price negotiations

[cheyenne10]

Who gets offended when buyer offers quite a bit less than asking price? I have tried to sell $4000 truck before expecting arounf $3750 and had guys offer $1800 to start. I get upset and usually don't even counter offer.

I am trying to sell an 81 Toyota Corolla for family friend who wants it sold. I have researched what I think is fair price, asking slightly high and go from there. I again dread the 1/2 price offer.

I know everyone wants good deal and likes to negotiate price some (I call it playing the game) but I usually do not offer a lot less when I look at something. If I'm interested and it is priced reasonably I try to decide if I want it. If way over priced to me I just walk away without offer.

Curuious to how you guys feel on both sides of issue.

[JayDubBlazer]

As a buyer you have to ask because you never know. But as a seller if you think it is a fair price stay firm. When selling something I usually exepect to come down about 10% just to play the game.

[1969 GMC]

Everyone's advice on here for buying trucks is to start out lowballing, hoping that by some slim offchance, you might get a steal...but they know that 99.9% of the time, it won't work. So I wouldn't be offended, its just how most do business. If they want it bad enough, they will pay what you ask, or close to it.

[vtblazer]

Just laugh (chuckle friendly like) and say "you wish" kinda acting like you thought they were joking about the offer. That way no one is offended yet they know your not interested in going there price wise.
If they don't counter with a real offer, they were never serious to start with.

[Brainchild]

Ya can't blame a guy for trying can ya?Honestly,I think most of us "horse traders" expect that the asking price is high,and the buying price is negotiable.I think half price offer is a little too much expectation thoughI prolly wouldn't be offended though,I'd just laugh it off.
If I'm selling something,I always price it high,and if they give it fine,if not,lets talk.It's always easier to take the price down

My favorite are those guys that want to make payments
I always tell them 100% down nothing a month

[Blue Beard]

Cash offers make a big difference to me. Shows they are interested enough.

One's that get me are when they ask "What's your bottom dollar to take her home."

Then they come look at it and want to beat you up on the unit.

[supercheyenne]

Originally Posted by cheyenne10

I know everyone wants good deal and likes to negotiate price some (I call it playing the game) but I usually do not offer a lot less when I look at something. If I'm interested and it is priced reasonably I try to decide if I want it. If way over priced to me I just walk away without offer.

Curuious to how you guys feel on both sides of issue.

I'm actually alot like you. Wonder how many realize they lose sales opportunities if they "start high"? I'm looking to buy a vehicle.... not "play a game". I always show up with cash too. So if you're playing a game, you're really missing an opportunity to sell. I don't lowball and I don't want to offend a seller so I'm going to walk if I feel my number is too far off. Different strokes I guess?


Since someone mentioned "horse traders"......... I hate these types. Leaving notes on my trucks, knocking on my door, or following me around town until I stop. Then asking if I want to "get rid" of my truck or sell it. Kiss my bupkus you freaking moron. You see a for sale sign anywhere? There's a reason why I have a cool truck and you don't. God doesn't want jerkwads to have them.


This rant wasn't directed at anyone (including Brainchild) in particular......... I just don't care for people missing the obvious.

[N2TRUX]

It's the nature of doing business with people, so you shouldn't get offended unless they start trying to justify their half price offer. I research what I sell and add a little room to bargain. I don't mind if someone wants to haggle a little because I will do it when I buy something.

What I don't like is when you politely decline their lowball offer and they start telling you why your price is too high and they can get a better deal else where. If you can get such a good deal elsewhere then why are you pissin in my boots?

[Hook'em]

I generally price things to sell. A few years ago I was selling an '89 Chevy Truck with 210K miles. My next door neighbor was going to buy it. He asked how much, I had decided $2000 was fair and told him $2000. He yelled back $1500. I was comfortable with $2000, but before I could tell him so, my wife yelled back $1800. I ended up selling the truck for $1800. The moral to the story: only one negotiator per side and make sure it is not your wife.

