My New Zero Tolerance Craigslist Attitude.

[jmon]

This is a transaction on CL. All rules are out the window. This is what happened when you would post ads in the classified section of the newspaper back in the day. CL is unregulated for the most part. You know what you are getting into on both sides. There are jerk sellers and buyers. Prob a little of both in this particular transaction. But I see no real foul by either party. Again. It’s CL. Try Reverb if you want something more regulated and professional. And even there it can be sketchy.

All that being said. I would have just said ok see you in a few. Taken the guys 600 and carried on. Haggling is standard practice in all sales.

 

[InhumanResource]

The reason for that was the buyer trying to renegotiate after he was already en route. Once he's on his way, the seller isn't taking anymore offers that he gets and has set time out of his day for the meet. The buyer decided to wedge in the idea of just turning around if he couldnt get another $50 off. Yet somehow... some way.... when he was told no.... he was suddenly almost to the seller and the traffic wasnt an issue. He rolled the dice and lost.

Losing would be a reply of "no". Op's response was petty.

 

[Mister Boh]

It's not personal. All you gotta do is say no and he'd have paid what you asked with that much time spent driving.

The worst part of CL is dealing with flakes and crazies so I'm happy to close a deal with a buyer that actually shows. Can't blame em for trying to get a better deal.

 

[LBS-bass]

I would be miffed if a price was agreed upon and a meeting was set and then the haggling began again. There comes a point at which someone should honor their word, and saying traffic is bad and you may be changing your mind after you've agreed on a price is not very honorable, IMO. The OP also said that he could have sold the thing for the original price of $650 so it's not like he's going to miss out on selling if that guy doesn't buy it. The buyer thinks because he's on his way he has leverage that he doesn't really have.

Personally I would have told the guy, nope, we agreed on this price before you left the house, negotiations are over and you either want it or you don't. Turning around is up to you; I can sell it to the next guy. But I can see the frustration the OP experienced, as well.

 

[bassliner50]

I have done a lot a business with Craigslist people. Bought and sold. Always got a great deal purchasing and made money on the sell side. I would have took the $600 and quickly forget any negative personal interaction. ...everything is negotiable. ...don't let drama get in the way of something which benefits you.

 

[JPaulGeddy]

eh, I hate the games too, but I would've done the deal at 600. But I understand too. I ended up giving away a bass to a guy that was nice, but broke, rather than sell it to one of the a-holes that were lowballing me so bad (mind you, this was only on a $150-200 bass to begin with).

It never fails to amaze me, the lowball offers. Automatically assume you'll get lower than you ask, factor it in the price. And always ask in increments of $20, since buyer will invariably have to stop at an ATM and not have change - looking for another $10 off.

 

[NKBassman]

I read it as the buyer claimed to be running late because of all of the traffic, wanted $50 because of the hassle and then when he was told “no” then he was magically almost there.

The reason for that was the buyer trying to renegotiate after he was already en route. Once he's on his way, the seller isn't taking anymore offers that he gets and has set time out of his day for the meet. The buyer decided to wedge in the idea of just turning around if he couldnt get another $50 off. Yet somehow... some way.... when he was told no.... he was suddenly almost to the seller and the traffic wasnt an issue. He rolled the dice and lost.

You all do realize that text message conversations are not necessarily instantaneous? Also, bad traffic does have a way of clearing up from time to time.

Perhaps the OP should share the time stamp information of the text exchange so we can really get to the bottom of this. /sarcasm

 

[MordBass]

Losing would be a reply of "no". Op's response was petty.

As petty as the guy that agreed to $600 in order to get the seller to call off other buyers and consider the item off the table? Then made up a line about traffic and tried to get a better price?
Imagine you own a business and interview 10 people for a position... you decide on one and he accepts for $20/hr.... then, 2 weeks later, after the hiring process and some training... he says that he wants $25/hr or he walks.
Is that fair? Now that you've already told the other 9 people that they didnt get the job, so they all took other offers?
This buyer agreed to $600, then tried to go back on that. At that point, all bets are off and he isnt owed any kindness.

 

[FingerDub]

No soup for you!!!

