Please advise an ebay selling novice

[StealthPolarBear]

Have bought loads but only sold the odd thing, other than books.
I am selling a dress, listed it yesterday and it's due to end next weekend. I listed it auction style, but have just got a message asking whether I could do a BIN price and send it early in the week.
Is this allowed? And if so, is there any downside for me? I can see how it happens, I often see stuff that would be perfect but finishes too late. What sort of markup do you usually put on BIN? It already has 5 watchers so I hope there would be some interest.

bump

From my experience this is perfectly allowed. Once you have agreed the BIN price with the buyer you will need to revise item to include a BIN price. Once done the buyer can then go in and buy it at that price. What you lose, well the fee for adding a Buy It Now price and also the risk of the buyer not actually going ahead and buying it.

I have had a few people mailing me and asking for a BIN price... I tend to ask them to tell me what they are prepared to pay and then take it from there.

If you can agree a BIN price with the buyer you can add it to the listing for a small listing fee as long as there have been no bids. That way you aren't contravening Ebay rules by selling outside of Ebay. I've done it - agreed the price and said when I'll put the BIN on it so the buyer knows when to bid.

The BIN price has to be at least 40% above the start price. You can lower the start price if necessary.

HTH

thank you - good idea to email her and ask what she'd be prepared to offer, might do that. I am dreadful at haggling!
Why does it have to be 40% above the starting price? Seems an odd rule - or is it to prevent people fraudulantly bumping their feedback up?

Everytime I sell anything I feel guilty. I feel I ought to be giving it away, and refunding the postage, and thanking them for taking it off my hands.

I am utter rubbish at haggling.

But I think asking, 'what would you like to offer?' via message is ok.

Me too! I hate selling stuff, much prefer giving it away but this dress was 125gbp and worn once. I will obsess for weeks in case she thinks its damaged or I've missold it in some way :o but anyway, message sent, will see what comes back

Maybe with should sent the items (after we've paid for them to be dry-cleaned) with a shoe box full of cash and a card saying 'I'm so sorry' on the way to extreme ebay counselling ?