How NOT to make an offer

[Etherealicer]

For what it's worth, he might just be coming at the deal from a different place...


We have a site called "gumtree" (back in the good ol days we had the trading post, but that was a whole different time and different culture)

Anyway, what has happened with gumtree over the years is that people put optimistic prices on things, often 2x what they are willing to accept. So it's not uncommon to enter a negotiation with a solid low-ball.

Of course, part of it is attempting to read the seller (and the item) to pick a "fair" price.

You were asking $1400, he offered $800...perhaps he was expecting to agree on around $1200

(I don't know about the whole USD/CAD thing. How often are y'all doing business in both currencies?)

That is what I thought...

[Grant Lamontagne]

The math doesn't actually work- with the conversions, he was offering me a little over 1/3 of what I was asking.  He thought it was half, but he didn't bother with the conversion first.  Even so, if these are the knives you are after then you should be smart enough to realize that they are probably worth more than what I am asking for them.

Plus, when you factor in taxes and import fees, exorbitant shipping from the US, and the fact that none of those OH models are likely to make it over the border, they should be worth a lot more to a Canadian dealer.

Not to mention that some of those just aren't for sale anywhere anymore as they are special editions, discontinued and reasonably rare.

For all those reasons, he can go smurf himself.

Def

[SteveC]

What a tool 

[ezdog]

Nevermind

[chrono]

I don't see any reason to get your blood pressure level raised over negotiation like this. Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for, and people always want to save money, especially with bulk sale and off-eBay. I had people lowball on Craigslist before. The prices were less than my expected minimum, I just flat out said no and moved on. Shouldn't be that difficult.     

[Gerhard Gerber]

 

Those legendary Canadian manners.........nothing like that among us savages 

[CallsignBadger]

Great stories here   

I am thoroughly entertained 

 

[smiller43147]

I don't see any reason to get your blood pressure level raised over negotiation like this. Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for, and people always want to save money, especially with bulk sale and off-eBay. I had people lowball on Craigslist before. The prices were less than my expected minimum, I just flat out said no and moved on. Shouldn't be that difficult. 

[ezdog]

Same here unless there is some part of this I am not understanding,why take it personally?
Life is too short!

I don't see any reason to get your blood pressure level raised over negotiation like this. Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for, and people always want to save money, especially with bulk sale and off-eBay. I had people lowball on Craigslist before. The prices were less than my expected minimum, I just flat out said no and moved on. Shouldn't be that difficult. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I actually didn't take it personally.  Life goes on.

Unfortunately, so did he.  He kept messaging me, trying to justify why the offer was acceptable, when it should have been obvious that it was over.

Making offers is absolutely acceptable, but see how successful you are going to a car dealership and offer them 1/3 of the asking price on a car... or talk to a realtor and offer 1/3 of the price on a house and see what it gets you.

Def

[pfrsantos]

I get some "offers" like that, about 30% or less of what I'm asking for. I got a saved answer for that:

"Thank you for your interest, but the price for the item is fixed. If you are still interested, let me know. If you don't agree with the value I'm asking, feel free to look for another seller."



After this, if I don't get a "Ok, I'll accept your price" answer, I just ignore them...

[Grant Lamontagne]

Honestly, I am willing to accept offers...  but be reasonable.  And if your offer is not reasonable then you should expect that the response also will not be reasonable.   

Def

[Syncop8r]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dik_wnOE4dk