AFAIK Carmax has a whole different business model than traditional car dealers. They'll pay up to get a nice car. They do most or all of their reconditioning in-house and can keep the costs incurred with getting it ready for sale lower.
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My New Zero Tolerance Craigslist Attitude.
- Thread starter FingerDub
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AFAIK Carmax has a whole different business model than traditional car dealers. They'll pay up to get a nice car. They do most or all of their reconditioning in-house and can keep the costs incurred with getting it ready for sale lower.
Not all of us have the luxury of not being desperate cheapskates. Sometimes the difference between $600 and 650 means you can't have it because payday isn't for another few weeks and this is an instrument you've been trying to obtain for years.
Guess being poor just isn't honorable.
Dude sounds like you just played yourself. You almost sold a bass for what you would say you sold it for. Haggling is a time honored tradition. Now you have to waste more time dealing with other people to make the sale. I don't know how valuable your time is, but not being able to schedule stuff because I've got 7 looky-loos comes to see a bass isn't my idea of a good use of my time.
Buyer assumed the risk of the deal falling part by making another offer while in traffic. Seller had already reduced the price.
Asking for a lower price isn't the problem, but...
...this is. He followed up his "ask" with an implied threat that he would not honor the deal as agreed upon, and walk (or drive) away. OP was right to kill the deal at that point. Buyer was a jerk for responding with profanity instead of trying to salvage the situation (via voice, not text), and should not be surprised that the OP responded in kind.
Especially when you play it badly.
The seller guessed on the price to put on the tag. You can certainly guess on what you will offer as well. They seriously want to just get rid of the stuff, get it out of their lives. Not sell each item for what they put on the sticker.
"No thanks. I'll just have the car, please".
^This. The buyer was the A-hole for asking for an additional price reduction after a price was agreed upon and then threatening to turn around. Now, if there were issues that weren't captured in the pics, asking for a price reduction is fine. Negotiating sight unseen is a rookie move.
The key to getting a good deal is to never insult the seller.
I've bought a car from CarMax before. When I went to pay, they had already added in the extended warranty. Had to get them to take it out and then spend 15 minutes explaining why I didn't want it. I don't see how this is a fun activity.
Oh it's OK to say no after you agreed on a price but YOU USED PROFANITY YOU HORIBEL PERSON. ;>
But seriously, consider this: I play a lot of video games. Any game that has "haggling" also incorporates the concept of "insulting the other party". It's so much a part of our culture that it is nearly always part of the model. People who haggle know the risks. After an insulting bid, it is perfectly acceptable to change your mind, raise your prices above the original asking price, or simply refuse to have any further dealings.
But seriously, consider this: I play a lot of video games. Any game that has "haggling" also incorporates the concept of "insulting the other party". It's so much a part of our culture that it is nearly always part of the model. People who haggle know the risks. After an insulting bid, it is perfectly acceptable to change your mind, raise your prices above the original asking price, or simply refuse to have any further dealings.
So the potential buyer was annoying and you tell him no. Another knight in shining armor that wasnt needed.
True that, some people aren’t very classy with their haggle, most are alright. Brush those ppl off and move on.Yeah, why give up the opportunity to look like a desperate cheapskate?I've never looked upon haggling as any kind of skillful endeavour. All too often the people engaging in such behaviour look cheap and, to be frank, seem to be lacking a degree of honour and class. I'm not saying all haggling is wrong or unbecoming - but far too much of what I've seen does, for me, come across as such. If you believe a price to be fair, do the honourable thing and pay the asking price. Not everything has to be about getting a "better deal".
I have had more issues with sellers. I have found multiple great deals that I have been on my way to pickup and then the sellers messages me saying that someone offered a higher price than what I was going to get it for and he is selling to them now. Mind you this is while I was on my way to them.
Doesn't sound like it. On the other hand, it beats the three hours of BS you normally go through when buying at a traditional dealer.
