Is haggling different nowadays?

[Fasauceome]

I swear, people used to be able to negotiate prices, but everybody approaching me with offers online doesn't actually offer a price, they just say "what's your lowest price." Um excuse me, choosing beggars much? You want a cheaper product, but don't want to do any of the convincing work to do it? If I wanted to have a bottom out price that people could just outright ask for, I would list it at that price and say the cost was non negotiable. But no, the price listed is negotiable, now give me an offer!

 

Do I need to change my negotiating strategy? What do I put in my listings that would keep people from asking for a "minimum price?"

[Crunchy Dragon]

Tell them your minimum price is what you have it listed for?

[Zusafek]

@Fasauceome I personally put a hard number on anything I sell. If the want to negotiate then I will listen. If the come with what's your lowest price....I usually just walk away. They usually aren't serious. It's not like I'm in a rush to get rid of things. 

[Fasauceome]

4 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

Tell them your minimum price is what you have it listed for?

well, then they just say "you should have said price is firm, not negotiable" but I do want people to approach me with offers slightly lower than list price.

 

4 minutes ago, Zusafek said:

I personally put a hard number on anything I sell

generally I do this, on eBay. It's the local sites that usually do better with the haggling option.

[harryk]

There's nothing you can do to stop people asking for a lower price. Why? Because it works. A majority of the times I ask if the seller is willing to go lower they do.

 

1 minute ago, Fasauceome said:

well, then they just say "you should have said price is firm, not negotiable" but I do want people to approach me with offers slightly lower than list price.

If you want offers then ask for them. If they ask for the lowest price, reply with your list price or ask for an offer

[Sorenson]

I've sold several things on craigslist and eBay and you always get low-ballers. You just ignore them, and wait for a real offer.  

[Fasauceome]

Just now, harryk said:

A majority of the times I ask if the seller is willing to go lower they do.

asking to go lower and asking for the absolute minimum are two different things. Usually when you offer a price you expect to meet in the middle.

 

1 minute ago, harryk said:

If you want offers then ask for them.

when I do, buyers repeat their question or say "sorry not interested"

 

1 minute ago, harryk said:

If they ask for the lowest price, reply with your list price

when I do, they say "you lied about the price being negotiable" or say "sorry not interested"

[Theguywhobea]

Whenever I list something on craigslist I figure out what I want for it, then list it at +$50. Then people will shoot me an email and offer me $50 less than what I have it listed for and I say "yeeeaaahhhhh, I guess I could do that price"

 

This way I get the price I want and they feel good that they saved $50 off the price. Works every time.

[Stormseeker9]

27 minutes ago, Fasauceome said:

 they just say "what's your lowest price." Um excuse me, choo

I’ve noticed the same a couple months ago when I sold a few things online.

[Tristerin]

Also me: By bottom line price is yet to be discovered - make an offer or move along

[danomicar]

35 minutes ago, Fasauceome said:

I swear, people used to be able to negotiate prices, but everybody approaching me with offers online doesn't actually offer a price, they just say "what's your lowest price." Um excuse me, choosing beggars much? You want a cheaper product, but don't want to do any of the convincing work to do it? If I wanted to have a bottom out price that people could just outright ask for, I would list it at that price and say the cost was non negotiable. But no, the price listed is negotiable, now give me an offer!

 

Do I need to change my negotiating strategy? What do I put in my listings that would keep people from asking for a "minimum price?"

Honestly, i feel like that is a literal invitation to barter with you. You obviously don't give them your lowest possible price when they ask.

 

What would you prefer they say to initiate the negotiation??

[harryk]

2 minutes ago, Fasauceome said:

asking to go lower and asking for the absolute minimum are two different things. Usually when you offer a price you expect to meet in the middle.

I agree that asking for the "lowest price" is not very polite, but I always interpret it as asking for a lower price or asking to negotiate and go from there. If they're serious they'll play ball, otherwise I stop responding.

 

In my experience I often encounter what I call the "craigslist people". At least in large cities, you will get emails from people who are not genuinely interested in your item or even that particular item. They're looking for anything they can get a good deal on. Either because this is their "hobby" or they might actually be looking to flip it for profit. For them, any more than a bargain basement price is too much. They typically won't make an offer, and will always ask for a lower price even after you have responded with your "lowest price". Their M.O. is to keep asking until the seller stops going lower.

[Fasauceome]

7 minutes ago, danomicar said:

Honestly, i feel like that is a literal invitation to barter with you.

 

5 minutes ago, harryk said:

agree that asking for the "lowest price" is not very polite, but I always interpret it as asking for a lower price or asking to negotiate and go from there. If they're serious they'll play ball, otherwise I stop responding.

hardly, on the occasions I have offered a lower price, they just say "not interested" if it's anything above half price.

[harryk]

2 minutes ago, Fasauceome said:

hardly, on the occasions I have offered a lower price, they just say "not interested" if it's anything above half price.

Then they're not interested, simple as that

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

Not a fan of haggling in general.

