Selling something and people trying to low ball you with insulting offers

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by EddyBeers

Did you run that list by a focus group of Native Canadians? Because it seems to me that they should have the final say, not some white immigrant who came to this country. Given what Native Canadians sold their land for, I would guess that number one on your list would not be on their list.

I get your point, and it's amusing, but the fact is white European's won the war, and this is 'their' (our?) country now.

Apparentely winning a war and not barbarically wiping out the previous inhabitants leads to a whole bunch of complications, but I digress...

[Glenflame]

At Kijiji, there are a lot of used car dealers (or their part-time hobby) hanging around from the middle east or south asia or east Europe. How could they earn more money without huge bargain?

[JustAnotherGuy]

Originally Posted by Rerun

Sold my 1997 Rav4 the very first day I advertised it on Kijjiji. In two days must have gotten at least 10 e-mails from people wanting it.... although I must admit a couple of the offers were on the insulting side. Here I'm asking $3295 for it (underpriced if you ask me... but I wanted a quick sale), one guy has the balls to ask me if I would accept $1500. I felt like telling him to f-off.

I also received a couple of e-mails from people asking if I would accept $2000 for it. My e-mail response was simple.... "NO. Don't bother me again."

I mean, I can understand people wanting to haggle a bit, but come-on... offering 40-60% below the asking price (which is extremely reasonable). These offers really pissed me off.

And not to be a racist, but the fact is that all the low ball offers came from people with foreign (east asian / middle eastern / african) type names who's spelling and grammar in their e-mails was very poor.

This experience left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

I don't understand the anger and why it 'left a bad taste in your mouth'. Were you really attached to this item? Do you feel that the person was demeaning you? It has nothing to do with you. It is simply called negotiating.

What would the magic first offer be that didn't insult you? If I offered 3000 would you reply in a rude manner to me? I would then wonder what is wrong with you I am just negotiating.

Maybe you are offended by all the bull emails from obvious scammers. Okay, that is fine. That is different. Be pissed at those people.

Anyway, let me know if you have anything for sale so I don't make an offer. I would not want to get a rude response.

Thanks.

[Kybosh]

I can't believe some of the things I'm reading here. If you put something up for sale you will get a range of offers. Don't take the offer if it isn't what you think the item is worth. Congratulations, you just made a good business decision.

A bad offer is not a waste of your time. It is all part of the process. I can guarantee that the people you reject won't get as upset as you seem to be from their offer.

[EddyBeers]

Originally Posted by Rerun

Yeah... I ran the list by some buddies over on the T'suu Tina Reserve. They were all for #1 on the list.

Great, a good buddy of mine does virtually all of the legal work out there and is a member of the reserve. Who are your buddies, perhaps we have mutual friends. I would love to chat with them to get a more extensive list of what is allowed and that which is not permitted.

[EddyBeers]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I get your point, and it's amusing, but the fact is white European's won the war, and this is 'their' (our?) country now.

Apparentely winning a war and not barbarically wiping out the previous inhabitants leads to a whole bunch of complications, but I digress...

The Chinese are funding alot of the 160 Billion dollar debt that Harper is going to run over the next five years. I think we should acquiesce to their needs, they are our biggest creditor. So really, if the Chinese want to haggle they can haggle, they are our creditors.

[Glenflame]

I just sold my Energy speakers last week.

I thought it was worth $250 at the beginning and I received an offer of $100 from one guy. I disliked the offer at all so I had to wait a couple of weeks. I dropped the price each time and I realized probably the market was what I thought. Thereby, the final asking price was $150. The same guy still gave me the same offer ($100) and then I took it. The guy was a 'real Canadian'.

At the time I received $100 offer for $250 asking price, I never thought it was an insult.


Be tolerant to everything you think it is not good!

[monkeyman]

Originally Posted by Rerun

Yes it is because the offer is wasting my time.

So ignoring a email or two that takes 10seconds of your time is wasting your time, but comming here, starting a whole thread about it, and defending your position is not a waste of your time? ha ha, you honestly crack me up Rerun.

Originally Posted by Rerun

I'll have to remember that the next time I'm eating in a Chinese restaurant.
If the bill comes to $100 I'll offer them $25.

unless someone bought your car at full price took it home and mailed you a cheqe for 25% of the price, your analogy doesn't work. If you barter the price before ordering the food and convince them to give you your meal at 25%, more power to you.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by Glenflame

I just sold my Energy speakers last week.

I thought it was worth $250 at the beginning and I received an offer of $100 from one guy. I disliked the offer at all so I had to wait a couple of weeks. I dropped the price each time and I realized probably the market was what I thought. Thereby, the final asking price was $150. The same guy still gave me the same offer ($100) and then I took it. The guy was a 'real Canadian'.

At the time I received $100 offer for $250 asking price, I never thought it was an insult.


Be tolerant to everything you think it is not good!

My Rav4 was in excellent condition. On AutoTrader there were three 1997 Rav4's listed for sale. The most expensive was $4950 (dealer sale), the next was $4500 (dealer sale), the last was $3500 (private sale).
The $3295 I listed it for was a very good price for the market. I was willing to negotiate and drop the price a bit ($3000 was my lowest selling price) but for someone to come up and have the balls to offer $1500-$2000? Come on... get real. I consider offers like that a waste of my time and an insult.

As to your situation, you had obviously overpriced your speakers.

[Raekwon]

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

unless someone bought your car at full price took it home and mailed you a cheqe for 25% of the price, your analogy doesn't work. If you barter the price before ordering the food and convince them to give you your meal at 25%, more power to you.

