Best offer really means what? CU Boards -- Not eBay
otwcards
Posts: 5,291 ✭✭✭
I've had this happen several times and I really don't understand the logic.
When I've offered something for sale, I get asked, "What's your best price on this?" I respond with my best price. Oft times, the person will respond with a counter and I will respectfully decline. I've given my best price and will sell it at that or I won't sell it at all. Pretty simple and many on the boards understand that and we've had some great transactions. Some people like to carry on about why I should accept their "offer" or buy at their price. I understand that and simply pass.
However, recently (and this isn't anything new on these boards), I inquired about an item a board member was selling. I stated that I could pay $XYZ for the item and if that was acceptable I would forward payment by whatever method he wanted. If it was not acceptable, I thanked him for his consideration and that the offer would be my only offer to purchase the item. Anyway, he declined my offer price and said $XXX was his best price. I thanked him again and said that I would pass. He followed up with another PM asking why I won't counter his offer. I simply explained that I gave him a price that I would purchase the item for and that there was no sense in negotiating because I had no interest in paying more for the item than I originally offered. Then he followed with a bit of a profanity laced tirade about how I must not be a real buyer and that I don't know how to negotiate and how this isn't the way business is done on the boards. I decided not to bother to respond.
If I'm negotiating a price, I understand that there will be back and forth and there may not be a meeting of the minds.
So, what is so hard about understanding the concept of best offer or best price?
When I've offered something for sale, I get asked, "What's your best price on this?" I respond with my best price. Oft times, the person will respond with a counter and I will respectfully decline. I've given my best price and will sell it at that or I won't sell it at all. Pretty simple and many on the boards understand that and we've had some great transactions. Some people like to carry on about why I should accept their "offer" or buy at their price. I understand that and simply pass.
However, recently (and this isn't anything new on these boards), I inquired about an item a board member was selling. I stated that I could pay $XYZ for the item and if that was acceptable I would forward payment by whatever method he wanted. If it was not acceptable, I thanked him for his consideration and that the offer would be my only offer to purchase the item. Anyway, he declined my offer price and said $XXX was his best price. I thanked him again and said that I would pass. He followed up with another PM asking why I won't counter his offer. I simply explained that I gave him a price that I would purchase the item for and that there was no sense in negotiating because I had no interest in paying more for the item than I originally offered. Then he followed with a bit of a profanity laced tirade about how I must not be a real buyer and that I don't know how to negotiate and how this isn't the way business is done on the boards. I decided not to bother to respond.
If I'm negotiating a price, I understand that there will be back and forth and there may not be a meeting of the minds.
So, what is so hard about understanding the concept of best offer or best price?
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When negotiating if I'm relatively near their minimum I will make the offer, if not I just say thanks we won't make a deal.... Then I get an influx of "What will your offer be" (had this happen last week)... And then when I give my offer they feel I have insulted them...
Like every card should sell at the average price.
put a period and move on...
Judge Judy...
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<< <i>Then he followed with a bit of a profanity laced tirade about how I must not be a real buyer and that I don't know how to negotiate and how this isn't the way business is done on the boards. I decided not to bother to respond. >>
Hi Scott
This pretty much sums it up.
Doesn't seem logical to me that the seller should have a problem with that...... but a certain percentage of people in this world are nutjobs. Looks like you found one.
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<< <i>but a certain percentage of people on this forum are nutjobs. >>
Now that's funny.
<< <i>Seems you made it pretty clear that this was not to be a standard "negotiation"- that your offer was take it or leave it.
Doesn't seem logical to me that the seller should have a problem with that...... but a certain percentage of people in this world are nutjobs. Looks like you found one. >>
If it was only one, I even bother with it, but it is something that occurs far too often. Part of the reason that I really don't offer much up for sale or offer to buy much on the boards anymore.
It seems that now, I just stick to doing business with a few that understand the right way to do things . . . offer up honestly and accurately described material at an agreed upon price and deliver it promptly as stated. I don't think that's asking too much. It is how I do things and how I prefer them to be done.
<< <i>I must not be a real buyer and that I don't know how to negotiate and how this isn't the way business is done on the boards. I decided not to bother to respond.
If I'm negotiating a price, I understand that there will be back and forth and there may not be a meeting of the minds.
So, what is so hard about understanding the concept of best offer or best price? >>
What, there are rules on how business is done on the boards. Some people just don't understand what "best offer" or "best price" means. They like to negotiate and that is fine, but I agree with you that if I tell you my best offer is $XYZ, well then my best offer is $XYZ period. I'd just refer them to Webster's Dictionary and move on.
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<< <i>Sounds to me you're just upset that your number of complaining PM's are outnumbering the ones that are calling you an A-hole. >>
Give it time, the day is not over yet.
