Comments on: A rant against "end the auction early" offers on eBay http://stut.net/2006/11/16/a-rant-against-end-the-auction-early-offers-on-ebay/ Ramblings of a random software engineer Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:56:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Kevin http://stut.net/2006/11/16/a-rant-against-end-the-auction-early-offers-on-ebay/comment-page-1/#comment-13493 Kevin Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:40:24 +0000 http://stut.net/blog/2006/11/16/a-rant-against-end-the-auction-early-offers-on-ebay/#comment-13493 I totally agree, and it is starting to piss me off. Even when I explicitly put in the description that I won't end early, I still get people asking me. I totally agree, and it is starting to piss me off. Even when I explicitly put in the description that I won't end early, I still get people asking me.

]]> By: Stut http://stut.net/2006/11/16/a-rant-against-end-the-auction-early-offers-on-ebay/comment-page-1/#comment-7092 Stut Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:13:17 +0000 http://stut.net/blog/2006/11/16/a-rant-against-end-the-auction-early-offers-on-ebay/#comment-7092 Actually Jimbo it really only removes risk for the buyer. A buyer would only make an offer to end the auction early if they thought they could get away with paying less than the price the auction will naturally reach. The only other reason I can see for such an offer to be made is if the buyer needs it urgently, in which case they should be willing to pay more than the going rate. Unless the offer is significantly above the expected selling price for the item then any seller would be daft to accept it. There is a small risk that the auction will not naturally reach the price offered, in which case why the heck is the buyer making the offer? In short these offers usually only benefit the buyer so I would urge the few sellers who still use eBay to carefully evaluate the buyers motivation behind any offers they get of this nature before accepting them. They will very rarely be to your benefit. Actually Jimbo it really only removes risk for the buyer. A buyer would only make an offer to end the auction early if they thought they could get away with paying less than the price the auction will naturally reach.

The only other reason I can see for such an offer to be made is if the buyer needs it urgently, in which case they should be willing to pay more than the going rate. Unless the offer is significantly above the expected selling price for the item then any seller would be daft to accept it.

There is a small risk that the auction will not naturally reach the price offered, in which case why the heck is the buyer making the offer?

In short these offers usually only benefit the buyer so I would urge the few sellers who still use eBay to carefully evaluate the buyers motivation behind any offers they get of this nature before accepting them. They will very rarely be to your benefit.

]]> By: Jimbo http://stut.net/2006/11/16/a-rant-against-end-the-auction-early-offers-on-ebay/comment-page-1/#comment-7090 Jimbo Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:39:43 +0000 http://stut.net/blog/2006/11/16/a-rant-against-end-the-auction-early-offers-on-ebay/#comment-7090 What's the harm in asking? It takes 5 seconds to reject it. It removes risk on both ends -- you know what you're gonna get, and so does the buyer. If the offer is a real low-ball, I can see what you mean. But if you're auctioning something off, where the last ten sold for $90-$110, and someone offers you $110 to get it a bit faster, and without risk, why get all prickly about it? You can always refuse. What’s the harm in asking? It takes 5 seconds to reject it. It removes risk on both ends — you know what you’re gonna get, and so does the buyer. If the offer is a real low-ball, I can see what you mean. But if you’re auctioning something off, where the last ten sold for $90-$110, and someone offers you $110 to get it a bit faster, and without risk, why get all prickly about it? You can always refuse.

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