Accept when someone offers a price to buy it now?

[Lindt70Percent]

Hi,

I never know what to do someone sends you a message offering £x to buy it now.

I've got some CDs listed and someone's offered me £40 to buy it now. I wasn't really expecting to get that much for them and don't know whether to take up their offer or just leave it to see what happens. I feel I ought to leave it because I set it up as an auction and should therefore let it run its course. Don't know if I'm being odd here?

What do you say to people if you want to say no to their offer?

This has happened before. I was selling a gerbilarium and someone offered £10 to buy it now. I didn't reply to them and let the auction run its course. The same person eventually bought it for £70. Was a bit awkward when they came to collect it.

I'm probably over thinking all of this!

[Dumbledoresgirl]

It is tricky, isn't it? To add a buy it now option you have to incur a fee, and there is always the risk that the person who asked to buy it now then doesn't do it.

But on the other hand, if £40 is more than you were expecting to get, and if you don't have a lot of watchers, suggesting the price might go even higher at auction, I think I would be inclined to accept.

Re the gerbilarium, no need to be embarrassed! If the buyer was prepared to bid up to £70 they were obviously taking the piss a bit offering you £10. You are not obliged to respond to such requests.

[glammanana]

If you are happy with the BIN price you have been offered I would tend to accept it,you just may not get an offer at all if you refuse the request far better to get rid of your item and bank the money in my book,I have had buyers offer BIN and then never hear from them again but I always reply to them either accepting offer and stating I expect instant payment or sorry I will leave the auction to run its course.make sure you send your item tracked via maybe My hermes which includes tracking in the delivery price.

[alabastergirl]

Standard signed for won't be enough. I agree, use Hermes. Cheaper too and free tracking.

[Lindt70Percent]

Arghh, I can't decide! Bidding's already up to £16 and there are 48 watchers with the auction due to end on Saturday night. Mind you I can see another auction of the same CDs (it's a very popular, famous audio book) with 10 hours to go that's only up to £26.99.

Looking at sold listings they've been sold from anywhere between £23.99 and £200! Only one person got £200 the next nearest to that was £62.

I'm so blinking indecisive.

[alabastergirl]

well if one went for £200 I would not end it for £40. Most bidders don't bid until the last few seconds so you cannot judge what an item will go for even a few hours before end of listing.

[Lindt70Percent]

I think I'm going to let the auction run and see what happens.

The gerbilarium people were funny. They tried saying that they rescued gerbils and needed the tank (it was very big) to house all these homeless gerbils. It really didn't make any sense as you can't add more gerbils to the same tank, they need to grow up together or they'll kill each other. I guess they were trying to appeal to my better nature.

[glammanana]

Well I would run with the auction if it where me,as stated the last couple of minutes of the auction will get the price up I'm sure,best of luck keep us informed of your new found wealth lol x glamma x

[Lindt70Percent]

Just a quick update. The CDs just sold for £39.53 (inc postage). The offer had been for £40 (inc. postage) so I'm 47p worse off. I'll live. I'm really glad I left it to run because half the fun is waiting to see what happens!