Let’s say I was the buyer. I was prepared to buy it at $600. But since this isn’t eBay, Reverb or GC where I have the ability to return it if it doesn’t arrive exactly as described/ or something’s wrong with it, I have to protect myself.
I get there, and maybe the neck has a slight twist that wasn’t discussed. Maybe there’s a scratch that didn’t show up in the pics. Maybe it’s condition doesn’t look like the pics at all. So if there is anything that makes me uncomfortable about the item, I am free to walk away or haggle, whoops, I mean negotiate.
If something is not right with the item, I’m certainly not going to proceed with concluding the transaction, and then call the seller back tomorrow stating there is a defect and I want my money back or a discount. I’m not saying this was the situation here. The OP’s a member here, so I’m sure the bass was fine and advertised as such.
But for many things, everything’s negotiable right down to the minute cash exchanges hands, especially CL. That’s just the way life is.
I get there, and maybe the neck has a slight twist that wasn’t discussed. Maybe there’s a scratch that didn’t show up in the pics. Maybe it’s condition doesn’t look like the pics at all. So if there is anything that makes me uncomfortable about the item, I am free to walk away or haggle, whoops, I mean negotiate.
If something is not right with the item, I’m certainly not going to proceed with concluding the transaction, and then call the seller back tomorrow stating there is a defect and I want my money back or a discount. I’m not saying this was the situation here. The OP’s a member here, so I’m sure the bass was fine and advertised as such.
But for many things, everything’s negotiable right down to the minute cash exchanges hands, especially CL. That’s just the way life is.
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It's very easy to be fair with people, I don't understand why people have such a hard time with this. My husband had an item for sale this past weekend listed for $350. There were a few people interested but no one firmly agreeing to buy. Two people had asked if he'd take $300 and he said yes, but they disappeared. Someone else then offered him $250 to come get it that day. I asked him if he wanted to accept $250 and he said no, so I told him to tell that guy that there are other offers coming in and that he'd be in touch if they fell through. That way the $250 guy had an opportunity to bid up. Easy. Nobody got their feelings hurt and husband ended up selling it for $300 to someone else who wanted it at that price.
Some people are just flippers looking for a deal to resell. You don't need to bend over backwards for everyone, but you don't need to alienate anyone, either.
mine go more like this:
Guy: Hey man, I see you want $300, would you do $180?
Me: No, but thanks for the offer.
Guy: I can be there in an hour for $265.
Me: Make it $275 and we're on. I just want to let you know so you don't waste your time that I won't go down on price.
WE MEET, HE TRIES ITEM
Guy: Looks great man, so whats the best you can do for me?
Me: $275 is the lowest I can go.
Guy: Hows $220 sound?
Me: No, but again, thanks. Have a great one (said in a friendly tone with a smile, and starting to walk away)
Guy: Okay, here's the $275. You can't blame a guy for trying. (hands over money)
the only two times this happened to me, i got the agreed on price, and between basses, cameras and guitars, i've sold a lot of stuff. i always list above the lowest price i'd be happy to accept - i get my asking price about half the time and the lower price i'd be happy with the rest of the time.
something that makes me less unhappy about meeting buyers is that i won't drive more than ten minutes to meet someone. i've sold three cameras, a lens and a harp across the street at target
and i sold a DSLR and kit lens last week at the other target 2 miles away. but it keeps me from stressing about the drive if i meet the buyer near a place i want to shop anyway... twice in the past ten years (and not very recently) i agreed to meet someone further away, and wouldn't you know it - they were the only two i've met in person who ended up not buying the item. so ten minutes is the max drive for me.
If it had been me, I would have sold it for $600.
An appointment to "check out" a bass in which no price has been agreed upon ahead of time is certainly fair game for a bit of negotiation. I would not be offended by that. I certainly wouldn't hurl obscenities at the buyer.
You should go ahead and cross me off your list. I'll do likewise. The more I read this over, the more I feel you are the one out of line.
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