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What do you do when you receive a counter offer?

I was on ebay and saw a item, BIN or BO. I offered what I thought was fair (about $100 less than the BIN). The seller sent me back a CO for $50 more than my offer and said that he already had a better offer than mine and I could have it for this price.

I don't think that the seller is doing me a favor and offering me the same price as the other offer. I think that the other offer may be a little more than my offer and the seller is trying to make more off of me. Or the seller is playing both of us and sent the other person the same CO with the same message in hopes of getting that price.

Oh well.

Comments

  • yankeeno7yankeeno7 Posts: 9,243 ✭✭✭
    Just normal, every day sales...you can make another counter to him, ignore it completely, or buy it at his price. Simple as that.
  • I would not counteroffer at the same price either. Makes no sense to waste time doing so. Is he playing you against the other? Only if he has half a brain.
    The best pitch to start a hitter off with is always strike one.
  • MULLINS5MULLINS5 Posts: 4,517 ✭✭✭
    This happens to me a lot. I don't give people low offers, just fair ones (as you did) but I tend to get that counter back and some excuse/story as you have stated.

    I let the offer ride and expire - then place it in my watchlist and monitor it for a few months. Sometimes it is lowered, sometimes it goes poof, rarely does it sell for the counter.

    If the card is lowered in price and you can pick it up for less than his counter, think about using another ID -- some sellers hold grudges.

    Good luck!


    Patrick
  • DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,220 ✭✭
    I agree with the above posters. How bad do you want the item? Does it come up frequently? At what other prices do you see this item offered? I would counter with the highest offer that you are willing to pay and leave it at that. Tell the seller the best I can do is $x. If he says he can't sell it for that price ... JUST WALK AWAY!
    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
  • gameusedhoopgameusedhoop Posts: 3,535 ✭✭✭
    He has you on the hook. He knows you are interested, just not HOW interested.

    How long has the item been listed? New listings do get offers quickly, older listings (10 days +) get very few offers.

    Just depends on how badly you want the item, and how long it may be until another comes along. If it was me....tell the seller you've made your BEST offer already and will let it go at any price over that, you may get him to come down to your price. That is if you can live without the item possibly...
  • bobbyw8469bobbyw8469 Posts: 7,139 ✭✭✭
    Go up 10% in price ($110).......and don't take any counter offer.......if he doesn't take your offer, WALK AWAY!! If someone else really offered more than you, he would take thier offer......if you want to be a bottom feeder, you have to play the game and play it well! Watch an episode of PAWN STARS to get an idea of how it should be done.....
  • If you have already offered the max you are willing to pay then poliely decline. If not and the counteroffer is fair in your mind take it.
    Collecting Pre-War, Pre-War HOF Types, Pre-War Postcards
  • brendanb438brendanb438 Posts: 1,595 ✭✭✭
    Call his bluff, counteroffer for less than your initial offer. image


  • << <i>I was on ebay and saw a item, BIN or BO. I offered what I thought was fair (about $100 less than the BIN). The seller sent me back a CO for $50 more than my offer and said that he already had a better offer than mine and I could have it for this price. >>



    When I am trying to negotiate a price with a seller, this sort of thing is kind of a pet peeve of mine. I don't care what anyone else has offered you. I also don't care about:
    *how much you have into the card
    *why you are selling the card
    *what you sold a similar card for a month ago
    *whether or not you'd rather keep the card than sell it for less than X amount of dollars

    What is the amount you are willing to take to sell me this card, right now? THAT's what I care about. The more superfluous information I get, the less interested I become.

    If you want to make sure I know that the counteroffer is your drop-dead, lowest price- or that the counteroffer is null and void after a specific timeframe- that's cool. But please leave the extra chit-chat out of it!

    **END RANT**
    'Sir, I realize it's been difficult for you to sleep at night without your EX/MT 1977 Topps Tom Seaver, but I swear to you that you'll get it safe and sound.'
    -CDs Nuts, 1/20/14

    *1956 Topps baseball- 97.4% complete, 7.24 GPA
    *Clemente basic set: 85.0% complete, 7.89 GPA
  • jimradjimrad Posts: 2,777 ✭✭✭
    This topic makes me laugh.

