"Would you take a BIN on your auction?" question

A question about : "Would you take a BIN on your auction?" question

Please be kind - I am not the most experienced eBay user! I'm having one of my annual clear-out sessions today, and have put an item of clothing from Long Tall Sally on eBay. Set it as a 7 day auction with a Ј3 starting price and Ј4 P&P, using Hermes (I know they have an atrocious reputation with some people, but they've not let me down so far - touch wood!).

I've just had a message from someone asking if I'll take a BIN price. I have no idea how to go about that, whether it's allowed, or whether it'll cost more in fees. Would the person offering expect to pay more than the Ј3 + Ј4 P&P I'd set the auction at? I hope so Do I even entertain this idea or tell her to wait it out?

Best answers:

• Just ask them how much they will pay in a BIN.
• If you add BIN to your current auction listing it will cost you extra or will come off your monthly allowance.
  Also, if you add BIN now, it has to be a certain percentage above the auction start price. I think it is 40% - not sure.
  Also bear in mind that if you add BIN at a cost, the buyer might not even buy (that has happened to me) so it was a waste of 30 or 35p listing fee.
  From experience, when buyers ask for a BIN price, they know that the auction price could reach a lot higher and they might not win so they might as well buy now. I have had buyers ask for BIN price on items I had listed at Ј1 start price and I would have let them buy at Ј3 but I didn't and most times the final prices have been in the region of Ј15-20!!
  I have currently got one item listed at Ј1 and buyer has asked for BIN and I have said I want let the auction run its course. Let's see what happens as there are quite a few watchers.
• Technically it is against ebays terms, but we'll put all that aside here.
  If someone wants to buy it now, you have to some how give them your email address. You can't just write me@myemail.com or anything tricky like meATmyemailDOTcom as that won't work either.
  You would still have to pay PayPal fees (unless they send payment as a "payment to a friend" - which is great for you but highly likely the buyer won't do that), but no ebay fees.
  Buy It Now can be very helpful.
  Some people will offer above the going rate to persuade you to sell to them. Good deal for the buyer as it means you get more money.
  Some may offer less than the going rate. However you as a buyer win as you get the item sold sooner. However there is more risk with this as if they do a chargeback through PayPal, it's likely you will have lost your item.
  You can ask for cash on collection, then just delete the listing from ebay. That's the best way if they are local. The buyer would get it at a slightly lower price but you'd save on fees and have the cash in your hand.
  But the person has to be local.
• If you agree on a price, save yourself the extra listing fee from adding a BIN, by asking them to bid, then end the item at the current price and adjust the postage fee when you invoice them to add up to the total amount agreed.