When I put up a saw on C'list, for example $150, and, some turd head offers me say $50. I reply "No saw for you!" and block their number.[emoji48]
Lowballers
- Thread starter sb47
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I don't even respond.
If they are seriously interested, they will contact me again.
Philbert
I had a guy lowball me on a canoe. Told me my Grumman canoe was worth $150. I told him to please let me know where they are selling them for that price as I'd like to buy ten of them.
LoveStihlQuality
Addicted to ArboristSite
And they'll say $50 'cash' as if the add that said cash only in person wasn't clear enough. Sometimes I say congratulations only $100 more to go.
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I wonder how the habitual low ballers deal with things that they sell. Do they start at some astronomical price, expecting to get talked down? Or are they offended?
One of my other 'favorites' is the guy who shows up for a $50 item, and 'only has' $40. (Bummer - you just wasted a trip . . . ).
Philbert
One of my other 'favorites' is the guy who shows up for a $50 item, and 'only has' $40. (Bummer - you just wasted a trip . . . ).
Philbert
I really love the guys who try to belittle you or your product.
Sorry pal, you ain't getting it now.
Sorry pal, you ain't getting it now.
Ikeholt
ArboristSite Operative
Good thread, pretty interesting. Things probably vary around the country. In my little corner you expect people to offer less. Just part of the game, when I sell something I list it for more than I'm looking to get. I do agree a major lowball is just kind of rude, and rarely works.
I am enjoying all the responses to this thread. Lots of funny stuff here.
On the other side of lowballers are the no brainer deals.
A guy called me a few weeks ago and asked if I wanted a cord of wood.
I said no, I sell wood I don't buy wood.
He said no, it's free. I thought, ok, I'll bite.
He went on to say, he had bought a cord of post oak for a cook off that got canceled and he didn't want the wood sitting in his back yard anymore.
He was less then 2 miles from me, so I drove over to take a closer look.
Sure enough he had a cord of nice post oak and I could actually back up right next to it.
He wanted it gone that day.
I said I'll be back in 10 min with my trailer.
He even helped me load it.
I'm still not sure why he gave it away but I didn't really care, Dude basically just handed me 250 bucks.
Should I have haggled? Maybe I should have charged him a disposal fee?
On the other side of lowballers are the no brainer deals.
A guy called me a few weeks ago and asked if I wanted a cord of wood.
I said no, I sell wood I don't buy wood.
He said no, it's free. I thought, ok, I'll bite.
He went on to say, he had bought a cord of post oak for a cook off that got canceled and he didn't want the wood sitting in his back yard anymore.
He was less then 2 miles from me, so I drove over to take a closer look.
Sure enough he had a cord of nice post oak and I could actually back up right next to it.
He wanted it gone that day.
I said I'll be back in 10 min with my trailer.
He even helped me load it.
I'm still not sure why he gave it away but I didn't really care, Dude basically just handed me 250 bucks.
Should I have haggled? Maybe I should have charged him a disposal fee?
084Amateur
ArboristSite Member
Was going to buy some stuff on craigslist that was grossly overpriced...more than new and not collectible. I sent him the Cabelas price and asked if he would beat it. Nope.
So a friend and I teamed up. Asked if he'd trade and described two guns worth hundreds more than his asking price. He said he'd trade for BOTH PLUS CASH!!
Same guy wanted $$$ off if I was selling at market price. Don't know if it's selfishness or ignorance??
So a friend and I teamed up. Asked if he'd trade and described two guns worth hundreds more than his asking price. He said he'd trade for BOTH PLUS CASH!!
Same guy wanted $$$ off if I was selling at market price. Don't know if it's selfishness or ignorance??
Probably because his wife said HE had to move it out of the yard that week. LOL
Philbert: My line when they say they "only" have so much on them is similar. I tell them, "Thanks for coming." They usually know then your price is firm and quit it. I also had them keep talking after offering "all they have" and then up the offer in cash. Like you never heard what they just said. Sometimes listing stuff on Craigslist is worth it just for the stories you get. Around here it's about a 80% no call back rate after saying they will come and get it.
