If a seller makes a counteroffer, the buyer can accept or reject the counteroffer, or propose a counteroffer to the seller's counteroffer (if eligible). A seller's counteroffer will expire if the buyer does not act within 96 hours. A buyer's counteroffer will expire if the seller does not act within 24 hours.
The following are the rules and restrictions for counteroffers:
- For buyers, counteroffers count against the maximum number of Best Offers allowed per item, per buyer, based on the category configuration. If the marketplace and category allow multiple Best Offers per item, the buyer can make a counteroffer to the seller's counteroffer. This can continue until the buyer makes the maximum allowed number of Best Offers.
- When a buyer declines a counteroffer, it does not count against the buyer's maximum number of Best Offers.
- Sellers can make counteroffers only to buyers who have active offers or counteroffers.
- If the seller has an active counteroffer out to the buyer, the seller cannot send another counteroffer to the buyer until the buyer counters back to the seller.
- Sellers cannot make counteroffers above the fixed-price for the item.
- If the buyer declines a seller's counteroffer, the seller cannot initiate a new counteroffer to the buyer unless and until the buyer counters back.
- When a counteroffer is submitted, all previous offers are declined. That is, after extending a counteroffer to a buyer, the seller will not be able to accept a previous Best Offer from that buyer for that item. Similarly, after sending a counteroffer back to the seller, the buyer cannot accept a previous counteroffer from the seller.
- Counteroffers have different expiry windows depending on direction. When a buyer sends a Best Offer or counteroffer, the seller has 24 hours to respond. When the seller sends a buyer a counteroffer, the buyer's original Best Offer time is cleared. The buyer now has 96 hours to accept the new offer from the seller.
- Sellers are able to counteroffer with multiple buyers simultaneously.