Quick question reveal reserve?

sillygoose · 5 October 2017 at 10:27PM

Hi

On Ebay is there any catch to telling a bidder what your reserve is set at? or is it a complete no-no? I can't think of why not.

Thanks!!

z1a · 5 October 2017 at 10:40PM

Never seen the point in reserves, just start at that price.
If I ever want something and it's showing as "Reserve not met" & seller won't reveal it, I then "accidently" bid £10000, then retract as "wrong amount bid, and rebid £10. I then know what reserve is, and whether to bother or not.

sillygoose · 5 October 2017 at 10:47PM

z1a wrote: »

Never seen the point in reserves, just start at that price.
If I ever want something and it's showing as "Reserve not met" & seller won't reveal it, I then "accidently" bid £10000, then retract as "wrong amount bid, and rebid £10. I then know what reserve is, and whether to bother or not.

Thanks.. I will probably let them know if it helps get them involved.

Marcon · 6 October 2017 at 1:41AM

Why list with a reserve price? What advantage is there? As previous answer has suggested, start your listings at whatever minimum you will accept.

sillygoose · 6 October 2017 at 7:01AM

Marcon wrote: »

Why list with a reserve price? What advantage is there? As previous answer has suggested, start your listings at whatever minimum you will accept.

This is my first sale for many years so trying to find my way as a lot has changed.. I had it in mind ebay used to charge higher fees if you started above 0.99p .. but as I said its been a long time!

soolin · 6 October 2017 at 8:15AM

sillygoose wrote: »

This is my first sale for many years so trying to find my way as a lot has changed.. I had it in mind ebay used to charge higher fees if you started above 0.99p .. but as I said its been a long time!

Things have changed- now a reserve is the most expensive way of all to list. For most private sellers in good standing listings are generally free up to your listing limit, add a reserve and it sky rockets. :eek:

I know you will have seen the cost when you listed, but adding a reserve is an additional 4% of the listing price which is payable regardless of whether item sells or not.

https://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/private/what-fees-youll-pay

It really does pay to check costs whenever using a site after a period of time away, ebay are using the Ryanair method now (for private sellers anyway!) of no cost listings until you add any optional extras.

sillygoose · 6 October 2017 at 8:46AM

soolin wrote: »

Things have changed- now a reserve is the most expensive way of all to list. For most private sellers in good standing listings are generally free up to your listing limit, add a reserve and it sky rockets. :eek:

I know you will have seen the cost when you listed, but adding a reserve is an additional 4% of the listing price which is payable regardless of whether item sells or not.

https://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/private/what-fees-youll-pay

It really does pay to check costs whenever using a site after a period of time away, ebay are using the Ryanair method now (for private sellers anyway!) of no cost listings until you add any optional extras.

Thanks.. I see now I should have just set a start price and not a reserve.. I did think the fee was high but wrongly assumed they would get me either way

Too late now I guess as bidding under way... lesson learnt for next time

On the good side I suppose it its something I got 'free' so any reasonable return is a bonus

zerog · 6 October 2017 at 9:24AM

Because buyers are idiots. Case in point: two sellers (unrelated, from what I can tell) with similar feedback listed more or less the exact same thing, one starting at 99p and one starting at £99.99, the £99.99 one got no bids at all, and the 99p starter was bid up to £110+.

From watching this play out, and previously getting no bids on higher value items, I always list in this category starting at 99p and it gets very stressful because the idiots all bid on the final day. I shouldn't be calling them idiots but they often send stupid questions, which results in them being blocked...

For the first 7 days, the highest bid may never go above £10 so I keep worrying that I am going to lose £100. But in the final hour I've never been disappointed.

However, I don't know whether having a reserve price puts off any of the idiots. When I have seen it used, the item usually doesn't sell.

soolin · 6 October 2017 at 9:39AM

zerog wrote: »

Because buyers are idiots. Case in point: two sellers (unrelated, from what I can tell) with similar feedback listed more or less the exact same thing, one starting at 99p and one starting at £99.99, the £99.99 one got no bids at all, and the 99p starter was bid up to £110+.

From watching this play out, and previously getting no bids on higher value items, I always list in this category starting at 99p and it gets very stressful because the idiots all bid on the final day. I shouldn't be calling them idiots but they often send stupid questions, which results in them being blocked...

For the first 7 days, the highest bid may never go above £10 so I keep worrying that I am going to lose £100. But in the final hour I've never been disappointed.

However, I don't know whether having a reserve price puts off any of the idiots. When I have seen it used, the item usually doesn't sell.

I never ever risk a 99p start regardless of all of eBay's 'helpful' suggestions.

I have a minimum price in my head when I sell, and that's what I start at. If I am prepared to take 99p then I'll start it there, if I'll take £80 I start it there, if it doesn't sell I still have the item and can try it again on a different day. Alternatively, I'll use BIN with best offer and start a bit above my hoped for price, and wait and see what offers come in.

I don't play games on ebay anymore, the constant glitches, down time and blocks on certain areas being unable to bid (all of which are not uncommon) make it a risky game.

Moogles44 · 6 October 2017 at 9:42AM

Reserve prices often kill a sale in my opinion. I see lovely items where people just don't seem to bother trying to bid if they see reserve price. I also pass it on by.

Buy it now is best to me but others views may differ

NaughtiusMaximus · 6 October 2017 at 10:30AM

Marcon wrote: »

Why list with a reserve price? What advantage is there? As previous answer has suggested, start your listings at whatever minimum you will accept.

As a bidder if I see an item which has a reserve price it tends to put me off as I assume the reserve price is unreasonably high.

Quick question reveal reserve?

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