Have you ever been low balled before?

dereksbicycles

Active Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2011
Messages
6,497
Reaction score
27
How did it work for you?

Let me give an example. I am trying to sell a vehicle for $1200. Someone said they would like to know how much I would take for the car. I told them to make a decent offer for it. They offered $200 for it. I politely told them that I was offered $300 and turned it down. they decided that they would offer $300 for it. I was very, very furious!! Did I just tell them I was offered $300 and I turned it down!!

Example #2. I have a bike rack for sale. This is a rare rack that can go for like $50, 60 on E Bay. Someone offered me $15 for the rack. I don't let them off easy. I let them know how angry I feel. I don't like to be insulted like I don't know what I have. I told them that I would just E Bay it so that I can have the money not you!!

What happened when you were low balled? How did you respond? Give some examples.
 
How did it work for you?

Let me give an example. I am trying to sell a vehicle for $1200. Someone said they would like to know how much I would take for the car. I told them to make a decent offer for it. They offered $200 for it. I politely told them that I was offered $300 and turned it down. they decided that they would offer $300 for it. I was very, very furious!! Did I just tell them I was offered $300 and I turned it down!!

Example #2. I have a bike rack for sale. This is a rare rack that can go for like $50, 60 on E Bay. Someone offered me $15 for the rack. I don't let them off easy. I let them know how angry I feel. I don't like to be insulted like I don't know what I have. I told them that I would just E Bay it so that I can have the money not you!!

What happened when you were low balled? How did you respond? Give some examples.

Always. Im always selling stuff online.

I just don't respond.
 
people always try to get something for next to nothing...not unusual....even I, when going to the Flea Market, won't pay their asking price, I barter, wheel & deal....If the answer is still NO...I leave, and come back around right before closing time, to see if the item is still there....if so....I make the offer again..and usually I get it.

Depends upon how desperate the person is to sell the item(s)...if they need $$ right away...if they aren't, then just say NO....or just don't respond.
 
Yes but selling online, I just say no but thanks anyway. It does get annoying if you get a lot of offers like that because it wastes your time.

I've been on the opposite end too, we just bought a van that someone had on Craigslist for $3,000 and we offered them $800. They ended up calling my husband a few days later and selling it to us for $1,200 because they wanted it out of their driveway.
 
all the time, especially with selling those audio valves, and audiophille hi-fi gears half of them dont realise, and other half DO know what its worth, they just wankers wanting something for nothing...i dont give up i just politely decline their nonsense offers, sometimes id ad 'no lowballers' or 'no time wasters'. or 'serious offers only'
this is one way of dealing with it, another is to try a different trading websites, and if you can, try a different place where they deal with sought-after or rare(er) items, in this way you'd have more chances to come across with honest buyers
 
i dont get any lowballed because i dont response back. i dont do negotiate with lowballers.

i do negotiate with trades from seller/trader/buyer
 
Yeah a few times. Those buyers just are being cheap...but sometimes want the stuff out of here when I needed to. Next time don't sell on Craigslist or Ebay, those tend to be cheap buyers.
 
If offered $200 for a car I am trying to sell for $1,200 I would reply with "Ok, ok, you can have the tires, if you want the whole car, its $1,200".
 
Yeah a few times. Those buyers just are being cheap...but sometimes want the stuff out of here when I needed to. Next time don't sell on Craigslist or Ebay, those tend to be cheap buyers.

Where would you suggest trying if E Bay and Craigslist are both cheap?
 
Really, that is the nature of CL. Lowballing kind of goes with the territory.
 
Yeah, it's not personal, no point in getting angry about it. People are trying to make the best deal they can. You're trying to get the most money you can, the buyer is trying to pay the least he can.

Keep in mind a thing is worth only what a motivated, informed buyer is willing to pay. You can advertise that $1200 car as long as you want, but if all you get are offers for $300 or $400, then that's telling you what it's worth in that particular market.
 
Yeah, it's not personal, no point in getting angry about it. People are trying to make the best deal they can. You're trying to get the most money you can, the buyer is trying to pay the least he can.

Keep in mind a thing is worth only what a motivated, informed buyer is willing to pay. You can advertise that $1200 car as long as you want, but if all you get are offers for $300 or $400, then that's telling you what it's worth in that particular market.
All very good points.

There will be inherent conflict. Both the buyer and seller want something. The buyer wants to spend the least amount of money and the seller wants to make the most amount of money.
 
I hate lowballers. My buddy is trying to sell a very nice 03 maxima for $6,000

Some honda kid offered him $1,000. Lets say I cant post my buddies response

But seriously do people think you are going to take 25% or less of what you are after?
 
I've been lowballed and been the lowballer before.

As a seller, there tends to be one of four positions you're in. You normally either really want to be rid of the item being sold, or not. This tends to determine how "flexible" you are with negotiating. And you normally either value what you're selling at the value you think it's worth or a bit higher (in order to counteract lowball offers, as well as to take advantage of anchoring).

As a buyer, someone who makes a lowball offer likely doesn't feel like they strongly "need" what you're selling (either there are a lot of similar products for sale, or they're only interested in it if they can get it incredibly cheaply), and is going on the assumption that you're either in the position of "I want to be rid of it, asap" or have overpriced and so they're trying to "balance out" your initial price.

Best advice is to not take it personally, and either simply decline, or not respond at all, rather than attempting to negotiate with someone whose offer is far below what you want.
 
Back
Top