When does lowballing become insulting?

flatfourfan · 2012-02-20T17:18:33+00:00

I may have posted something similar a while back, but I thought that I'd ask again, if I didn't the first time.......lol. I've put up 2 guitars of mine for sale, I had interest in 1 from here and from both through gumtree. I organised that people come and view tonight so that I can move on ASAP. I just got a call from 1 guy who's interested in my ARX, now bear in mind he hasn't seen the guitar in person. He promply pipes up and says am I negotiable on the price, I say no, he says that he can get one cheaper elsewhere, I say knock yourself out and go buy that one. He hangs up and calls me back about 30 minutes later saying that he really wants the guitar, but will offer me R1000 less for it as clearly there is no other interest in it and I should cut him some slack. I said sorry and hung up on him. He calls back 20 minutes later saying that he'll up his offer of R800 off my asking price. I say sorry and that I'm firm on my price and that maybe he should actually view the guitar before trying to get discount. He replies to that saying that he doesn't want to come all the way to my place if he knows that he can't get something off the asking price and that I should make it worth his while. I have to admit, that I like barganing a bit when I'm buying stuff, but I never outright insult the guy and try to knock off 50% off the asking price without even viewing it. I shop around and see what the going rate is and then go in a tad cheaper, if I really want the item, I pay full price, no quibble. Makes me freaking gatvol to even try and sell something nowadays. Wish me luck as tonight I have 2 guys coming to look at my warlock.............will report on that one tomorrow.

DonovanB

Keira WitherKay wrote
Warren wrote I even had a forum member (I'm looking at you Donovan) unwittingly send me a link to my own ad with the words "cheap MIA Strat on gumtree, shit colour though" in the mail. ? P.S. I rather like the colour you Phillistine!

sorry to slightly side track the thread............ but @ warren i saw your ad......and i 2nd your opinion ..........i like that colour too......in fact it struck me immeadiately when i opened the ad.........thought it looked way cool .... 8)

Ha ha, you heathens... ? Have you still got it Warren? Sunburst is winburst.

I find the odd responses funny. a mate was selling a scooter and was offered a watch as a trade. ???

Some items I sell, I'd be grateful for any response tbh. I remember selling a Fender bassman for R4k and got responses from members of this forum as well saying, "it's only worth R1500."
I politely said I don't care and someone ended up buying it at my price. It was annoying at the time but now I know it's part of the landscape.

*walks away mumbling about ugly coloured strats*

flatfourfan

lol............Donovan, that made me think. I was offered the following for a gio and a fender frontman a while back.

http://www.guitarforum.co.za/general-discussion/having-a-fun-time-on-gumtree-selling-a-guitar/msg105460/#msg105460

1) I was offered 20 cases of 3M hospital grade hand cleaner.
2) 4 tickets to 30 second to mars
3) r u llokn @ trd? hve jkn v rp, fr cond - (an sms trade for a knock off Jackson)

and the best one.............

4) Some dudes sister.......serious.

nicovlogg

I really, really enjoy getting lowball offers. If it's the best I get, I'll sell. And I offer them all the time. And sometimes they get accepted. Really, if it offends you - you need to grow a thicker skin. I'm not making an offer on you, I'm making an offer on something you want to sell. It's quite simple. Travel a bit into Africa and see how locals bargain 40-50% of the starting price. :?

Gearhead

Unless you understand that offering less than 5% of the asking price is necessary, you cannot strike a good deal in China...

NorioDS

I fall into the Alan category. Yes, you have your own category :?

If the price is right, I buy. If it isn't, I keep looking. The seller may be willing to haggle but I couldn't give a damn. SOMEone will be selling what I want at the price I want to pay, sooner or later. Either my perception of the item's value will increase or someone will offer it at a lower price. Till then, I just keep looking, semi-patiently ?

NorioDS

As for being insulted by low-ball offers - ja it pisses me off in my work, as it sends the message that "I do not value your services and price is my only concern" but, when I'm selling gear, I just ignore the low-ballers.

flatfourfan

As the heading says, lowballing to an extent is okay.......but where is the line drawn?

Also whatever happened to saying hi when responding to an add?lol.

nicovlogg

Norio wrote As for being insulted by low-ball offers - ja it pisses me off in my work, as it sends the message that "I do not value your services and price is my only concern" but, when I'm selling gear, I just ignore the low-ballers.

Exactly. Just ignore the offers. It's not personal.

deefstes

flatfourfan wrote As the heading says, lowballing to an extent is okay.......but where is the line drawn?

There is no such line. Think about it, you get to choose at what point you take offence but for someone else the line might be much lower (or higher). What that also means is that one person might not mean to offend but another takes offense, if their lines are drawn differently.

So it seems to me that if you insist on drawing that line and defining a point at which lowballing becomes insulting, you're simply setting yourself up to be insulted.

Thought for the day: You can't give offence, you can only take offence.

flatfourfan

deefstes wrote
Thought for the day: You can't give offence, you can only take offence.

lol..........I think that can also be linked to the buyer is always king.

edit:.to add to this, the guy that was taking my warlock, just pulled out, he also asked for his NON-REFUNDABLE deposit back.

fjcdt

flatfourfan wrote
deefstes wrote
Thought for the day: You can't give offence, you can only take offence.
he also asked for his NON-REFUNDABLE deposit back.

Funny how some people just can't read.
Illiteracy is a growing problem in our country seems to me.
FFF this has been one hell of a laugh, thanks man.

DonovanB

deefstes wrote Thought for the day: You can't give offence, you can only take offence.

I have to whole heartedly disagree. It is very easy to give offence, one only has to intend to offend. (you doos) ?

OK, my example is more tongue in cheek and certainly not intended, but you might get the picture. We have a culture that requires manners. Which tend to be forgotten.

ha ha, in fact that statement is even more offensive if said to someone who has just been offended. It's like saying, "calm down." to an angry person

singemonkey

flatfourfan wrote edit:.to add to this, the guy that was taking my warlock, just pulled out, he also asked for his NON-REFUNDABLE deposit back.

What does he think a deposit is for?

flatfourfan

Yup, I just gave him a tongue lashing because I must of told him about 5 times, non refundable means exactly that, I turned one guy down because of this. I think what I'll do is contact the other interested guy and knock off the price of the deposit off the asking price, so this guy will get the guit for R1800.00 and at the end of the day, I still get my R2200.

flatfourfan

Expect some drama, this guy's coming over tonight with a friend to come and pick up his deposit............erm not from me he aint.

Squonk

flatfourfan wrote Expect some drama, this guy's coming over tonight with a friend to come and pick up his deposit............erm not from me he aint.

Need some backup? ?

flatfourfan

nah, it's okay, I have a builder on my property at the moment with his brother and both are big guys. I'll just ask them to hang around.

deefstes

flatfourfan wrote Expect some drama, this guy's coming over tonight with a friend to come and pick up his deposit............erm not from me he aint.

End of the third page. This is about the point where your previous thread on classifieds selling turned hilarious. Are we in for another humdinger? Stick around folks. ?

Malkav

deefstes wrote Are we in for another humdinger? Stick around folks. ?

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

Let the running commentary begin!

Warren

Donovan Banks wrote
Ha ha, you heathens... ? Have you still got it Warren? Sunburst is winburst.

*walks away mumbling about ugly coloured strats*

Yeah I've still got it...and I'm not letting it go for less than the already very low price (I was willing to drop maybe R200/R300 or so). So for now it stays in my stable. I'm quite fond of it for some reason.

Speaking of 'bursts, I'm loving the new 'burst. All I need now is a nice solid metallic finish like Lake Placid blue or LCD Addict green...

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