PS I’m not sure the character was to be emulated. A simple “no, I won’t go lower than X” was all that was necessary. You’re glad you didn’t sell him the bass? As the buyer I’d be even more glad I didn’t buy it.

He threatened me and lied. We had a deal in place before his text. I did it that way so I don't have to deal with 5 or 10 people low balling me in person. There was already a deal in place.

I'm also glad you were not the buyer.

 

[MordBass]

You all do realize that text message conversations are not necessarily instantaneous? Also, bad traffic does have a way of clearing up from time to time.

Perhaps the OP should share the time stamp information of the text exchange so we can really get to the bottom of this. /sarcasm

Ah, so the benefit of the doubt is on the side of your opinion?

 

[40Hz]

My business lives and dies by the contracts it negotiates. So I’ve got three decades of business negotiations under my belt. And while I always tried for a win-win when it came to a contract, I know from experience that not every negotiation is going to go smoothly. Which is probably why I’m seeing this exchage of words a bit differently from most other posts here.

Anyway, here goes my take:

1. OP misquoted price on phone but decided to honor his misquote. (And seemed to be pissed off about his own mistake.)

2. Guy makes joke about getting a lower price on way up due to traffic. (Putting a “haha” in a text message is the standard protocol and acceoted way to clearly indicate you’re just kidding.)

3. OP responds with a self righteous mini-rant and very unpolitely tells him to go home.

4. Guy, seeing how seller’s feathers are ruffled, tries to calm things down by telling him forget what he texted since it obviously wasn’t being taken as the joke it was. Repeats his offer to pay the agreed upon price of $600.

5. OP backs out of deal.

6. Guy, who’s almost at the end of an hour plus drive in traffic, justifiably gets angry.

7. OP doubles down by responding in kind.

About all I can conclude is that the OP was pissed he misquoted the price by $50 (which he tries to justify by saying he could easily get all day) despite his own decision to honor it when he could have easily gone back to the seller and corrected his mistake. So he was (hopefully subconsciously) looking for an excuse to get out of the sale. And an innocuous semi jesting comment from the buyer (who was already en route with cash in hand for the agreed upon $600) gave him the “excuse” he was looking for.

The outcome is what’s called “flouncing” on the part of the seller. Which is to say calling off a deal after the fact and storming off for purely personal rather tgan business reasons.

FWIW, if this occurred over a regular commercial business transaction it could be considered a breach of contract and could lead to legal liability on the part of the seller. The seller made an offer, which was accepted by the buyer who was attempting to tender payment to complete the transaction when the seller called it off for no reason other than the seller was having a bad day. Butthurt is not a valid business reason for canceling an agreement.

Fortunately, broken CL and personal deals seldom get to that level of seriousness.

tl:dr - Much as I’d like to back my fellow TBer on this one, I have to think the OP was totally in the wrong based on the information in his first post.

So in the spirit of his concluding comment about playing the game, I’d like to suggest that if you’re going to play the game, you might also try to loosen up a bit. And maybe grow a slightly thicker skin.

 

[FingerDub]

If this part is true the OP must have sold it for full price the same day, right?

I had four interested parties in the first day of listing it. I sold it two days later for full price to one of them.

 

[43ManSquamish]

I've got two basses and two guitars selling on CL right now, and the first offer was someone who wanted to buy one of each - and then followed it up with "I'll offer (20% less) and do you a favor by taking them off your hands."

Gee, thanks for the favor, dude. The prices are already low, the listing says FIRM, and there's a lot of other stuff along with the instruments - cases, strings, etc. I made a counter-offer of $100 less and they walked - which is what I was hoping for. (Actually, they just stopped communicating, another strike against.)

I get haggling, but I'm not the one whom they're doing the favor. However, I expected nothing less from CL.

 

[MordBass]

My business lives and dies by the contracts it negotiates. So I’ve got three decades of business negotiations under my belt. Which is probably why I’m seeing this exchage of words a bit differently from most other posts here.

Anyway, here goes my take:

1. OP misquoted price on phone but decided to honor his misquote. (And seemed to be pissed off about his own mistake.)

2. Guy makes joke about getting a lower price on way up due to traffic. (Putting a “haha” in a text message is the standard protocol and acceoted way to clearly indicate you’re just kidding.)

