Why not make an offer

[hkgar]

Have you ever bought something at a store that advertises We'll beat any advertised price?

The free market is a constant process of negotiation made through the billions of selling/buying decisions made every day

 

[Bent]

The bottom line is that unless you haggle someone, your being ripped off. It's the sellers job to make as much money as possible. It's the buyers job to spend the least money possible.

I would never in 100 years buy a car or much anything else at a "set" price. It just means your being ripped off, and I guess some people are cool with that. I'm not.

Personally, I could care less if haggling someone is considered abrasive in today's cupcake lilly liver society. I'm going to look out for myself and my own wallet, it's not the sellers job to do that, it's mine.

 

[scooters reef]

My wife has the same issues. She LOVES rummage sales, but will never ask. Someone will have something out for $5, but to HER it's only worth $2. Why not offer the $2? If the answer is "No", then so be it. It may be worth $20 to someone else and they get a steal!

How do you price anything used? Say, a return pump. Some potential buyers may prefer it be almost new, some ok with it being older if not used much, others only worried about energy usage, or any other number of things. To YOU it may be worth much more. Maybe you only want to upgrade if/when you can get what you think is a good price. Maybe you simply need to sell it FAST. The buyer may only be looking to upgrade if/when a good price is found, or could need it NOW!

How do you put a price on all those variables? You can't. You put up a price where you hope you can get what it's worth to YOU. Others will offer what it's worth to THEM. If they don't match, then no deal. If they match, then what's the problem with that? Anyone selling anything used is making an educated guess, at best, on what it may be worth to others.

 

[Bent]

My wife has the same issues. She LOVES rummage sales, but will never ask. Someone will have something out for $5, but to HER it's only worth $2. Why not offer the $2? If the answer is "No", then so be it. It may be worth $20 to someone else and they get a steal!

How do you price anything used? Say, a return pump. Some potential buyers may prefer it be almost new, some ok with it being older if not used much, others only worried about energy usage, or any other number of things. To YOU it may be worth much more. Maybe you only want to upgrade if/when you can get what you think is a good price. Maybe you simply need to sell it FAST. The buyer may only be looking to upgrade if/when a good price is found, or could need it NOW!

How do you put a price on all those variables? You can't. You put up a price where you hope you can get what it's worth to YOU. Others will offer what it's worth to THEM. If they don't match, then no deal. If they match, then what's the problem with that? Anyone selling anything used is making an educated guess, at best, on what it may be worth to others.

Shrug,

I guess that's why "obo" came about. Me personally, if I sell something, I set the price at double my lowest price and say obo.

This way if I want to get 50 bucks out of something, I may end up getting 55 or 60.

 

[reef thief]

People will express interest and then rather than making an offer, they ask what I will take.


If you are interested, why don't you make an offer? I don't understand?

.

OMG. I just dealt with this the last 3 months selling my house. Luckily I'm making money on this sale and had equity built already. But there's an asking price for a reason. I offered the family across the street $20,000 off of asking price and they agreed but still struggle to meet the financing on the place after the price cut. They stalled as long as they could but I can't back out now because the house is in Wisconsin. No one will buy a house this time of year.

 

[scooters reef]

Shrug,

I guess that's why "obo" came about. Me personally, if I sell something, I set the price at double my lowest price and say obo.

This way if I want to get 50 bucks out of something, I may end up getting 55 or 60.

Sorry, that was directed at the "set price" responses and not yours. However, stating "OBO", or "Firm" does help

 

[Potatohead]

Plain and simple..

You ask $100..
I might say.. "well would you take $75?"
and you say "sure"... (because you would have taken $60 so $15 more is great and that benefits you)
and now I'm thinking.. "crap.. what if I said $60"...

So by asking what is the lowest you'd take I assume I'm going to get the lowest price and not risk offering more than you would have taken as a bottom..

Just bad negotiation all around. If I was the seller in this situation I probably wouldn't even accept the first number right away, even if it was at or higher than I wanted. I would have come back with "sorry, but no, I will go to $85."

 

[SecretiveFish]

I have been having some similar musing about negotiations recently... I had one person offer 50% of asking price, I countered and they disappeared... Were they insulted that I countered because they were convinced I would go for their offer? Did they find a better deal (doubt it)? Fall off the face of the earth?

I know I will never get an answer but am perplexed nonetheless.

 

[Ghost25]

Interesting to see everyone's perspectives. As a buyer I usually only contact people selling something in the ballpark of what I consider fair or a good deal. I don't make a lower offer over text or email. I check it out, maybe chat for a minute, point out any flaws or defects that would bring down the price. Then I'll usually ask if they'll take 10-20% less than advertised. Negotiate if they're willing and if their not I usually buy anyway.

