SELLING ON BC

[Lozz196]

In general, whenever I`ve advertised something, if I`m happy for offers I`ve put ono - or near offer - after the price. Realistically to me, that says if something is advertised at £475, a near offer is £450. However, a buyer may offer £425, expecting a bit of haggling/meeting in the middle, and be quite happy to pay £450. All part of the trade. Spose the only way to put this off is state no offers/price is firm as Jakester said.

Agree about entering into a dialogue as well. I`ve had a few low offers for a couple of items I`ve sold, and simply responded that the offer is far lower than I was prepared to go to. As above, if I`ve advertised at X, and they`ve offered Z, it still leaves a higher offer of Y open to be made.

[robocorpse]

[quote name='tom1946' post='1188984' date='Apr 5 2011, 01:36 PM']I have 2 basses for sale at the moment and sadly I've had an offer on each, one was £65 less than the asking price and the other £55 below. To my mind that is a bit insulting and they were turned down flat. By all means make an offer but make it sensible![/quote]
[quote name='cheddatom' post='1188995' date='Apr 5 2011, 01:50 PM']I always find it odd when sellers complain about "low ball offers" and the like. Some people seem to get really pissed off with it. In business I negotiate all the time and no-one gets offended. It's actually put me off making offers when i'm buying stuff on here.[/quote]


Tom1946: It wasn't me, but as a long term buyer/seller/hoarder and gear junkie, I think a 300 offer on a 365 bass is perfectly reasonable if you haven't stated its a firm price.

Chedda: 200 would be insulting and lowball on the above example, and you'd feel the same if it was your gear. Take my recent SG2000 sale, I wanted 1200 for it, I was offered 1000 and was perfectly happy with that. If someone offered me 700 I'd show them the proverbial door.

[Shambo]

[quote name='krth1985' post='1189005' date='Apr 5 2011, 01:59 PM']Distance selling rules apply here just the same as they would if they bought the item from Dolphin or whatever.[/quote]
Surely that's not true?

[73Jazz]

I did 3 transactions here before on basschat an all went through very nice and smooth. great community here, great gentlemen to find as well!

but through my last for sale thread i am understanding alsothe different experiences here.
in detail.

i am offering a GL 2000 with a ding. to be honest and not hiding anything i took clear pictures of it.
a user contacted me and is a little bit concerned about this ding and asked for closeups with bright light.
so i went outside my house in full light and used also flashlight, so he could see this in detail. but to be proactive and clear all misunderstandings out, i also took a video of it,
so that he definitely is able to see how it is "in nature" as possible. So he has pictures, detailed pictures, clear pcitures with full light and a high quality video.
After this, he offered me 300 Euro, while i was asking for 350 GBP, which is in my oppinion a great deal for the bass.This means, his offer is roundabout 100 GBP less then what i am looking for and what is in fact nearly 30% of a great price!?
So after this inpolite offer after my actions to make him happy, i didn`t answer this user again.

today there is another gl 2000 offered for 330 GBP and the user contacted me again, telling me about this bass and offering me 300 GBP for the bass.
Up to this point everything is no problem for me.But..

I answered word for word this:
" Hi,
thanks for your offer. You should go for the black one
kind regards"


Now, i have learned something!!!
he answered:
"Maybe i will. No need to be a dick about it though"

So i am a dick

edit:
oh i read this afterwards
[quote name='Jakester' post='1188987' date='Apr 5 2011, 02:41 PM']Tom, presumably one of those was me.

As a buyer (and someone who's bought and sold tens of thousands of poundsworth of drum gear over the years) if someone doesn't put "no offers" or "price is firm" then they're inviting offers. It's not meant to be insulting, but frankly if I can get something for less that the original price, all well and good. I always expect offers, respond positively, and hope to reach an accomodation between both parties.

There's another bass on here, I've made a number of offers but it seems the seller has taken the hump, instead of engaging in a dialogue (and saying, nah, XXX is too low, what about YYY), and told me (when I made a comparison between another similar instrument) to go and buy that instead. Fine, you've done yourself out of a sale, no skin off my nose but is there really call for the attitude?[/quote]

"but is there really call for the attitude?"
This one is great..thanks.

I don`t want to offend you personally, but i think it is funny how you see the facts.