[Primed67]

I had a 59 Chevy SWB Fleetside that was a rolling chassis. All the body work had been done and it was ready for paint. I had a front clip for it off a nova and and posi rear end for it to. It also had a brand new set of wheels and tires on it. I hated to sell it but I needed the money. Well a guy called me from Dallas and told me he wanted to look at it so I gave him directions to my house and told him to call me when he was on his way so that I would be there. Well I was putting in a french drain in front of my shop and the guy shows up without calling. I was about 1/2 done with the drain and I was right infront of the shop doors. Well the guy looks at the truck in the shop but wants to look at it in the sun light so I busted my rear to get the french drain finished so that we could roll it out. This guy keeps telling me that I need to hurry because he needs to get back to Dallas because he has to get to work. Well I finish up some what and we roll the truck out and he likes it. He brought his buddy with him to look at it also and he liked it also. Well him and his buddy walk off to the side and start discussing money. He comes back to me and offers me less than half of what I was asking. He reminds me again I need to hurry because he needed to get back to Dallas. Well that was it I told him Hell No! That was insulting, I then pushed the truck back in the shop and asked him to leave. He came back about 30 minutes later and apologized and made me another offer about 300 under what I was asking and I took it. I guess the guy thought because I was 20 I didn't know what I had or how to deal. If I didn't need the money so bad I would have loved to tell him to kiss my a%^ just because of his previous offer.

Oh yea I was not asking an outrageous price. It was priced to sell. I was actually loosing a little money on it.

[67ChevyRedneck]

What I hate are the damned people who want to buy my truck.... IT'S NOT FOR SALE!!! It's been sitting by the garage for only 3 months with a blown tranny....I think I've had maybe 7 people stop and ask about it. When it comes to selling....I mean come on, of course they are gonna start out really low. Usually if you tell them no way, and they leave, if the vehicle sits for a couple more months they will probably come back again.... and as far as selling an '81 corolla........ good luck!!!

[70 shorty]

I like it when people ask if my Z28 is for sale, I say everything is for sale for the right price, and I quote them some ridiculous price. I figure if they're dumb enough to go for it, so be it. As far as someone lowballing something that I want to sell, I wouldn't get offended either unless as said before someone tried to tell you why your item was too high. I have a real problem with that, as said before, if you can get it cheaper somewhere else, stop wasting my time!

[cheyenne10]

Some of you guys reinforce my ideals. I guess it always seem the lowballers are the ones that cut it down and I always think why do they want it if its so bad. Price is always advertised. If they came hoping to find a certain condition at posted price and its not then they should walk away. Why try to buy something that is half what you went to see? I do support a reasonable comprimise. I ask a little high, they offer a little low and we meet in middle and everyones happy (except some wives). Sold a saddle when I was 10 for my dad. Guy made an offer, I did some quick math and countered with "meet in the middle" and buyer about dropped his teeth. He didn't say no and I was hooked. Both selling and buying can be fun and rewarding. I'm glad I don't have to make a living selling.

[crustysarge]

I buy and sell cars on the side and I always lowball hard when I buy and price fair to sell. I get all kinds of offers and none offend me. I have bought many a $6K cars for $4K or less by lowballing. I call it free market and supply and demand, our entire economy and culture is based upon it. Cash talks.

[boraxman]

I dont get offened at lowballers, I just laugh and say no thanks or tell them flat out what I need to get.

Now dont insult what im selling, I give accurate descriptions, if not interested just say so and move on.

[rodnok1]

I bought a 68 Firebird by handing the guy 250 bucks cash, his asking price was 800...he needed the money. Heck sometimes people don't really care what they get for something they just want to get rid of it. They put a price hoping for any offer.

[cableguy0]

if buying something big i always throw out an outrageously low offer unless i know for sure theres no room to haggle. but ya never know until ya try i mean why spend say 3 grand on a car someone would let go for 2200 if ya put the cash in front of em. cash talks whether its a big or small pile of ben franklins people see the dollars and say ok they might regret it later but oh well thats there problem. ya gotta at least try to get a deal but also should be prepared to pay what they want for it if need be

[Rod]

I use to have people come by and see what I had listed for sale...but more than a few times people saw something else and wanted stuff put together in package for them..,,basically they wanted this seat that console that dash pad ..this color seat belts ...so on...and they wanted it too cheap... I could sell it for more individually.

