I know this has been brought up before (several times). This is less of a rant, but I found these pretty amusing.

So I'm selling my car. I paid $3,500 for it ($3000 cash plus the wreck of my old car), and I put about $700 into it (between parts and labor). It also has some pretty expensive extras in it.

I listed it for $3,300.

I have a couple legitimate interested buys, but I've also gotten a few great messages from lowballers.

The first was a simple message of "I'm interested in the car, but I only have $2000". I'm sorry, then you cannot afford my car.

The second:
"Hi, is your car still available?"
"Yes, it is."
"What is the best price you will accept?"
"The listed price."
Never got a response to that one

Thankfully I'm in no real rush to sell, and the few interested buyers I have seem pretty keen on it, so I may be good to go. But some of these have been pretty good so far.

How many miles did you put on it in that time frame?

Doesn't matter.

His property, his value, his price.

The only time that might matter, is if he is selling it back to the person from whom it was acquired.

"I have $1200. Are you willing to take a non-running lawn tractor, a couple lightly-abused power tools, and a stolen jet ski to make up the difference?"

Will you take $350 in Best Buy coupons?

quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:
How many miles did you put on it in that time frame?

Since you asked, less that 400. The time frame is about a month and a half.

There are lots of people that ask because it has worked in the past. If you don't want to mess with them (or at least mess with fewer of them) you need "$xxxx firm". If you want to encourage the low ballers you need "$XXX OBO".

Will you take payments?

I don't mind a low ball offer. That is how you negotiate. Make an offer - haggle.

"How much is the lowest you'll take?" is not negotiating. I made an offer to sell, now it is your turn.

And OBO, I assume means "or best offer." Which would be silly if meant literally. I assume you have a floor price.

Something is only worth what someone will pay so business is business.
Who cares what you put into to the car and yadda yadda ya ~ it's just a car, one has money and one has a car so it's up to both to make a deal.
Not personal just business.

quote:

Originally posted by xwesler:
So I'm selling my car. I paid $3,500 for it ($3000 cash plus the wreck of my old car), and I put about $700 into it (between parts and labor). It also has some pretty expensive extras in it.

I listed it for $3,300.

I have a couple legitimate interested buys, but I've also gotten a few great messages from lowballers.

The first was a simple message of "I'm interested in the car, but I only have $2000". I'm sorry, then you cannot afford my car.

Without know the kind of car it is, $2k seems like a pretty ball park opening offer on a #3.3k car.

I wouldn't call it a low ball offer...it's only about 30% off. I always thought "lowball" started at more than 50% off

Low ball offers just get deleted, I got the same song and dance before.

I agree with OP, 30% off seems like a lowball offer to me... If you want to offer a couple hundred less on 3300 that's cool, but you want a third off?

I don't understand... if you don't want to even pay CLOSE to the asking price why even bother contacting the seller just move on the the next listing...

quote:

Originally posted by Kskelton:
I agree with OP, 30% off seems like a lowball offer to me... If you want to offer a couple hundred less on 3300 that's cool, but you want a third off?

I don't understand... if you don't want to even pay CLOSE to the asking price why even bother contacting the seller just move on the the next listing...

Because there are scumbags that do this professionally for a living, and sooner or later, you call enough people and one needs the money for drugs, their rent whatever, and will take it........

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Something is only worth what someone will pay so business is business.
Who cares what you put into to the car and yadda yadda ya ~ it's just a car, one has money and one has a car so it's up to both to make a deal.
Not personal just business.

May have missed the part where I have buyers

These were just my two most amusing messages so far.

Also, if your plan is to attempt to negotiate with me, starting with "All I have is x." Will get you nowhere with me.

Holy crap all, I know the basics of business. I thought I'd share what I found to be an amusing experience, that's all.

I probably qualify as a lowballer. You can always raise your offer. Also, one of the questions I ask is how long the seller has owned the car. If it's a short time I assume he's a dealer/flipper or there is something dreadfully wrong with the vehicle. Also if you are reseller (broker, horsetrader or whatever you want to call yourself) then you can't really attest to the vehicles history and therefore I'm buying a pig in the poke. I've done that and made out and I've got burnt. When I'm selling and get a lowball offer I simply reply no thanks.

what somebody paid for something and what they put into it does not necessarily equal current fair market value. I understand someone wanting to get out what they have into something but that is not the buyers concern

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

Because there are scumbags that do this professionally for a living, and sooner or later, you call enough people and one needs the money for drugs, their rent whatever, and will take it........

Yeah, I know a guy who does this regularly.

I wouldn't call him a scumbag, but his game is to show up and start waving cash. Significantly less than what they're asking, but he has cash in hand and keeps offering it to the seller. He says it works about half the time.

quote:

Originally posted by CoolRich59:...... but his game is to show up and start waving cash. Significantly less than what they're asking, but he has cash in hand and keeps offering it to the seller. He says it works about half the time.

That's a part of the game I've never understood. "You're asking $1,000, but I'll give you $500. Cash money." Well, no kidding. Here I had priced it assuming we were going to be conducting this one time transaction between strangers in stock certificates or IOUs. US currency is an entirely different deal.

There's a school of thought on buying stuff (especially used and/or directly from individuals), that you should put out a lot of low ball offers. 19 out of 20 get turned down. But that 1 out 20 will bite, and you'll get something under value that you can resell. Yes the other 19 might be annoyed, but they don't matter.