My New Zero Tolerance Craigslist Attitude.

[lfmn16]

A time honored tradition? You have to do better than that. Isn't that pretty much one of the worst reasons to keep doing anything?

"What do you mean we can't beat our wives anymore? It's a time honored tradition!"

"We can't let those people vote or own land! It's a time honored tradition!"

"We want this land and are going to kill all you people already living here because that's a time honored tradition."

You want to compare haggling to beating your wife? Or denying the right to vote? Or genicide? You really want to make that comparison?

 

[nightchef]

The buyer backed out on the price before even seeing it and said he was turning around if he didn't get $50 off.

That is not what the original post says happened. The buyer made a rather smarmy, insinuating effort to get an additional $50 discount, which the OP was certainly entitled to find annoying--but he didn't literally say "knock $50 off or I'll turn around." And the minute the OP called his bluff, he backed off and agreed to stick to the negotiated price. How do you get from that to "his terms were clear"?

 

[40Hz]

I mean... as far as the buyer saying "haha".. thats the same as a dude saying "maybe we can make out lol" before a first date. Yea sure, the LOL was there but thats just a built in "out" incase the feelings arent reciprocated. Also, since you have this much experience, Im sure you can appreciate the seller cutting his losses and calling off the deal once the buyer attempted to renegotiate after an amount was agreed to.

For the record, I don’t consider myself an expert in the psychology of sales or the science of negotiation. But I do have real world experience in getting business negotiations done in a way that was beneficial to both parties. Much of that experience came as a result of making every negotiating mistake possible at one time or another. So my comments in this thread are offered purely in humble hope of helping someone avoid at least some of the many business mistakes I’ve made. Because I’ve been there - and it was no fun.

What I do appreciate is that this may become a learning experience for the seller and possibly make him rethink how he applies his “new zero tolerance” policy going forward.

As for as your “that’s the same as” example, you have to be careful with analogies. And false equivalencies. The one you’re making is equating a subtext solicitation of sexual favors with a business transaction. One in which there occurred at the most the buyer (and in this case I seriously doubt it was anything other than some harmless banter) was putting out a last minute feeler to see if the seller might go lower. Or haggling to use the usual term. But again I don’t think he was being serious at all.

And even if that was the case, and the seller already had an agreement on a price. So all that needed to be said was: “I’m sorry but my understanding was we already agreed on a price of $600. Does that mean we no longer have a deal?” That’s a lot less personal and more professional a response than the spiel that actually came back.

And no, the seller isn’t cutting his losses at all. He had someone who was ready and able to meet the agreed upon price. If the buyer stood firm on a lower offer, all the seller needed to do was decline. Which he did anyway, albeit with a pretty over the top reaction. And even when the buyer confirmed he’d pay the agreed upon price, the seller called off the sale because he was having a snit.

That’s not cutting your losses. That’s relinquishing a $600 cash sale that was moments away from bring concluded. And from a business perspective that’s not being very smart letting your ego stand between you and a sale.

Or so I think anyway.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

That is not what the original post says happened. The buyer made a rather smarmy, insinuating effort to get an additional $50 discount, which the OP was certainly entitled to find annoying--but he didn't literally say "knock $50 off or I'll turn around." And the minute the OP called his bluff, he backed off and agreed to stick to the negotiated price. How do you get from that to "his terms were clear"?

Would you consider $550? Haha thinking about turning around this traffic is horrible.

 

[nightchef]

Would you consider $550? Haha thinking about turning around this traffic is horrible.

Yes, I read the original post. That's what I was referring to as "a smarmy, insinuating effort." It implies that his interest is waning, and an additional discount might restore it -- but it's not an ultimatum at all. It leaves room for exactly what happened: the OP held his ground and the buyer dropped the effort to get the discount.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

CL is bad, I mean really bad, but FB sales groups are just as bad.
This is why I'd rather just get screwed at GC or Sam Ash, instead of wading through the myriad of tool-bags to try & sell it myself.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Pity when his wife demands he get rid of some gear, or there is a serious financial situation and it fetches $300.

 

[40Hz]

If he had the stones to ask, it wasn't a joke. He just wanted to break the ice...

Maybe. But my feeling is that it wasn’t the case at all. But maybe you’re better able to read minds than I am. So I’ll leave it at maybe.

Either way, I still think the seller handled the situation completely wrong.

 

[shrigg]

Did you sell the bass later?

 

[Coolhandjjl]

FB Sales- forgot about those. Yikes!!

I will never again hold something until someone can swing by after their work. Oh well, live and learn.

First come, first serve.

 

[MegaSwing]

Would you consider $550? Haha thinking about turning around this traffic is horrible.

The customer got things off on the wrong foot, and the seller kept things on the same foot, the result being one big NO SALE.