I quite advertising a couple years back...those who find out about me usually know I know what the stuffs worth. I get calls from people I've never met a few times a month.

It's become a who know who's scenario around here for me.

I've had more than my fair share of stuff stolen too....somethimes advertising is the worst option.
I spent a couple nights trying to catch a couple people.

My son even had a guy offer to buy his hub caps from his car a couple weeks back, he didnt sell....week later his hub caps are stolen...strange aint it.

[kingsolver72]

If they what to bargin $2200 from $4000 right off jump street,talk to that person slower,because they just don't get it.It is hard to be patient with some folks.I had a harley I was selling a few years back.I put an ad in the k.c. paper.A guy called me up and tried to negociate a price over the phone.He had not even seen my bike.The guy ended up calling me a punk on the phone.

[cheyenne10]

I get lots of these calls too. 1st question, "what'll ya take for it"? I usually reply to that with:

come on over,
look it over good,
if it could work for you,make me a reasonable cash offer, we can go from there.

Many don't.

Cash talks, BS walks.

So for those with outragous prices, you are probably missing quite a few lookers. Its hard to always get price pinned down but there are many ridicuous over priced trucks out there and sellers know it hoping for a sucker who has $$ to burn. Can't sell it if you can't get them to look at it. (except for good ole ebay!!)

[CG]

personally i hate dickering with a passion. so i always ask...give me your bottom line and if its reasonable to me ill buy it. i wont try to haggle em down from there. ive bought stuff from several board members like this and there has never been a problem. last new car we bought i researched the prices, talked to a salesman, talked price with him then we left and came back later. i said here is what we will pay i dont want to dicker back and forth at all because it seriously drives me crazy... i really laid it on thick so he would understand my intentions....and he said that looks like a good price (its the price we talked about when we were with him earlier) and asked me to sign a paper that said if he came back from sales manager with that price ok'd i will buy the car. i signed and told him if he comes back with an offer one penny higher we arent buying...he came back 500 dollars higher and i said no thanks and walked...he was all over me..its only 500 bucks you wont even notice it on the payments blah blah blah...he ran and got the manager and as i was getting into my car the manager had run outside...he said sir sir we can do your price...i told him no thanks i told you very clearly what i would pay and i didnt want any games...then he started yelling at me telling me i had a bad attitude...lol well maybe i do...we went to another dealer and told them what happend and purchased the car from them for the price we wanted. they treated us fantastically and we will do business with them again and i also recommend them to people shoppin for cars.

[Brainchild]

Originally Posted by supercheyenne

Since someone mentioned "horse traders"......... I hate these types. Leaving notes on my trucks, knocking on my door, or following me around town until I stop. Then asking if I want to "get rid" of my truck or sell it. Kiss my bupkus you freaking moron. You see a for sale sign anywhere? There's a reason why I have a cool truck and you don't. God doesn't want jerkwads to have them.


This rant wasn't directed at anyone (including Brainchild) in particular......... I just don't care for people missing the obvious.

That's not what I meant by Horse Trader,lol.If it has a For Sale sign on it,I figure it's on the market,otherwise I'll look elsewhere.

[RON WOODGEARD]

You can always COME DOWN, you can never go up...

I sold cars for a living and on the side for lots of years.. I would always tell the Phone buyers, You aren't going to buy over the Phone ! I'm not going to sell over the phone ! so if you're not interested in it enough to drive over and look at it, then have a great day... As I hang up the phone.....

When someone offers you a stupidly low price, Come back with a "higher" then listed counter offer..

Another technique, is when someone offers you an offer that's not too far off, I offer to "Split the difference"

I have also sold something to somebody else for a lower price just because a "Trader" offered me a stupidly lowballed price and Insulted what little intelligence I have !!!