In my books, there is nothing wrong with "low-balling" as long as you do it in a non-confrontational way and are fully prepared to get no response. Nothing wrong with "I'm only prepared to offer $500 at this time, which I know is below your asking price. So, if you don't sell...etc." That being said, extreme low-balling IS an insult, (e.g.) offering $100 on an item worth $1000.
I don't understand the disgust some people have with tire-kickers. Store owners don't get mad when I walk in, look around, ask some questions and then decide not to buy. That's part of the retail business. When you post an ad in order to sell something, you are using a public forum, using up bandwidth and you have an obligation to accept the existence of people who will use your ad as an opportunity to dream about making the actual purchase. Who in this forum hasn't test-driven a car they had very little intention of buying, or gone to an open-house for a home they KNEW they wouldn't buy ?
When you attempt to sell an item, you should be prepared to deal with all sorts of potential customers, just like a store. Send the pics, keep descriptions brief and send them on their way. I don't see ANY reason to get bent out of shape with the so-called tire-kickers. I think many people define a tire-kicker as a person who asks questions but doesn't buy the item. Hell, I'm a tire kicker 90% of the time by that definition !
If the guy lives in Bowmanville and wants me to deliver a pin for $100, I think that's reasonable, considering I live in Hamilton. Time/Distance/Price....... that dictates my fee and I'm definately not going to load it into my vehicle without a deposit - unless I know the buyer ( really WELL ).
And i totally agree, but every situation is different.
For instance, if i sell to a member here or Cgcc, I try to figure a way of getting that machine to them at little or no cost. If we are both going to SB, then I don't usually charge. Or, if the persons place is on my way or to Toronto and i'm going anyway, then I don't charge. I may accept an extra 20 when i'm there but usually I don't. However, If i do ask for a fee and I happen to be delivering 3 machines, to 3 seperate people and we meet at the same place..then we divide the cost 3 ways. You mention $100 delivery from Ham. to TO...and if you had 3 machines to 3 different people, would it be $100 each even though you make one trip, no extra fuel? Fair is dividing it 3 ways. Thats my opinion. I made the mistake very early on to ask a member for $50 to deliver to SB (2hrs for me, plus all those "other" expenses) and they responded "sure, will you pay for my fuel to come from London?". Fair enough, since i wanted to sell it, and I was going anyway why am I charging? If on the other hand I have had to rent a trailer, then I may ask for a little but its minimal. If however a person asks me to deliver by a certan time, and i won't be going that way for any other reason, then yes. There will be a little extra in the fee. Each situation is different and not all turn out bad...but then there are some...
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When I buy a machine (or anything else) I HATE to barter/negotiate so I usually just ask the seller what price he wants/is happy with and I make my decision on that price which I tell him up front. Has always worked for me and I either get a game I want at a fair price (or a price I can live with) or walk away if the sellers price is more than I want to pay.
When I sell (rarely ) , I try to put the game at a fair price for the quality of it and that's the price. I don't add on for negotiation room because I hate it (see above) and let the buyers know that. Anything I've sold has been for my asking price. I've never really been lowballed (except for Stargate - since everybody seems to think a Gottleib should be dirt cheap no matter what condition ).
Bottom line for me is if buyer and/or seller take a minute to be polite and considerate, deals can happen quite easily with both parties happy in the end. The one line, abrupt offer by PM/email, lowball or not, usually just gets ignored by me.
I will say tho that a pet peeve of mine is the buyer who needs to see the machine TONIGHT!( ie within a few hours of original PM) and says they'll buy it, will be over this weekend to pick it up, etc,etc.... and then disappears with no courtesy to even respond to a PM. If you change your mind, can't afford it, partner says no or whatever, just be polite and let the seller know that. That's probably the one thing that I would "blacklist" somebody for, for me, for future sales.
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WELL SAID.
I also will NOT deal with people that try to buy a game out from under you and cause a seller to raise the price on a deal already made. I do not use the term BLACK LIST
I use the term DOUCHE LIST
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Ok here's my take, As a buyer; I do not seriously lowball.... I take the "Sorry not trying to be a douche, but this is the best I can do..." approach, If I get no reply fair enough, no worries. I am not offended and I seriously hope the seller is not either.
As a seller, this has been debated here before, I tend to set my pricing higher EXPECTING a lowball offer and then go from there.. I think the "hunt" and Cat and mouse part of a deal is most of the fun anyway.
Dependng on what I am selling i.e. 60 in 1 I include free delivery, 2 hours from LOndon in any direction. Also if I am already going somewhere I don't charge people, bring this to starburst please, do you mind picking up this at Starburst... etc.
