How do you handle the low-ball offers?

[Tejaas]

Just last night I was on an online auction site and found a single .57 Enfield bullet for sale from a VERY particular civil war site that I had a descendent fight at. So naturally, I want it!

127 dollars!!! No COA, affidavit, or even a picture of it being recovered by the digger.

He had it listed with an "or best offer" clause...
So I message the seller.

I told him I'd pay $10 for the bullet, which is EXTREMELY generous... And I'd add another $10 for the POSSIBILITY that it was from said civil war site. I explained that $20 was the most generous I was feeling on taking word of mouth as an authentication. I also explained that I had a few hundred Enfields I have found I could just as easily pass off as from a specific site if I wished too.

I did this in a professional and polite manner and told him I meant no offense, as I was genuinely interested, and wanted to know if he had any type of "proof" or the like.

I meant no insult with such a drastic lowball amount, but I offered what I thought was generous and explained my reasons.

My opinion, is if you leave yourself open to a "or best offer" - then be prepared for someone's best offer!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[Tejaas]

Making a low offer is a legitimate method of buying.

Well said!

Car dealerships intentionally list high, that way when they bargain down with the customer

A.) the customer feels like they got a good deal or "won" and are likely to do repeat business,

and

B.) the dealership STILL met their profit margin!


That doesn't make the salesman or dealership shady, but that does make the customer a fool if they pay the sticker price without at least attempting to haggle (or getting incentives included!)

My opinion, and no malicious intent implied towards anyone.

 

[Tejaas]

We sell on ebay for a living

Now I see why you get so frustrated with low offers!
You don't sell on EBAY as a hobby or for recreation, etc.

Those offers technically could affect your monthly income.

I never looked at it like that before.

 

[ivan salis]

as my grandpa said --it never hurts to ask --they always got the option to say "no thanks" be it a gal for a date or a offer to buy something at "your price" -- ask they can only say "no" or yes , if its no on to the next one.

 

[clovis97]

It amazes me how sensitive a lot of people here are about things like this. Especially when most people say they do it also. Making a low offer is a legitimate method of buying. A lot of you have said how offended you are about the low offers. Please consider lightening up and having fun. This whole eBay ride is a lot of fun when you let it be. You really need to take the advice of a previous poster and use the high-low parameters that are available when you choose to use the best offer option. You will only see the offers that fit between your high and low. I kind of miss the days when I was laid off for a year and I was doing this game full time. I learned a lot. And more importantly, I had a blast. Made about 2000 a month , got to go treasure (eBay stock) hunting all the time and probably worked a total of 20-25 hours a week. If I could work out some cheaper health insurance for the family , I would go back to selling full time. Have fun everyone!!!

Great post!!!!

I'm not sensitive about low offers, just very confused by them sometimes.

Anything that is crazy low, like the $10 offer on the $50 bike part, I totally ignore. Any offer that is even kind of remotely close, like the $20 offer on the $60 vintage manual, I will take the time to counter-offer, in hopes that we could settle on $47 or higher.

One thing that is peculiar to me is that often, the super low offers are made right after I list them, generally speaking, in the first 12 to 24 hours.

Lastly, to me, these forum discussions are helpful, and I generally walk away with new understandings.

 

[Iron Patch]

I also don't understand why anyone would think it's a big deal about a low offer, or a lot of other topis that come up here. People who do this are basically running their own business, and when you have a business, stuff happens. I don't hear too many complaints about the buyer clicking the BIN and paying the full price, which is obviously more money than was expected. If a lowball offer is the worst part of the day, I'll take that every day of the week and even twice on Sunday. Right now I am dealing with about 7 real issues with buyers, ones that are not as easy as clinking decline.... but I sure wish I could!

 

[clovis97]

I agree, IP.

I'd much rather have 100 low ball offers than 1 "item not as described".

 

[Iron Patch]

I agree, IP.

I'd much rather have 100 low ball offers than 1 "item not as described".

I'll go one step further... I rather both the lowball offers, and the not as described, as long as I don't lose money in the end. When you get to the level where problems are totally unavoidable and going to happen on a regular basis, you just do the best damage control possible and the main goal is not to lose money. That's why most of this stuff doesn't really bother me because it doesn't cost me anything.

 

[clovis97]

I'll go one step further... I rather both the lowball offers, and the not as described, as long as I don't lose money in the end. When you get to the level where problems are totally unavoidable and going to happen on a regular basis, you just do the best damage control possible and the main goal is not to lose money. That's why most of this stuff doesn't really bother me because it doesn't cost me anything.

I agree with that too.

I'm just perplexed sometimes by some of the crazy low offers. I do NOT lose any sleep over them. I was just wondering how others handle them. Just ignore, or respond with a counter offer?

Here is the one that I got for the $50 bike part:

I give you a offer of 10 dlls

Again, this was a thread about "what do you do?" and supposed to be a simple discussion.

Sometimes, I think that these threads turn into "Let's kick the OP. He's stupid for asking, so let's all pile on". I feel that these threads can morph into something more than what was intended.

Maybe you all read my post in a way to think that I was frustrated with the low offers. I'm really not. I could really care less. I just ignore them completely. Making crazy low offers is not how I do business. Do I want a bargain too? Heck ya, I do. My goal is to buy something for $1 and flip it for $200. I just never thought about spending a bunch of time making $10 low ball offers and demanding free shipping on ebay when the market is dictating something is worth $100.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

in honesty, I should add that if I go to a yard sale.or any sale, and I ask the "person how much?", and they say..." what'll ya give me?"
I tell them not to ask me that cause I am a cheapskate and will offer two dollars on just about anything if they ask me that....

more than half the time I get the object...?

 

[treasurekidd]

Fielding low ball offers is part of the game, and if you don't want to play this part of the game, don't use the best offer feature. As a seller, I've never used it because I feel that I price most of my items to move quickly rather than hold out for every last penny on everything. On the other hand, as a buyer I've used the best offer feature a few times and had my offers accepted every time, because I make reasonable offers on items. I figure if a seller has a best offer on a $20 item, he probably wants to sell it for $15, while HOPING to get the $20, and I'm not going to insult him by offering $5.

 

[Keppy]

It amazes me how sensitive a lot of people here are about things like this. Especially when most people say they do it also. Making a low offer is a legitimate method of buying. ....... Have fun everyone!!!

...You are so right every one now a days are way over sensitive .............. get upset over the smallest things.......... I make low ball offers .... and i have ones make low ball offers to me it don't bother me it sure as he!! don't hurt me.... God people grow up...

 

[smokeythecat]

I haven't sold much these last few years and never put an offer feature on the items. On the other hand, I have bought everything I have made an offer ON. Must be doing something wrong.