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

[marschenegger]

Why has this noxious thread been allowed to persist for so long?

Troll alert.

[booksforsale]

Why has this noxious thread been allowed to persist for so long?

Because marschenegger and I like to chat!

[JaBek1]

Haggling isn't really a viable option for an auction since the selling price is already being determined by competitive bid. But having said that, there are quite a few here that sell using the fixed price method only. These may well benefit from an optional "haggle" process.
Dennis

[booksforsale]

Haggling isn't really a viable option for an auction since the selling price is already being determined by competitive bid. But having said that, there are quite a few here that sell using the fixed price method only. These may well benefit from an optional "haggle" process.
Dennis

Essentially the Best Offer is designed around the Buy Now type of listing, although there is a place for it within the listing that is Auction with a Buy Now option.

How does that work?

The seller lists at, say

£5 start with an option to Buy Now at £10.

It is a ten day listing.

Day five of the listing: a potential buyer would be happy to pay the £5 start, but can't wait till the auction end (it is a birthday present)
He also doesn't want to pay a tenner to Buy Now.

He emails the seller with a best offer of £8.00 (against the Buy Now price), this would also end the auction early.

The compromise means the seller gets rid of the item earlier than planned, at more than he may have got for the auction price (realistically on ebid, this auction price will stick at a fiver with just one bidder).

The buyer gets item at a price he is prepared to pay for it at a time he needs to have it (we are assuming online payment and first class post)

[JaBek1]

Essentially the Best Offer is designed around the Buy Now type of listing, although there is a place for it within the listing that is Auction with a Buy Now option.

How does that work?

The seller lists at, say

£5 start with an option to Buy Now at £10.

It is a ten day listing.

Day five of the listing: a potential buyer would be happy to pay the £5 start, but can't wait till the auction end (it is a birthday present)
He also doesn't want to pay a tenner to Buy Now.

He emails the seller with a best offer of £8.00 (against the Buy Now price), this would also end the auction early.

The compromise means the seller gets rid of the item earlier than planned, at more than he may have got for the auction price (realistically on ebid, this auction price will stick at a fiver with just one bidder).

The buyer gets item at a price he is prepared to pay for it at a time he needs to have it (we are assuming online payment and first class post)

As an auctioneer myself, I can't see where it would be beneficial to have a "negotiation" option for an auction even if there was a BIN price also listed. I suppose in the example it could be of benefit in that rare instance but I don't see it as a very prudent option for a buyer to use. In the case of needing something as a gift quickly, I would not recommend ordering online at all.

In the example start bid is $5 and BIN is $10. As a buyer, why would I offer to pay more when I could put in a proxy bid for $8 and still be able to get it for a five? As a seller, why would I be willing to take $8? I would probably assume that the person making the offer is trying to end the auction before another bidder decides to place a bid and drive the price up.

While I have nothing against negotiation, I would probably limit it to fixed price only as an option.

Dennis

[bykimbo]

In the case of needing something as a gift quickly, I would not recommend ordering online at all.

Just because you wouldn't recommend it, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen, and happen both frequently and successfully. There's no good reason not to buy in a hurry from a reputable online seller, with whom one checks first. I've often provided items quickly for specific deadlines, and never missed, and never had an unhappy buyer. I've bought stuff this way too - as with everything in life, you just need to employ a little judgement.

In the example start bid is $5 and BIN is $10. As a buyer, why would I offer to pay more when I could put in a proxy bid for $8 and still be able to get it for a five?

For the reason you dismiss with a spurious argument. To get it in a hurry, as Books' already said.

[JaBek1]

Just because you wouldn't recommend it, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen, and happen both frequently and successfully. There's no good reason not to buy in a hurry from a reputable online seller, with whom one checks first. I've often provided items quickly for specific deadlines, and never missed, and never had an unhappy buyer. I've bought stuff this way too - as with everything in life, you just need to employ a little judgement.




For the reason you dismiss with a spurious argument. To get it in a hurry, as Books' already said.

I suppose that could work, but if they really needed the item in a hurry I wouldn't think they would be interested in entering into negotiations instead of just paying the BIN. Of course, if they really need the item in a hurry they could also request express or overnight service which is a bit more costly.

I once had an editor who would always call at the last minute with an assignment. He did it so often that it got to be really annoying and I was tempted to be unavailable whenever he called.