3. OP responds with a self righteous mini-rant and very unpolitely tells him to go home.

4. Guy, seeing how seller’s feathers are ruffled, tries to calm things down by telling him forget what he texted since it obviously wasn’t being taken as the joke it was. Repeats his offer to pay the agreed upon price of $600.

5. OP backs out of deal.

6. Guy, who’s almost at the end of an hour plus drive in traffic, justifiably gets angry.

7. OP doubles down by responding in kind.

About all I can conclude is that the OP was pissed he misquoted the price by $50 (which he tries to justify by saying he could easily get all day) despite his own decision to honor it when he could have easily gone back to the seller and corrected his mistake. So he was (hopefully subconsciously) looking for an excuse to get out of the sale. And an innocuous semi jesting comment from the buyer (who was already en route with cash in hand for the agreed upon $600) gave him the “excuse” he was looking for.

The outcome is what’s called “flouncing” on the part of the seller. Which is to say calling off a deal after the fact and storming off for purely personal rather tgan business reasons.

FWIW, if this occurred over a regular commercial business transaction it could be considered a breach of contract and could lead to legal liability on the part of the seller. The seller made an offer, which was accepted by the buyer who was attempting to tender payment to complete the transaction when the seller called it of for no reason other than the seller was having a bad day. Butthurt is not a valid business reason for canceling an agreement.

Fortunately, broken CL and personal deals seldom get to that level of seriousness.

tl:dr - Much as I’d like to back my fellow TBer on this one, I have to think the OP was totally in the wrong based on the information in his first post.

So in the spirit of his concluding comment about playing the game, I’d like to suggest that if you’re going to play the game, you might also try to loosen up a bit. And maybe grow a slightly thicker skin.

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.

 

[loveandbass]

OP is unable to see how he might be perceived as awful in this story

 

[InhumanResource]

As petty as the guy that agreed to $600 in order to get the seller to call off other buyers and consider the item off the table? Then made up a line about traffic and tried to get a better price?
Imagine you own a business and interview 10 people for a position... you decide on one and he accepts for $20/hr.... then, 2 weeks later, after the hiring process and some training... he says that he wants $25/hr or he walks.
Is that fair? Now that you've already told the other 9 people that they didnt get the job, so they all took other offers?
This buyer agreed to $600, then tried to go back on that. At that point, all bets are off and he isnt owed any kindness.

He didn't deserve unkindness either. Saying no, sorry my price is firm at 600 is one thing. Saying wah, I'm taking my ball and going home as punishment for your audacity to even attempt negotiating with me, Lord of the Internet, is a jerk move.

 

[BadSanta1281]

Try selling cars for a living. Low-ball offers are the norm. I would always thank them for the offer and ask them what criteria they used to formulate the offer. If we didn't sell it at least everyone was civil. Nothing to get upset about or I would have been walking around mad all day long. Maybe I'm weird but I always loved the negotiation part of the business.

I think it's just human nature to try and get a deal. Too bad you can't negotiate at the grocery store or the gas station.

 

[NKBassman]

Ah, so the benefit of the doubt is on the side of your opinion?

It must reside somewhere. As I'm of the opinion that the OP was wrong, then yeah, I'm giving the buyer the benefit of the doubt.

OP refused the offer, and the buyer accepted immediately without argument. OP was out nothing before flaking on the agreement, knowing full well that the buyer had invested considerable time to make the drive.

 

[primusfan1989]

Uh ok.

It’s not uncommon for buyers to try and get get things for cheaper. Telling him no was perfectly fine. But the telling him to turn around and go **** himself? Seems to me that you were the *** in this exchange, not him.

Sure hope that never happen to you when you go to buy something.

The OP was offended by the guy's lowballing of an already discounted price. I would have done the same.

 

[FingerDub]

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.

Exactly. I have to leave and meet with them. The whole reason I have a deal in place versus so that I don't have to bother with this from multiple people. And if you are going to threaten people to pull out of an agreed deal because of traffic then you better be prepared to follow through on your word.