How about a "Best-Offer" or a "Haggle" option?

[birdwatcher2008]

Woooaaaaahhh!!!

You haven't really got the hang of friendly debate, have you?

This is why I used the word "tact" in my post, lest we get our posts and threads pulled/deleted.

I hope I am not being implicitly tarred with the label as someone who wants to be different from eBay for no other reason than to be different. I expressed my opinion and said I voted "no" from my biased viewpoint as a seller in a category where this feature would not be of much benefit.

This comment was directed on no one in particular.

My concern is that there are members, like the one I quoted above, who feel the need to accomodate outsiders. I think that's what got eBay into trouble... they started ignoring the majority of their members just to appeal to non-members in the belief that you grow a company with potential assets instead of the assets you have. Again, I doubt that will happen here, but I am of the belief that we should not cater to the bad habits of people who are not members.

So Americans who would like to join eBid are just "outsiders" to you? I'm talking about members, and potential members. You don't want new members here? There is a US eBid site, and should cater to Americans. What bad habits are you talking about? I'm talking about the growth here, which means big bucks for the owners here, making things better for all. Shall we turn around and go backwards? I'm trying to be tactful, but I just don't get your resistance to new US member. And what bad habits do we have?

[theweaverboy]

"birdwatcher2008" settle down we are all just cyberspace citizens looking for a rebel alliance away from tyranny of feeBay.

"marschenegger" better watch "some" of those comments and/or abbreviations. Some can be rather sensitive.

[kengillam]

Many of of us on here have come from Greedbay, but we don't all feel it's neccessary to start trying to browbeat people into making the place exactly the same as the one we left. I think you need to accept the differences and work with them. There are other ways of doing things and slavishly following the 'Greedbay' mindset probably isn't one of them.

I appreciate that some may see changes as essential for the growth of eBid, but on the other hand perhaps it is users that need to change to adapt to different methods. There are lots of things here that I reckon would be better if adopted over there, but I doubt they would get much approval or even implementation, particularly if I arrived there and started shouting the odds about it.

[Aviation_Nostalgia]

[quote=theweaverboy;943117]"birdwatcher2008" settle down we are all just cyberspace citizens looking for a rebel alliance away from tyranny of feeBay.

You're wrong there as well. Many sellers on here still sell on **y as well as other sites. If you're looking for a rebel alliance, it ain't here. Have you considered starting your own auction site? You could call it weaverboysrebelalliance@haggle.com

[leadhillsonline]

So is eBid all about you, or sellers just exactly like you?

Is that what YOU are saying?

What did you just say about me to your computer monitor?!

Yeah I guess I am, and THEN SOME!

I was answering a comment by booksforsale.

& "bykimbo"

Old habits die hard as they say;-)

And come he left himself wide open.

I flipped a coin to see if I should post it. Heads yes, tales no, and it was heads. It was fate, and how in cyberspace could I resist?

Why do you think I'm male? I do dislike it when people make assumptions.

[birdwatcher2008]

"birdwatcher2008" settle down we are all just cyberspace citizens looking for a rebel alliance away from tyranny of feeBay.

"marschenegger" better watch "some" of those comments and/or abbreviations. Some can be rather sensitive.

Thank you. At this moment:
Currently Active Users in Forums: 375 (104 members and 271 guests)
and I have seen the guests number a lot higher. Who are they? Potential new members, my guess.
Why are they here? Are they looking to see what glitches the members are reporting? Are they looking to see if people are chastized for making suggestions of change? Or what the suggestions might be, meaning the site doesn't have this option yet?

I am looking forward to seeing the revamped site.

[booksforsale]

Touche Ken! Totally agree with you on that.

I really don't see the point in offering something at a start price and then accepting less for it in a best offer bid.

But the best offer wouldn't be against you auction start price, it would be against your Buy Now price, so you wouldn't be taking less than your start price, you'd be taking less than your buy now price - you would negotiate for somewhere in between these two limits you have set.

How about this scenario.

You have an item listed.

Its start price is £5, its BuyNow is £10

A buyer ASQs you and says:

"Nice start price. I don't want to wait ten days (for example) for auction to end, but I don't want to pay the full price, will you accept £xx"

You ASQ back and forth and eventually agree £7.50 Best Offer, which ends the listing now.

How is that accepting lower than your start price?

Without the official BuyNow button it could be viewed as auction interference if a buyer ASQs the wrong seller. Make it official, and OPTIONAL for those who don't want to offer it, and I see it as a nice way of making more sales on ebid.

I am sure we all agree ebid is hardly brimming with buyers at present - this isn't a criticism its a fact. The more facilities we can offer to attract buyers the better.

[theweaverboy]

You're wrong there as well. Many sellers on here still sell on **y as well as other sites. If you're looking for a rebel alliance, it ain't here. Have you considered starting your own auction site? You could call it weaverboysrebelalliance@haggle.com [/QUOTE]

If only I had the time and money.

Many sellers do sell on here and eB@y as well, but lets be honest that site is losing it's lovin' feeling.

Everything online is protect yourself at all times, but unlike eB@y, eBid hasn't pretty much given buyers open invitation to bully and scam sellers.

If eBid wants to be a contender and get a title shot they have to get a little more aggressive. A nice walk gives you some exercise, but it isn't going to build you up as fast as good old hard road work & hitting the gym will.

What is the problem with having a "site approved" option for haggling, when a few have already said that they put it in there listings?

It would let buyers know it is alright, and won't get them and/or you in trouble. They'd get a deal, you'd make money, and eBid would get more revenue for upgrading the site.

A Best Offer is a small step on the path to making the site more user friendly and more POPULAR.

[booksforsale]

I think part of the problem that might put some off the 'Best Offer' notion is a question of semantics.

What we are calling a best offer is also being called haggling - I am guilty of that, but that is how I see it.

Haggling has connotations that this type of sales negotiation (for that is what it is) is seen as a bit 'Del Boy', a bit dodgy perhaps, a bit amateurish, reminiscent of the car-boot sale (yard-sale if you like).

Whatever you want to call this practice of making a sale, and a space in your stock. I still maintain that should it be an option, what harm can it do to those who don't want to offer it?

Anyway here's hoping someone ASQs me asking if I want to enter into discussions regarding a possible business deal - erm I mean let me know they want to haggle.

[Aviation_Nostalgia]

You're wrong there as well. Many sellers on here still sell on **y as well as other sites. If you're looking for a rebel alliance, it ain't here. Have you considered starting your own auction site? You could call it weaverboysrebelalliance@haggle.com

If only I had the time and money.

Many sellers do sell on here and eB@y as well, but lets be honest that site is losing it's lovin' feeling.
[/quote]

I've never used e**y for it's loving feeling .
I've always just treated it as my own website, and pretty much ignored everything and everybody on there. I think you have just got to use all the sites possible and stop worrying about how this is better than that and vice versa. What always makes me laugh, is the amount of ex e**y sellers moaning and groaning about how bad it is, and then wanting to change things to be just like them.
I've got nothing against having an offer option, I just don't think it's that important. That's just my opinion, which is just as valid as anybody elses. I haven't voted on your poll because last time I looked there wasn't an option that suited