Do low ball offers upset you?

[baba]

Do low ball offers on your equipment for sale upset you? Although they make me laugh sometimes, they don't bother me and can arguably be an effective starting point for price negotiations.

[DudeistMonk]

Nope. That's business...Would you pay a dealer sticker price for a car? How about a house?

[Ampeg SVT]

Only when a guy offered me $200 for a Warwick Corvette, and then he offered me $100 for a Jackson DKMGT.

Otherwise I just ignore the emails.

[Bongolation]

Listen: Judging by CraigsList here, so-called "lowball" offers are far, far, far, far more realistic than the typical delusional sellers' asking prices.

THAT is what makes me angry, some jackass asking 95% of new sucker street retail for some badly-used POS that obviously has problems he's trying to hide.

Never mind the people who are trying to get more than new discount price for some item.

Idiots, I swear...

[Jiggybass]

Hahaha, no, not at all.

Although I had this one guy get angry when I offered him 3000$ for his 97 grand cherokee with 240k kms on the clock, listed at 3700$, "no reasonable offers refused"

Fine then, keep your overpriced truck then, sheesh.

Seriously, it's an 11 year old truck with moderately high mileage and it's the absolute base model. onto next listings I guess...

[Baryonyx]

Usually no, they just make me laugh.

However, I was selling a bass and I had a guy come to my house to try it out. He stayed for maybe 20 minutes, and said he really liked the bass but was going to have to go away and think about buying it. A couple of hours later, he has emailed me offering me £250 for the bass, which I was selling at £400. I emailed him back and told him to stick his offer up his ***. Time wasters!

[bassteban]

No. If it's not a terrible offer, I'll say no thanks; really bad, I'll ignore it. Can't blame someone for asking.

[Jeff K]

Generally not. But if I'm looking to buy something that somebody else is selling, and they list, "firm" in their ad, I'm either going to buy it at their asking price or not. I figure there is a reason they said "firm". I don't want to insult anybody, so if I think it's too high, I won't even call or write. If I'm able to check it out and I then think the price is too high, I just won't buy it. If they ASK me why I'm not buying it, I'll tell them.

[tplyons]

Sometimes I'll say yes just to get some cash in my pocket.

I've only ever been insulted once, and that was because the buyer insulted my gear. He told me he played another one that was a piece of crap and because of it, he wouldn't pay more than $150 for my Mexican Jazz. I politely told him to take his belongings and get out of my house immediately.

[Gubna]

yeah, one time someone offered me $200 for an american fender.

[Bongolation]

Reality check for sellers from an ex-professional buyer/appraiser: A commercial buyer will never give you more than 25% of MSRP for an item unless there are very compelling special circumstances.

A prudent private-party buyer will not give you more than 50% of current new street price unless there are very compelling special circumstances.

Example: An amp head lists for $799.99 MSRP. Street retail on this model is, say, $600

If they'll even take it from you, a shop won't give you more than $200 in a straight cash buy for your used unit.

A prudent private-party buyer will not give you more than $300.

That's not "low-ball," it's just common sense.

Any hidden problem with the unit -- and these are predictable in used gear, particularly when someone is dumping it -- will eat up $50/hr. + parts + incredible hassle and delay before it can be used -- if ever. You buy gear assuming there's a bit of hidden work needed that the seller has done his best to conceal. Transferrable manufacturer's warranties (if any) are about worth the paper they're printed on, even to the original buyer these days.

You're not Guitar Center with a no-hassle 45-day money-back guarantee. You're some mook on CraigsList, and sensible buyers make offers accordingly.

[Feel free to bookmark this post and send the link to the next delusional seller you encounter.]

[NJL]

Originally Posted by DudeistMonk

Nope. That's business...Would you pay a dealer sticker price for a car? How about a house?

yup! that's how i got my house! lowballed him and he took it! now i have a three bedroom house to myself as well as about 20k in equity - i have had my house for 1 year and one month..

as another poster said, it's just smart business.

[Baryonyx]

Originally Posted by Bongolation

Reality check for sellers from an ex-professional buyer/appraiser: A commercial buyer will never give you more than 25% of MSRP for an item unless there are very compelling special circumstances.

When I traded in my Ibanez BTB405QM the shop gave me £400 store credit (or thereabouts). I bought it new for £450 about 6 years ago and sold it 2 years ago. So I guess I just got really lucky and the shop that bought it gave me a lot more than I thought they would!

[Bongolation]

Originally Posted by Baryonyx

When I traded in my Ibanez BTB405QM the shop gave me £400 store credit (or thereabouts).

THAT'S NOT CASH.

[anyonefortennis]

Originally Posted by DudeistMonk

Nope. That's business...Would you pay a dealer sticker price for a car? How about a house?

Do you bargain for a gallon of milk at the grocery store check out line?

[mimaz]

Originally Posted by baba

Do low ball offers on your equipment for sale upset you? Although they make me laugh sometimes, they don't bother me and can arguably be an effective starting point for price negotiations.

It depends on the prospective buyer's intent.......I hate it when you get lowball offers without commitment.......

Like, "I'd only give you $XXX, but I really don't have any $$ right now"

Get out!

[Bongolation]

Originally Posted by mimaz

It depends on the prospective buyer's intent..

If they bother you, learn the words, "PRICE FIRM."

Any other offers are then totally justifiable targets for your wrath.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by anyonefortennis

Do you bargain for a gallon of milk at the grocery store check out line?

My stepfather used to try that all the time. He would even offer them things like guitar picks in exchange for an egg or two.

Lowball offers irk me, if they are really ignorant or obnoxious; but they don't "upset" me to where I think about it longer than it takes to hit the delete button. I do agree though that I see a lot more unrealistic asking prices out there that do bother me (as a potential buyer) compared to the occasional email asking "would you take x amount" for something I'm selling.

I totally think it's within every buyer's rights to offer a lower price, but I also think it's within every seller's rights to ignore any offer they don't like.

[mimaz]

Originally Posted by Bongolation

If they bother you, learn the words, "PRICE FIRM."

Any other offers are then totally justifiable targets for your wrath.

I'm not sure that you understood what I was saying........

Lowball offers are a part of business, and I can deal with that just fine.

What I don't like are lowball offers from folks who do not intend to back up their offer, or are not actually able to back up their offer. If you make any sort of offer, be prepared to honor it.

[NJL]

Originally Posted by anyonefortennis

Do you bargain for a gallon of milk at the grocery store check out line?

i don't drink milk.