Lowballers

[KrillBee]

I get sick of it when people try lowballing me on craigslist or on any online sales site. When will people understand that a price should be a solid price, unless the seller states "or best offer"?

And 5-10% is one thing, that is only slightly annoying, but when people ask for more than that, like a 25-50% drop its fricking rediculous.

When I list a price, I list the lowest price I am willing to sell it for at that time. If I was okay with the price being negotiable I would have said so. Why can't we all just do this and abide by this? Its a much more honest way to do business.

And if people aren't willing to pay market value for something, they should simply find a way to make some more money or reduce their living expectations and not engage in business over products they cant afford. They should not expect people to put up with their haggling and bend over backwards for them.

Anyone else here agree with me? Or have I gone completely off my rocker?

 

[TheTony]

Don't like an offer? Don't accept it.

Unless you're stating "firm", it's not unrealistic to expect some folks to throw out numbers to test the water. Some low offers may even step up when you counteroffer.

 

[Trikat]

Originally posted by: KrillBee
I get sick of it when people try lowballing me on craigslist or on any online sales site. When will people understand that a price should be a solid price, unless the seller states "or best offer"?

And 5-10% is one thing, that is only slightly annoying, but when people ask for more than that, like a 25-50% drop its fricking rediculous.

When I list a price, I list the lowest price I am willing to sell it for at that time. If I was okay with the price being negotiable I would have said so. Why can't we all just do this and abide by this? Its a much more honest way to do business.

And if people aren't willing to pay market value for something, they should simply find a way to make some more money or reduce their living expectations and not engage in business over products they cant afford. They should not expect people to put up with their haggling and bend over backwards for them.

Anyone else here agree with me? Or have I gone completely off my rocker?

I agree that they shouldn't be lowballing 25+% off! If they do that why don't they just go to a car deal and try to lowball the dealer's offer? If anything they should hunt around or offer a bit off of what the price is.

 

[AgentUnknown]

This is craigslist, a free service. Everyone is gonna low ball. That's a fact

 

[handoverfist]

That's why you start out high 🙂

 

[daveymark]

what if the price you're asking is just too much? Some guy was trying to sell a 15" LCD for $300 the other day. I offered $150 and he called me a lowballer. They sell for less than $150 on ebay and in some of the retail arena

 

[ruffilb]

Originally posted by: handoverfist
That's why you start out high 🙂

 

[KrillBee]

Originally posted by: handoverfist
That's why you start out high 🙂

You see this creates an even bigger mess. Then everyone is expected to haggle, or get ripped off. And the price stated is in no way a reflection of the actual selling price of the product.

Originally posted by: AgentUnknown
This is craigslist, a free service. Everyone is gonna low ball. That's a fact

yeah, i understand it being a little worse than the paper classifieds, but its more than a little.

The fact is, this is America we are dealing with. This isn't a third world country where haggling is super common. Where do people get the idea that this behavior is acceptable?

Originally posted by: daveymark
what if the price you're asking is just too much? Some guy was trying to sell a 15" LCD for $300 the other day. I offered $150 and he called me a lowballer. They sell for less than $150 on ebay and in some of the retail arena

The way to communicate that he is pricing it too high is simply by not making an offer for it at all.
When the guy has the monitor for weeks, and realizes he isnt selling it at that price, then he will realize he needs to lower the price and perhaps find out what the market value is.

But lowballing someone instead would be rude.

 

[jupiter57]

Happens to me all the time.
I always list items that I will go down on a little high in anticipation of hagglers, BUT, when I price something and clearly state FIRM in caps and bold, that's when the hagglers get on my nerves.
Just last week, I listed a laptop locally. Spelled it all out and put the price as $200 "FIRM".
Had several calls & E-mails about it, every single one of them asking if or how much less I would take! I replied to each one in the same manner: "The price is FIRM, I will take no less".
Finally, one guy calls, asks all about it, since he didn't ask, I made sure to point out that the price wasn't negotiable, and that I would only accept CASH! Says he's interested.
Sure enough, when the couple comes after it, I spend an hour showing it and explaining all the features, buttons, etc.
The wife says she'll take it! Great! Then, the husband has the nerve to start haggling, but he offered $150 and would not budge.
Finally, I told them as nicely as possible that I just wouldn't take any less for it and that was that. She agreed.
Sooooo, when it comes time to pay me, she states she only brought $150.00!
I started packing it up to put it back in its bag when she asked If I would take a check for the other $50. I said:Show me the cash, and I will take a check for the balance, BUT, there would be absolutely no warranty or guarantees on it if I did. Sheesh!

