My theory on Low Ballers

[Cat_Driver]

I've read this entire thread. It's interesting how different people react to different situations. In my opinion, if a price isn't stated as firm or non-negotiable the buyer is free to offer what he wants to. I personally would never feel insulted or offended by an offer for something I'm selling. As a matter of fact, I almost never feel insulted or offended. The way I approach these type of feelings is, you can't offend or insult me if I don't respect your opinion. For the most part, the only people that can offend me are close personal friends or family members and that almost never happens because they in turn respect me and my opinion.
Kevin

Most are not understanding the main point. Many people have expressed here as I have that we sellers do in fact get offended. So let's leave that out of the equation. My selling price WAS stated on the phone and with the caveat of it being firm as I already lowered it from the asking price.

Yes people have purchased great bargains by low balling.

Here's the point that a few have gotten on this site. There is an art to low balling, that the buyer of my equipment failed at and my starting this thread was to educate the low ballers that do not "get it' As some have suggested there are ways to get to a negotiated price between two people, without insulting the seller.

Now back to the "insulting part " since most are locked on to that point. Yippie for those that do not get insulted, but just because you do not get offended or insulted for the myriad of reasons, does not mean other don't. That's my point !!!!

Isn't it better to walk away WINNING 100% negotiated deals than LOSING 50% because you are "insulting" 50% of the buyers?

Back to my buyer. He lost $1000.00 by pissing me off, ( I'm one of the 50% that get offended by low ballers who do not know how to low ball ) because that's how much more I sold the equipment for a week later.

I hop real world numbers makes my point for me now.

Had my buyers said something like - "what can we do to make this sale happen" " I know you said XXXXX amount firm, but would you consider XXXXX as I can do this or do that and give you this and that" " I respect that you want XXXX amount firm, but if you would meet me here XXXXX at this price etc. "

It's all about attitude and respect. Shot gunning a low ball price does piss "SOME" people off and there's no need for it. If the need it get a bargain my thoughts are find a more pleasant want to accomplish the same low ball goal, but with a better tone and attitude and I thin we will all go home with bargains 100% of the time.

Whether you want to believe it or not sellers like to like the person they are selling to. I stopped liking the guy that low balled me so he wasn't going to leave with my equipment at any price.

Bottom line I made $1000.00 more and he lost $1000.00. It was his job to keep me as HIS friend not me keep him as MY FRIEND.

Oh and pallleeezzzeeeeeee - the word friend is used as a metaphor so please think before you start up and go crazy on the work "friend

 

[Baby Grand]

I got lowballed on a car a few years back. My ad clearly stated $1500 firm - not negotiable. He said "$600 cash". I felt insulted, but I also thought it was funny that this chowderhead thought that I was going to part with the the old girl for substantially less because his opening bid was so low. So I responded "$1750". He looked at me like I was some kind of idiot and said "that's not how it works". I said "that's how it works, now - you coulda had a sweet deal at $1500". He left, shaking his head and cursing. I sold the car a few nights later to a guy who offered me $1500 - he got 4 mounted snow tires thrown in for being straight with me.

 

[RollingsFarms]

I got lowballed on a car a few years back. My ad clearly stated $1500 firm - not negotiable. He said "$600 cash". I felt insulted, but I also thought it was funny that this chowderhead thought that I was going to part with the the old girl for substantially less because his opening bid was so low. So I responded "$1750". He looked at me like I was some kind of idiot and said "that's not how it works". I said "that's how it works, now - you coulda had a sweet deal at $1500". He left, shaking his head and cursing. I sold the car a few nights later to a guy who offered me $1500 - he got 4 mounted snow tires thrown in for being straight with me.

Haha I do that same trick! You'd be surprised how effective it is. Usually the way I do it is however much they lowball me from the price I'm asking I'll add it to the "new" price I also love it when they'll say "I can buy this same so and so at so and so for such ad such price" to which I respond "then why didn't you go there first?"

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Church was looking at a $400 10x12 steel building kit and to build the treated deck to screw it to was going to hit $200 I expect. Initally wanted a 10x16 wood building but they were are over $2000 new.

After looking at the actual metal shed at Lowes it became clear that was junk as some as the first large tree limb came down on it as it is going to be on a creek bank under old trees.

Found some used ones that people 'had' to sell to pay bills but even with some age they were wanting half of new price and some had been listed for months. Now these were not 'new like' any longer.

When the guy with a fairly nice 10x10 demo from lowes with some age (brand new built on site today is $1900) could not meet me so I could pay his $900 cash price I looked at a 10x16 that was a bit older but had a better roof and was of course bigger.

This was on CL and the seller was 65 and was not able to list it with a photo. Started not to go but since the other guy was out of pocket I went and looked at it since it was listed for $850

After deciding it was an OK option and there was easy access to it with the F700 truck and 21' equipment trailer without backing I told him told him I was interested but not the 120 mile round trip in the old truck and more farm ready trailer since I have an OK option 20 miles up the road with no towns to pass.

I just asked how many $100 bills would it take for us to close the deal since it was starting to get dark and I was hungry. He said he wanted to see my offer in cash so I counted out 5 bills that was for the other guy that could not me to get the $900 payment for his deal to close.

The guy said he would not consider that but would take $650. I said would he take $600 can call it a done deal. He said OK (listed for a long time with one looker). So I gave him the six and started to pull out and he asked if I was going to give him the other $50 when I came to pick it up.

