FSBO rant

"Zibodiz" (zibodiz1) 07/03/2014 at 20:38 • Filed to: fsbo, craigslist, used cars

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Okay, so fair warning: I'm having the worst month of my life so far. Wait a minute; it's July now, so that makes it 2 months. And it's less than half over, at best, so I've got lots of time to look forward to. Anyway, this living nightmare is kinda making me really short-fused and negative, so the bad things that would otherwise be a nuisance are now enough to really set me off.

So anyway, back to the issue at hand: haggling. I've bought tons of things from private parties; I shop at yard sales, I've bought about 2 dozen cars through the years, and I personally account for a fair share of the hits on wyoming.craigslist.org. I have no issue with offering a lower price, and by all means, when I'm selling something, I expect people to offer less than my asking price. That's just the way it works.

But there are rules.

1.) What's so hard about making an offer? "what's your bottom price" is not the same as an offer. My asking price? That's written on the sign. My bottom price? Well, tell me your offer, and I'll decide if it's enough.

2.) Don't offer less than half the asking price. If you have to, then you can't afford the item. An offer of less than half of what I'm asking is an insult. If you're going to lowball, at least be nice about it... which leads me to:

3.) If you're going to make an offer, be nice about it. Sure, it's a used item, which means it has some wear, but I'm a really honest person. I list everything that's wrong right on the sign. You don't need to insult me and deride the condition of it. The seat might have a bit of wear on it, but no, you won't need to replace all the seats. If you feel that way, you need to go to a dealer. The windshield is cracked, yes, but I know that it costs $180 for a new one. You don't need to lie and claim it's going to cost $400. I've already checked. Making a lower offer is easy. Just say "Wow, I really like your car, and I'm not going to pretend you're asking too much, but all I have is $xxx. Would that be enough?" Is it really that hard to be nice? I would take less to a nice person than to a rude person any day, and I have multiple times. I sold a truck to a nice guy who offered me $1350, when I'd turned down a $1500 offer the day before from a dude who insulted the truck. And it's worked the other way, too; I bought a '71 baja beetle for $1100 because I told him it's all I had. He was asking $2100, and I told him that I liked it and that his asking price was a great deal, but that I just couldn't afford more. He didn't try to talk me up, he just took it. That's how you deal.

Okay, okay, I'll stop ranting now. I'm just tired of buyers being so rude and condescending. If you like it, great. If you say you don't, then move on, because I'm not interested in selling it to you anyway.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Zibodiz 07/03/2014 at 20:47

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Don't know if this will improve your mood any, but this was actually pretty informative and thoughtful. Those of us who don't haggle on personal stuff that often sometimes wonder where the appropriate place to start is, and how to make the offer.

Oppo Rule #1 seems to apply as well.

Nibby > Zibodiz 07/03/2014 at 21:09

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Hey man. Your car is worth $7000. Can I has it for $2000? k thx bai

I think the best to do is just ignore condescending buyers or just tell them flat out that I'm sticking to my asking price and if you aren't interested in paying said amount, feel free to look elsewhere. You gotta be firm and assertive. Don't let the cheapskates bring you down.

PS9 > Zibodiz 07/03/2014 at 21:22

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Post this FAQ when selling stuff on craigsbutt;

How much is the price?
How much did the ad say?

What's the lowest price you'll take?
Making me an offer requires you to come up with a number.

I'll take it for [selling price here - 50% or more]
No you will not.

Hey, this thing has wear and tear on it!
It's used, and the condition was mentioned in the ad. If you want zero defects, find a mint example or go buy a new one.

I could find one for a much lower price elsewhere
Okay, go buy that one then.

This things a piece of shit and you are a bad person
The item is not available to belligerent and unpleasant people. If common decency and respect are too much to ask from you, you can buy the thing you want from someone else.

Hi, I didn't read the FAQ and just decided to show up anyway
The item is not for sale to you. Have a nice day.

Zibodiz > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny 07/03/2014 at 22:09

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Thanks, it is nice to hear something positive!

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Zibodiz 07/03/2014 at 22:12

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That's what Oppo should be for!