth the headaches such buyers cause..

[springyzone]

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@chameleon54 wrote:

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@kidres0 wrote:

Some idiot had an item he listed for $14 AUD and I made an 'best offer' of $7 AUD and he rejected the offer, then banned me. There was not a word exchanged between us, all that was exchanged was a 'best off'. Which is fine. Wouldn't want to deal with that cockroache anyway. But why can I still see his listings? It's like ebay is trying to troll me. If I can't buy anything from this jerk, why do I have to see his listings?

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I had to check that I wasnt the seller you reffered too because I just blocked a buyer in similar circumstances in the last few days...............

I regularly block buyers who make stupid offers, ( and yes 50% of the asking price is a stupid, insulting offer ), no contact, no reply to messages, just automatic block.............. Why ? ..............Because frankly if they are stupid enough to make insulting offers, then there is a very good chance they will be difficult about other parts of the transaction. 

Lifes too short to try to deal with idiot buyers like that and the few dollars I would make by selling an item at half my listed price is just not worth the headaches such buyers cause..

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See, Kidres, I told you so.

What happened to you is not an isolated reaction.

It's lucky you came to the boards because now at least you have the chance to realise that quite a few sellers will do this, based on previous bad experiences.

I think so many buyers on ebay just don't realise how things work. They think they can make any offer they like or give any feedback with total impunity but it doesn't work that way, it can be a bit like playing Russian roulette.

When they say make an offer, they often mean a close offer, they aren't interested in what they may term silly offers.

Even on gumtree you see sellers like that, who say no silly offers please. For $14, a lot of sellers aren't interested in back & forth haggling. Right? Wrong? Doesn't matter. It is just the reality.

[kidres0]

Won't change a single thing. I came here with a specific request: I wanted this sellers items to not appear and waste MY time in my search results. Since then, dozens of you have blocked me making such pursuits probably worthless, Which is fine. But since you're all going to ban me at will, it won't matter what a few more idiot sellers choose to do. Weeds out bad sellers, and I am entitled to make 'best offers' that I am comfortable with. You don't like it, don't put that button there. If the button is put there against your will be ebay, don't scapegoat me over it. And if ebay doesn't want me to do it, then fix your damn system.

A few final notes.

That guy who dared suggest I was screwing over sellers to profit from it all: it's not what I'm doing, but I find it extraordinarily hypocritical considering that is the very definition of capitalism most of you hypocrites live by and most of the world for that matter. Why should I not be allowed to get the best offer possible if I have the drive? You don't like my offer, you don't have to accept. To arbitrarily ban a user for using a feature you sanctioned on your listing sounds very much like an abuse of process to me.

Repeatedly, I have been told here that 50% off is low-balling. Let me just make this clear: his listing wasn't worth near 100% to me, so I was bidding almost all of it what I thought it was worth to me. That isn't low-balling. It'd be low-balling if I thought his listing was worth $14 to begin with. I offered an honest offer, he thinks he can get more: good for him. Secondly, as one of you ... pointed out, you sellers inflate the costs of items expecting to be haggled. And then you expect buyers to pay 100% of the inflated price? It is know in real like markets that sellers often dramatically inflate the costs of their items expecting haggling. Only a fool would pay full price. And don't dare intimidate me into not using a feature I am entitled to use because you PUT IT THERE.

[springyzone]

I thought stawka or someone, ages ago, put up a link to how to block certain sellers? Then you wouldn't see their listings?

If it doesn't work well for you then don't worry about it, just make the offers you want and if you are blocked by that seller, you'll soon find out, no harm done.

No one is trying to intimidate you into not using a feature that is there in the ad. You're entitled to make any offer you please.

And you could be right and the card or whatever it is, is overpriced at $14. If so, then the seller will just miss out on a sale, that's a risk they take.

But what is obvious is your particular seller felt $7 was so low ball it was worth blocking you. You say it was close to your top offer but the seller most likely feels differently about the price.

I know you don't like the blocking process & in my opinion, some sellers may over use it at times, but that changes nothing. Point is, the facility exists, sellers sometimes put it into play. Just be aware, I guess.

[curraone]

Nobody is saying you don't have the right to make an offer, what everyone is saying is that most sellers find an offer of 50% unreasonable.

The ebay help site specifically says your offer should be reasonable.

Be reasonable – Sellers who accept offers are flexible on price, and generally take fair offers seriously

https://www.ebay.com.au/help/buying/buy-now/making-best-offer?id=4019

The end result for you is that the seller thought your offer unreasonable, and decided they don't want to deal with you.   Their choice.   Move on to someone else.

And several posters here have showed you how to exclude the seller from your searches

[digital*ghost]

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@kidres0 wrote:

That guy who dared suggest I was screwing over sellers to profit from it all: it's not what I'm doing, but I find it extraordinarily hypocritical considering that is the very definition of capitalism most of you hypocrites live by and most of the world for that matter. Why should I not be allowed to get the best offer possible if I have the drive? You don't like my offer, you don't have to accept. To arbitrarily ban a user for using a feature you sanctioned on your listing sounds very much like an abuse of process to me.