<< <i>Sounds to me you're just upset that your number of complaining PM's are outnumbering the ones that are calling you an A-hole.
That is ALWAYS subject to change (and whether Steve is logged on)...
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<< <i>"the right way to do things"
Turn it sideways . . .
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Ralph
As an example, I have a listing for a handful of raw cards for sale on the BST and received an offer of 20% less than my asking price on a small lot. I responded shortly thereafter with a counteroffer midway between my asking price and their offer. No response from the other party. Call me crazy, but I think it's rude to not have the simple courtesy to say "no thanks" when someone takes the time to review an offer and try some old fashioned negotiating.
Now, if the initial offer of 20% below my listed prices was worded "I'll give you $X for these", I probably would have just declined, but when it is worded, "would you take $X for these?", it sounds like a request for negotiation.
Not the end of the world, but will make me less likely to waste my time responding to that particular member's offers in the future.
<< <i>I'm in the camp where if someone has taken the time to make an offer (or a counteroffer) that it's good etiquette to reply one way orthe other. If you don't want to negotiate, I think it's appropriate to send a note giving the other party that information.
As an example, I have a listing for a handful of raw cards for sale on the BST and received an offer of 20% less than my asking price on a small lot. I responded shortly thereafter with a counteroffer midway between my asking price and their offer. No response from the other party. Call me crazy, but I think it's rude to not have the simple courtesy to say "no thanks" when someone takes the time to review an offer and try some old fashioned negotiating.
Now, if the initial offer of 20% below my listed prices was worded "I'll give you $X for these", I probably would have just declined, but when it is worded, "would you take $X for these?", it sounds like a request for negotiation.
Not the end of the world, but will make me less likely to waste my time responding to that particular member's offers in the future. >>
There are also many that ask for prices, then after you take the time to send them, they never respond.
<< <i>JMO but I feel anytime I put anything for sale on here I should be ready to negotiate >>
Big difference between negotiating and being insulted. 20% off on a lot is negotionating. 20% of the BIN price is insulting.
I get this on the Blowout forums all the time. But then again most of those people are under 25 and have the social skills of Raymond Babbit.
I don't understand it either.
If I don't get an item, I won't loose any sleep.
Dave
<< <i> Then he followed with a bit of a profanity laced tirade about how I must not be a real buyer and that I don't know how to negotiate and how this isn't the way business is done on the boards. I decided not to bother to respond.
>>
That's uncalled for, I agree with you about best price is best price, not a hard concept.
I had an interaction on another board, fortunately the person didn't break down to profanities, but did say he would be an idiot to accept my offer even though it was $0.03 below what dozens had recently sold for on ebay... I just moved on and bought my item at the price I wanted to pay from someone else.
<< <i>I don't think 20% off of the BIN price is insulting. I've made that offer on a number of occasions and quite often struck a deal. It all depends on the BIN. If it is already at a reasonable price, then no negotiations are warranted. If I feel that the price is a little higher than should be expected, I will make a lower offer. My father used to say "You don't ask, you don't get". I agree. If a person tells me that XYZ is their best price, then I will take them at their word and make a decision and either accept it or decline it. >>
I agree. I have negotiated several deals with people both as a buyer and seller where we start at one price and end up well below it. It's like going to buy a car. Does anyone ever pay sticker price for a car? I would hope not. Some people don't really have a good feel for the current market value of their cards. They remember paying X amount for it 5 years ago and the market might be totally different on that card now. I'm not one of those people that strictly use VCP as my absolute price on an item but I will say if VCP on an item is $200 and the seller is asking $450 and they are not willing to negotiate at all then they don't really want to sell the card. I don't have a problem with that.
<< <i>I don't think 20% off of the BIN price is insulting >>
It's not. 20% OF the BIN price is. If I have a card listed for $200 and get an offer price of $40, there is no quicker way than that to get put on a BBL in my opinion.
<< <i>
<< <i>I don't think 20% off of the BIN price is insulting >>
It's not. 20% OF the BIN price is. If I have a card listed for $200 and get an offer price of $40, there is no quicker way than that to get put on a BBL in my opinion. >>
20% of the BIN isn't insulting if you're talking about 707 or yepbg BIN pricing.
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<< <i>
<< <i>JMO but I feel anytime I put anything for sale on here I should be ready to negotiate >>
Big difference between negotiating and being insulted. 20% off on a lot is negotionating. 20% of the BIN price is insulting. >>
Bobby, follow Levi's example on 20% of BIN/OBO. Quick decline with a "Thank You." Have you seens his feedback DSRs? Absolutely Sick.
No need to get insulted. Just say no (+Thank You). What's good enough for 707Sportscards is good enough for you.
You, too, can one day have a 5-star Shipping DSR.