Making an ebay offer

[Stoneyrun]

Today I was browsing through ukuleles for sale on ebay and saw a Lava U tenor with freeboost tech listed for under $200. There was the "Make an Offer" button. I made a ridiculously low offer on a whim. A bit later, to my surprise, I get an email saying my offer was accepted. Should arrive by Jan. 6th. So, I guess I'm the owner of a Lava U tenor. I suppose the tip is; make sure you really want something before you make an offer on it. The seller might just take you up on it. If I recall correctly, Baz had mixed feelings about this one. I'm not really a "space case" type of person. Maybe I'll make a baby baritone out of it?

 

[Graham Greenbag]

Congratulations (?) on your purchase. EBay is a peculiar site in that pricing can be very random and so can quality, sometimes you get a bargain and sometimes you get a lemon. Mostly I’ve come out of things with a reasonably satisfactory deal, though I’ve had a few upsets too, and overall using the site has worked out OK for me. My own rules of thumb are limit bids to what an item is worth to me and never low bid or low offer unless you genuinely want an item - a bargain‘s only a bargain if you have a use for it ..,

Enjoy your Tenor and ‘if it’s not for you’ then re-list it later for a sensible price. I don’t get on with Tenors and trialing one cost me money, you’ll likely have chance to experiment and when done still come out of the purchase and (later) sale with some money in hand.

 

[Wiggy]

My rule is "never outbid yourself." Determine and make your commitment. If they don't accept your offer and try to get you to pay more, let it go.

For auctions, eSnipe saves me from myself.

 

[Patty]

Today I was browsing through ukuleles for sale on ebay and saw a Lava U tenor with freeboost tech listed for under $200. There was the "Make an Offer" button. I made a ridiculously low offer on a whim. A bit later, to my surprise, I get an email saying my offer was accepted. Should arrive by Jan. 6th. So, I guess I'm the owner of a Lava U tenor. I suppose the tip is; make sure you really want something before you make an offer on it. The seller might just take you up on it. If I recall correctly, Baz had mixed feelings about this one. I'm not really a "space case" type of person. Maybe I'll make a baby baritone out of it?
View attachment 163781View attachment 163782

I must say it’s very cute!

 

[Patty]

a bargain‘s only a bargain if you have a use for it ..,

Tell me that again! I just cleaned out my closets and donated to Goodwill several bags of UNWORN garments and pairs of shoes that I just couldn’t pass up because they were such great deals.

 

[merlin666]

There's no pain in getting a ridiculous low offer on EBay accepted. If you don't like it then gift it away and become somebody's hero, or sell locally for a sweet profit.

 

[badhabits]

Tell me that again! I just cleaned out my closets and donated to Goodwill several bags of UNWORN garments and pairs of shoes that I just couldn’t pass up because they were such great deals.

there's a sexist joke about saving/spending in there somewhere...

 

[Stoneyrun]

There's no pain in getting a ridiculous low offer on EBay accepted. If you don't like it then gift it away and become somebody's hero, or sell locally for a sweet profit.

Exactly. But first I plan to experiment with some different string combinations. If I don't hit on something I like I'll put standard strings on it and give it away or sell it.

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Tell me that again! I just cleaned out my closets and donated to Goodwill several bags of UNWORN garments and pairs of shoes that I just couldn’t pass up because they were such great deals.

My wife often complains about the lack of cabinet (cupboard) space in our reasonably large kitchen. Yesterday, she asked me to help rearrange. 90% of the bakeware & tableware we moved from one cupboard area to another were items I’d never seen before thus we have never used.

I admit having too many hand tools but not a single one has gone one year, and certainly not multiple decades, without being used.

 

[Larry U]

My wife often complains about the lack of cabinet (cupboard) space in our reasonably large kitchen. Yesterday, she asked me to help rearrange. 90% of the bakeware & tableware we moved from one cupboard area to another were items I’d never seen before thus we have never used.

I admit having too many hand tools but not a single one has gone one year, and certainly not multiple decades, without being used.

Careful, my friend. You're wandering into dangerous territory there.