 

When I put something up for sale, it has a hard price and I do mention that it's non-negotiable.  Whenever people still try to offer less I'll simply tell them to get back to me when they can actually afford it.

[TechyBen]

2 hours ago, Fasauceome said:

I swear, people used to be able to negotiate prices, but everybody approaching me with offers online doesn't actually offer a price, they just say "what's your lowest price." Um excuse me, choosing beggars much? You want a cheaper product, but don't want to do any of the convincing work to do it? If I wanted to have a bottom out price that people could just outright ask for, I would list it at that price and say the cost was non negotiable. But no, the price listed is negotiable, now give me an offer!

 

Do I need to change my negotiating strategy? What do I put in my listings that would keep people from asking for a "minimum price?"

Trolls be trolls.

 

Yeah, online is lots of people trying it on.

[Tristerin]

1 hour ago, danomicar said:

Honestly, i feel like that is a literal invitation to barter with you.

 

 

It is, but to myself, as a fan of going to the flea markets and haggling even a penny below asking price because its the experience of dickering that's part of the fun - that's a crappy invitation.  I always start off a super stupid low price instead - because they obviously balk and tell me a "minimum" I an try to work lower.

2 hours ago, Tristerin said:

Also me: By bottom line price is yet to be discovered - make an offer or move along

And also why I say this if someone asks me my bottom dollar.  I just tell them I don't know, a good enough talker may just get it for free.  Lets get to dickering!

[Andreas Lilja]

2 hours ago, Sorenson said:

I've sold several things on craigslist and eBay and you always get low-ballers. You just ignore them, and wait for a real offer.  

Rather have those than those who leave "witty" comments on Facebook Marketplace.

[dual290x]

Every time I sell something I have people do the same thing. "What the lowest you'll take?" WTF!?!

People who think they like haggling get offended when you haggle them. Whether online or in person, people either don't haggle or get offend when you do.

I love haggling things, I do it with favors just because I enjoy it. I don't know what is up with people.

[dizmo]

I get the same thing all the time when I post things on Kijiji. All you can do is ignore it, or say make an offer; if they come back with not interested, then they were never really that interested in the first place or were expecting you to give them a super low price...neither of which I'm sure you'd be interested in. It's just something you have to come to expect when you're dealing with people that are buying second hand items. While most might be pretty solid people, there's always the odd asshole.

 

I have a constant listing, for example, on a mountain bike forum for disc brake rotors (I had over 200 pairs). They're $15 a set. I get people asking me to travel up to 45 minutes to "meet them half way", and then they get mad when I laugh and say it's not worth my time. People are simply unrealistic most of the time. The thing I really hate is when all I get is an email saying "$30" on an item I'm asking $90...that was originally $250. Like, really?

 

In my listings, if I really don't want to get questions like that, I simply put something like "Price is fair, but make an offer" or something of that like.

It won't stop the lowballs entirely, but some who were thinking of sending one probably won't bother.

 

Just keep doing what you're doing. You've just gotta sort through the shit to find the diamonds, as it were.

3 hours ago, harryk said:

There's nothing you can do to stop people asking for a lower price. Why? Because it works. A majority of the times I ask if the seller is willing to go lower they do.

 

If you want offers then ask for them. If they ask for the lowest price, reply with your list price or ask for an offer

They're not asking for a lower price though. They're simply saying "what's the minimum." It is, quite simply, rude. Obviously the price that's listed in the ad is what the seller is hoping to get. That's why the price is there. Not only that, but if the person is interested, and they want a lower price, they should put forth what they're willing to pay.

[TetraSky]

Well at least they are asking before showing up with less money than expected and think you will just give them the item for lower like that.

[Arika]

I've noticed it a lot too. 

 

People want instant gratification with no effort. That coupled with the fact that most of the "haggling" these people have experienced are from video games.

 

I generally respond to "what's your lowest price?" 

With "what are you offering?" 

 

It's not worth it to even attempt to haggle with these people, 9 times out of 10 it's either a ridiculously low price that no one would accept, or it's "I have <insert junk> willing to trade?" 

[MoonSpot]

We can discuss the topic for a hundred dollars if you'd really like.

[PlayStation 2]

Welcome to shrewd negotiation, where you want one price and the seller wants another so you settle right smack dab in the middle at the seller’s price.

Nah but seriously, people are lazy. Admittedly it’s way easier for me to work with a lowest set price than a strict buyout. I trade in TF2 every now and then and I’m generally open to offers so long as they aren’t total shit. 

[Cereal5]

Sounds like you got the wrong buyers lol. The majority of the deal I actually deal with face to face will negotiate. Granted, most of my selling work as been with cars and not tech. If someone said that I would just say make me an offer, and if they're "not interested", tough shit.

 

"I know what I got"

 

14 minutes ago, Dan Castellaneta said:

Welcome to shrewd negotiation, where you want one price and the seller wants another so you settle right smack dab in the middle at the seller’s price.

Ok Ed Bolian.