EBay noob - question about accepting offers in an auction

[Ipodmermaid]

First time using eBay and I’m auctioning a number of items and the auction ends Sunday night. I’m receiving offers - some under, some over the starting price. I’ve just realised I don’t understand the process at all! If I accept an offer over the starting price before the end of the auction is that it? Or is that just the highest offer accepted until a higher offer comes in and I accept that?? Is an offer the same as a bid?? What do I have to do towards the end of the auction? Been looking on eBay and googling but can’t find anything my tiny mind can understand. Please expert eBay mumsnetters can you help me? Thanks so much.

[1sttimeDD]

Of you accept an offer before the auction ends, the item sells. You have to accept it, it's irrelevant if it's the highest offer or not. If you receive an offer, but before you have chance to respond to accept it or decline it a bid is put it, the auction has to go ahead.

[1sttimeDD]

You don't need to do anything towards the end of the auction. If it sells, the buyer pays and then you post. If it doesn't sell, it will automatically be relished.

[Ipodmermaid]

Thanks 1sttimeDD for replying. So if I accept an offer/bid before the end of the auction, that’s the winning bid and the auction automatically ends? Sorry to be so dim!

[ragged]

It sounds like OP is getting casual messages that make an offer, rather than forma offers. There is a formal process for receiving offers. To make this possible, there is an option you turn on (about accepting offers) when you list the item. It's one of the options on screen near where you enter the start price.

Personally, I have no idea why you would accept a low offer if you only just listed them. The offers usually mean they hope you will accept a low price or are desperate for a fast sale -- desperate enough to take a lowball offer. Just message back to thank them for their interest but decline politely as you aren't in a hurry/can't believe their CFery.

[ragged]

OP, you are only bound to the offers if you get an email from Ebay with offer received in subject line, buttons to press that say accept/decline/counter offer. Other types of offers (casual messages) are not actually binding to either side. Don't accept any kind of offer that doesn't come with buttons to click on that say 'accept/decline/counter'. The auction only automatically ends if you are getting the formal offers with accept/decline/counter buttons to click on.

[Ipodmermaid]

Thanks Ragged. I am getting formal offers with the accept, decline options you described. If I accept one of these types of offers - is that the end of the auction or does it just become the current highest accepted offer and able to be outbid before the end of the auction? I’m not normally this slow on the uptake but I am totally struggling to get it.

[MikeUniformMike]

Do not accept any offers, only bids( unless you have selected the Let buyers make offers checkbox).
Go through ebay for everything.

[NanooCov]

So you've listed an item for auction but allowed people to make offers. If you accept one of these, that's it and the auction ends.

[ragged]

Yes if you accept an offer, Ebay automatically stops the auction immediately so no one else can bid or offer. Then the buyer is obliged to pay you within a few days (they immediately start getting messages to do so).

If you want to accept, go ahead & try it, the clicking buttons will guide you thru the process. You'll get an email at the end to confirm the offer was accepted & the listing has finished.

Do you know how paypal works, have you sold anything before? Don't dispatch until paypal sends you an email to say that payment was received. ONLY send the item to the address that you see on the paypal email. If the item is high value (>£20), then send it by some kind of recorded delivery service (Royal Mail offers).

[Ipodmermaid]

Thank you all so much. I didn’t think I had enabled an offer function but guess I must have. Thanks for all the helpful advice.

[lljkk]

if you list using mobile app, apparently it's hard NOT to enable the best offer function. Whether you want it or not.

[viques]

Additional to ragged's very helpful post. Even for low cost items ask for a proof of postage receipt from the post office. It is free, shows the time of posting and the postcode destination of the parcel. It does not entitle you to any compensation but useful backup for you if the buyer says the parcel has not been received.