How do you deal with low-ballers?

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Los Angeles

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I recently was contacted regarding a knife I had for sale and was instantly put off by the low-ball offer. I had the instant feeling that any further communication with this person would yield no reasonable result - meaning simply that this was going to be a big waste of my time. But replying "stop wasting my time with insulting offers" isn't exactly my style.

Now, a lot of people have an attitude that "it doesn't hurt to ask" regardless of how ridiculous an offer is. Fair enough, I guess, but if you're dealing with me, it does hurt. It hurts your reputation as a buyer and it hurts your ability to get a deal with me in the future. It hurts my time and my ability to get a deal done. I am neither a scalper needing to face reality and drop his prices or a fool who does not understand what a reasonable price is. Low-balling me is just shy of a direct insult.

In this case, all I'm out is just a little time. But I'm still looking for a little advice should I come across this sort of situation in the future.

I'm wondering what everyone here does to handle lowballers?

Thanks in advance,

Kent
 
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JTR357 said:
I just say "No thanks" & move on.There will always be lowballers.
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+1... I give people the benefit of the doubt once, and reply back. There are a couple people who seem to do it all the time, they don't get any response.
 
I had a guy on another forum ask me if I price matched,as he had seen a knife for less than I was asking for a sprint spyderco,but he missed it.I just said I try to accommodate a buyer,but up to a point.I don't go lower.
 
JTR357 said:
I just say "No thanks" & move on.There will always be lowballers.
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Yep, I just try to stay polite and say decline, maybe give a counter-offer if it's in the ball park.

I can understand why some take them as an insult. Once I had a thread with multiple knives listed, and not even a day after posting, someone offered $60 for two listed at $95 and $50 (unused, and each was under retail) plus wanted free international shipping (I put in the thread no international and something like $5 for domestic shipping). I had to wonder if he was trying to troll me :p
 
I see it as some people like to negotiate and want to get the most for the very least. You have something for sale and they don't want to pay that price. It is one thing to want something on the cheap but to be cheap about it and try to be vulgar, then it is time to politely tell them no. 'NO".

Some people do not ever read the post in its entirety. I see that a lot. I frequently ask them to go re read the post and then get back to me.

Don't be insulted or angry, just shine them on. I make the things I usually sell and my extra goes online. I ask them what they make in their normal job and ask if they should take any less for their wage just because I want a better deal. I always get a 'no'.
 
Low ball offers are part of selling, the range of buyers goes from other dealers, to hard core collectors, average collectors, enthusiasts, novices and some that know absolutely nothing about the business.

Polite replies mean that person may come back and spend money, ignoring a potential customer leads to them looking for someone who will at least respond. Yes, there will always be guys who have as much fun trying to get a steal as actually getting the item.

I try to treat everyone online as I would treat them in public at a table.

I've seen several sellers that are trying to charge more for items that could be picked up for a significantly lower price, it's best to treat them nicely and go buy a knife from someone who isn't trying to scalp you.
 
As a New Yorker and a semi-professional low baller (never pay retail, lol such a deal) I look at it from the buyers perspective. I am not trying to insult anyone just looking for the best deal for my money. The key being my money. Also most of the time I will try and ask if the seller is open to offers. Any good deal needs to benefit both parties. OK back to cruising the for sale forums.
 
I tried ignoring a person one time who sent me multiple pm's and emails, on a trade offer, when i clearly said,
"No trades" in the "for sale" thread.

He later went on to post in my for sale thread..."I wish this guy would answer my emails"

I had to get a mod to step in after that.

advice: just ignore them, and they USUALLY go away:)
 
I don't haggle over prices, nor do I entertain haggling in my dealings. I outright ask for a specific price I find more reasonable, but I won't argue about it if they decline.

I guess it is in some peoples very nature to seek out a better deal.
 
ron_m80 said:
I don't haggle over prices, nor do I entertain haggling in my dealings. I outright ask for a specific price I find more reasonable, but I won't argue about it if they decline.

I guess it is in some peoples very nature to seek out a better deal.
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To be fair, there are enough predatory buyers AND sellers out there, it's part of the game to haggle in many venues.
 
They don't really bother me that much. I'll just tell them No thanks, but thanks for the offer. A few times I did give them a lower price, but told them not to get back with me until they place the "I'll take it" in the sales thread.
 