CL is a form of entertainment and ulcer all rolled into one.
-Sometimes the low ballers are in business. They send maybe 25 or 50 emails every morning to new ads, all over the area, offerings half price or something. Usually higher dollar stuff they can resell, cars, boats, mc, etc. If they hit one out of 50 I guess they come out ok.
-Sometimes they are spam harvesters trying to grab your email. Don't reply. For some reason, my CL relay email doesn't work right in MSP area. If I sell, and they reply, they are anonymous as it should work. But I have had it give my email address (I only use that address with CL) when I reply to their question.And within 24 hrs get flooded with junk on that's account.
-I was selling Isuzu Troooper, $750. Over phone, yes that is my bottom price. Two women showed up, from about 30 miles away, in a taxi. Taxi waiting while they test drove it. When they came back, they sent the taxi away, before coming back to my garage to deal. "Only had' $590 in cash in my pocket. Sorry, looks like you will need it for another taxi ride home...... They talked, and must have forgotten the other $160 in another pocket.
Two weeks later I got a letter from a city owned campground in Wyoming, they were a runoff for camp fees, using my name and address. Campground was quite happy to have my fax of their names, address, DL copy, etc. and was going to walk down the hall to the state patrol and deal with it. I was clear, had filed title changes online, but I wanted them off the road as I would bet there was no insurance if they hurt someone.
-Sometimes the low ballers are in business. They send maybe 25 or 50 emails every morning to new ads, all over the area, offerings half price or something. Usually higher dollar stuff they can resell, cars, boats, mc, etc. If they hit one out of 50 I guess they come out ok.
-Sometimes they are spam harvesters trying to grab your email. Don't reply. For some reason, my CL relay email doesn't work right in MSP area. If I sell, and they reply, they are anonymous as it should work. But I have had it give my email address (I only use that address with CL) when I reply to their question.And within 24 hrs get flooded with junk on that's account.
-I was selling Isuzu Troooper, $750. Over phone, yes that is my bottom price. Two women showed up, from about 30 miles away, in a taxi. Taxi waiting while they test drove it. When they came back, they sent the taxi away, before coming back to my garage to deal. "Only had' $590 in cash in my pocket. Sorry, looks like you will need it for another taxi ride home...... They talked, and must have forgotten the other $160 in another pocket.
Two weeks later I got a letter from a city owned campground in Wyoming, they were a runoff for camp fees, using my name and address. Campground was quite happy to have my fax of their names, address, DL copy, etc. and was going to walk down the hall to the state patrol and deal with it. I was clear, had filed title changes online, but I wanted them off the road as I would bet there was no insurance if they hurt someone.
Big_Wood
westcoast dweller
i once had a guy come from the mainland for a honda XR350 i had for sale for $1500. bike was in great shape and was all road legal. 6 speed and hauled the mail for commuting fast, well worth what i was asking. the guy comes and offers me $500. knowing where he came from and past experiences getting the best of my temper i flipped and told him to get the **** off my property. was a funny deal cause he was ready to pay the price an hour later so i knew he wasn't going anywhere without it but at that point i was debating even selling it now lol. he literally stayed at a hotel that night and offered me $100 more the next day. it's so funny how some people are, especially the ones where you can tell they got money burning a hole in their pocket and will buy no matter what if you have what they want. the distance they travelled was certainly on my side lol. i gave it to him for the $1600 and that's the only time i can remember getting more then i was asking lol.
Shortly before we had our first child I sold my 68' Chevelle SS396 that was in the process of being restored. Picture a car on frame with perfect new paint but with trunk/hood, engine, and interior removed and in boxes (labeled).
Put it on Ebay with detailed description and many pics. Clearly stated ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. Guy does "buy it now" and drives up from southern Illinois (about a 14 hour drive). Guy gets up to my garage and literally has a panic attack because "this thing is all taken apart!!!". He hims and haws with himself for about 45 minutes and finally leaves.
