shagmidmod
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posted on May 7, 2012 09:53:34 PM new
A few weeks back a buyer offers $75 for a menorah we have at $150. I know there is no rule for what an offer can be, but I email them and counter with $120. They come back with $85. Still too low for us.
Today they email me wanting it for $90. I tell them I can take $100. They buy it and then email me about another item we have $40 on. They ask what my best price is. Considering I am bundling it with the other item in the same shipment, I tell them my best price is $30. I have an auto accept for $35, so I am considering the extra $5 as my discount for the 2nd purchase. They email me and want it for $20.
Really? They never learned proper etiquette when bargaining. When you ask someone for their best price, you don't come back with a lower offer, and you don't insult them by offering half. Absolutely shameful.
[ edited by shagmidmod on May 7, 2012 09:58 PM ]
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alldings
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posted on May 8, 2012 04:01:11 AM new
Because they can do like the Pawn Stars do tell them the new price for the 2nd item is now 40 take it or leave it!
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lostmymojo
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posted on May 8, 2012 04:52:35 AM new
They want to resell your items,so they are seeking wholesale prices.
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ggardenour
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posted on May 8, 2012 07:36:59 AM new
First lesson I learned in the car business. Never give your best price when asked because 99.9% of the time folks would get upset and the deal would be lost because you wouldn't go lower then your "best price". Go figure.
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shagmidmod
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posted on May 8, 2012 08:18:20 AM new
They bought it for $30 after I explained how I came to the discounted price. Basically, I told them I was discounting the entire shipping cost for that item.
It just amazes me how they never put any thought into their actions. I generally don't go beyond 20% off our BIN price, so I was extending quite a discount. The menorah would have easily sold for double in November... but it is early May and I can take that money and roll it into other products that will sell now instead of 6 months from now.
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Damariscotta
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posted on May 8, 2012 09:42:49 AM new
Best response to offers you feel are ridiculous is just "no thank you". No haggling, no counter offers.
Otherwise it just encourages them.
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ebabestreasures
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posted on May 9, 2012 08:50:25 AM new
This is why so many sellers put an item in BIN at twice what they are willing to take. They know that many buyers are going to cut their price in half.
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lostmymojo
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posted on May 9, 2012 09:58:45 AM new
Serious buyers would not buy from sellers who grossly mark up their goods.
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toolhound
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posted on May 9, 2012 10:00:22 AM new
Seems much easier to just not use make an offer. I used it a couple of times and did not want to deal with the bottom feeders so I have not used it again.
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cherishedclutter
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posted on May 9, 2012 01:21:34 PM new
I use best offer with the option to have eBay automatically decline offers below a certain number. That way I don't have to deal with the bottom feeders.
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shagmidmod
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posted on May 9, 2012 03:36:05 PM new
I use auto reject low ball offers too. It really makes it easier to manage. I don't even get emails about their offers. I can't tell you how many times I have listed something worth several hundred dollars to view the offer history and see $10, $20, etc. as offers.
On the flip side I see many people listing items for $1 million dollars and then accepting offers around $200. The most recent was an artist that did this. I guess he figured someone might appreciate his work for more $. His mistake was that he didn't make his buyers private, so I could easily see his paintings selling for $200-300. Seems like a poor strategy.
Even doubling the realistic price for something is not a good strategy. It turns off people seeing higher prices.
I think BIN with MAO gets buyers to engage you and helps sales. I will take 10-20% less on something, depending on the popularity of the item. When an item has been sitting for awhile I will take up to 1/3 off or remove it altogether and move it to our local store. I plan a mark up of about 25% of the value of the item so that I can cover the costs of my "free" shipping. The beauty of selling vintage items is that there isn't that many similar items or even another one for that matter on eBay most often.
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