But please, do not start this as a verbal catfight in our case.
Everything is fine to me.
And to be honest, to recommend you to go for the cheaper one, is nothing i could see wrong in.
all the best to you

Edited April 5, 2011 by 73Jazz

[Conan]

[quote name='tom1946' post='1188984' date='Apr 5 2011, 01:36 PM']I have 2 basses for sale at the moment and sadly I've had an offer on each, one was £65 less than the asking price and the other £55 below. To my mind that is a bit insulting and they were turned down flat. By all means make an offer but make it sensible![/quote]

I thought ten quid was a fair offer on the Squier!?

As they say up here: "Shy bairns get nowt!"

[Soliloquy]

[quote name='tom1946' post='1188984' date='Apr 5 2011, 01:36 PM']Hmm, I've met and dealt with some exceptionally good people on Basschat with just one or two exceptions.
I can live with the numpty's because the rest is just sooo good.!

I have 2 basses for sale at the moment and sadly I've had an offer on each, one was £65 less than the asking price and the other £55 below. To my mind that is a bit insulting and they were turned down flat. By all means make an offer but make it sensible![/quote]

I have to say that, if I make an offer to someone it tends to be low. I'd offer maybe £50 less, expecting them to split the difference and come back at £25 less. Of course I'd hope that they'd accept £50 less .

[Jakester]

[quote name='73Jazz' post='1189029' date='Apr 5 2011, 02:16 PM']I did 3 transactions here before on basschat an all went through very nice and smooth. great community here, great gentlemen to find as well!

but through my last for sale thread i am understanding alsothe different experiences here.
in detail.

i am offering a GL 2000 with a ding. to be honest and not hiding anything i took clear pictures of it.
a user contacted me and is a little bit concerned about this ding and asked for closeups with bright light.
so i went outside my house in full light and used also flashlight, so he could see this in detail. but to be proactive and clear all misunderstandings out, i also took a video of it,
so that he definitely is able to see how it is "in nature" as possible. So he has pictures, detailed pictures, clear pcitures with full light and a high quality video.
After this, he offered me 300 Euro, while i was asking for 350 GBP, which is in my oppinion a great deal for the bass.This means, his offer is roundabout 100 GBP less then what i am looking for and what is in fact 100GBP under a great price!?
So after this inpolite offer after my actions to make him happy, i didn`t answer this user again.

today there is another gl 2000 offered for 330 GBP and the user contacted me again, telling me about this bass and offering me 300 GBP for the bass.
Up to this point everything is no problem for me.But..

I answered word for word this:
" Hi,
thanks for your offer. You should go for the black one
kind regards"


Now, i have learned something!!!
he answered:
"Maybe i will. No need to be a dick about it though"

So i am a dick

edit:
oh i read this afterwards


"but is there really call for the attitude?"
This one is great..thanks.

I don`t want to offend you personally, but i think it is funny how you see the facts. you offered me once 300 Euro.


But please, do not start this as a verbal catfight in our case.
Everything is fine to me.
And to be honest, to recommend you to go for the cheaper one, is nothing i could see wrong in.
all the best to you[/quote]

I don't think asking for more information about a damage item is unreasonable - and as for the Euro thing, as u explained that was a misunderstanding on my part - I thought it was advertised at 350€, not £.

It's a ferking great big dent whether you like it or not. If undamaged , comparable instruments go for less than you're asking for a damaged one then it's not unrealistic to use that as a bargaining tool. If you don't like it, just don't respond.

[Conan]

I'm quite happy to indulge in a spot of haggling. Unless the ad says "firm price" or "No offers" I assume that it will be OK to slightly undershoot the asking price. The trick is to be bold enough to get yourself a decent saving but not so bold that you offend the seller!

Now, someone please haggle with me over my Trace cab!!

[Conan]

[quote name='Jakester' post='1189054' date='Apr 5 2011, 02:40 PM']If you don't like it, just don't respond.[/quote]

Uh-oh... "dirty laundry in public" warning.

[73Jazz]

[quote name='Jakester' post='1189054' date='Apr 5 2011, 03:40 PM']..comparable instruments go for less than you're asking for[/quote]

Again, you should go for those



[quote name='Soliloquy' post='1189053' date='Apr 5 2011, 03:39 PM']I have to say that, if I make an offer to someone it tends to be low. I'd offer maybe £50 less, expecting them to split the difference and come back at £25 less. Of course I'd hope that they'd accept £50 less .[/quote]


In my eyes you can offer what you want and the seller could decline what he doesn`t want.
That are the rules of trading. To get a good deal you should try to be sensible,so it will not hurt the seller, as he may has an emotional connection to what he is selling.
If i am asking for 1000,- GBP and one is offering me 200 GBP it is no problem for me. It is his right to do this.