 

[BadSanta1281]

What I do appreciate is that this may become a learning experience for the seller and possibly make him rethink how he applies his “new zero tolerance” policy going forward.

Tolerance for other people make life easier for everyone.

I just can't tolerate these zero-tolerance people!

 

[WardEarth]

CL is bad, I mean really bad, but FB sales groups are just as bad.
This is why I'd rather just get screwed at GC or Sam Ash, instead of wading through the myriad of tool-bags to try & sell it myself.

Come on, it’s not that bad...unless you’ve got stories?
Every time you sell to gc, an angel loses its wings.

 

[G19Tony]

CL is bad, I mean really bad, but FB sales groups are just as bad.
This is why I'd rather just get screwed at GC or Sam Ash, instead of wading through the myriad of tool-bags to try & sell it myself.

I agree. When I want to move a bass, I just suck it up and go to GC. Buying from CL, is a different story for me. I don't mind doing that.

 

[I am Soma]

A time honored tradition? You have to do better than that. Isn't that pretty much one of the worst reasons to keep doing anything?

"What do you mean we can't beat our wives anymore? It's a time honored tradition!"

"We can't let those people vote or own land! It's a time honored tradition!"

"We want this land and are going to kill all you people already living here because that's a time honored tradition."

 

[jnsnj]

If it's expected to haggle on CL why set a firm price? Just set it higher than your firm price and let a buyer talk you down to what you want. Sometimes they will agree to a price higher than you thought.

I always do this. People expect you to move down on price. If I posted something for $10 someone will offer $8. If I expect to get $10 I'll post $12. Before I post anything I research what the item is going for. Find a reasonable going rate and then find the highest price I that is also still within reason. My posted price will be between those two numbers. Or I just want something out of my house but don't want to throw it away, I'll sell that for peanuts.

 

[WardEarth]

Instead of a zero tolerance policy, what would an intolerance policy look like?

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Tolerance for other people make life easier for everyone.

I just can't tolerate these zero-tolerance people!

That’s known as the paradox of tolerance.

If a tolerant society tolerates intolerance, it will become intolerant.

I am a tolerant person except when it comes to time-share sales people.

 

[TheReceder]

YESSSS! You're my hero of the day.

I had a similar one happen last year.

Guy: Hey man, I see you want $300, would you do $180?

Me: Way too low, Im being generous at $300. I'll tell ya what, if you want it for $275 today, ok.

Guy: I can be there in an hour for $265.

Me: Fair enough, heres where we'll meet (yadda yadda)

WE MEET

Guy: Looks great man, so whats the best you can do for me?

Me: I can do you right by honoring what we agreed to when you left your house to come here.

Guy: Hows $220 sound?

Me: Here's how this works. We already negotiated and then left to come here with an agreed price. If you think
for a second that I wont send you home empty handed just to spite you, you're about to have a bad day.

Guy: Hey man, its the internet, people bargain.

Me: Yea, and we did bargain, and we did agree. You have a 90's Expedition and came from 30 miles away. I just
drove 3 minutes to be here so I really dont care if you need to gas up and drive home with nothing.

Guy: Ok Ok, How about $250? Its only 15 bucks different what what we agreed on. Thats nothing.

Me: I feel ya, $15 is nothing... so now its $280. Or is that not how you want this to work?

Guy: Fine Fine... heres the $265 man. Geez you drive a hard bargain.

Me: No, Im just not a douchebag that goes back on my word after baiting somebody out of their house.




Funny thing is that I've done this like 3 times now and I win every time. Whatever amount they offer, i just counter by the same difference, in the other direction.




Additionally...... I've been selling on craigslist since it started.... same with ebay... same with classified listings on the tag boards of GC and local shops... etc.
FWIW.... I used to be 5'6 and 135lbs, now at age 37, ive been lifting a few years and Im at 5'6 187lbs. These back and forths go a lot easier now and I cant help but think thats why. Its not like im aggressive or imposing... I think its just that before, I looked like i would be intimidated easily.
One of my friends is a cop and whenever he does craigslist meets, he has his badge on a chain around his neck and a glock on his side. Tells people he just got off work lol. Said nobody has ever tried to further negotiate lol.

I think I'd actually like to do business with you. While I consider myself a fairly shrewd buyer, I'm also a firm believer in honoring any deals made over the phone as long as the seller represented what they're selling accurately. Me... I like to do transactions in the parking lots of police stations.

 

[MegaSwing]

CL is bad, I mean really bad, but FB sales groups are just as bad.
This is why I'd rather just get screwed at GC or Sam Ash, instead of wading through the myriad of tool-bags to try & sell it myself.

As long as you don't mind, it's okay. Some view it as the price of 'peace of mind', because after you make that deal, that merchandise will NEVER be your problem under ANY circumstances.