Am I an ebay jerk?

Darin · February 21, 2008 5:10AM

There's a card listed with a BIN of $135(Mike Moustakas Bowman chrome ref.) or make an offer, so I make an offer of $70, figuring the offer will probably get declined. But I'm thinking $70 is more than fair for a guy who just finished high school last year, got drafted, and played a whole 11 games for the Royals in the rookie league.
Then the seller sends me a counter offer, for $134.99.

So I send a counter offer for $70.01.
I don't think we'll be coming to an agreement on the card.

OnlyThe10s · February 21, 2008 5:12AM

You're not a jerk.

I've done that before.

His counter-offer was basically saying, "How dare you low-ball me like that" that's all.

DavidPuddy · February 21, 2008 5:15AM

I have not idea what that card goes for, but when you put 'best offer' on you listings you should be prepared for ALL offers.
I don't think he should not have been a __ick about it. He should have just declined.
I think you should counter at $70.01,,,, I know I would.

Davemri · February 21, 2008 5:16AM

storm888 · February 21, 2008 5:16AM

MANY sellers have ALOT of money. They are not remotely
interested in doing transactions that do not realize a
substantial profit. If they want to give stuff away, the kids
in their neighborhood will be the beneficiaries.

You are NOT a jerk. Your offer was simply ridiculously low,
from the seller's perspective.

When I get silly offers, I simply reject them and block the buyer.

baseballfan · February 21, 2008 5:16AM

he'll have that card a long time

jrinck · February 21, 2008 5:19AM

I'm selling a house, and I received such a ridiculously low offer that I simply countered with a reiteration of the full-price. I'm perfectly willing to go down if the offer is reasonable, but this one is so far from reasonable (and not just because of the offer price, their own house sale contingency is a joke, too) that I felt personally insulted. "Sorry bub, the price is what it is."

So maybe the seller in this case felt personally insulted, too.

EagleEyeKid · February 21, 2008 5:20AM

You're not a jerk. The seller is the jerk.
He simply could of just decline and move on.
There was no need to come back with that counter; whether
he felt insulted or not.
After he countered you, you should of just came back with .01 total.
Gimme a link. I'll do it.

DavidPuddy · February 21, 2008 5:21AM

Am I a jerk for giving the same offer on a card twice?
I gave an offer that got quickly rejected,,,, card sat in a store for a month, so I gave the same offer again. The second time around he accepted.

OnlyThe10s · February 21, 2008 5:23AM

I've made offers on a Manny card that sat in this sellers store for seven months. Each ofer was lower and lower.

Sellers also need to be aware that their stuff isnt necessarily worth what they're asking.

PSA 10 pop 1, so what... it's a common card of a set that a couple years old, lol....

jrinck · February 21, 2008 5:25AM

And despite what I said above about selling my home.... THE EVENTUAL BUYER ALWAYS DICTATES THE PRICE. ALWAYS.

OnlyThe10s · February 21, 2008 5:26AM

Mike Moustakas BLUE REFRACTOR 07 Bowman Chrome #/199

I think we should all offer one red cent like EagleEyeKid suggested.

Darin · February 21, 2008 5:26AM

Yeah, he probably felt insulted. I wasn't trying to make a silly, ridiculously low offer, it was a price I felt was fair, maybe even more than fair for a kid who has played 11 games in the rookie league.
The trouble with Mike Moustakas's cards is, the kid was a California high school phenom, and everyone who follows high school ball, or the MLB draft, has heard of him, driving up his card prices IMO. If he was from Kansas I bet I could get his cards for pennies.

I should add to be accurate its an ungraded Bowman Chrome Blue refractor, which there are 199 of.

Darin · February 21, 2008 5:28AM

Alan and Eagle eye kid, please don't do that. I don't want to start trouble that way, just wanted you guys opinions.

DavidPuddy · February 21, 2008 5:31AM

<< I'm selling a house, and I received such a ridiculously low offer that I simply countered with a reiteration of the full-price. I'm perfectly willing to go down if the offer is reasonable, but this one is so far from reasonable (and not just because of the offer price, their own house sale contingency is a joke, too) that I felt personally insulted. "Sorry bub, the price is what it is." >>

I've actually told a couple of my clients to do the same think. It happens all the time in Real Estate. If you would have taken off $1.00 from your asking price it would have been different.

The fact that he took off .01 is what makes this guy a jerk. He should have just declined.

neenish · February 21, 2008 5:33AM

The seller should've also protected himself from getting low ball offers by using the feature of automatically rejecting offers at $XXX and lower when he listed the item.

Estil · February 21, 2008 5:40AM

Don't take it too hard Darin, unless the card you mentioned is a 1/1 or something, you'll get another chance. Plenty of fish in the Ebay and PSA forum sea, that's what I always say.

OnlyThe10s · February 21, 2008 5:47AM

<< Alan and Eagle eye kid, please don't do that. I don't want to start trouble that way, just wanted you guys opinions. >>

I wouldnt seriously do that... I was just being funny.

digicat · February 21, 2008 5:47AM

<< When I get silly offers, I simply reject them and block the buyer. >>

You actually BLOCK them? Why do that?