One day while at the camera shop that I bought most of my supplies, I mentioned the particular editor to a fellow photog that also shot for him. He told me how he had dealt with the situation. He said, "One day he called with his usual urgent, need it yesterday, assignment. I asked him how much it was worth to him and he gave me a figure. I doubled it and told him that was what I'd do the job for. He grudgingly paid the price and from then on always called with reasonable time parameters."

I did the same thing the next time he called and, low and behold, it worked. That editor by the way remained on of my best clients until passed away some years later.

Dennis

[bykimbo]

I suppose that could work,

It does. I can't force you to believe me, of course.

but if they really needed the item in a hurry I wouldn't think they would be interested in entering into negotiations instead of just paying the BIN. Of course, if they really need the item in a hurry they could also request express or overnight service which is a bit more costly.

Just because people have deadlines to meet, doesn't mean they have infinite supplies of money to throw at the problem. If I can supply a suitable service, and a suitable item, in a timely manner for a price they can afford, I can't quite think of any reason why I shouldn't. Or why I should try to screw extra money out of them if there's no need for it.

Your story (snipped for space) is about an arrogant man with no consideration for others, and whilst amusing is not really relevant. Decent people do have genuine deadlines!

[JaBek1]

I can understand your point of view, Kim, although I don't necessarily agree that a seller is trying to "screw extra money" out of a customer for no reason. As an auctioneer I have a fiduciary responsibility to my clients to get the highest price possible for the goods they have entrusted me to sell for them. Anyone wishing to purchase goods or services at auction should always bear in mind that the auctioneer is acting as an agent for the seller and not the buyer for to do so would be a conflict of interest.

Perhaps I didn't quite get the point I was trying to make with my story across as I had hoped. The point is that the editor didn't really need to wait until the last minute but did so because he was allowed to get by with it. Once it was made clear that if he wanted to put off until the last minute he would have to pay a premium for this practice, he ceased to engage in it.

Now if that is the sign of "an arrogant man with no consideration for others," then so be it. While I have no doubt that "Decent people do have genuine deadlines," I see nothing wrong in expecting them to be willing to pay for extra services they require to meet those deadlines. Everyone wants something for nothing but how many remember that you get what you for?

Dennis

[marschenegger]

I can understand your point of view, Kim, although I don't necessarily agree that a seller is trying to "screw extra money" out of a customer for no reason. As an auctioneer I have a fiduciary responsibility to my clients to get the highest price possible for the goods they have entrusted me to sell for them. Anyone wishing to purchase goods or services at auction should always bear in mind that the auctioneer is acting as an agent for the seller and not the buyer for to do so would be a conflict of interest.

Perhaps I didn't quite get the point I was trying to make with my story across as I had hoped. The point is that the editor didn't really need to wait until the last minute but did so because he was allowed to get by with it. Once it was made clear that if he wanted to put off until the last minute he would have to pay a premium for this practice, he ceased to engage in it.

Now if that is the sign of "an arrogant man with no consideration for others," then so be it. While I have no doubt that "Decent people do have genuine deadlines," I see nothing wrong in expecting them to be willing to pay for extra services they require to meet those deadlines. Everyone wants something for nothing but how many remember that you get what you for?

Dennis

A great example, explained perfectly. It is obvious that some sellers are more interested in enabling bad buyer habits and thus requesting the kinds of tools like haggling that are supposed to land those kinds of buyers who wait until the last minute and then want a bargain too. I have heard how unreasonable some of those last-minute buyers can be. They want rush service but don't want to pay for it. Buyers like that have been enabled by that stupid eBid-alternative auction site where all the rules are slanted in favour of buyers. I don't want to see that kind of nonsense running amok here, if possible.

I think JaBek1 explains the situation perfectly. If you want buyers to haggle, use a format like fixed-price listings. Auctions are a format for competitive bidding going higher than the start price, not lower. Fixed-price listings can have countdown timers just like auctions. In other words, you don't HAVE to make all your fixed-price listings RUN UNTIL SOLD.

Sellers who want to stop auctions early to sell to overly-eager buyers who want the lowest price without waiting can do so at their peril (it is against eBid's rules). The alternative is to enforce eBid's rules and simply say "no" to the buyer. Having an option like haggling is just not necessary.