When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

[killersoundz]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

Ohh! LOL! That will teach them. Maybe if you try to sell it with some speakers in it. Sounds like you don't really want to haggle.

You're right, I don't wanna haggle on this deal. I am actually planning on putting some speakers in it if I can't flip it empty. Trust me if I need the cash or I just want to get rid of something I'll haggle all day, there are other deals I don't want to loose money on. Although I've sold a lot of my possessions at a lost.

[killersoundz]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

I do that all the time.

Craigslist is not where you go if you want top dollar; it's where you go if you want something easy with no up-front fees. Getting $25 for that sans drivers is a pretty fair price. There's a reason I'm not selling my $3700 speakers on Craigslist - it's because while Audiogon is expensive and a major hassle, it will also make me a lot more money.

Incidentally, as for the subject of "life lessons," quite a lot of what I own was purchased on Craigslist. I don't think I paid the asking price for any of it. As a result, I'm one of the only college students in town that's still in the black - and I used what I saved to fund stereo equipment. Lowballing costs me only a few seconds of my time and, in some cases, pays out rather spectacularly well.

Right on, and I don't typically pay asking price when I buy through craigslist, and I expect people to haggle with me as well and I leave a little room for that. Now if it's clearly a ridiculous deal, just out of respect I won't even try to haggle.. Like that peavey cab, I just bought that today as is from a guy for $30. I wouldn't have even tried to offer him $25, that is just offensive and he would have probably spit on me, as I would expect. $30 is already a wicked deal, as is most of the stuff I've sold on craigslist are deals like that when I was hard up for cash (that's when low ball offers become offensive). I will admit I take it much more personal when I need money, otherwise it doesn't matter and I wouldn't even say anything. I can understand how people on this forum couldn't sympathize with that however.

Now ironically (and hypocritically), I was fishing around with the $80 price tag on that empty cab. Still an ok deal, someone might bite. I have enough sense not to post it on the same craigslist page I bought it off of today however, that would be silly. Would have made a good laugh for some people though, saw a cab for $30...then later on that night $80. ha!

[daver]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

I think the "or best offer" statement is an open invitation for people to make "any kind of offer", perhaps the "best" allowed by their budget.

Maybe changing to something like, "or reasonable offer" might eliminate a lot of headaches for buyer and seller.

Just my 2 cents.

[stangbat]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

I'm always civil with my responses. You never know when the guy you call a moron may be your next paying customer. I had a guy blow me off on what I thought was a reasonable offer. Never heard back from him after he said he'd take the item and call me the next day. It hacked me off. I considered sending an email telling him that I was disappointed but I wasn't going to be nasty. In the end I let it slide and said/did nothing.

The rest of the story...he eventually contacted me about 1.5 weeks later about the item. I still had it. He purchased it for the agreed price and last night I made another sale to him for another item. If I'd flown off the handle and called him a moron I'd now be almost $3000 poorer. He's a nice guy and probably just got busy with real life. You never know the person or situation behind the email. Being flippant isn't the best approach. Just let it slide.

[z31maniac]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

Coming from dealing with old cars, I expect to be lowballed on things, big time. And guess what, I will lowball others as well.

But I never responded with "LOL" as a response to an offer, I would respond with "Sorry, that is not a fair offer" or something like that.

I agree with the earlier poster that it says more about you than the lowballer.

[biff]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

Then learn to decline politely and deal with it like a mature adult. Tossing around adjectives like "moron" and "clueless" says a lot more about you than it does about them.

+1, +2, & +3. Some one made an offer to buy, and it is your right to decline. The degree of grace you show is at your discretion, or lack thereof. Craigslist, flea markets and yard sales are usually open to price negotiation. Recently I was in Peru and even in stores haggling was expected and respected, and the opening bid was usually 1/2 of the marked price. The value of anything is exactly what you (or he) is willing to pay, and an equal amount of painful winces is the best outcome

[Starkiller4299]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

Really, isn't it all about context? Value is a very subjective thing, especially with the used items you will typically find on Craigslist.

With some things like cars, where the value can be referenced against a standard, it is very much more difficult to justify a 'lowball' offer. But even on these there is usually room-and reason-to deal.