But when someone lets me believe he is interested in "my" price, let me take actions to make him happy and to clear out his concerns.
let me for example investigate on things he wants to know etc etc, i think you know what i mean and after all this, he is offering a price which is not sensible,
in my eyes differences are preprogrammed and dissappointment as well.

if you all act on both sides, as you like to be treated as well. trading will be no problem..it works well for thousand of years.
sometimes better sometimes not..it is all up to you.

Edited April 5, 2011 by 73Jazz

[Conan]

[quote name='Soliloquy' post='1189053' date='Apr 5 2011, 02:39 PM']I have to say that, if I make an offer to someone it tends to be low. I'd offer maybe £50 less, expecting them to split the difference and come back at £25 less. Of course I'd hope that they'd accept £50 less .[/quote]

Exactly. And in most cases the seller will take this into account in setting the original selling price. Ask for a bit more than you think it's worth, get knocked down a bit and everyone's happy.

It's not rocket science. Unless you work in NASA's jet propulsion labs of course - in which case it probably is.

[dlloyd]

[quote name='krth1985' post='1189005' date='Apr 5 2011, 01:59 PM']Distance selling rules apply here just the same as they would if they bought the item from Dolphin or whatever.[/quote]

Private sales are not covered by distance selling regulations.

[krth1985]

[quote name='Shambo' post='1189025' date='Apr 5 2011, 02:14 PM']Surely that's not true? [/quote]

In most part it is as I understand it. If buying from a company whether from here, or off ebay etc you are covered under the sale of goods act in its entirety, but if you are purchasing from a private seller then you are covered under the implied terms of the sale of goods act. In that case the old saying 'buyer beware' comes into act. If you are selling this "fender jazz, 5 years old, £xxx" - one question you want to ask is, does it work? As legally the guitar only has to match what the seller has advertised - a fender jazz that is five years old. So the more questions you ask, however trivial are in the best interests of both parties

Information like this is definitely worth knowing.

[cetera]

[quote name='Jakester' post='1189054' date='Apr 5 2011, 02:40 PM']It's a ferking great big dent whether you like it or not. If undamaged , comparable instruments go for less than you're asking for a damaged one then it's not unrealistic to use that as a bargaining tool. If you don't like it, just don't respond.[/quote]


But surely getting a response keeps the lines of communication open...?
Aren't we asking for people to be more communicative on here so as to avoid people thinking they have got a potential buyer when in fact they haven't?

Your answer appears to fly in the face of good manners/trading etiquette

[markstuk]

In terms of private sales (I would suspect 90% of sales on here) very little of the sale of goods act applies. And also how are you going to enforce?

"The rules change with private sellers

If you're buying second-hand goods from private seller (someone who doesn't sell goods for all or part of their living) your rights are nowhere near as strong as when buying from a shop.

The only protection is that it's correctly described and the owner has the right to sell it. Here it really is a case of caveat emptor or 'let the buyer beware'.

So if the seller says nowt or little about the goods and you buy it, then that's it. Even if it's shoddy, you weren't mis-sold, so have no comeback. Though if they lie to you – you do."


[quote name='krth1985' post='1189100' date='Apr 5 2011, 03:10 PM']In most part it is as I understand it. If buying from a company whether from here, or off ebay etc you are covered under the sale of goods act in its entirety, but if you are purchasing from a private seller then you are covered under the implied terms of the sale of goods act. In that case the old saying 'buyer beware' comes into act. If you are selling this "fender jazz, 5 years old, £xxx" - one question you want to ask is, does it work? As legally the guitar only has to match what the seller has advertised - a fender jazz that is five years old. So the more questions you ask, however trivial are in the best interests of both parties

Information like this is definitely worth knowing.[/quote]

[flyfisher]

[quote name='Conan' post='1189056' date='Apr 5 2011, 02:41 PM']I'm quite happy to indulge in a spot of haggling. Unless the ad says "firm price" or "No offers" I assume that it will be OK to slightly undershoot the asking price. The trick is to be bold enough to get yourself a decent saving but not so bold that you offend the seller![/quote]

I've never really understood why sellers get offended by what they think of as a low offer - just say "no thanks" and move on.

Things have no inherent value, only what people are prepared to buy or sell them for. Even the price of gold fluctuates!

If a particular item is only worth, say, £100 to you then it's reasonable to make such an offer. If the seller wants £1000 for it, then that's also a reasonable position to take. In such a case there is clearly no deal to be struck but I can't see why there should be any offence.

Everything is negotiable, but not every negotiation ends in a deal.

