Sending and Managing Seller Offers
Offer one of your specimens to a collector in chat, agree on a price, and complete the sale on EarthWonders.
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A seller offer lets you propose a price for one of your own specimens directly in a chat. The collector can accept, decline, or counter, and the sale is paid and shipped through EarthWonders like any other order.
Who you can send an offer to
You can send a seller offer when all of these are true:
- You and the collector have dealt with each other before: one of you bought from the other and that purchase was delivered or completed, or they previously made you an offer as a buyer on one of your specimens.
- The collector has written to you in your direct chat.
- The collector allows Offers from sellers in their Preferences. It is on by default.
- The specimen is your own, published, public, and not blocked.
Following each other or chatting alone doesn't count as having dealt with each other. Offers you made as a buyer on the collector's own specimens don't count either.
Talking to someone new? Turn on Accept offers on the specimen and ask them to make the first offer from the specimen page.
If you can't send an offer, the Create offer row in the chat is greyed out and the reason is shown underneath it. Suspended or blocked accounts can't send offers.
The Offers from sellers setting
Offers from sellers is a setting on the collector's side. It controls whether they receive offers from sellers in chat, and it is on by default. Anyone can switch it off in their Preferences.
It is not a permission you need to send offers, and it is separate from the Accept offers setting on a specimen. Your specimen doesn't need a listing or Accept offers turned on to be offered in chat; a specimen in your collection works too.
Sending an offer
- 1
Open the chat
Go to your direct chat with the collector. Offers can only be sent in a one-to-one chat.
- 2
Click + and then Create offer
Open the + menu next to the message box and choose Create offer. If the row is greyed out, the reason is shown underneath it.
- 3
Choose your specimen
Pick one of your own published specimens. It can be listed for sale or only in your collection.
- 4
Set the item price
Enter the price for the specimen itself and add a message if you like. The offer price covers the item only, not shipping.
- 5
Check the shipping cost
For a listed specimen, the listing's shipping charge is added to the agreed price. It may be a flat rate or vary by country; checkout uses the buyer's delivery address to choose the country rate, or the everywhere-else rate if no country rate matches. A rate of 0 means free shipping.
- 6
If the specimen isn't listed
No shipping charge is added, and your store's shipping policy isn't used. You cover shipping. If you need to charge shipping separately, create a listing for the specimen before sending the offer.
- 7
Click Send offer
The offer appears as a card in the chat, and the collector is notified.
Negotiating and completing the sale
- 1
Change or cancel a pending offer
While your offer is pending, you can cancel it from the offer card. To change the price, open + and then Create offer again, select the same specimen, and click Update offer. If the buyer has already countered, respond to their counter instead.
- 2
The buyer answers
The buyer can accept your offer, decline it, or counter with a price of their own.
- 3
Respond to a counter
Open Offers in your profile menu and click Respond on the counter. You can accept it, decline it, or counter back.
- 4
Declined offers
A declined offer means no sale. A pending offer never reserves the specimen, so it stays available until an offer is accepted.
- 5
Acceptance reserves the specimen
When an offer is accepted, the specimen is reserved and an order is created at the agreed price. Acceptance is not payment: the buyer still pays by clicking Pay now under Offers or Complete purchase on the order card in the chat.
- 6
Ship once it's paid
Only ship after the order is paid. It then appears with your other orders, and you ship it and add tracking the usual way.
These videos show the negotiation that buyers and sellers share. They may start with a buyer making an offer rather than a seller creating one in chat, but counters, accepting, and declining work the same way.
Common questions
Does my offer price include shipping?
No. The offer price covers the item only. If the specimen has a published listing, the listing's shipping is added: its flat rate (0 means free), or a per-country rate calculated at checkout from the buyer's delivery address. If there is no published listing, the order has no shipping charge and you cover shipping; create a listing first if you need to charge for it.
Do offers expire?
No. An offer stays pending until the recipient answers or the sender cancels it. Changing the listing price or removing the listing cancels related offers.
How many times can we counter?
A negotiation allows up to three counters in total. After that, the last offer can only be accepted or declined.
Is the buyer charged when they accept?
No. Accepting reserves the specimen and creates an order. The buyer pays when they complete the purchase at checkout, and you ship only after that.
Why can't I send an offer?
The reason is shown under the greyed-out Create offer row: you haven't dealt with this collector before, they have switched off Offers from sellers, or they haven't written in the chat yet. When choosing a specimen, it must be your own, published, public, and not blocked.
Does the specimen need a listing or Accept offers turned on?
No. You can offer any of your own published specimens, including ones only in your collection. Without a published listing, there is no shipping charge on the order.