I'll usually only low ball if I'm at a flea market or garage sale, something where I didn't arrange to meet the person. I usually don't bother messaging if I think the price starts too high even if I think they might come down a bit.

 

[jayball]

In general I will offer lower than asking if it says OBO, assuming I think it should be priced lower.

 

[jrp1588]

Its funny how much pushback this simple idea is getting.

No, bargains are nothing like negotiation. The buyer knows ahead of time what the price is, and two buyers at the same store get the same price. The price doesnt depend on haggling (i.e. being an annoying SOB), so that some people get a good price and others get a bad price. Advertised bargains are equitable -- everyone gets the same bargain.

Yes, negotiating also happens with big ticket purchases like cars and houses. I'm not clear how thats a rebuttal. I am equally annoyed in those cases and if I could flip a switch and change history, I'd make it so that we didnt accept haggling in those cases either. Just like we dont accept haggling for a new TV, a gallon of milk, or a gallon of gasoline.


The expectation that if I dont haggle I'll pay a higher price is offensive. The fact that if someone else comes in after me and haggles, theyll get a better price, is ethically questionable at best.

Like I said -- we dont all have to agree. But when someone points out that they find a practice rude, whats the point of arguing? Thats like continuing to use the word retarded after people tell you theyre offended by it. Youre not offended, so do you argue with them and try to talk them out of it? Or do you take that as a learning opportunity, and realize that its a word that offends some people?

You're entitled to your opinion, and I don't think anyone is bothered that you have it. The problem is, like it or not, this is how things work. You can stand on principle and not haggle, but all it's going to get you is a lighter wallet. I don't enjoy haggling, but I do enjoy getting the best deal I can, and realistically that comes from haggling.

 

[pisanoal]

Its funny how much pushback this simple idea is getting.

No, bargains are nothing like negotiation. The buyer knows ahead of time what the price is, and two buyers at the same store get the same price. The price doesnt depend on haggling (i.e. being an annoying SOB), so that some people get a good price and others get a bad price. Advertised bargains are equitable -- everyone gets the same bargain.

Yes, negotiating also happens with big ticket purchases like cars and houses. I'm not clear how thats a rebuttal. I am equally annoyed in those cases and if I could flip a switch and change history, I'd make it so that we didnt accept haggling in those cases either. Just like we dont accept haggling for a new TV, a gallon of milk, or a gallon of gasoline.


The expectation that if I dont haggle I'll pay a higher price is offensive. The fact that if someone else comes in after me and haggles, theyll get a better price, is ethically questionable at best.

Like I said -- we dont all have to agree. But when someone points out that they find a practice rude, whats the point of arguing? Thats like continuing to use the word retarded after people tell you theyre offended by it. Youre not offended, so do you argue with them and try to talk them out of it? Or do you take that as a learning opportunity, and realize that its a word that offends some people?

I'm confused how you are not doing the same thing as you pointed out in your last paragraph... But aside from that, if you don't want your point countered, then why are you participating in a discussion between two sides? Inherently, there is going to be a point made, and a rebuttal. Do you find discussions with two opposing sides offensive and rude too? I can only imagine where we would be as a civilization without disagreements... No one would ever prove any preconception wrong. Hmm, I guess the earth is flat since disagreeing is rude.

And as far as negotiating goes, if you are fine listing your house at the value that you think it has, which probably has zero emotional attachment(sarcasm), and not selling it because it is too high for market value and no one wants to be "rude." Then by all means, keep it. Or you can wait 6 months, drop the price, wait another 6 months, drop it again... have fun taking 3 years to sell your house. And by the way, this is directly relevant to this conversation. Same exact principles at play. As stated numerous times, there is no way to determine an exact value of worth on a used item until you both come to an agreed upon price. Doesn't have to be a scammer seller, or a rude buyer. Seller lists for what they think its worth, someone comes by and says well I just paid a little lower for same item, ill give you that price for this one. Accept or don't. You can find it rude if you like, but its just targeting a value.

And we aren't "bringing" anything to our country. It was here long before you or I were born, and predates our ancestors unless you are Native American.

 

[EMeyer]

I'm not criticizing anyone for having a different opinion on this. As you point out, its only because there are differences of opinion that the conversation is worth having.

It goes both ways. The conversation is interesting to me because it blows my mind anyone would defend haggling. I find it incredibly rude and will literally walk away in most cases. But its worth having this conversation because it helps both sides realize where the other is coming from. It tempers my reaction. Instead of cussing the person out I am now inclined to instead quietly walk away.

As for "bringing something to our country" -- yeah, we used to crap in a hole in the ground. Then we invented the flush toilet. There are countries where they still crap in a hole in the ground. I dont support bringing that practice just because we used to do it here.

