quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
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.

Works for me frequently. Offer 2/3s their asking price, and a surprising number will take it without even a counter offer. I can always go up if its something I really want.

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
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.

Some people just want stuff gone. I found a sex cushion my ex wife bought while I was deployed in my storage locker. I never saw it before that so use logic to think of what it was used for. These things sell for $550 new I listed it for $100 but would have taken someone willing to pick it up for free. I would have jumped at any offer. In the end I got $100 for it.

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:

Works for me frequently. Offer 2/3s their asking price, and a surprising number will take it without even a counter offer. I can always go up if its something I really want.

Yup. Nothing personal, only business.

It is just something you are selling. A transaction. It isn't a personal attack.

Ignore an offer you think is too low. Or say; "No thanks." Or make a counter offer. Don't get insulted or annoyed.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:

Works for me frequently. Offer 2/3s their asking price, and a surprising number will take it without even a counter offer. I can always go up if its something I really want.

Yup. Nothing personal, only business.

It is just something you are selling. A transaction. It isn't a personal attack.

Ignore an offer you think is too low. Or say; "No thanks." Or make a counter offer. Don't get insulted or annoyed.

That is my take on it also.

For folks scoffed at offering 30% less. 2/3rd the asking price is about a 30% discount. It is a reasonable starting offer and doesn't mean they aren't interested. They are just trying to determine invested you are on that price...it has nothing to do with it's value to you; only to them

If you want to be intractable, I define that as expecting offers within 10% of the asking price, just list your item and include "firm" after the price

It is the nature of the beast. List something in the classifieds, and you are going to a certain percentage of idiot questions and flakes, and a fair number of what many here consider low-ball offers. It is the American version of the souk. Haggling is going to happen. If that bothers you that much, selling via a classified service isn't for you.

quote:

Originally posted by guardianangel762:
I found a sex cushion

I don't know what that is and I'm not sure I really want to know, but I'll probably be awake half the night wondering about it.

Liberator Esse Sensual Lounge Chair. On Ebay right now for 450 bucks. I think I'd rather get another Glock.

quote:

Originally posted by Drew136:
Liberator Esse Sensual Lounge Chair. On Ebay right now for 450 bucks. I think I'd rather get another Glock.

Downpayment on my Hi-Power instead.........

A couple that really drive me nuts.

First is the guy who responds to my ad by asking what is my best price. WTF? Negotiating 101 goes like this. I put my price out there. It's now your turn to provide a price/counter-offer. I don't negotiate against myself.

Second, and I get this all the time. By way of example I list something for sale for $300. Inevitably, I'll get an absurd offer, which I don't mind. It's the manner in which it's presented that makes me nuts. "I'll give you $100 and I have cash in hand". Somehow the guy assumes I'm a moron because the fact that he has his "cash in hand" is supposed to convince me his $100 offer is somehow going to be better to me than waiting the time it takes someone else to run to the bank to get $200, $250, $275, etc. Holy Crap!!!

My response to absurd offers though is always a polite "no thanks but I appreciate the offer".

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tomkat,

I thoroughly dislike the cocky sumbitches that, once I've rejected their lowball offer, reply with something like: "Fine. Let me know when you change your mind."

When I change my mind?! As in, they're assuming it's inevitable that I'm going to accept their ridiculous offer at some point.

Assholes.

To quote The Monkey, "OY!"

I'm going through this right now. My partner in the V-Tail, who uses it for three or four business trips / month, has decided that for the one family vacation trip / year, he wants to sell the V-Tail and move to the "stretch limo" version of the Bonanza, which has a roomier cabin and six seats.

The process of dealing with buyers and broker directly is being done by the partner, but I get numerous texts and emails from him every day, relaying one ridiculous statement after another, from potential buyers.

I just don't have the stomach to deal with this crap. I'm too old and ornery.

I remember back when I bought the V-Tail, I had an Aircraft Maintenance Technician (we just called them "mechanics" back in the old days ) do a pre-buy inspection and give me a punch list along with cost to deal with each item. I factored this in to what the airplane was worth to me and made a realistic offer. The buyer accepted, we shook hands, and it was a done deal. No BS involved.

Another transaction that I did, I bought a used BMW motorcycle from a dealer. I thought his price was too high. I opened my checkbook, wrote a check for what I thought it was worth but did not sign the check. I handed it to the dealer and told him "think it over. If you decide that you want to sell it to me for this price, call me. I'll come back and sign this check." I left, the dealer followed me out to the street and told me that we had a done deal.

Why is the current sale of the V-Tail be straightforward like this? I just can't stand this bullshit. OY!

I pulled an ad in the classifieds here because that's all I got was lowball offers.
I'll keep the damn pistol rather than give it away.

My Dad was a used car dealer. He maintained a car had 5 prices.

The price you advertised it for.
The price you would take.
The buyer had the price he'd offer.
The buyer had the price he'd pay.
Finally is the price the car sold for.

The mistake people make is posting a price and not having in mind the price you'd take. You may have a sucker with money burning a hole in his pocket. You just have to make him willing to give it to you.

When I get crazy low offer for an item I have for sale, I thank them for their offer then state I would not be able to accept. Chris

Just so you are aware, the $700 you put into the car added exactly zero dollars to the value of the car. Would have been better off selling it as you bought it, or better yet, not have bought it in the first place if you only planned on keeping the car for a month.

The one that drives me nuts is this:

Unsophisticated "negotiator" makes ridiculous low-ball offer.

I reply, "No thanks. My price is fair as I have priced less than x, y, and z websites"

Unsophisticated "negotiator" immediately responds, "split the difference?"

They have built zero rapport, they failed to understand my motivation for selling, they have failed to get me to move a penny, and they "think" I'm going to split the difference?

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

I had a moron neighbor offer me 200 bucks for a motorcycle I advertised at 3000, because he was on a "fixed income." Hey asshole, if you're on Social Security, I ALREADY pay for that. I gotta give you shit too?

Lowball Offers= No Response. I price things to sell, if you can get it for less elsewhere have at it.

To OP. I will accept your original post if you lower it by 50%. And maybe sweeten the offer by including some funny cat pics too.

I hate when they make a lowball offer, you say no thanks, and they keep it up with several e-mails worth of reasons why you should take their offer. Yes you can ignore them, but still very annoying.