 

[bbkobabe]

I was surprised the first time I made a super low offer and it was accepted... If they accept your offer the site charges you immediately! No "I was just testing the waters", it's in the mail! You can't easily back out.

Sometimes the "Make an offer" page has some suggested offers you might make. Sometimes the lowest number shown is STILL not the lowest the seller will drop down to... and sometimes it IS the lowest of the low... eBay is a funny place and sometimes it's not clear what a seller will accept. A couple of times I've tried to test what the lowest price is by sending in test offers... and sometimes I've ended up with a ukulele by doing that!

BTW: The ones who accept super low offers sometimes are selling damaged goods... I won't buy from a seller that doesn't accept returns anymore. I've learned my lesson!

 

[Eggs_n_Ham]

I was surprised the first time I made a super low offer and it was accepted... If they accept your offer the site charges you immediately! No "I was just testing the waters", it's in the mail! You can't easily back out.

Sometimes the "Make an offer" page has some suggested offers you might make. Sometimes the lowest number shown is STILL not the lowest the seller will drop down to... and sometimes it IS the lowest of the low... eBay is a funny place and sometimes it's not clear what a seller will accept. A couple of times I've tried to test what the lowest price is by sending in test offers... and sometimes I've ended up with a ukulele by doing that!

BTW: The ones who accept super low offers sometimes are selling damaged goods... I won't buy from a seller that doesn't accept returns anymore. I've learned my lesson!

I made an offer 1/4th the asking price on a book of hindu art with original plates. It's sitting in my cabinet. I was surprised the seller took my offer but they did.

 

[Graham Greenbag]

Tell me that again! I just cleaned out my closets and donated to Goodwill several bags of UNWORN garments and pairs of shoes that I just couldn’t pass up because they were such great deals.

Honestly I can so relate to that behaviour and have seen it so often in others too. My parents weren’t wealthy and lived through rationing, inflation and times of shortages, I know what it’s like to be short of money too - doing OK now. Such experiences shape us so that when we see ’bargains’ we instinctively grab things that might be useful, fear of missing out or (later) having to go without. I’m a bit of a hoarder too, never throw anything away in case it might come in useful - though sometimes they do.

Of course consumerism drives us too; we’re constantly enticed, programmed and reprogrammed, by marketing around us, to buy stuff - and if we haven’t the ready funds then here’s an ‘easy‘ loan to ‘help out’ …

I suppose that this is thread drift, hopefully the OP won’t mind.

 

[Kenn2018]

I bought an excellent Kanile'a K1-T on Ebay before I knew very much about buying ukuleles. I still have it.

I rarely bid, I usually pay the "Buy It Now" price. If I don't think it's worth that, I'll make an offer that I think is a good price. If they don't take it, so be it.

 

[Stoneyrun]

Package arrived yesterday. Haven't had a chance to open it yet.

 

[ukukeguy]

I was surprised the first time I made a super low offer and it was accepted... If they accept your offer the site charges you immediately! No "I was just testing the waters", it's in the mail! You can't easily back out.

Sometimes the "Make an offer" page has some suggested offers you might make. Sometimes the lowest number shown is STILL not the lowest the seller will drop down to... and sometimes it IS the lowest of the low... eBay is a funny place and sometimes it's not clear what a seller will accept. A couple of times I've tried to test what the lowest price is by sending in test offers... and sometimes I've ended up with a ukulele by doing that!

BTW: The ones who accept super low offers sometimes are selling damaged goods... I won't buy from a seller that doesn't accept returns anymore. I've learned my lesson!

I've had two eBay buyers with "buyers remorse" who have bid and then asked to withdraw their (successful) sole bids. In the first case it was a face to face transaction and the cash had even changed hands when they said they'd changed their mind. I later sold it for more money but I'm afraid I wasn't anywhere as lenient the second time! It has put me off buying and selling on eBay but there are also quite a few "private" sellers, even on here, using their "private" status to avoid their legal responsibilities as a seller, not to mention their tax liabilities.

 

[badhabits]

Back in the day you could not pay for best offer items and let that play out.... nowadays, as soon as the offer is accepted your payment is drafted. Gotta want what you bid on and not get caught up in FOMO.