[markstuk]

+111111

It's only worth what someone is prepared to pay for it.. If it's worth more than that to you, keep it..


[quote name='flyfisher' post='1189107' date='Apr 5 2011, 03:16 PM']I've never really understood why sellers get offended by what they think of as a low offer - just say "no thanks" and move on.

Things have no inherent value, only what people are prepared to buy or sell them for. Even the price of gold fluctuates!

If a particular item is only worth, say, £100 to you then it's reasonable to make such an offer. If the seller wants £1000 for it, then that's also a reasonable position to take. In such a case there is clearly no deal to be struck but I can't see why there should be any offence.

Everything is negotiable, but not every negotiation ends in a deal.[/quote]

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='Shambo' post='1189025' date='Apr 5 2011, 02:14 PM'][quote]Distance selling rules apply here just the same as they would if they bought the item from Dolphin or whatever.[/quote]
Surely that's not true?
[/quote]

As an individual private seller (i.e. not a shop/business) Distance Selling Regulations do not apply. You only have to supply an accurate description of what is being sold (i.e. Fender USA Precision Bass) It doesn't have to involve details of age/condition...
It all comes down to 'Caveat Emptor/Buyer Beware'.

[BottomE]

I don't understand people complaining about offers they feel are derisory. Just say "no thanks". It's like those who complain about tele programs - just switch it over.

[fingerz]

Anything I've bought or sold on Bass Chat has been a very positive experience. A great resource with no commission taken by the site - please don't forget about this! Timewasters can pop up anywhere and it's often up to the seller to detect this. I've enjoyed some great transactions and made some friends along the way - not very often you can say that. I hope this thread doesn't damage what has been a great resource for me over the past few years.

[BottomE]

[quote name='jonthebass' post='1189123' date='Apr 5 2011, 03:27 PM']Surely that's not true?


As an individual private seller (i.e. not a shop/business) Distance Selling Regulations do not apply. You only have to supply an accurate description of what is being sold (i.e. Fender USA Precision Bass) It doesn't have to involve details of age/condition...
It all comes down to 'Caveat Emptor/Buyer Beware'.[/quote]
Unless you are on Ebay who seem to rule in favour of the seller in the majority of cases regardless

[tom1946]

In my defence I did politely refuse, the mistake I made was mentioning it on this thread

I'll change my adverts now.

[mcnach]

[quote name='simon1964' post='1188108' date='Apr 4 2011, 06:38 PM']+1. I've bought and sold lots of stuff on here and only had positive experiences.

To be honest, while I know its frustrating to be asked what might appear to be basic questions, if I want a sale I'm happy to answer anything I can. Yes, buyers can go and do their own homework on stuff like weight, what SN stands for etc, but if they're about to give me a large wad of their cash, why should they?

Equally, if someone wants to come and try before they buy, I would regard it as just that - if they try it and don't like it, they're not going to buy![/quote]

seconded, all of it.
an enquiry and a trial is just that, not a sale. And both are fair. I found nothing but excellent experiences here, buying and selling.
I´m surprised the OP had so much bad luck. Maybe it points at something about the seller, but I don´t know him, so can´t say. But worth considering, when it seems that most peple here have good experiences, to have a string of bad ones is possible, but not likely, unless there are other factors we are not being made aware of.

[Shambo]

[quote name='BottomE' post='1189136' date='Apr 5 2011, 03:34 PM']Unless you are on Ebay who seem to rule in favour of the seller in the majority of cases regardless[/quote]
Not sure if that's the case but that's ebay/paypal rules though. Nothing to do with any selling regulations.
Everyone who buys from a private individual on this site must know about caveat emptor, if only for their own sake.

Back on topic, I've had nothing but pleasant transactions on this site, buying, selling and trading.

[Truckstop]

I think it's because The Greek had quite a few instruments up for sale at the same time so I imagine he was probably getting enquiries all the time for different basses.
Also, a few of his basses for sale were fairly interesting and unusual which I'm sure would have piqued many peoples casual interest.
Fo example, I convinced myself that the Steinberger is what I needed and contacted The Greek about it. We both made a kind of agreement that I should come and see it at some point in the following week to try it out. However, over that weekend I just completely lost interest in it and I'm sorry to say that I should have informed him about my decision but didnt. Not out of rudeness, but just because I didnt think we had made a proper appointment anyway and I didnt think he would have minded.
He PM'd me asking if I was still interested, I said no (abbreviated) and that was that.
I can imagine though, that that would be very very annoying if many many people did that to The Greek for each of his basses. So I can definitely see where he's coming from.

Truckstop