Fine... next time I go to a Chinese restaurant, I'll sit there and haggle with the waitress on the price of each item, while ordering. I'm sure she has plenty of time and nothing better to do.
... after all, the prices on the menu are just the starting point in the whole bargaining process... right? They really don't expect to get $8.95 for the sweet and sour pork, eh?

[browna]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

When I go to my local Chinese restaurant for a family sized take out, the little Chinese guy taking orders always asks "You pay cash, yes?" When I do, I always get a discount and more food. I'm pretty sure the money also goes into the cash register of his right hand pocket.

Absolutely it does. Credit card processing fees etc are 3-5%, so 90c to 1.50$ on a 30$ meal?

No cc or interac transaction means no statement from the cc company/bank at the end of the month, which means when the CCRA comes a knocking once a year, stated cash sales can be generally massaged into whatever number works best as far as paying tax.

What bugs me are the cheapo convience store places that take interac, but then charge you a 50-75c fee for using the service to supposedly cover the cost (as they can't raise prices on pop or chips and have the various distributors come down on them) but probably take some profit from there too.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

So ignoring a email or two that takes 10seconds of your time is wasting your time, but comming here, starting a whole thread about it, and defending your position is not a waste of your time? ha ha, you honestly crack me up Rerun.

Its real slow at work this week and I've got plenty of time on my hands and I'm a bit bored today.

[burn_this_city]

I'm pretty sure they're avoiding paying tax. Not service fees for using interac and visa.

[Burninator]

I think the ease of the internet contributes significantly to people low balling. Most people won't waste time driving across the city to offer less than half the asking price. Even picking up a phone and risking hearing damage from the seller slamming down the phone is more work than sending an email.

I've listed stuff in the bargain finder and online and by far I find online to have the most tire kickers and low ballers. I recall talking to a real estate agent and she said that significant low balling can upset the seller and lead them to refuse the offer instead of countering it. Thus ending negotiation not enabling it.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I'm pretty sure they're avoiding paying tax.

You bet they are. Its a well know fact that many businesses that take in a lot of cash never declare it all as income, in order to cheat Revenue Canada.

I knew a guy that owned a hair salon. According to his income tax filings he barely broke even ever year. Don't you believe it. A lot of his sales were paid in cash and the money went straight into his pocket.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Rerun

You bet they are. Its a well know fact that many businesses that take in a lot of cash never declare it all as income, in order to cheat Revenue Canada.

I knew a guy that owned a hair salon. According to his income tax filings he barely broke even ever year. Don't you believe it. A lot of his sales were paid in cash and the money went straight into his pocket.

Truthfully its the only way to actually make money in this country.

[COGENT]

I would typically agree with you Rerun but a recent experience has changed my views.

I am looking at buying a used Honda Element. My wife and decided to go to a dealership to just test drive one then to go buy it privately. Generally IMO dealerships sell used cars at a much higher price than a private sale. Anyway, went to look at a 2006 and they had a 2008 demo on the lot so for fun I decided to drive the 2008 which was way out of my price range. Anyway loved the car and humored the salesmen to talk prices. He tells me the car retails for $32k but because it was a demo and had 2,000 km on it he would give it to me for $29k. I just wanted to leave his office so I was relentless when denying him. After much discussion he asked me how much it would have to be for me to buy it so I whipped out the number $24k, again just trying to leave his office. Long story short he said his final offer was $25k... $7k below retail.

Now without even trying I got $7k knocked off of a brand new car and your trying to tell me it's wrong to bargain with someone? The scary part is, if I knew I wanted a 2008 the old Cogent would have taken it for the $29k. Lesson learned.

[JustAnotherGuy]

Originally Posted by Rerun

My Rav4 was in excellent condition. On AutoTrader there were three 1997 Rav4's listed for sale. The most expensive was $4950 (dealer sale), the next was $4500 (dealer sale), the last was $3500 (private sale).
The $3295 I listed it for was a very good price for the market. I was willing to negotiate and drop the price a bit ($3000 was my lowest selling price) but for someone to come up and have the balls to offer $1500-$2000? Come on... get real. I consider offers like that a waste of my time and an insult.

As to your situation, you had obviously overpriced your speakers.

I still don't understand why you think a low-ball offer is an insult. It can be a waste of your time. But an insult. No.

An example of an insult is. (NOTE: I am not saying this to you. I am giving an example of an insult) "You are a f___ing idiot". Now that is an insult.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by COGENT

I would typically agree with you Rerun but a recent experience has changed my views.

I am looking at buying a used Honda Element. My wife and decided to go to a dealership to just test drive one then to go buy it privately. Generally IMO dealerships sell used cars at a much higher price than a private sale. Anyway, went to look at a 2006 and they had a 2008 demo on the lot so for fun I decided to drive the 2008 which was way out of my price range. Anyway loved the car and humored the salesmen to talk prices. He tells me the car retails for $32k but because it was a demo and had 2,000 km on it he would give it to me for $29k. I just wanted to leave his office so I was relentless when denying him. After much discussion he asked me how much it would have to be for me to buy it so I whipped out the number $24k, again just trying to leave his office. Long story short he said his final offer was $25k... $7k below retail.

Now without even trying I got $7k knocked off of a brand new car and your trying to tell me it's wrong to bargain with someone? The scary part is, if I knew I wanted a 2008 the old Cogent would have taken it for the $29k. Lesson learned.

His asking price was $29000, your offer was $24000. Thats 18% below the asking price... not insulting at all. Now if you had offered 55% below the asking price ($13000)... like one guy did to me, that would have been insulting.

You got a good deal AND you didn't insult the salesman with a ridiculous low ball first offer. Congratulations.