Calls me the next morning from a hotel about halfway home. His wife is fricking PISSED at him for agreeing to buy the thing then renegging and driving up and halfway home empty handed. Wants to come back again and offers me $2500 less because "it needs assembly". Mind you I was selling the car for $6500 and it needed another $3500 or so of work to be a $22-25K car.
Told him to GFHS and relisted it. Sold it to another guy who came up and was beyond pleased with everything.
My blood pressure just raised from thinking about buyer #1. Need to go for a walk LOL.
Put it on Ebay with detailed description and many pics. Clearly stated ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. Guy does "buy it now" and drives up from southern Illinois (about a 14 hour drive). Guy gets up to my garage and literally has a panic attack because "this thing is all taken apart!!!". He hims and haws with himself for about 45 minutes and finally leaves.
Calls me the next morning from a hotel about halfway home. His wife is fricking PISSED at him for agreeing to buy the thing then renegging and driving up and halfway home empty handed. Wants to come back again and offers me $2500 less because "it needs assembly". Mind you I was selling the car for $6500 and it needed another $3500 or so of work to be a $22-25K car.
Told him to GFHS and relisted it. Sold it to another guy who came up and was beyond pleased with everything.
My blood pressure just raised from thinking about buyer #1. Need to go for a walk LOL.
I am usually pretty set on my price when selling. I knocked a couple hundred off on a 4 wheeler once, ended badly.
Sell some saws and bunch of appliances. Met a guy more than halfway, had a family deal to go to anyway. He shows up, ask some questions, and say "Oh, it is rebuilt?" I say yeah, thats what I do, it is fixed and I need this much, the same $$$ in add. He says, oh, not interested, I think he thought I would knock off $$$$$. I slammed my tailgate shut, told him to have a good day and left. Rarely meet anybody anymore. I tell them that is cash price and go fly a kite. I have wife put on facebook swap now, don't get so many tire kickers and bs'ers.
Although, there are good too. Listed our old 5th wheel camper, I mean it was sharp, cleaned it from top to bottom, inside and out. Had 1 tire kicker show up, when we were not there, then try to buy the camper we just bought and haggle us on price. Told em, well, it has been listed for 12 hours, and no I will not take less.A different guy called a few hours later and said he wanted it, I said I would hold a day, he would be there at 10:00 AM, guy drove 7 hours and had cash, did not haggle with price.
I got a buddy that buys and sells bikes and cars/trucks a lot, he says he will never pay asking price.....so there are a few.
Sell some saws and bunch of appliances. Met a guy more than halfway, had a family deal to go to anyway. He shows up, ask some questions, and say "Oh, it is rebuilt?" I say yeah, thats what I do, it is fixed and I need this much, the same $$$ in add. He says, oh, not interested, I think he thought I would knock off $$$$$. I slammed my tailgate shut, told him to have a good day and left. Rarely meet anybody anymore. I tell them that is cash price and go fly a kite. I have wife put on facebook swap now, don't get so many tire kickers and bs'ers.
Although, there are good too. Listed our old 5th wheel camper, I mean it was sharp, cleaned it from top to bottom, inside and out. Had 1 tire kicker show up, when we were not there, then try to buy the camper we just bought and haggle us on price. Told em, well, it has been listed for 12 hours, and no I will not take less.A different guy called a few hours later and said he wanted it, I said I would hold a day, he would be there at 10:00 AM, guy drove 7 hours and had cash, did not haggle with price.
I got a buddy that buys and sells bikes and cars/trucks a lot, he says he will never pay asking price.....so there are a few.
Meeting can be used as a negotiating tactic (' . . .now that you've come this far . . . .'). If I was going that way anyway, it might not be a big deal, for something that is easy to transport and worth the effort. But I am not going to make a special trip for a small item (been asked to drive 10 miles for a $20 item), or for their convenience, or to get stood up, etc. . . .
I don't get that - is it just ego? If someone has an item easily worth $100, and they are only asking $75, would he pass it up because they won't negotiate? Would he rather pay $95 for it if the seller originally asked $125 for the same item?