As a society, we've moved beyond haggling for almost everything. It only remains for big ticket items (houses and cars) and used items. I'm looking forward to the future when we move beyond haggling altogether. In the meantime I've avoid it as much as possible, and argue we should not expect it or encourage it.

 

[Bent]

I'm not criticizing anyone for having a different opinion on this. As you point out, its only because there are differences of opinion that the conversation is worth having.

It goes both ways. The conversation is interesting to me because it blows my mind anyone would defend haggling. I find it incredibly rude and will literally walk away in most cases. But its worth having this conversation because it helps both sides realize where the other is coming from. It tempers my reaction. Instead of cussing the person out I am now inclined to instead quietly walk away.

As for "bringing something to our country" -- yeah, we used to crap in a hole in the ground. Then we invented the flush toilet. There are countries where they still crap in a hole in the ground. I dont support bringing that practice just because we used to do it here.

As a society, we've moved beyond haggling for almost everything. It only remains for big ticket items (houses and cars) and used items. I'm looking forward to the future when we move beyond haggling altogether. In the meantime I've avoid it as much as possible, and argue we should not expect it or encourage it.

This might be the most frightening thing I've ever read...

 

[jayball]

This might be the most frightening thing I've ever read...

First time on the Internet?

 

[Bent]

First time on the Internet?

Nope.

 

[HippieSmell]

Considering the amount of people who suffered and died at the hands of communist dictators, the amount of people who died fighting those communist dictators and those people who are currently living in the throes of socialism, i think you have the wrong "devil". Make no mistake about it, despite the current propaganda being spit out, the only difference between socialism and communism is a gun.

The demonization of businesses and corporations and anti-capitalistic propaganda is a huge problem in this country today, and it's all done for the monetary and power gain of those individuals pushing it.

Capitalism and business is the heart of America, if people don't like it, there are jets and boats that leave every day.

Socialism is not communism. Capitalism is not democracy.

 

[GriffinMarsh]

As a buyer...
I want to pay the lowest price..
If I don't want to offend you and just totally low ball you I will ask what is the lowest you are comfortable taking..
Any offer I make that I don't believe is a low ball... I will always second guess myself "did I get his lowest price"..
I take a chance that the seller will give me his lowest offer if I ask..or that the offer he gives is lower than I would have asked because I didn't want to low ball/offend..


As a seller..
I want the highest price..
I also don't want to be offended by low ballers over and over..
If someone asks me whats the lowest I will take I will give a price that I'm comfortable with..

This is my practice as well for most items. Luckily Ive been in the hobby long enough to see what most things should sell for, but at times I feel like corals especially, aren't described appropriately, or called something similar but maybe aren't. So if that happens and the price is reflecting a designer piece price for something that might not be I will ask what is the lowest they are willing to take. If I'm interested in a piece, but feel the price is high, I don't want to offend a seller by giving my honest offer. When they come back and say give me an offer, and I do, they seem more often than not to get offended. Unless its a friend, then we argue over prices consistently.

 

[tklb]

I'm 40, very pro capitalism, very anti socialism. This isnt political. Its about civilized behavior. Haggling is something you encounter in third world countries and not something we should import to our society.

Its inherently antagonistic to expect the buyer to haggle because of the dishonesty. The price youve listed isnt the actual price you expect to receive? Then just save us both some time and be honest about the price in the first place.

Its inherently antagonistic to the seller because theyve listed their price, and now youre gonna try to give them less? They just told you the price, what makes you such a special unique snowflake that you get to have it for less?

"Developing negotiating skills". Thats like telling me I need to develop some sleight of hand skills so I can slip merchandise in my pockets without anyone noticing. Yes it would benefit me, but no its not how the world should work.

To be clear, I'm not arguing its unethical or illegal to expect haggling. Just very rude, rude enough I'm immediately no longer interested in any kind of transactions with the person. We dont all have to agree. But its useful to know when the behavior youre encouraging ****es off a fraction of society.

I just don't get how having an honest variance in perceived value and working toward a price/value agreeable to both parties is rude. You keep calling it rude and antagonistic, but it just simply is not. If you are intimidated by the practice, then I guess I can see how you would perceive it as rude or antagonsitic, and of course there are some scumbags out there, but in general it is neither rude nor antagonistic.

I don't understand how you can be "Very Pro Capitalism", yet anti-haggling. It is all about supply and demand, and leverage, and finding common ground in value. I hope you don't own any Gold, Silver, Commodities, Stocks etc. Because those are ALL priced based on what people are willing to sell for and what people are willing to buy for. Or are you OK with those prices being 'Haggled' in that sense, since it is not you doing the haggling?

 

[Bent]

Socialism is not communism. Capitalism is not democracy.

1: Yes it is. Communism is a political model, socialism is a financial model. Communism in all forms used a socialist economic system.
2: I never said it was.
3: the US isn't a democracy