It would be different if the guy said "Oh, there's a paint chip here that wasn't listed in the ad. Mind knocking off a few bucks since I have to get that repaired?"
This was not one of those situations.
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My New Zero Tolerance Craigslist Attitude.
- Thread starter FingerDub
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It would be different if the guy said "Oh, there's a paint chip here that wasn't listed in the ad. Mind knocking off a few bucks since I have to get that repaired?"
This was not one of those situations.
Seems like poor behavior on both sides but the good thing is the OP can sell his bass for what he originally wanted and both parties know not to deal with each other in the future.
The OP did nothing wrong, some people are horrible and deserve attitude back. I had a phone call on a craigslist ad where the guy went into full blown insults, profanity, and name calling because I politely said no to his RIDICULOUSLY LOW offer. After I got done with him, I googled the phone number and it turns out he own several entertainment companies in Orange County.
Typical wealthy guy behavior, I've seen it hundreds of times.
Typical wealthy guy behavior, I've seen it hundreds of times.
No two musical instruments are alike. I find it impossible to be 100% sure that I want an instrument, or how much I want it, before actually holding it in my hands and making music on it.
(I'll admit the buyer here handled the situation poorly. I was just speaking to the general notion that it's reasonable to hold buyers to agreed-upon prices for sight-unseen instruments.)
My wife and I got into antiquing when we met in 1990. Her folks were in the biz, and we both became quite adept at recognizing stuff, details, pricing, etc. We became swap meet, estate sale, and auction junkies. It got in our blood, so to speak.
There’s a big antiques mall in a metal building out on the highway that opened that year and is still open today. We just went through it a couple of months back and noticed some of the same dealers had some of the exact same stuff in their cases as they did in 1990. And all because they refused to sell it for what someone offered or couldn’t handle just giving some of it away. Even if they sold just some of it for 1/4 of their sticker price back then, and gave away the rest, they’d be further ahead today. Makes me wonder...
The only time something has an actual value is when it’s exchanged, with the transaction price being the value. Anything else is just pure speculation.
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lol, yup, haggling is exactly like owning slaves, you're right.
The buyer backed out on the price before even seeing it and said he was turning around if he didn't get $50 off. His terms were clear, so the seller chose to allow him to turn around.
My answer would be simple: "I'm holding the posted price." Forget the litany of explanations.
This is the question one must ask oneself: Would I rather have the bass or the money? Forget the litany of explanations.
There's no room in salesmanship to alienate the customer. It's either a sale or it is not a sale. Forget the litany of explanations.
Abusive customers are free to walk. Period.
This is the question one must ask oneself: Would I rather have the bass or the money? Forget the litany of explanations.
There's no room in salesmanship to alienate the customer. It's either a sale or it is not a sale. Forget the litany of explanations.
Abusive customers are free to walk. Period.
Yes, but the time to make a lower offer is after you've got the thing in your hands, and only if there are clear problems that weren't mentioned already by the seller.
I had a guy ask me for an extra ten bucks off a craigslist item once. He said it was for gas after he had already agreed to a purchase price and driven to my location. I said no.
I really would like that item back and have gone to some lengths to get in touch with the guy. While I may have been in the right saying no to that ten bucks, part of me wonders if that made him mad enough to keep me from getting back the one that got away.
I really would like that item back and have gone to some lengths to get in touch with the guy. While I may have been in the right saying no to that ten bucks, part of me wonders if that made him mad enough to keep me from getting back the one that got away.
A fair transaction is what a willing buyer and a willing seller agree on. That's it. There is no other definition. If you have a bass you think is worth $600 but its only worth $400 to me, offering $400 isn't greedy, its just what I'm willing to pay for that bass. I you accept $400, that doesn't mean two other people selling the same bass won't agree on $600. Every situation, every buyer, every seller is different. Greed has got nothing to do with it.
So the guy tries a negotiating tactic, you respond by refusing to sell and you're PROUD of that? 
Being tactful doesn't make you weak, it makes you smart. I always respond with something like, "Thanks for the offer, but my lowest price is $XXX; if I decide to lower the price, I'll let you know, if you decide to buy it later, I'll honor that price." I don't make a single penny by being a jerk and it doesn't cost me a single penny to be nice.
Letting the guy drive an hour and then refusing to sell because you got your feelings hurt, I don't even know what to call that.
Being tactful doesn't make you weak, it makes you smart. I always respond with something like, "Thanks for the offer, but my lowest price is $XXX; if I decide to lower the price, I'll let you know, if you decide to buy it later, I'll honor that price." I don't make a single penny by being a jerk and it doesn't cost me a single penny to be nice.
Letting the guy drive an hour and then refusing to sell because you got your feelings hurt, I don't even know what to call that.
Is it really greed? The seller can always say no. It’s not like the buyer is taking something, they are paying for it.
Op still had the bass sold for $600 and was minutes from closing the deal and walking away with cash.
The buyer has a couple hours of drive time into the deal, he can try, but he’s not wiggling a discount at that point. He’s also unlikely to bail at the very end. He wants the bass. Why blow it up over an irritating text? And yeah, the text was a stupid move on the buyers part.
I live an hour from anywhere, I’m happy to let someone else make the drive. If they get all the way out here and want to haggle, I might say no. But I also might knock $25 off for saving me time and gas. And I’d still be better off than doing a pack and ship deal.
The buyer has a couple hours of drive time into the deal, he can try, but he’s not wiggling a discount at that point. He’s also unlikely to bail at the very end. He wants the bass. Why blow it up over an irritating text? And yeah, the text was a stupid move on the buyers part.
I live an hour from anywhere, I’m happy to let someone else make the drive. If they get all the way out here and want to haggle, I might say no. But I also might knock $25 off for saving me time and gas. And I’d still be better off than doing a pack and ship deal.
I think #2 is correct but in saying so am I guilty of #1?
AHA! So you agree that haggling is as odious as genocide and domestic violence, though!
Yes you got me with your impeccable logic, what a fool I was to try and debate such a master!
Years ago, I bought a non-working Squier P in a CL ad for $20. The body and neck were perfectly intact. I just knew it had a disconnected wire in it. It did. I paid the money and left. End of story. Nothing I could have said to the seller would have helped me. It's important to recognize when it's time to shut up.
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