To top it off, the husband kept trying to get me to throw in my (New) Optical USB mouse. I refused.
Anyway, they paid me and left. Come to discover, the rat stole my brand new mouse anyway!!!

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: KrillBee

Originally posted by: handoverfist
That's why you start out high 🙂

You see this creates an even bigger mess. Then everyone is expected to haggle, or get ripped off. And the price stated is in no way a reflection of the actual selling price of the product.

Originally posted by: AgentUnknown
This is craigslist, a free service. Everyone is gonna low ball. That's a fact

yeah, i understand it being a little worse than the paper classifieds, but its more than a little.

The fact is, this is America we are dealing with. This isn't a third world country where haggling is super common. Where do people get the idea that this behavior is acceptable?

Originally posted by: daveymark
what if the price you're asking is just too much? Some guy was trying to sell a 15" LCD for $300 the other day. I offered $150 and he called me a lowballer. They sell for less than $150 on ebay and in some of the retail arena

The way to communicate that he is pricing it too high is simply by not making an offer for it at all.
When the guy has the monitor for weeks, and realizes he isnt selling it at that price, then he will realize he needs to lower the price and perhaps find out what the market value is.

But lowballing someone instead would be rude.

I completely disagree with everything that you've said. In business you negotiate all of the time, so saying that since the US is not a third world country thus we shouldn't negotiate is ignorant. You've been taught that prices are firm because you've led a retail life, you go into the store someone tells you exactly how much it costs, and you hand them that much money, but this is NOT how the business world works. Market prices are determined by supply and demand, and one of the ways that demand can be stimulated is by negotiation. The simple fact of the matter is that you are offering (presumably) used goods for which there is no set value, and it is up to the buyer to determine by how much the good has depreciated. His counter-offer is a way of letting you know how much he values the item, and is an excellent tool for helping you to price the item better. Under your logic that he should just not make an offer if he feels that the price is too high, you have no way of knowing why your item isn't selling. It could be that the item is a PoS and won't sell for any price, or it simply may be that you are asking more than market value for the item. In the latter case you would know for certain based on counter-offers that you have received, then it is your right to choose whether or not to accept this offer. I'm not trying to convince you to start haggling, I'm just pointing out some facts. You are completely within your rights when you decide that all of your prices are firm.

 

[igowerf]

Lowballers generally don't annoy me too much. If it's too low, I just flat-out refuse their offer. If it's only a little bit lower, then I'll talk with them and try to work out a deal.

The people that annoy me the most are potential sellers on the FS/FT forum who contact you when you post a WTB thread. I posted a WTB for a modded PS2 once and half of the sellers just PMed me with, "Yah I have a moded ps2 how much u wanna pay?" No description? No price? They're just blatantly probing me for the highest price that I'm willing to pay. If you don't want to give me a selling price, at least give me a description so I can make an offer.

 

[fbrdphreak]

The first and only time I posted something on Craig's List was my 93 Chrysler Concorde with like 160K+ miles. To my shock, I got an e-mail from a guy the next day, but was concerned because his e-mail was from a german domain. Ended up being he was a foreign exchange student and needed a car for a year. I had it listed for $1500 and given it did need some minor work, he offered $1300 and I accepted. Great deal for both of us, ended up much better than the $400 CarMax wanted to give me :roll: Crazy thing is the car ended up lasting him perfectly for the next year, he drove it up North several times, and ended up selling it to his roommate. Such a good ol' car...

 

[Slappy00]

I have used craigslist a few times and its really hit or miss. One guy sold me a vaccum for $50 (no haggleing .. looked fine, ran ok when he turned it on), a nice hoover that he said he used "6 times" turns out the filters (yes plural) had to be replaced along with the belt. Turned my $50 vaccum into a $100 one, which puts me close to what it costs to buy a decent NEW one. For every one honest guy trying to sell somethign for what it's honestly worth I am confident there are at least 2 trying to get rid of junk that you end up paying out the nose for. Another time i got some decent furnature from a guy that was moving (usuallly the best way to get good stuff at a low price).

When I sell stuff i sell it at a fair price and at least here at anand I have never had anyone make me any kind of lowball offer. Craigslist is tempting jsut because it is local and i feel more comfortable dealing with people face to face and cash in hand.

