An open door does not mean one has to walk through it. Not everyone wants to haggle, some sellers are just fine waiting to see if they get their full price. If the shoe is on the other foot and you were the seller and you thought someone would eventually come along with the full price, would you jump right away on a lower offer just because someone made that offer?
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This bloke won't haggle!
- Thread starter BigBluez
- Start date
I had a Richard Cranium that countered with their original asking price. 
I declined and sent a note that if they weren't open to offers, they shouldn't have the offer option available.
I declined and sent a note that if they weren't open to offers, they shouldn't have the offer option available.
Keep making offers at 25cent increments. Have fun with it.
Honestly, I'm with OP on this one. Accepting offers, and then not counter-offering or accepting within fifty bucks of the asking price is weird. End of story.
If you want THAT close to 700 bucks, price it at 700 bucks and be done with it.
And for those positing that the seller is holding out for more than asking, that's not really possible on Reverb or ebay. If you click buy it now at asking price the game is over. Someone would have to be an utter fool to offer more.
If you want THAT close to 700 bucks, price it at 700 bucks and be done with it.
And for those positing that the seller is holding out for more than asking, that's not really possible on Reverb or ebay. If you click buy it now at asking price the game is over. Someone would have to be an utter fool to offer more.
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That's what's known as "breaking the social contract." Mr. & Mrs. Cranium named their offspring presciently.I had a Richard Cranium that countered with their original asking price.
Had same thing happen to me today. "Would you consider $XXX for the bass?", His answer: "No". My offer was not a low-ball. I just move on from people like this, they don't deserve my money
My neighbor listed his house last week for 560k or best offer.
After one open house he had 18 offers.
The best offer was 620k, which was 35k over what it appraised for.
After one open house he had 18 offers.
The best offer was 620k, which was 35k over what it appraised for.
Just don't buy it. Somebody else will. I think some buyer's expectations are out of whack currently. They want to pay half of what they remember it listing for in 2005, free shipping, a discount if you don't have the original box and case candy, plastic film still on the pickguard and don't dare have a scratch on it. Also must be the lightest bass ever to leave the factory in that line. But that's fine, it's the internet and individual sellers only need find one buyer. No need to deal with drama.
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Right... but buying a house is a whole other affair.
I've seen some stuff up on Reverb that has been there quite a long while, makes me wonder if the significant other has a hand trying to get them to sell some equipment they don't really want to sell.
"It's just not selling, I can't force them to buy it"
"It's just not selling, I can't force them to buy it"
Not comparable because the house didn't also have "buy it now".
She or He also may have a different concept of time than yours.
I would argue that he is haggling - he's just better at it than the OP. If someone isn't close to your window of acceptable price, it's best not to drop your asking price immediately. He is negotiating - he's just telling you you're not close yet. Someone that doesn't cave in on price immediately is not not a haggler automatically - if that makes sense. I have sold houses where I got offers that I didn't counter - you gotta know where your limits are and stick to them sometimes.
If someone did that to me, I wouldn't accept ANY offer from them. Or reply.
If someone did that to me, I wouldn't accept ANY offer from them. Or reply.
Counterpoint: Every time I list something, somebody pops up within the first hour with an offer. My stock response is "Sorry, I just listed this today. If the listing is still up in two days, please feel free to try me again."
Haggling goes both ways. I'm not offended by offers, but I'm under no obligation to entertain them. Buyers likewise shouldn't be offended if their offers are rejected for any or no reason (too soon, too low, too pushy, etc.).
If the seller is patient, the seller has the advantage. If the seller is desperate, a pushy buyer can get lucky with an early low-ball offer. Which is why, I assume, every listing is met with immediate offers.
IOW, don't hate the player, and don't play the game if you're not willing to deal with this kind of dynamic.
Haggling goes both ways. I'm not offended by offers, but I'm under no obligation to entertain them. Buyers likewise shouldn't be offended if their offers are rejected for any or no reason (too soon, too low, too pushy, etc.).
If the seller is patient, the seller has the advantage. If the seller is desperate, a pushy buyer can get lucky with an early low-ball offer. Which is why, I assume, every listing is met with immediate offers.
IOW, don't hate the player, and don't play the game if you're not willing to deal with this kind of dynamic.
Dunno. Best offer (to me) always meant: "Give me your best offer. I'm not interested in haggling over or discussing things.Whoever made me the best offer once the the bidding window closes gets it for whatever they offered."
What that usually means, in practice, is that if the buy price is stated as $500 OBO, then that $500 is expected (or hoped) to be the lowball price. So you'll need to bid above - but still want to stay as close as possible - to $500 if you expect to nail it. In short, it's basically an invitation to submit a sealed bid above the asking price. It is not the same thing as saying: "make me an offer."
In some ways it's similar to a "reserve" price at an auction where the item will be withdrawn from sale if the reserve price (minimum bid amount) isn't met.
OBO is a little different in that it means (or should mean since it's a term commonly misunderstood by many sellers) that the item will still be sold for the highest bid received regardless of how low it might end up being relative to the asking price. This is sometimes a requirement at sales/auctions that don't allow a seller to set a reserve price.
So in this case I wouldn't expect to hear from the seller until the bidding closes. And I'd only expect to hear from him or her if I successfully made the best offer.
You're correct. But that's because OBO isn't a real time sales strategy. It's for someone who absolutely intends or needs to sell something, but is willing to gamble a little by playing the waiting game.
What that usually means, in practice, is that if the buy price is stated as $500 OBO, then that $500 is expected (or hoped) to be the lowball price. So you'll need to bid above - but still want to stay as close as possible - to $500 if you expect to nail it. In short, it's basically an invitation to submit a sealed bid above the asking price. It is not the same thing as saying: "make me an offer."
In some ways it's similar to a "reserve" price at an auction where the item will be withdrawn from sale if the reserve price (minimum bid amount) isn't met.
OBO is a little different in that it means (or should mean since it's a term commonly misunderstood by many sellers) that the item will still be sold for the highest bid received regardless of how low it might end up being relative to the asking price. This is sometimes a requirement at sales/auctions that don't allow a seller to set a reserve price.
So in this case I wouldn't expect to hear from the seller until the bidding closes. And I'd only expect to hear from him or her if I successfully made the best offer.
You're correct. But that's because OBO isn't a real time sales strategy. It's for someone who absolutely intends or needs to sell something, but is willing to gamble a little by playing the waiting game.
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People can do what they want but I don't know why somebody would create a listing saying the are open to offers if they aren't prepared to move at least 5%. Sure I understand waiting for a few days or weeks to see what happens before accepting an off. I have seen people say that they were asking a certain price and then proceed to state their price was firm. Its a bit of a head scratcher but not a crime.
