eBay have just announced that they have just ended the Best Offer pilot that’s been running in the Jewellery & Watches, Computers, Tablets & Networking, and Art categories.
Under the Best Offer pilot, buyers could make multiple offers to several sellers and then choose which to accept. The goods were not considered as sold until paid for. For sellers it means they could accept multiple Best Offers from buyers and, unlike normal Best OFfer with the goods remaining sold and unpaid for, first to pay won the deal and your stock was still available to sell until paid for.
Best Offer will now work the same way it works in other categories. When the buyers offer is accepted by the seller, the item will once again be marked as sold and not available to others to purchase or make an offer on.
eBay say that they continue “to explore improvements to the buying and selling experience” and that “the Best Offer pilot was successful in many ways”. They added that they may expand it in the future but that “providing a clear, consistent path for buyers to purchase – regardless of the category – will provide a better foundation for maximizing holiday sales”.
I’d read that as possibly too many Best Offers being made and accepted but not paid for so the sales weren’t being concluded. It’s a bit late in the day for changes in Q4, but this is one that just possibly sellers will be in favour of.
2 Responses
Good riddance! Bad for sellers and buyers; terrible idea, hard to believe someone is sitting getting paid (a lot most likely!) to think up these changes….
Here is an idea. ebay should raise their fees and employ even more staff for their brains trust.