how do you make a listing for a specific buyer

[little_dumplings]

Hi there, I am wondering if you are able to make a listing for a specific buyer where only that buyer sees the listing or is able to purchase it.

[jellybirddesigns]

You could make a listing that says in the title "RESERVED FOR ......... ONLY"

Once you have done the listing, copy the listing URL and send directly to the customer, or just tell them where to find it in your shop if you have lots of sections/categories.

[kopenhagen5]

You can't make it visible to that buyer only but you can make the listing as 'Private listing only' in the title.

But if you are worried others may buy, you can make the listing as normal but put a BIN price of 1,000,000 with make an offer.

Then your buyer makes an offer of agreed price which you accept.

[*tippy*toes*]

I was also going to suggest the high buy price, with a best offer option. I normally put $10,000, but $1,000,000 sounds even better! A few times when I've put $10K the buyer has commented that even though they were getting the item for the agreed price, they still felt like they were getting a bargain when the listed price was $10K and they got it for $40. It's all perception, but they felt good, which made me feel good.

[gutterpunkz05]

I normally put, Special Listing Arranged purchase Only.     Then advise the intended purchaser of the listing number.

Just take into consideration, that sometimes the intended purchaser is never heard from again,  In which case you can then

revert the heading back to your standard listing.

[springyzone]

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@jellybirddesigns wrote:

You could make a listing that says in the title "RESERVED FOR ......... ONLY"

Once you have done the listing, copy the listing URL and send directly to the customer, or just tell them where to find it in your shop if you have lots of sections/categories.

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I like the idea of putting Reserved for.. in the title. Plus a high Make an offer price.

As for contacting a buyer to let them know, my suggestion would be to let them know when you are putting it up but to be specific. For instance, many years ago, I asked a seller about a couple of products and she said she had one more set left & would make a special listing for me and put it up 'tomorrow morning'. I was thrilled but a bit disappointed I had to wait another 24 hours. But next morning when I got on early and looked at her listings, I found it had gone on the day before and someone else had already bought it. If she had said eg Thursday morning, we would have been on the same page.

She probably thought I was one of those buyers who slinks away, never to be heard of again, but it was just a mix up in communication.

Reserved for.. might have stopped that. 

[*tippy*toes*]

Reserved for doesn't stop someone else buying. If someone else buys it you have to sell it to them. What does stop them is the high price.

[little_dumplings]

Thanks everyone, the high offer option sounds good. I agree that reserving an item for someone wont stop someone else from buying it. Ive seen a lot of sellers say in their listings that they will make a private listing for buyers for multiple items so that combined post is already set. It would seem you can't do that. Anyway, will give the high offer a go when the opportunity arises next.

Thanks again!!!

[digital*ghost]

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@*tippy*toes* wrote:

Reserved for doesn't stop someone else buying. If someone else buys it you have to sell it to them. What does stop them is the high price.

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I agree that the high price / make an offer option will prevent hassles from occurring in the first place, so it's a good option, but if a listing indicates it is reserved for a particular buyer, that forms part of the terms of sale for the item, which in turn means anyone else who purchases can be reported for malicious activity, and contacting ebay should (hopefully) result in, at the very least, confirmation that the transaction can be cancelled, as well as open the way to have any negative feedback removed, if it's left. (I can't guarantee how eBay will respond, just that this kind of outcome is possible if not likely, which I wanted to mention in case a seller creates a reserved listing but someone else buys it, and comes to this thread post-sale for how to handle it). 

[springyzone]

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@*tippy*toes* wrote:

Reserved for doesn't stop someone else buying. If someone else buys it you have to sell it to them. What does stop them is the high price.

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Yes,  that would be the case but at least it would give the heads up to other buyers that the ad was not for them.

Back when my seller made a special listing for me, there was nothing in the title to suggest that it was a special listing or reserved and also, I'm pretty sure it was in the days before "make an offer' was available, so the option of having a high price & getting the buyer to make a low offer etc didn't exist.

At least there are more options these days, although if a seller didn't visit these boards, they might not think of them on the spot.