Why Offer A Bo Option If You Aren't Willing To Haggle At All

I think you are missing the point. Regardless of each parties perception of the correct market value, the price CLEARLY is negotiable- The seller came down $100 from his initial price. That's $100 less than asking price simply by pressing a button and making an offer. All of 10 seconds for $100 off. I can see your argument if the seller sent back a counter offer at 1 cent or one dollar less. He did take off $100 simply for you asking, That doesn't come across to me as someone who unprofessional or childish. That comes across as someone who is ready to haggle with someone who is attempting to obtain a product for the cheapest price possible. I'm not sure if this point has gotten across yet, but a seller has an obligation to try and obtain the most profit they can for item and savvy buyer has an obligation to try and obtain a product for as cheap as possible. If you, as a buyer, feel slighted because the seller did not want to negotiate in a fashion you approved of, it is entirely your prerogative to walk away from a potential deal, which it seems you did. You are certainly entitled to your opinion that the seller acted in bad faith, but I (and others who have responded) are entitled to the opinion that your criticism of the seller is frivolous.




Since you pulled this out of context, I would like to reiterate the fact that I was specifically referring to buy it now listings being retail expecting to obtain items for wholesale prices consistently from buy it nows is absurd. ebay sellers who have ebay stores, just in store fees pay close to $200 bucks a month for an anchor store. I realize that this isn't as high as a physical location brick and mortar store, nut that's not free either. Imagine walking in off the street to a random coin store, looking at a $5700 coin, and telling the owner that want to buy the coin for the wholesale value, and then throwing a tantrum when the owner wouldn't sell you his coin at your price.




Buff, that about sums up what this entire thread has been about, however, I honestly believe that the seller was not the party in this exchange who did not enter into the BO with professionalism or realism.

It was $65 less, not $100, and that is such a tiny % that it is ridiculous. It would be like coming down $1 on a $100 coin that wholesale is $68 on. Unrealistic and dumb! Just list it for $99 BIN then, IMo it is false advertising to offer a BO option and then not be willing to negotiate in reality.

As for hi end sports cars, they do mark those up A HUGE AMOUNT. 70% as a first offer for a $200K RETAIL sportscar is not lowball/insult either, IMO. A lot of goods are marked up 100% or more on a regular basis. When the market is negotiable/haggle, it is smart to shoot for the wholesale cost versus retail, or as close to the former as possible. On cars or coins! You may well have to be patient to find a seller, but that is the trade-off. Some would rather just pay retail and not haggle at all. Fine. But as a seller you shouldn't claim you deal and then NOT.

Nothing to learn from here folks.. move along... troll lee oh lee oh lee oh...

Please turn off the record player and it's skipping and saying the same thing over and over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over I LIKE PICKLES over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over over and over and over over and over and over and over (much like buffalo's argument and responses)

There are sellers who are dealers, so they have to sell constantly to do $$$ . On the other hand there are sellers who are collectors and aren't in a hurry to sell.

You know, I think this was the hardest lesson to learn when I started selling coins. The worst thing I did was think of haggling as a battle and felt like I always had to win. I've learned that I'd rather make some money by selling at a discount, rather than make no money because I was too stern with the price and alienated the customers without realizing it. The key is to think of it as simply an organic dialogue between two parties. Sometimes, those two parties will just never see eye to eye. Harboring ill feelings about it -- from either end -- is just pointless and a waste of energy.

I take it back. The hardest lesson I had to learn was that nobody was ever going to pay trend price. Ever. Except that one guy who doesn't try to haggle. I wish he'd come back.

Reviving an old topic, but with negotiating, my first offer is always lower than what I am willing to pay (I wouldn't offer less than 35% of asking though, depending on the exact value). The rationale being that eventually, they will counter and you will work towards an ideal price. Sometimes it is unworkable and that's just the way it goes - a few days back I was selling myself and some of the offers I received were laughable (i.e. people trying to rip me off). Once it was clear that it was unworkable, I just moved on. I think the key with this sort of thing is to not take it personally and to remember that the aim isn't to win, but to get the item at the best possible price.

Going back through some of the older posts & ran across this one. Since this started I've done a LOT more selling on ebay & have more experience with best offer. I've found that the vast majority of people that make an initial offer of 75% or less of the asking price are low ball shoppers & have absolutely zero intention of entering into a serious negotiation. I still counter but I don't hold my breath waiting for them to up their offer. I've always thought the sellers counter was designed to let the buyer know his offer wasn't serious....& my experience with "buyers" that come in below 75% of asking backs that up.

Well... as a buyer, I usually go about 80% of the BIN price, assuming the BIN price is the high end of FMV. When I see a $220 BIN price on an item with $200 FMV and I offer 220 - 45 or 185 and get a 215 counter, I figure the seller isn't going to come down to the 195-200 I would pay and don't reply.

I occasionally offer less when the BIN price is out of line with FMV. And I've had a couple offers like that accepted.

I also had a long discussion with a seller about a very over-priced item. He was honest that he had paid to much and just wanted his money back. I told him he was never going to sell it at that price. He replied that given the way ebay structured the fees, he could setup automatic relist and run the auction for MONTHS waiting for somebody to bite. Eventually I found another seller and stopped tracking this one - for all I know it's still for sale at 150% of FMV.