Let's Talk About Kijiji

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Haha really? They'll usually take it? When you try to get them to sell it to you for 20% of the asking price?

I usually make someone an offer as I assume, unless you say "firm" in your ad that you're open to offers. But it's never less than about 75% of what they're asking.

I guess what I'm saying is... yeah. You're a low-balling dick.

Ack, didn't mean to say every time! Sorry. I'd say 75% of the time they drop their prices substantially just on that one email/message. Maybe 20% of the time they'll take my wild low ball.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I'm a low-balling dick, I guess. It works every time for me, though, so why wouldn't I?

Say you're selling something for $500. I'll email and say I'll give you $200 cash. Half the time the guy will say 'fine'. So now I've established the starting point is $200 before I've even left my house. I'll show up, and I'll start pointing out the flaws in whatever your thing is. So then I'll say, 'well, I was kind of expecting it to be in better condition' and I'll offer you $100. People will usually take it.

I always here about people bashing on low ballers. I hate them as well when I'm selling, but I just put 'low ballers will be ignored' in the ad. People low ball, though, because it works.

Yup, exactly. I don't commit to pricing until I see the thing in person.

And it's not exactly low balling either. It's simply market pricing. Kijiji is really capitalism in its purest form.

If the seller wants more for his product, he can wait till the right buyer comes along.

[Engine09]

A friend of mine was going to trade her car in last year, after hearing what they were giving her I volunteered to sell the car for her on Kijiji and would get her an extra $2,000. She didn't want the headache, intimidated by selling, etc.

I priced it very fair, stated the price was firm. Older ethnic guy was buying for his daughter, nice guy but kept trying to get me to knock a few hundred off the price. He kept at me, badgering me even while we were getting paperwork done, he was relentless. I finally had to snap at him, told him it's already a fair price and we both know it, enough. I mention ethnic because bartering might be more accepted in his culture, who knows.

I always find it embarrassing when people lower themselves like that for money. Have some pride, you know it's a good price, you're making out fine. I guess if you don't know the person it's no holds barred, no shame.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Kryzsky

A friend of mine was going to trade her car in last year, after hearing what they were giving her I volunteered to sell the car for her on Kijiji and would get her an extra $2,000. She didn't want the headache, intimidated by selling, etc.

I priced it very fair, stated the price was firm. Older ethnic guy was buying for his daughter, nice guy but kept trying to get me to knock a few hundred off the price. He kept at me, badgering me even while we were getting paperwork done, he was relentless. I finally had to snap at him, told him it's already a fair price and we both know it, enough. I mention ethnic because bartering might be more accepted in his culture, who knows.

I always find it embarrassing when people lower themselves like that for money. Have some pride, you know it's a good price, you're making out fine. I guess if you don't know the person it's no holds barred, no shame.

Lowering yourself? By negotiating? Geez, I'd hate to know what you think of the guy who cleans toilet bowls for living.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Casa del Hulse Kijiji operates on a "no-haggle" approach, just like Saturn did.

Does it cost me a quick sale? For sure, but I value my time more than making a few immaterial dollars quickly.

[Looch City]

Brown guy bartering haha seems pretty normal to me. I can imagine that being my dad actually.

A "fair price" is different from person to person. No reason to get worked up about some bartering. Just keep stating your price is set, if that's what you want.

[CroFlames]

Once the price is set, the price is set. If a guy keeps badgering you after the fact, then he's a doosh.

However, before the price is set, there are no rules. The seller can ask whatever they want, and the buyer can offer whatever they want.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Yeah, but how can you negotiate the price if the buyer hasn't even seen the thing?

I''m not going to commit to a price on something if I don't know how worn out it is or the condition it's in. When I show up and I don't like what I see, I will walk away or offer less.

If the seller refuses, then the onus is on me to adjust. I don't see a problem at all doing the negotiation in person rather than over text or email.

I am talking in reference to things like ski tickets that have no "bargaining room".

Sure if I am selling something that you could point out wear and ask for a discount you sure can. But I don't think I have sold anything on kijiji like that.

[Erick Estrada]

I am selling an iMac for $400 and I got this text from a person that offered $300 cash and told me only to respond if I was going to accept his offer and not to respond under any circumstances if I wasn't. That was definitely a new approach as I LOL'd while swiping left to delete the message.

[Hanni]

I really don't understand how cash offers are supposed to be some kind of incentive, it's not like you're offering financing.

[rohara66]

Originally Posted by Hanni

I really don't understand how cash offers are supposed to be some kind of incentive, it's not like you're offering financing.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I'm a low-balling dick, I guess. It works every time for me, though, so why wouldn't I?

Say you're selling something for $500. I'll email and say I'll give you $200 cash. Half the time the guy will say 'fine'. So now I've established the starting point is $200 before I've even left my house. I'll show up, and I'll start pointing out the flaws in whatever your thing is. So then I'll say, 'well, I was kind of expecting it to be in better condition' and I'll offer you $100. People will usually take it.

I always here about people bashing on low ballers. I hate them as well when I'm selling, but I just put 'low ballers will be ignored' in the ad. People low ball, though, because it works.

If the thing really is in worse condition then I think what your doing is ethical. But if they are holding the item for you and telling other people it is conditionally sold you are exploiting their generosity if it is in the condition you expected.

