Ebayers (Sellers & Buyers) - Do You Like Buy It Now?

[DiznEeyore]

I've been purging some of my crafts stash and have some things I want to sell on eBay. I've only offered Buy It Now on a few auctions in the past, but am thinking I might do it for some of these items. If you're selling, do you find that you sell more with the Buy It Now option? And if you're buying, do you use the option?

I know as a buyer I like it when it's offered, but maybe that's just me....I wanted to get others' opinions.

 

[gallaj0]

Only if the price is right.

Including shipping, if the price works out to close (2-5 dollars close) to retail in a local store, I'll give the local store the business.

If I'm shopping on Ebay, it's because I'm looking to save some money, or for something I can't get locally.

 

[hambirg]

As a buyer I like it when you need it right away. Sometimes the price is right. As a seller, I only use it sometimes on things I really know the value of or maybe am not in any paticular hurry to get rid of it. I've had mixed results, sometimes the buy it now sells, but more often than not the item sells by regular auction. With the stuff I sell it's not usually worth the fee.

 

[sanibelover]

It all depends on the price. Many sellers use the BIN to list an absurdly high price, so in my estimation, it's a waste of money.

If you list a fair price and want to move items quickly, then this is probably a good option.

 

[imsayin]

I like to use buy it now as a seller so my item can sell faster. I never use a buy it now on my auction if I am unsure of the value. You never know how high an auction will go (unless there is definite history).

 

[maciec]

I like using BIN as both a buyer and seller. The key is that it has to be the right price for me to use it.

 

[IStoleMyKidsPins]

Regardless of how someone uses Buy It Now, I disagree that it's a "waste of money". Currently only a nickel, it's a decent deal. As a seller, I use it in case I get a collector looking & he/she wants it without having to worry about a bidding war. Either way, I've sold plenty of items at a higher BIN price that I never imagined I'd get. If you don't offer a BIN, then someone who would have used that option has no choice but to simply bid, which may cause your final price to be lower if no one else is bidding.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

As a buyer, I only buy items that have the "buy it now" option. I don't want to have to keep up with the bidding. If it's a price I'm willing to pay, I go ahead & buy it. If it's not, I just skip it.

 

[summerrluvv]

As a buyer, I only buy items that have the "buy it now" option. I don't want to have to keep up with the bidding. If it's a price I'm willing to pay, I go ahead & buy it. If it's not, I just skip it.

That's how I feel too. I hate bidding. With that said though, I just bid on a shirt for my son, but first looked to see if anyone else offered a BIN, but no one did. Bidding is my LAST resort.

 

[disneysteve]

As a buyer, I occasionally purchase BIN items. Especially if it is something I've been searching for or something that I think has a good chance of getting bid up past the BIN price, I'll grab it.

As a seller, I don't usually use it because I've had so many items sell for way more than I ever imagined that I would have lost hundreds over the years using BIN. Auctions get to peoples' brains and they become very competitive, even if it means wildly overpaying for an item. I do sell collectibles and frequently have items that are old and not easily available. I'm sure that wouldn't happen if I was selling stuff that you could get at your local mall.

 

[DiznEeyore]

Thanks for all the input. I think I'll try a few of these things with a BIN and see how they do. Wish me luck!!

 

[DMRick]

I never use it with a collectable, I almost always use it with an item that I sell often. I use it to boost my item two dollars, and I have people who ask (if I don't have a bin, such as this week, when I'm away) if I can put the item on as a bin, so they don't have to wait...so for me it works to speed up the auction.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

I've done BIN once as a seller, and several times as a buyer. In each case I checked the price of the product in completed auctions to see what the winning bids for that type of product were. If I thought that the bidding would probably go over the BIN price and I wanted the item , I used the BIN option. As others have said, it all depends on the price.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I use BIN alot, maybe more than I should as a seller. The big advantage is it captures the impulse buyer (which is HUGE, for items such as collectibles) , and the buyers who either do not want to be bothered remembering when auction ends to snipe, OR want to remember but forget. (I fit in that last category as a buyer, I just forget something I like is ending, even though I am tracking it) Yes, I know about sniping programs, but I don't use one, and many other buyers don't either, IMHO.

The most fun is watching an item go up SO much higher than you expect. I listed an un-used Disneystore pin album last week for $7.99. It went off at $30! I never expected that.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

The best thing about BUN, from a seller's viewpoint, is that you can require immediate payment. I currently have 4 auctions that ended on Sunday which did not feature BIN. I'm still waiting to hear from the buyers and I have no idea what the status of their payment is. At least with BIN/immediate payment, my auctions ends with my money in my PayPal account ASAP.