Is This A Shill?

[Guy Sotomayor Jr]

> On May 2, 2018, at 9:50 AM, Alan Perry via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>> On May 2, 2018, at 8:58 AM, Cory Heisterkamp via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
>> 

[snip]

>> Chuck makes a good point about the Make-Offer feature, and it should be
>> noted that sellers have this option available to them within the eBay
>> messenger system even if the button isn't present in the auction, so if you
>> have your eye on something and feel the price is too high (or your search
>> of completed auctions shows the item has been relisted several times with
>> no takers), there's no harm in sending the seller a message with a dollar
>> amount in mind. -C
> 
> YMMV. There is a type of system that I am interested in adding to my collection. An eBay seller has a bunch in a number of BIN/Make Offer  auctions over months. I asked an expert on the systems his opinion on the auctions, including what he would offer. I offer 50% more, but it was still 2/3rd the BIN price. They countered by taking a bit over 10% off. I countered by splitting the difference but they didn’t go for it. The auction closed and I looked at the auction history. I saw that the systems had previously been offered at a price less than my split-the-difference offer. When they came back up for auction again, I offered the split-the-difference price and noted that the lower price in a previous ‘no-takers’ auction run. They countered with a higher price than their counter to my initial offer. They went unsold again and I waited for the next auction run. I offered the split-the-difference price again and they countered even higher. I got the message and have stopped bidding. That was a couple months ago and they still have sold any of those systems.
> 

I’ve also found that if a seller has a number of the same item for sale, I’ll offer to take the entire lot at a significant discount.  A number of the sellers will go for that (e.g. they can unload all of the items in one transaction).

TTFN - Guy