But with other things, like old appliances, coffee tables, knick knacks, what have you, the true value of the item is much harder to assess. Often a seller will just throw a number on the price tag and cross his/her fingers. If someone offers a 5 year old refrigerator at $50 below retail, vs a comparable model that is 1 year old at the same price, yeah, I'm not going to feel bad making a pretty low offer to the guy with the older one. Lots of times sellers put up egregiously high prices so that when the buyer asks for 50% the asking price and gets it, he/she feels like they got a steal. Other times, sellers aren't really looking for money from an item but just want to get rid of it (see estate sales).

I've run the gamut, myself. Some items I've paid full price for, others I've gotten for a mere shadow of the original price. The value of "I can be by in 30 minutes, cash in hand" is a very, very powerful motivator, and should not be underestimated. Sure, lowballing is plain rude in some instances--I bought a beer fridge from a guy for $20 the other week, for instance. It would have been rude to ask for less. But conversely, I've made a offer of 50% on a futon, and purchased it at that price. The original price was really quite high. You really can't say that it's wrong in every situation.

[maynardg]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

If you list on Craigslist, you can expect people to come up with low ball offers. They are not morons. Nor do they deserve laughter. Many are casting the net broadly hoping to get some real bargains. Can't blame them. They simply do not value goods as highly as you do.

If you want to avoid low ball offers, note "firm, please don't waste your time making lower offers". At that point, those who make low ball offers can appropriately be labeled morons and should best be ignored.

[Paul K.]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

Only if you believe the asking price is usually way high out of line. If you're familiar with what's being offered for sale and assuming the item's description/condition are legitimate, you ought to know if the asking price is anywhere near fair. No problem with wanting to haggle, but to always offer 1/2 the asking price regardless deserves an LOL from the sellers.
Paul

I think offering half is a fairly standard point to start haggling from?

[kmibb]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

I just think it's hilarious that he admitted to paying $30 for it and yet thinks it's offensive to be offered $25 for it. How dare they try to get it from him cheap and try to spin it for a deal.

[Hosejockey61]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

I like to use humor when haggling for something on craigslist...for example, if somebody wants $100 for something I'll tell the person "I'll give you a craigslist hundred for it"....then they'll reply "what's that?".....then I'll tell them "sixty"....

Usually they laugh and let it go for the lower price.

Craigslist is always full of people offering lowballs. I do it all the time because you just never know when one will accept the offer.

Haggling and low balling is one of the best features of craigslist. If you are offended by those types of people, then maybe eBay with a reserve price is the way to go. (Shipping would kill you for that box though lol)

[killersoundz]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

I just think it's hilarious that he admitted to paying $30 for it and yet thinks it's offensive to be offered $25 for it. How dare they try to get it from him cheap and try to spin it for a deal.

Why didn't you direct your comment directly toward me instead the rest of the forum? By the way, I did clearly point that out myself that the big picture is a little funny but I still had an $80 asking price and coming in at $25 is very poor judgement.

I got an offer for $60 on it today, which is very fair and I'm glad to accept. Doubling my money, can't complain about that. If he doesn't come through on it I'm going to put some speakers it in and hopefully make $50-60 on the deal.

[jeff_free69]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

Glad you're getting a better price - clearly that cab is worth way more than $25 to the right buyer (if he can find the right drop in speakers or recut the baffle.)

But frankly to me "or best offer" means just that ...
ie " I'm gettin rid of this thing no matter what, so I might as well get a few bucks for it rather than kick it to the curb"
if you only get a $1 bid then you still have the option to hold on to it.

I use:
"serious only" to mean there's just a litle bit of wiggle room for negotiation. (if I post for 120, i may accept 100)
"Firm" would be not much room for negotiation.

[killersoundz]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

Glad you're getting a better price - clearly that cab is worth more than $25 to the right buyer (if he can find the right drop in speakers or recut the baffle.)

But frankly to me "or best offer" means just that ...
ie " I'm gettin rid of this thing no matter what, so I might as well get a few bucks for it"

I use:
"serious only" to mean there's a litle bit of wiggle room for negotiation
"Firm" would be not much " "

You're right. I'll post "or reasonable offer" from now on.

[philiparcario]

Re: When you post "or best offer" on craigslist....

I just think it's hilarious that he admitted to paying $30 for it and yet thinks it's offensive to be offered $25 for it. How dare they try to get it from him cheap and try to spin it for a deal.

yeah I was kind of on his side till I read that post. now oh well.