I think it is a dick move to continue to accept offers after a first person has been fairly committed on it. So I guess the question to you is if you showed up to the person's house and they said I already sold it would you be pissed or is that fair game in your world of Kijiji? Because your low balling behaviour encourages a first person with cash mentality.

Also if you did that to me on Flames tickets where price can be agreed to before hand as quality is known the price goes up past what we agreed to because I know you already drove all the way here and you are pot committed.

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I am selling an iMac for $400 and I got this text from a person that offered $300 cash and told me only to respond if I was going to accept his offer and not to respond under any circumstances if I wasn't. That was definitely a new approach as I LOL'd while swiping left to delete the message.

I really don't think I could resist sending something back.

You're wasting MY time, why shouldn't I waste yours?

I mean what's he going to do? Report you to the Kijiji police?

[V]

Yup, I'm starting to see why there are such terrible sellers on Kijiji. If I had one experience with a Sliver I'd probably start selling that way too.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by GGG

If the thing really is in worse condition then I think what your doing is ethical. But if they are holding the item for you and telling other people it is conditionally sold you are exploiting their generosity if it is in the condition you expected.

First guy with cash always gets it. There are so many flakes that I'm not going to commit to anyone until I have money.

If it's in mint condition there really isn't any leverage to grind down further so I'll pay what I said on the phone. If there is anything wrong with it that wasn't explicitly described or photographed, I'll be grinding.

Originally Posted by GGG

I think it is a dick move to continue to accept offers after a first person has been fairly committed on it. So I guess the question to you is if you showed up to the person's house and they said I already sold it would you be pissed or is that fair game in your world of Kijiji? Because your low balling behaviour encourages a first person with cash mentality.

If a better deal comes along before I get there, just call me. Take the better offer, but just let me know. I don't want to show up at your house to find you don't have the item.

Last thing I was bidding on was $1300. This is my text exchange:

Me: Hello. I don't mean to lowball you, but I have a pretty tight budget for this. If you'd take $300 I could be at your house in 10 minutes.

Dude's reply: Would you go $500?

Me: Thanks for coming down so much, but it's just a bit out of my reach. I'm sure you could get more than I'm offering, though. Can just take a little time. Thanks again.

I think if you're polite and well-spoken, you're not going to piss too many people off. But do you see how fast a lowball can work? That's why people do it. That guy came down $800 because I wrote three short sentences. It's insane.

[GreenLantern]

I remember my Dad selling a car once when I was younger. These guys showed up literally kicking the tires on it and pointing out any tiny little flaw. I think it was my sisters old Chivette and he wanted like $500 bucks for it or something and they were offering him like $250 or something stupid, threatening to leave right now if he didn't take it.

Just as they were talking someone pulled up next door and was sitting in his car, most likely waiting to pick someone up and my Dad goes "I've had half a dozen calls on it, in fact that guy there is next in line to look at it and I know he wanted it bad. If you don't want to pay the 500 that is fine, I'll go talk to Peter here." He obviously had no idea who the guy was in the car, but the other guys bought it and broke down "OK OK, $500 WE WILL GO TO THE BANK!" As they were driving away my Dad faked like he was walking towards "Peter's" car and just waved and turned around as they got out of sight. They came back 15 minutes later with the money, hah.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Sliver

First guy with cash always gets it. There are so many flakes that I'm not going to commit to anyone until I have money.

Some people do, though. In fact, I don't think I've ever bought anything on Kijiji where the seller said, "okay, I'll take your offer and meet you at 7 p.m. down here in Narnia where I live (note: every Kijiji seller lives in ####ing Narnia), but if someone else shows up first I'll sell it to them on the spot". Most people accept the deal, set a time and place to exchange cash, and then back out. That is breach of contract.

That's a huge annoyance for a buyer. I don't want to drive down where you are and risk getting my front fender mangled when I inevitably run over Mr. Tumnus, only to find when I manage to navigate the labyrinth of the backwoods suburb you've chosen to live in (it's just two doors down from the stone table!) that you've backed out of our arrangement.

Just do what you say you're going to do. Don't be a dick. Be considerate of other peoples' time. That includes paying the price you offered, provided that the item is in the condition that the seller said it was in.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Yeah I don't think making offers, even if they are quite low, are a waste of time. One person's lowball is another person's normal price. It is just so easy for me to delete an email or text, I couldn't imagine getting stressed about low offers.

While I don't use Sliver's approach exactly, I have never not tried to negotiate a lower price in person. And anyone who doesn't with me is a sucker. That only counts for big items though. Something that is extremely direct like a video game for $20 is $20 and if you show up with $10 I'll refuse.

Most times I'm there with cash and I offer a bit lower people accept, so why wouldn't I? And when people make offers to me sometimes I say no and sometimes I say yes. I've never had a person not pay my asking price if they tried to negotiate one last time and I held firm though.

[4X4]

Lowball offers have pissed me off in the past. Like when it's a complete insult. The way Sliver explained himself isn't so bad, but that's because it was done over text. If you show up at my house or if I have to go meet you in a parking lot, and you're buying something that I clearly explained and included great pics, and then you waste my time by offering $50 for something I've got listed for $300, I kinda want to just kick you in the nuts and drive away. I wont actually kick you, but I will tell you to go f*** your hat, and I will drive away before you blurt out your next offer of $80

Even worse than a lowball offer is when you put up something for free, and people ask you to deliver it. WTF?

[VladtheImpaler]

Nm