Tire kickers are all part of the deal... too
I am wiht MEDVET on the "yes I will buy it" then never her from them again, send me a message I am easy... Hell I have had to do that before with my tail betwwen my legs..."Sorry thought I could, something has come up" But I always let the person know...
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I rarely low ball anybody,try to get price down but i don't make stupid comments where there asking 1000$ and I offer 100$.(well except for Sparky tires a few years ago he said he wanted them out said best offer i did i felt was low he said ok so worked out.) But things are different when i see a machine in person if the actual machine cosmetics are off i haggle appropriately. Did do some tire kicking a few times i feel bad for that but sometimes act on impulse then i realize ah that games get boring quick or pics are horrible to look at and loose patience quick and cant be bothered to ask for better pics. But for buy low sell high i know a few people like that and they don't lie to me because they know that i know what they where purchased for. Like mike said small community we all jump on the same stuff well except for me as of late need a dam job before i can start that again.
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Theres a candy cab floating around Kijij right now, and i am all "candy crazy" But the guy wants $750 for an astro city. I might pay up to $500 for it, but i am not going to send the offer, since i think it would be insulting to him/her. I'll wait. if the price lowers to my "safe range" I'll bite, if it doesn't then it was never meant to be.
It must all be relative though, as I don't see offering $500 for something that I wouldn't pay $250 for as lowballing.... But really, offering $500 for an asking price of $750 is an offer, it's not low balling. Callinging them and telling them it's not worht $500 and then offering $250. That's lowballing.
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Quoted Text
Then why did you mention she was Indian
Because it is much more accepted in some cultures to throw extreme lowballs. Asia the Middle East, and most third world countries for example. I believe that once a person becomes more "Canadianised" they tend to better understand what is looked at as offensive in our culture. On the other hand some people just dont give a crap and don't really care who they offend. I am not offended that they undervalue my goods, but that they waste my time and think they can beat me so low. There is such a thing as tact too.
Quoted Text
The reason I set my threshold there is I can probably sell the machine if I don't like it for what I have in it.
I am all about that too but I think that as a hobby, I hope to keep my losses to a minimum but at the same time if I want a machine and I pay a bit more for it I can expect it might possibly sell for a bit less later.
Because it is much more accepted in some cultures to throw extreme lowballs. Asia the Middle East, and most third world countries for example. I believe that once a person becomes more "Canadianised" they tend to better understand what is looked at as offensive in our culture...
Oh man. When I was in Egypt last year, haggling with the local shop owners was pretty fun. Even the kids on the street selling bookmarks were great. They'd say "$5" (for a crappy fake papyrus bookmark), I'd say "$1" (it probably cost 5 cents to produce). The kid would act all insulted and walk away. I continued to sit there chatting with some people then surprise, he comes back a few minutes later "$4". To make a long story short, I eventually got the crummy thing for $1. But I didn't pay for the bookmark, I paid for this kid's oscar worthy performance.
Strangely enough, my wife hated to barter. Even weirder, when she tried, none of the shop owners would budge! It was really weird. Either they detected that she was 'soft' (but she would walk away) or it's just not customary to barter with women there, I dunno.
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Hmmm, I don't usually Barter, but you guys just reminded me I did recently, when I renegotiated my "services" with Rogers. I got my money's worth on that 30 minute call .
Strangely enough, my wife hated to barter. Even weirder, when she tried, none of the shop owners would budge! It was really weird. Either they detected that she was 'soft' (but she would walk away) or it's just not customary to barter with women there, I dunno.
A Woman's words have little to no value in that part of the world!
I don't know about it being so much Canadianized. I used to work with various suppliers and manufacturers on discounts. If you weren't buying at least as well as your competitor you weren't even in the running for contracts. Industry discount were less 50% let's say for the volumes we were moving and we were discounting off retail to be competitive. Often not getting an additional 10% or 15% off was the difference between being profitable on the job and losing money when your talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment.
I considered negotiating very Canadian. In fact it was a key aspect of being successful in business. You get what you negotiate.
Rolling over and playing dead for what the going rate was just wouldn't cut it.
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) , I try to put the game at a fair price for the quality of it and that's the price. I don't add on for negotiation room because I hate it (see above) and let the buyers know that. Anything I've sold has been for my asking price. I've never really been lowballed (except for Stargate - since everybody seems to think a Gottleib should be dirt cheap no matter what condition 
). 
But really, offering $500 for an asking price of $750 is an offer, it's not low balling. Callinging them and telling them it's not worht $500 and then offering $250. That's lowballing.
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