In a surprise announcement, eBay recently revealed that the company is extending the best offer timer that buyers have to respond to seller counteroffers. eBay described why the change matters and answered a few common questions about it, but it remains to be seen whether it ends up being a popular change or one that sellers are upset about.
eBay Expanding the Timer for Best Offer Counteroffers
In a recent announcement on the eBay community forum, a member of the eBay Community Team revealed that buyers in the USA and UK will now have 96 hours (or four days) to respond to a seller’s counteroffer on a Best Offer. This is up from 24 hours, which means buyers now have plenty more time to consider counteroffers before deciding how to proceed.
This change aligns with the move made back in 2024, which extended the seller-initiated timer up to four days. The change to extend the buyer counteroffer timer was announced on March 24th, 2026, which also happens to be the day that it went into effect.
Currently, this change only applies to the USA and UK markets, but eBay left the door open for other regions, as it said that additional markets may be considered in the future.
Why the Change Matters, According to eBay
In the announcement, eBay said that the change matters as it gives buyers even more time to make decisions. The company says this can lead to:
- Higher acceptance rates for offers
- More completed sales
- A better and more engaging buyer experience
- Reduce the chances of buyers missing an opportunity due to expired offers
Answers to Common Questions
Finally, the announcement also included a few frequently asked questions and answers about the change, to give both sellers and buyers some additional information. First, offers that are active during the rollout of the change will continue under the 24-hour timer, but new offers will automatically use the new 96-hour timer.
Also, sellers aren’t able to opt out of the new timer, and existing Best Offer notifications will continue to work the same as they do now.
Will The Move Be Popular?
While the move is brand new and it’s unclear whether it’ll be popular among sellers on eBay, I have an inkling it won’t be. First, the timing of the announcement wasn’t great, as the change was announced the same day it went live.
This isn’t the only time the platform has made a major change without an announcement ahead of time, as it recently got rid of seller support on Facebook and X with hardly any notice.
Four days is a long time for a deal to sit in limbo. And because you generally can’t edit or revise your listing when an offer is pending, buyers taking up to four days to respond to a counteroffer may be frustrating for sellers.
These thoughts were echoed by a seller who made a post on the eBay forum, where they say the move feels like a step in the wrong direction, and will slow down the sales cycle and lead to more ghost offers and buyers losing interest.
While only time will tell if the move gets backlash or ends up being popular, I could certainly see some sellers being upset about it.