Repeatedly, I have been told here that 50% off is low-balling. Let me just make this clear: his listing wasn't worth near 100% to me, so I was bidding almost all of it what I thought it was worth to me. That isn't low-balling. It'd be low-balling if I thought his listing was worth $14 to begin with. I offered an honest offer, he thinks he can get more: good for him. Secondly, as one of you ... pointed out, you sellers inflate the costs of items expecting to be haggled. And then you expect buyers to pay 100% of the inflated price? It is know in real like markets that sellers often dramatically inflate the costs of their items expecting haggling. Only a fool would pay full price. And don't dare intimidate me into not using a feature I am entitled to use because you PUT IT THERE.

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That's from your perspective, though.

There are two parties involved in a transaction, and from the seller's perspective, they have stock costs plus fees to account for in a price. Let's just say for the sake of argument, the seller paid $5 for those items, with the intent to make a profit, so they list at $14.

An offer of $7 means they'd make a loss by selling at that price, since eBay fees would be around 10% of the total, including the postage cost you pay, and then there'd be PayPal fees (30c + 2.6% of the total). 

Sure, you have a right to make whatever offer you want, but the seller has a right to interpret the kind of offer you make in the context of their own perspective, which in summary includes the possibility of someone asking for the seller to essentially pay money for them to have an item, and / or low offers often resulting in the most problematic transactions, and so on. 

Buyers rarely think about that stuff, they don't have to and generally don't see a reason to, but if you want to understand the why, rather than just walk around being angry and insulted, it's going to mean you have to broaden your perspective a little and attempt some empathy for people who you try to do business with. By the same token, the seller doesn't have to care, or consider, or take into account, or even respect, how little the items are worth to you. 

I do sell, and I will block people who show no respect for me, or the job I perform. I used to use the best offer feature, and didn't block people who sent well below par offers, but I also didn't bother sending a counter-offer to such members, either, because I didn't take them seriously. 

You keep saying that a starting point of 50% is fair or common - the overwhelming consensus, at least from other particpants in this thread, is that it is not. 

If you want to continue making starting offers at around 50%, so be it, no one can stop you. But that also means you'll need to accept that some sellers won't find that remotely acceptable, and that it will affect their opinion of you and / or your intentions. 

[4channel]

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@kidres0 wrote:

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

The seller did not insult you.....it is the other way round and you insulted the seller.

What makes you think the an offer of 50% of the seller's asking price is an honest offer.  I call it an insult and obviously the seller did too.

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Yes, it was an honest offer. You calling me dishonest, I have a right to call you that back. 50% is not unreasonable. It is haggling. e had a right to counter with an offer midway or whatever number he chose. It was not like I offered him $1.

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Exactly kidres0! You have made a totally valid point and one that rings of common sense! The seller could have countered your offer and this happens all the time. Most reasonable sellers will fire a counter offer and then another one if they want to hold out for more. It can be a fun and enjoyable process for both. And yes   .. .. ..  sometimes quite exciting!

You also say "It is haggling". Well, you have just mentioned something, a proces that has been around since the time of Adam and Eve.

I'm really sorry that this happened to you. Some sellers that I have dealt with have quickly snapped up my 50% offer while some have countered. We have both given each other positive feedback after transaction.

Oh, and you have insulted nobody. You have just engaged in a process that ebay encourages and your offer is one that many people make. For whatever reason the seller has blocked you, sounds like it's their own loss. 95 plus% of other sellers wouldn't have carried on like that seller did.

[curraone]

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@kidres0 wrote:

LOL, some of you did actually block me. Man, that's funny.

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As a matter of interest, I didn't know buyers could see a list of sellers who had blocked them.    If someone knows, please tell me.

[padi*0409]

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@curraone wrote:

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As a matter of interest, I didn't know buyers could see a list of sellers who had blocked them.    If someone knows, please tell me.

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They can't, so obviously the OP was attempting to buy from some of the sellers that posted on this thread - I'll leave you to you own conclusions as to why they would do that.................

4channel, you say "Oh, and you have insulted nobody."     I suggest you look at some of the replies the OP made to some of the respondents here, as well as his/her derogatory remarks about the seller in his/her early posts.

[kopenhagen5]

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@4channel wrote:

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@kidres0 wrote:

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

The seller did not insult you.....it is the other way round and you insulted the seller.

What makes you think the an offer of 50% of the seller's asking price is an honest offer.  I call it an insult and obviously the seller did too.

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Yes, it was an honest offer. You calling me dishonest, I have a right to call you that back. 50% is not unreasonable. It is haggling. e had a right to counter with an offer midway or whatever number he chose. It was not like I offered him $1.

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Exactly kidres0! You have made a totally valid point and one that rings of common sense! The seller could have countered your offer and this happens all the time. Most reasonable sellers will fire a counter offer and then another one if they want to hold out for more. It can be a fun and enjoyable process for both. And yes   .. .. ..  sometimes quite exciting!

You also say "It is haggling". Well, you have just mentioned something, a proces that has been around since the time of Adam and Eve.

I'm really sorry that this happened to you. Some sellers that I have dealt with have quickly snapped up my 50% offer while some have countered. We have both given each other positive feedback after transaction.

Oh, and you have insulted nobody. You have just engaged in a process that ebay encourages and your offer is one that many people make. For whatever reason the seller has blocked you, sounds like it's their own loss. 95 plus% of other sellers wouldn't have carried on like that seller did.

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