I get probing a little to see how firm someone is on a price, but the bottom line should be the value of the item, not how much he negotiated to get it.
Philbert
Over the years I have actually done pretty well selling on CL.
I had a nice power amp that I bought used on CL about 20 years ago. At that time the amp sold new for 1,500 but I payed 500 cash. I used it for about 10 years then I stopped using it so it sat in a closet for years. Put it on CL and ran the ad for over a year at 500 bucks.
Yeah I know I was asking the same as I payed years before. But the unit was in mint condition and worked perfectly.
That also left room for haggling.
At the new year, CL dumps all your ads from the previous year and you have to start over. Because I hadn't had a single reply in over a year I didn't renew the ad for 2017. In Feb I got a call asking about the amp and the guy came over and started to low ball me offering 400. That would have been a good sell at 400 but I held my ground and got him up to 450. SOLD!
Payed 500, used it for 10 years, sold it 20 years after I bought it for 450. I'd say I did well on that deal.
I had a nice power amp that I bought used on CL about 20 years ago. At that time the amp sold new for 1,500 but I payed 500 cash. I used it for about 10 years then I stopped using it so it sat in a closet for years. Put it on CL and ran the ad for over a year at 500 bucks.
Yeah I know I was asking the same as I payed years before. But the unit was in mint condition and worked perfectly.
That also left room for haggling.
At the new year, CL dumps all your ads from the previous year and you have to start over. Because I hadn't had a single reply in over a year I didn't renew the ad for 2017. In Feb I got a call asking about the amp and the guy came over and started to low ball me offering 400. That would have been a good sell at 400 but I held my ground and got him up to 450. SOLD!
Payed 500, used it for 10 years, sold it 20 years after I bought it for 450. I'd say I did well on that deal.
I bought these EV SH 1502 ER speakers on CL last week and payed 200 bucks.
I called and asked about there condition, and knowing what there worth I drove right over, checked them out, and they look and sound great. I didn't even try to haggle, I handed him 200 bucks. I tried real hard not to smile too much while I made the deal.
These speakers sell used in good condition for 600 a pair if you can find them.
I took a photo and reposted the same speakers on CL the next day for 500 and got a call today.
Guy wants to come look at them this weekend.
I love it when people don't know what there item is worth.
If there dumb enough to sell without researching the value of there item, I'll gladly pay your price.
I'm not actually wanting to sell them just yet, I kinda wanna play with them awhile first.
I called and asked about there condition, and knowing what there worth I drove right over, checked them out, and they look and sound great. I didn't even try to haggle, I handed him 200 bucks. I tried real hard not to smile too much while I made the deal.
These speakers sell used in good condition for 600 a pair if you can find them.
I took a photo and reposted the same speakers on CL the next day for 500 and got a call today.
Guy wants to come look at them this weekend.
I love it when people don't know what there item is worth.
If there dumb enough to sell without researching the value of there item, I'll gladly pay your price.
I'm not actually wanting to sell them just yet, I kinda wanna play with them awhile first.
I have done plenty of CL'ing- selling and buying. Sometimes I pay the asking price without haggling. Im sure some people feel like you have to negotiate down the price no matter what. To those people I would say I have gotten some even better deals because I didn't haggle, and so to the seller I was easier to deal with. I knew I was getting a good or even great price for the items, and so did the sellers. No haggling, cash paid, picked up promptly and at the agreed time (usually right then). Afterwards I would make sure they knew how to contact me in case they had any other good deals then they could avoid messing w CL and just call me. Several times it's paid off big time - pennies on a dollar. Nothing against negotiating down a price, just that there's more than one way to skin that cat.
Nothing wrong with asking, "is that the best you can do"
Ask once then let it go. Keep asking and the price goes up, not down.
NormP
ArboristSite Member
That's exactly what I did a couple weeks ago when I found a Jonsered 2152C. The guy knocked it down to $110 so I grabbed it. I don't think he knows or cares what the difference is between pro saws and homeowner saws.