I set an auto-decline, so I don't even have to personally respond to offers that I won't consider.

storm888 · February 21, 2008 5:55AM

"You actually BLOCK them? Why do that?"

///////////////////////////////////////

I use EBAY to RETAIL collectible items.

I am not interested in doing business with folks
who want stuff at below wholesale.

I prefer to sell ONE item at a large profit; rather than
selling TEN items to gain the same profit.

There are millions of retail-buyers; they just do not
include those of us on this board.

WinPitcher · February 21, 2008 5:57AM

m I a jerk for giving the same offer on a card twice?
I gave an offer that got quickly rejected,,,, card sat in a store for a month, so I gave the same offer again. The second time around he accepted.

Funny you mention that, as I have done that too. On both sides of the table.

Steve

envoy98 · February 21, 2008 6:01AM

The last 3 sold on best offer for $120, $115 and $110.

$70 is ridiculously low. If I get offers for half what a card is listed at, it's usually auto-declined. Personally, I feel if an offer is within 20% of my asking price, it's worth looking at. Anything below that is usually not reasonable. Although my stuff is usually priced at or just slightly above or below what the last few sold for prior to my listing the card. I hate doing it with Bowman Chrome baseball because as a seller you can get screwed with the quickness if you have it in your store and the kid gets called up. All of a sudden you sold a card for $10 that is going for $50 or $60. I had that happen with a Pence, Hanley Ramirez, Carmona Gold Refractor and Carlos Gomez.

I think the seller was making a point that he is willing to move on the price, but make it a lot closer to the $135 mark. I bet if you offered $100 you'd get a reasonable counteroffer.

stevek · February 21, 2008 6:09AM

You did nothing wrong - the seller is being a jackass.

BobaFett72 · February 21, 2008 6:09AM

i've lowballed less than 1/2 on some cards and won them, its worth a shot

Stone193 · February 21, 2008 6:12AM

Hi Darin

I think the response was probably - in his mind - the equivalent of you making such an offer.

BTW - it's just my opinion - but trying to base a purchase price on how rich or poor a seller is? Kind of irrelevant to the asking price.

If you had all kinds of money in the bank - would you let someone steal a card from you? If the answer is hell no! That's pretty much what the seller was telling you.

Does that make you a jerk for offering - hell No! Is he a jerk for responding with an inane counter? Perhaps...but I think he was responding due to probably feeling insulted.

Good luck in finding another.
mike

sagard · February 21, 2008 6:15AM

The seller was a wimp. I love using the Best Offer feature as I'm willing to discount if your buying a bunch of my stuff or if your willing to pay ridiculous price that is a little lower than what rediculous price I'm asking.

I have rejected offers then jacked the BIN. You were at the most $70 under his sell price, I had a guy offer $400 on $4000 price.

F1ferrari · February 21, 2008 6:20AM

When all is said and done, it's still just a piece of cardboard with a photograph of a 'phenom' who might or might not make it in the big league. Had he played a few years in the minors, running up numbers that couldn't be believed, maybe the $135 asking price would be justified, but until then $70 is as good an offer as any other.

I've used the 'best offer' only once in my 7 years of eBay. A fellow had a 2001 Topps Heritage set for $400 or best offer. I offered him $285 (as he was asking $15 for shipping, my total would have been $300) He had already turned 2 offers down before mine, and he thought about mine for 2 days. He accepted and all was well. I guess he figured a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.

storm888 · February 21, 2008 6:21AM

"BTW - it's just my opinion - but trying to base a purchase price on how rich or poor a seller is? Kind of irrelevant to the asking price."

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Sharpshooters do that everyday.

The concept does not apply as much to EBAY, but in
real-life I always make offers based on my
perception of the seller's desperation level.

707 does not reject low offers because he cares what
the cards are "worth." He rejects such offers because
he has no need to collect a price that is below his "WANT price."
And, he knows that eventually somebody will come along
and pay that price.

gumbyfan · February 21, 2008 6:35AM

I guess I'm a jerk, then. A while back when I had a decent sized store inventory listed on eBay, I had a card at $150 o/b/o. A "buyer" offered $60. I counteroffered $140. The "buyer" counteroffered $60.01. I counteroffered $149.99.

I ended up selling the card for $150 less than 30 days later. That was the deal that made me add the auto-decline for all of my future best offer listings!

Brick · February 21, 2008 6:44AM

A buyer offering $70 on a $135 item is no more a jerk than a seller asking $135 for an item worth $70. It' a free Country, the Market will decide on price.

yankeeno7 · February 21, 2008 7:10AM

I think the seller is a jerk. It's simple enough to just hit the decline button or set auto decline. I have offered 50%-60% on best offers and they have been accepted a number of times. What can it hurt just to offer? Worst thing is that the seller just says "no". The buyer didnt offer 3.00 for a card he had listed for 140.00. Go to a show and see what offers fly across the tables. Ive been on both sides many times before.

How many times have we seen ridiculous BIN prices when they just hope they get a sucker? There are plenty of guys who will take 50%-60% for their items. They are just trying to hit bigger scores. As a buyer, I cant be a mind reader as to what the seller is actually looking for. Unless of course you do enough business with a guy, you dont know what his business model is.