I said not $600 was my final offer and I was serious because of the cost of that trip and the $900 10x10 with some loft storage was going to be fine with no travel hassles. I open the door to get my $600 and he said OK $600 seals the deal. We plan to get it tomorrow so we can have it on the trailer at church
Wed evening. If the ones most interested in the project do not care for the $600 option I will just pull it up to the house and park it and the metal building plans can be acted upon and I am totally happy either way.

When I tear down the old garage to prep for a new shop I will use this 10x16 for the stuff currently in the old garage. I would have had the expenses of getting it home anyway plus it should be a good learning project for the kids who have never loaded and moved a building.

Betting I will not be bringing it on up to the house. No one was really interested in building the deck and screwing the building together and will jump on the $600 option setting in the parking lot.

The guy came off his price about 30%. He wanted it out of his yard because he had another building for his Harley and Harley trailer. If he had said NO to the $600 off I would have been just as happy. Basically he moved something he wanted out of his yard that no one else had even made an offer on and now he has my cash and it will be gone tomorrow if plans happen.

When one adds hiring an old building moved vs a new one with 20 miles free delivery on new stuff going with a new clean build is not that much more if the old one will need paint and roofing in a few years.

 

[vabiker23518]

I've been on both sides...what really trips me, though, is when a guy calls me on a Craigslist ad I had placed to sell a outboard, and him asking if I would take "40% less", and he hasn't even seen the item. That resulted in a hang up on him!

 

[Tollster]

I had a lady at the yardsale this weekend try to work me down off a $1.00 item, the only item she had. I promptly told her to go get 2 more items and we would discuss it,She then left......Hehhe. Quick, easy and painless.

 

[caver]

There's a local Facebook page for selling stuff. A set of new drums were offered for $375.The thread has become very active in the last 24 hours,, since I asked if they came with cymbals etc. Some dude just asked what's your bottom dollar? I immediately thought of this thread.
Within a half an hour of initially turning the bottom dollar guy......down the seller came back with $350. I think they are about an 1100$ set.

 

[NoTrespassing]

Most are not understanding the main point. Many people have expressed here as I have that we sellers do in fact get offended. So let's leave that out of the equation. My selling price WAS stated on the phone and with the caveat of it being firm as I already lowered it from the asking price.

Yes people have purchased great bargains by low balling.

Here's the point that a few have gotten on this site. There is an art to low balling, that the buyer of my equipment failed at and my starting this thread was to educate the low ballers that do not "get it' As some have suggested there are ways to get to a negotiated price between two people, without insulting the seller.

Now back to the "insulting part " since most are locked on to that point. Yippie for those that do not get insulted, but just because you do not get offended or insulted for the myriad of reasons, does not mean other don't. That's my point !!!!

Isn't it better to walk away WINNING 100% negotiated deals than LOSING 50% because you are "insulting" 50% of the buyers?

Back to my buyer. He lost $1000.00 by pissing me off, ( I'm one of the 50% that get offended by low ballers who do not know how to low ball ) because that's how much more I sold the equipment for a week later.

I hop real world numbers makes my point for me now.

Had my buyers said something like - "what can we do to make this sale happen" " I know you said XXXXX amount firm, but would you consider XXXXX as I can do this or do that and give you this and that" " I respect that you want XXXX amount firm, but if you would meet me here XXXXX at this price etc. "

It's all about attitude and respect. Shot gunning a low ball price does piss "SOME" people off and there's no need for it. If the need it get a bargain my thoughts are find a more pleasant want to accomplish the same low ball goal, but with a better tone and attitude and I thin we will all go home with bargains 100% of the time.

Whether you want to believe it or not sellers like to like the person they are selling to. I stopped liking the guy that low balled me so he wasn't going to leave with my equipment at any price.

Bottom line I made $1000.00 more and he lost $1000.00. It was his job to keep me as HIS friend not me keep him as MY FRIEND.

Oh and pallleeezzzeeeeeee - the word friend is used as a metaphor so please think before you start up and go crazy on the work "friend

And from your very first post:

"I had a guy come out over the week end to offer to buy some equipment from me. My price was already on the low side of what the equipment was going for, plus I told him on the phone, I knew he was driving a long distance so I'd back of that for his gas."






I'm sorry, I didn't understand from your first post that your price was firm. If I'm going to make an offer other than the asking price, I will usually ask the seller if they're willing to consider lower offers. The answer I get is usually an indication of how much the seller will come off his price.

Kevin

 

[yelbike]

On another note: most people think of the "OBO" is the open door for submitting a lower offer than the original asking price,
When I use the term OBO in an ad and receive low-ball offers, My reply is ( I have already had a better offer),
The OBO means (Or Best Offer), not! best low offer-----> but best highest offer for example: if I'm asking 50.00 for a 100.00 lawn mower and someone realizes the lawn-mower is worth 100.00 they will inquire to buy without a Low-ball offer, or may even offer me 65.00 for the sake of not having anyone else to get this mower for 50.00, some might think it's like auctioning an item off, But not really, I think of it more as a tactic I use to help weed out the low ball offers, usually if you price something lower than its worth you'll get folks quicky linteresteded, and then you have the seriously interested people who are willing to pay a little more than you're asking in order to get the item, ......Though If you put your set price out there and use the term "Firm" it may be too high that most people won't even bother to inquire, unless of course they think it is a good buy:thumbsup:

I'm guessing offers above asking is rare as most people searching on craigslist are searching for a deal.

 

[Soundguy]

I'm guessing offers above asking is rare as most people searching on craigslist are searching for a deal.

yep.. if someone cals me on an add and offers me mor ethan I'm asking.. i hang up and figure it's a scam with a wire transfer and a apyment to a shipping co.

in reality. offers OVER asking price IMHO are liekly very rare, if legitimate.