 

[Golgatha]

Originally posted by: igowerf
Lowballers generally don't annoy me too much. If it's too low, I just flat-out refuse their offer. If it's only a little bit lower, then I'll talk with them and try to work out a deal.

The people that annoy me the most are potential sellers on the FS/FT forum who contact you when you post a WTB thread. I posted a WTB for a modded PS2 once and half of the sellers just PMed me with, "Yah I have a moded ps2 how much u wanna pay?" No description? No price? They're just blatantly probing me for the highest price that I'm willing to pay. If you don't want to give me a selling price, at least give me a description so I can make an offer.

State please PM with price and details to be considered.

 

[Stuxnet]

I always state "price is firm" on online sales sites. I still frequently get PM's saying "I'll give you a nickel for the whole lot", and I just reply "sorry, you must have missed THE VERY FIRST LINE IN MY AD: PRICE IS FIRM!!!"

I'm a bit of an ass about it, but then again, they were too by asking in the first place.

 

[AnyMal]

Originally posted by: KrillBee
I get sick of it when people try lowballing me on craigslist or on any online sales site. When will people understand that a price should be a solid price, unless the seller states "or best offer"?

And 5-10% is one thing, that is only slightly annoying, but when people ask for more than that, like a 25-50% drop its fricking rediculous.

When I list a price, I list the lowest price I am willing to sell it for at that time. If I was okay with the price being negotiable I would have said so. Why can't we all just do this and abide by this? Its a much more honest way to do business.

And if people aren't willing to pay market value for something, they should simply find a way to make some more money or reduce their living expectations and not engage in business over products they cant afford. They should not expect people to put up with their haggling and bend over backwards for them.

Anyone else here agree with me? Or have I gone completely off my rocker?

Peeople don't search CL or other similar services to pay "fair market value", they search for a bargain.

 

[igowerf]

Originally posted by: Golgatha
State please PM with price and details to be considered.

I've always assumed that that is implied. Whenever I respond to a WTB thread, I give details, price, my heatware, etc. The buyer needs, at least, a basic description of the item before he/she can make a decision regarding the price.

 

[TheShiz]

don't like an offer? ignore it, what is the problem?

 

[T9D]

Craigslist is full of the dumbest cheapest people in the world. And way to many hippies use that site too. I get soooo frustrated with people on there. Half the time they dont bother to read the ad and ask totally stupid questions that are already answered. They totally lowball you when it says price is firm. They jerk you around and hardly follow through. You'll agree on a price and they will say they will show up at a time and then they dont. Seriously the best thing to do is just start it high and let them offer to where you wanted to sell it for anyway. As long as they think they are being smart they will be happy. When you have a free classifieds site like that it attracts a lot of deadbeats.

I'm going to start adding in there "dont waste my time with low ball offers please". Hopefully that will help somewhat.

 

[waggy]

Unless its marked as FIRM you have to assume you are going to get offers (even lowball ones). Also on a used item the market is dictated by what poeple offer NOT by what you think it should go for.

 

[Blazin Trav]

That's why I post a price and say firm because I know my price is reasonable and I know people take advantage of "or best offer."

 

[MisterJackson]

Dude everything is negotiable. Offering you $50 for a $300 item is one thing, that's offensive, but what are you gonna do, some people are just that stupid. Honestly, they do it too because every once in awhile it works and they score big.

On the other hand when I sell something I always have two prices in mind, my asking, and my bottom line selling price. Any good seller should do the same.

Now certain things are non negotiable. The little girl at Staples can't fix the price of a box of paper clips, but some retailers are flexible.

For example, I just bought a new phone from Verizon, I've been with them since forever. The guy asked if I would purchase the accesory pack with the blue tooth headset, charger, and clip. since I needed these things anyway I knew I'd buy them, but I used that oppritunity to say "Do you think I can get the after rebate price on this phone out the door? If so I'll take the accesories.". Guess what, he knocked a $100 off and I left a happy camper (I hate rebates with a passion).

Half the fun of buying something is haggling.

 

[Ausm]

That's why i don't sell anything here!!


Ausm

 

[importdistributors]

Have the same problem, have a car selling for 1200 dollars, and people are giving me calls and emails like crazy offering 400 dollars, Why dont they just kill themselves!

 

[Blazin Trav]

Originally posted by: importdistributors
Have the same problem, have a car selling for 1200 dollars, and people are giving me calls and emails like crazy offering 400 dollars, Why dont they just kill themselves!

Really? How many miles? They must not have liked the condition of your car.