    Haggling the price on an item that really has no actual value is as old as time. Make your fair offer and don't take anything personal if any banter comes back from the seller.
    Some sellers set high BIN's as they try and catch a lazy buyer and they don't need any quick cash. No problem move on.
    Main thing here is it's business not personal. There are no rules - just negotiate
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    MULLINS5,1966CUDA,nam812,nightcrawler,OAKESY25,PowderedH2O,relaxed,RonBurgundy,samsgirl214,shagrotn77,swartz1,slantycouch,Statman,Wabittwax
  • KbKardsKbKards Posts: 1,782 ✭✭✭
    I was on ebay and saw a item, BIN or BO. I offered what I thought was fair (about $100 less than the BIN). The seller sent me back a CO for $50 more than my offer and said that he already had a better offer than mine and I could have it for this price.

    How did you determine that your offer was fair, for both buyer and seller? Did you just figure $100 off would be nice this time of year, or did you come up with your offer based on other cards listed and checking prices of past sales. The seller may have it priced at a level where a $100 discount is too much to knock off the card. Take a closer look at the accuracy of your offer price and then buy it, counter, or move on.
  • I usually kick the dog.
  • jimradjimrad Posts: 2,777 ✭✭✭
    I am also reminded of a very true old quote -

    "One mans ceiling is another mans floor"
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  • MULLINS5MULLINS5 Posts: 4,517 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I am also reminded of a very true old quote -

    "One mans ceiling is another mans floor" >>



    and somewhere in between there is a lamp to shed light on the real price.

    image
  • imaginary scenario :
    1. card is listed at 500 or B/O.
    2. you offer 400
    3. he counters at at 450
    4. you recounter at 414
    5.he recounters at 425
    6. you now offer 350 + u want free shipping & if he don't like it tell him you are going to send him all your 88 donruss commons and if he don't take this offer now, you will come and beat him over the head with a 88 donruss factory set.
    7. he now drops the price to 250 + free S/H and begs for forgiveness .
    8. u buy the card, this is the best way to get the card at the price you really want.

    Just the threat of 88 Donruss commons have made grown men cry.
    if he is really tough you might have to threaten sending him a couple rare 1990 donruss Error wax boxes.

    be protected always carry an 88 donruss factory set with you at all times. imageimage
  • bobbyw8469bobbyw8469 Posts: 7,139 ✭✭✭
    Yes!! '88 Donruss is good! Then you can have a yard sale, and put them on a table all by themselves and ask $50 for them! Or better yet, have an ESTATE SALE, and price them at $150!!!!!!


  • << <i>imaginary scenario :
    1. card is listed at 500 or B/O.
    2. you offer 400
    3. he counters at at 450
    4. you recounter at 414
    5.he recounters at 425
    6. you now offer 350 + u want free shipping & if he don't like it tell him you are going to send him all your 88 donruss commons and if he don't take this offer now, you will come and beat him over the head with a 88 donruss factory set.
    7. he now drops the price to 250 + free S/H and begs for forgiveness .
    8. u buy the card, this is the best way to get the card at the price you really want.

    Just the threat of 88 Donruss commons have made grown men cry.
    if he is really tough you might have to threaten sending him a couple rare 1990 donruss Error wax boxes.

    be protected always carry an 88 donruss factory set with you at all times. imageimage >>



    LOL! Awesome
  • scashaggyscashaggy Posts: 1,107 ✭✭✭


    << <i>imaginary scenario :
    1. card is listed at 500 or B/O.
    2. you offer 400
    3. he counters at at 450
    4. you recounter at 414
    5.he recounters at 425
    6. you now offer 350 + u want free shipping & if he don't like it tell him you are going to send him all your 88 donruss commons and if he don't take this offer now, you will come and beat him over the head with a 88 donruss factory set.
    7. he now drops the price to 250 + free S/H and begs for forgiveness .
    8. u buy the card, this is the best way to get the card at the price you really want.

    Just the threat of 88 Donruss commons have made grown men cry.
    if he is really tough you might have to threaten sending him a couple rare 1990 donruss Error wax boxes.

    be protected always carry an 88 donruss factory set with you at all times. imageimage >>




    That really did make me LOL!
  • scashaggyscashaggy Posts: 1,107 ✭✭✭
    Another story.

    A while back, there was a card on ebay (BIN or BO). I made an offer that was declined and the card eventually sold to another person. Apparently, that deal fell through because the card was shortly re-listed (this time taking bids). So I bid on the card and won...for less than my original offer. At that point, I was happy but also worried that the seller may hold a grudge. No problems though, received my card and still have it today.

    The moral of the story? I don't know.
  • Was the counteroffer reasonable? He offered to split the difference between your offer and his asking price. Depending on the card and his asking price, maybe this was reasonable. If the card was a card that sells well at the price that he is already requesting, there is no reason to lower it by $100.
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