What qualifies as lowball.

[Limpy88]

I buy sell and trade alot of different stuff. From electronics to guns, real and r/c cars and things in between. And when I have something that isn't very expensive (around or below $100) for sell, it seems I get the ppl who want to low ball me. I believe any thing under 25% of the asking amount is a low ball offer. What your guys opinion.

 

[IndyGunworks]

When it comes to used items, I don't think anything is really a lowball. Just that you consider your stuff more valuable than the other person. I lowball all the time on craigslist and its turned out quite nice for me. As a rule of thumb I offer 33 percent of the asking price. If the laugh at me they probably wouldn't have came down low enough anyways. If they counter, I will counter with 50 percent, and offer a date and time I can pick the item up. If bargaining continues then I slowly work my way up to my max that I would be willing to spend for that item.

 

[chezuki]

Depends. Some people have delusions about what something is really worth. If I offer them a fair market price, they may consider it a lowball offer where others would not.

 

[chezuki]

When it comes to used items, I don't think anything is really a lowball. Just that you consider your stuff more valuable than the other person. I lowball all the time on craigslist and its turned out quite nice for me. As a rule of thumb I offer 33 percent of the asking price. If the laugh at me they probably wouldn't have came down low enough anyways. If they counter, I will counter with 50 percent, and offer a date and time I can pick the item up. If bargaining continues then I slowly work my way up to my max that I would be willing to spend for that item.

If you offered me 33% of my asking price on anything, it would send you straight to the ignore/never deal with file. That's insulting to the seller, if you're that far apart on price, move on.

 

[pudly]

When it comes to used items, I don't think anything is really a lowball. Just that you consider your stuff more valuable than the other person. I lowball all the time on craigslist and its turned out quite nice for me. As a rule of thumb I offer 33 percent of the asking price. If the laugh at me they probably wouldn't have came down low enough anyways. If they counter, I will counter with 50 percent, and offer a date and time I can pick the item up. If bargaining continues then I slowly work my way up to my max that I would be willing to spend for that item.

Wow. Next time you quote me some gunsmithing work, I'll counter for 1/3rd.

 

[Limpy88]

When it comes to used items, I don't think anything is really a lowball. Just that you consider your stuff more valuable than the other person. I lowball all the time on craigslist and its turned out quite nice for me. As a rule of thumb I offer 33 percent of the asking price. If the laugh at me they probably wouldn't have came down low enough anyways. If they counter, I will counter with 50 percent, and offer a date and time I can pick the item up. If bargaining continues then I slowly work my way up to my max that I would be willing to spend for that item.

Usally try to respond to all offers. But if one was that low I wouldn't respond at all.

 

[Tula47]

If anyone offers me less than 2/3 of my asking I don't respond and consider it a lowball. But I also typically price things with very little haggle room.

 

[IndyGunworks]

If you offered me 33% of my asking price on anything, it would send you straight to the ignore/never deal with file. That's insulting to the seller, if you're that far apart on price, move on.

Wow. Next time you quote me some gunsmithing work, I'll counter for 1/3rd.

Usally try to respond to all offers. But if one was that low I wouldn't respond at all.

I do get a lot of people that don't respond, but a vast majority when I start that low, just say that I am not even close and don't counter. However I have less than 11k wrapped up in a full size ag tractor w/ front end loader, 3 point backhoe attachment, grader blade, grader box w/ ripper shanks, 2 bottom plow, bush hog, and soon to pick up post hole auger. I would have had ALOT more in all that if I had offered "fair market value" for any of those items. The bush hog was a ford and they were asking 500. I offered them 150 and they said yes. You never know unless you ask.

For what its worth this is mostly on craigslist or similar sites. When it comes to sites like this I don't purchase much, but will typically offer much closer to the asking price.

 

[Cameramonkey]

God I hope you meant offering 33% less than the list! not 33% OF the list. Offering $66 on a $99 item is one thing. Offering $33 for the same $99 item is definitely a lowball and I too would add you to my never deal with list.

The only exception would be an obviously overpriced item that it's unreasonable to ask the list price. With that "lowball" I would offer proof of why it is overpriced ridiculously.

For me anything more than a 35% discount on a properly priced item would start to head into lowball territory.

 

[chezuki]

God I hope you meant offering 33% less than the list! not 33% OF the list. Offering $66 on a $99 item is one thing. Offering $33 for the same $99 item is definitely a lowball and I too would add you to my never deal with list.

The only exception would be an obviously overpriced item that it's unreasonable to ask the list price. With that "lowball" I would offer proof of why it is overpriced ridiculously.

For me anything more than a 35% discount on a properly priced item would start to head into lowball territory.