I hear ya, dealing with low ballers can be a PITA! I have never sold a knife in this forum but i've bought and traded plenty here. I buy and sell quite a bit on Craigslist (99% cars, motorcycles, bikes and such).
Dealing with most people here is a very nice experience compared to dealing with the average "Craigslister" What i find that works very well is to preface your Advertisment with strict rules of engagement lol. No need to be harsh with anyone, i just let them know that the price given is firm and i'm not interested in any offers at this time. Even with that said, I still get people throwing offers and i'll be honest... if they are close, i may consider it.
A good and detailed ad will cut out a lot of unwanted traffic. I would suggest IMHO to be very specific on how you want to handle your transaction... IE "firm" "trades" "no trades" or the ever popular "low ballers will be ignored" I know when i look at an ad, if any of the above stipulations are present... Unless i have exactly or very close to the exact thing that seller or trader is looking for.... I may not even attempt contacting them.

-Best of luck!
 
dcmartin makes a very good point--if you are unwilling to entertain offers, state that clearly in your post and put potential buyers on notice, as you would if you were unwilling to entertain trade offers.

Here is another thought:

You can find many, many for sale posts that started out at, say $600, and eventually had price reductions over a month or two down to maybe $400 or so and were never sold (at least the seller never closed the thread as they should if the item is sold). If the seller had received an offer of $450 the day after the sale was posted at $600, he might have considered that an insulting, low-ball offer. Maybe even fired off an angry response. But 6 weeks later, when he is getting no takers at $400, he would be happy to have that offer again.

I would not consider, for example, a $450 offer made to me on a knife I was asking $600 for to be insulting, any more than I would expect the person who made the offer to consider my asking price to be insulting. I see plenty of knives for sale for prices I consider to be well above their market value, as well as knives priced fairly, and some priced at below-market prices. The Knife Exchange is an exercise in the Free Market, where prices are determined by the interaction of buyers and sellers. Just as there should be no harm in asking $600 for your knife, there should be no harm in offering $450. To that seller, it is worth $600; to that buyer it is worth $450. The market will determine its true value.
 
"How do you deal with low-ballers? "

If I get a true low-ball offer, an offer that is clearly WELL below the lowest price ever seen for the same item, how I respond will depend on weather I really want, or need, to sell the item.

Negotiating is not a problem. Trying to get 5,10, or even 15-25% off something being offered at market value is one thing, true low-balling is something else.
Let's use a Sebenza as an example. If you had a NIB large standard Sebenza, how would you feel about being offered $229 for it? What kind of treatment would some jackleg like that deserve?

On the big auction site recently I was selling a very popular item at the lowest "buy it now" price on the site. I got an offer for 58% of my asking price. I declined, then I added that bidder to my blocked bidder/buyer list. I didn't really need to sell that item, and I knew I would get most, if not all I was asking for it. I wasn't offended, I just didn't want to deal with someone like that regardless of any price he might of eventually agreed to.
 
IamMatt said:
dcmartin makes a very good point--if you are unwilling to entertain offers, state that clearly in your post and put potential buyers on notice, as you would if you were unwilling to entertain trade offers.

Here is another thought:

You can find many, many for sale posts that started out at, say $600, and eventually had price reductions over a month or two down to maybe $400 or so and were never sold (at least the seller never closed the thread as they should if the item is sold). If the seller had received an offer of $450 the day after the sale was posted at $600, he might have considered that an insulting, low-ball offer. Maybe even fired off an angry response. But 6 weeks later, when he is getting no takers at $400, he would be happy to have that offer again.

I would not consider, for example, a $450 offer made to me on a knife I was asking $600 for to be insulting, any more than I would expect the person who made the offer to consider my asking price to be insulting. I see plenty of knives for sale for prices I consider to be well above their market value, as well as knives priced fairly, and some priced at below-market prices. The Knife Exchange is an exercise in the Free Market, where prices are determined by the interaction of buyers and sellers. Just as there should be no harm in asking $600 for your knife, there should be no harm in offering $450. To that seller, it is worth $600; to that buyer it is worth $450. The market will determine its true value.
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This has happened to me as a buyer before also. I offered what I thought was a fair price, the seller declined and we went our separate ways. Around a month or so later I got an email saying he had dropped the item to the price I originally offered. By that point I did not need the item so I passed. I bet he wished he had taken the offer the first time.
 
I don't see it as a big deal one way or the other. Some people like to try it on just in case they can nab an extra good deal, but the seller has the control so in the end no real harm done. Just move on if you don't like the offer.
 
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