Guest Author - Scott Prock

Have you seen the abbreviation OBO ?

It means "Or Best Offer" and is often used when a seller wants to convey they are willing negotiate with the buyer if the buyer thinks the item is priced too high. Often times OBO can make the difference in a sale.

Now you can opt in to eBay's new feature . . .

eBay Best Offer

Best Offer can only be found on Fixed Price and Store Inventory format listings where the seller has made this option available. In order to find listings which contain the Best Offer option, Buyers can narrow their search by clicking the "Buy It Now" tab and then viewing the View Item listing page to find items which contain the Best Offer option

Using this feature is free and doesn't obligate you to take any offer, and as a buyer you are only allowed one offer per auction in most cases. Exceptions are made for higher dollar items such as autos or real estate.

As part of the offer, buyers can include a text message of up to 500 characters. The text field can be used by the buyer to tell the seller why she/he should choose that offer and explain why the lower price is fair. Buyers may use the text field to negotiate shipping price in the event that the price has not been specified by the seller. 

If the seller has specified shipping costs for the item, shipping is not negotiable. If however, the seller has requested that the buyer contact the seller for shipping costs, the buyer can offer the seller a price for the item + shipping costs in a single offer. The buyer would then simply add, "Including shipping" to the message box.

For motor vehicle sellers you are automatically opted in to the "Best Offer" feature. In the real world car buying experience buyers and sellers negotiate the final price and specific terms before closing the sale. By opting all sellers into Best Offer for Motors Vehicles, the eBay process more closely mimics the real world process and allows both parties to get the right price on the right vehicle.

To learn more about eBay's Best Offer click HERE

Enjoy . . . Scott