A seller cant be too sensative when they put the "best offer" feature out there and think that buyers are unreasonable when making offers.

Sure, buyers try and make scores too...and sometimes it works. Can you blame either side for trying to do better for themselves?

storm888 · February 21, 2008 7:13AM

"A seller cant be too sensative when they put the "best offer" feature out there. "

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

TOTALLY agree.

WinPitcher · February 21, 2008 7:13AM

Exactly, the offer of 70.00 was basically a wholesale offer and nothing to get all pissy about.

Steve

Leiascards · February 21, 2008 7:17AM

I think some sellers need to take a auto sales class or something like that. He should have come back with a counter offer that would pull you very close to what he wanted.

Say you offer 70 and I want 80 for it. I counter with 130.00. This is where it would get tricky the buyer might not respond, but he more than likely will come back with an 80.00 offer at which point you got him. There is also a chance he may come back with 90 or even 100 again you got him.

yankeeno7 · February 21, 2008 7:19AM

<< "A seller cant be too sensative when they put the "best offer" feature out there. "

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

TOTALLY agree. >>

LOL Storm...you were quick...I added to that

larryallen73 · February 21, 2008 7:29AM

I'd offer $69.99 next time!

He is the jerk 100%.

perkdog · February 21, 2008 7:33AM

I see no problem with what you did, al he had to do is say no thanks or not even respond. No big deal in my book!

jrinck · February 21, 2008 7:37AM

A TRUE jerk would have offerd one dollar and nine cents.

bluemarlin · February 21, 2008 7:58AM

Wow, one whole cent off the bin price, Why even have a b/o if thats the best you can do.

Jake

1989FleerBillRipkencollector · February 21, 2008 9:00AM

Recently I bought a card that looked like a Bill Ripken Whiteout. Price was $99 OBO and seller stated it might of been altered by a previous owner. I offered $15 and he accepted. That actually scared me. I get it and it had the Black Box partially scratched off showing the white card stock. Seller deals in coins and has large scans so I assumed he looked at the card closely. It's clearly visable to the naked eye but tricked me in the pic.

But hey !! I saved almost 85% !!

Blackborder · February 21, 2008 9:10AM

Without reading any posts, I'll guess yes.

Stone193 · February 21, 2008 9:14AM

<< "BTW - it's just my opinion - but trying to base a purchase price on how rich or poor a seller is? Kind of irrelevant to the asking price."

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Sharpshooters do that everyday.

The concept does not apply as much to EBAY, but in
real-life I always make offers based on my
perception of the seller's desperation level.

707 does not reject low offers because he cares what
the cards are "worth." He rejects such offers because
he has no need to collect a price that is below his "WANT price."
And, he knows that eventually somebody will come along
and pay that price. >>

I agree with Storm.

That wasn't my point - when someone mentions that a guy did really well - let's say as a ballplayer - that he doesn't need the money - that's the part I'm saying may not have relevancy.

Just because a guy is loaded with money doesn't mean they're willing to give it away.

That idea has nothing at all to do about desperation - as such.

Hope this clears it up - I was basing this on a remark made about this particular person/seller.

I can't argue that the counter-offer was being a smart-ass. But, the person may not necessarily be a jerk - just reacted badly to the offer.

And - finally - I agree with Steve - if ya provide the "Best offer" thing - be ready to see the low ball offers.

mike

envoy98 · February 21, 2008 9:34AM

If there hadn't been an established price for this card already, I'd be with you on the "this guy hasn't done anything, he's just a prospect". But he's one of the hottest prospects in baseball, I think his orange refractor just sold for $800. To offer almost half of the going rate is a lowball offer and to expect much of a reply from the seller than what you got, is probably asking too much. You would have just got an auto-decline from me on the deal and I never would have even seen the offer. Try walking into a car dealership and offering "wholesale" price for a car and see what you get for a reply. Why should this be any different?

CDsNuts · February 21, 2008 1:23PM

If you really wanted to be a cok'n balls you could've sent a counter counter of $20. However, I think you should've sent a counter counteroffer of $300. That would've really thrown him off.

mtcards · February 21, 2008 1:38PM

Ive listed cards BIN that book for $150 and have had offers for it at $10 or so, I just decline and move on. Its not worth the effort to respond.

Recently a guy had a four card lot of Matt Kemp Bowman Chrome Auto RC's. These book at $70 each, he had a BIN of $299 or best offer. Ive seen these in the $50 range, so I offere $200 for all four...insta declined. I think some people put up BIN just to see what people are willing to offer who may not know card values

bigdcards · February 21, 2008 2:47PM

My dad offered $40 on a card that was listed at $75, but routinely sold for around $40. The guy countered with $70. My dad then countered with $40.01 with only the intention of being a smart ass, but the guy accepted. Then the card came quick, they traded positives and that was it.

bigreddog · February 21, 2008 4:14PM

Price Guides? Come on. Cards are only worth what someone is willing to give you. You were willing to give $70.
I say screw that seller. While we're at it screw the jack off who said he would block a bidder for low ball offers.

Am I an ebay jerk?

Comments