Well since he said he counter offers with 50%, I assume he truly meant 33% OF ASKING PRICE.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Well since he said he counter offers with 50%, I assume he truly meant 33% OF ASKING PRICE.

Somebody offers me that lowball of an offer, they had better be able to show me how my price is overinflated if they expect me to not laugh at them. (Like maybe I thought it was a rare item and its not, I'm going off of outdated values, etc)

 

[Hkindiana]

I knew a guy in college who would sit in the commons at IU and proposition every pretty girl that came along. MOST ignored him or called him an a##h##e, but occasionally he would get lucky. It was the few who gave in that kept him going. I guess the act of really low-balling peoples ads could be seen as about the same.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Meh, you never know until you ask. If I paid $500 for a used item and a year later could only sell it for $150, I'd probably think I got taken when I bought it originally. I can see now, I'm offering folks way too much money for items...something to think about.

They don't have to accept an offer if they don't want to. If they accepted a "low ball" offer of their own accord, is it really a low ball offer? I'm thinking no.

 

[femurphy77]

I've had people get mad at me because I wouldn't counter offer on something I was interested in. If I see something I'd like but they are asking way over what I'm willing to pay I won't insult them or waste either one of ours time by throwing what I consider a fair offer. People want to play the game but only it it's by their rules. Whenever I list something for sale I'm usually pretty firm on the price because I list it damn near at my minimum acceptable selling price because I don't like the gamesmanship of offer/counteroffer.

Seems you can't please anyone these days!

 

[djsmith1000]

It never hurts to ask on a site like CL! I tend to offer 50-60% of asking as a starting point. If they're asking way too much I usually assume they're too proud of their stuff and don't bother. A lot of it depends in what kind of items your taking about too cars guns appliances electronics all kinda have different rules if thumb.

 

[bradmedic04]

I get a kick out of people who get butthurt by lowball offers. Whocares

 

[Darral27]

If I get a lowball offer I reply with no thank you and go on about my day. It don't hurt my feelings and I am not a fan of blocking people. I do not care for haggling and do my best to price anything I am selling at about market value.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Meh, you never know until you ask. If I paid $500 for a used item and a year later could only sell it for $150, I'd probably think I got taken when I bought it originally. I can see now, I'm offering folks way too much money for items...something to think about.

They don't have to accept an offer if they don't want to. If they accepted a "low ball" offer of their own accord, is it really a low ball offer? I'm thinking no.

Pretty much where I am at. I have been ignored, I move on. But the ones that accept the low ball are the ones I follow through with and end up with some good stuff for cheap.

It never hurts to ask on a site like CL! I tend to offer 50-60% of asking as a starting point. If they're asking way too much I usually assume they're too proud of their stuff and don't bother. A lot of it depends in what kind of items your taking about too cars guns appliances electronics all kinda have different rules if thumb.

I definitely come in a lot lower on a place like craigslist than I do other places. Mostly because they tend to deal more.


Example. There was an add from a place near brown county, about an hour drive for me. They had a grader blade, grader box, and 2 bottom plow listed at 1200 dollars. I offered them 300 for all three, they said they would do 600. I said its an hour away, I can be there tomorrow with 400. The next day I picked up all three items for 400. Sold the blade for 100 to a friend, and I have a 2 bottom plow and a grader box for 150 each. Either on their own merits sell for around 350-500 a piece on craigslist.

Did I lowball? Maybe if that's the term you want to use, but I came in low and got a heck of a deal on equipment that I otherwise would not have been able to afford.

 

[gregkl]

I get a kick out of people who get butthurt by lowball offers. Whocares

I agree. If someone low balls me, I just say; "I appreciate the interest but no thanks. I price things close to or at current market so I don't leave much wiggle room. I'd rather post a slightly lower price to get more activity.

Psychologically, buyers like to offer less no matter what the price so they can feel like they "won". I don't need those strokes to feel good about a deal. If I know the listing price is good or even fair I will, at times, buy it for full price. Yesterday I bought a case for my AR on here. The guy listed it at $20. Midway has them on sale right now for $17 but with shipping it would have been over $20. The guy met me at a place I was going to anyway and I handed him the $20 and off he went.

If I low ball someone and they get mad or put me in their "ignore"(whatever that is) list, then so be it. I'll move on.

I'm not selling anything for less than it's worth to me and I'm not buying anything for more than it's worth to me. It's that easy.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I've only sold one item here on INGO, and bought one, but I've done buying and selling on Ebay and elsewhere.

The way I figure, I will say "No" to a low-ball offer and if the person still wants the item, they may make another offer. Getting insulted by a low offer seems a little over-sensitive and impractical. I don't see it as good to alienate a potential future buyer just because I feel insulted.

When you get a low-ball offer, Just follow Nancy Reagan's advice and "Just say No".