General Cycling Discussion - Yet another Craigslist post......

With a difference. Today I sold a HG 9 speed cassette. The transaction went off perfectly.

1. The buyer responded to the listing without trying to bargain for price.

2. He answered my email with both an email and a phone call.

3. Showed up when he said would.

4. Inspected the item carefully, even counting the number of sprockets and verifying the tooth count.

5. Paid cash.

Guy was polite and businesslike at all times. I priced the item fairly. He didn't try a sob story or to bargain. If you want to buy stuff off C-list, this is the way.

And what's wrong with bargaining?

And what's wrong with bargaining?Apparently for some, it does not fit their imagined rules.

LOL.

I will bargain no matter what. I don't care if its a 1000 bike priced for 50 dollars. I will even offer 49 dollars if only for the fact that I want "something" off the asking price.

Whenever I browse CL, I will often fully ignore ads that say "FIRM" on pricing even if the item is priced reasonably. That really is funny that someone would say buying something off of CL without bargaining is the way it should be.

Would you have taken $20 for that?

If I am buying something used, I am looking to get a bargain to make up for the risk of buying a used item. I'll probably not even respond if it is priced close to what a new one goes for. If the item is priced at the low end of what I consider to be reasonable (or is a steal of a deal), I won't usually haggle. Bought a GT Vantara hybrid in very nice condition for $40 recently, no point in haggling over that sort of price.

Would you have taken $20 for that?

Actually, I would have. I have nothing against bargaining. I do have something against someone trying to get a lower price without even taking the effort to see the item. As far as "imagined rules" go, I am the one who makes the rules on what I sell. Anyone else on Craigslist can do as they please. If the guy doesn't haggle, he's OK with the price. Only he can make that call.

I bargain most of the time. It's part of the gig.

However, when a bike is priced ridiculously low I will give them the money and leave with a big smile. Recently I purchased a freshly tired and tuned, pristine '89 Technium PRE with a chain and freewheel that were new.....for 100.00.

The seller asked if the price was too low and I said, "not for me" :D

That's one of the few exceptions.

Everyone's experience with CL ads are not the same. Don't ask me how I know.

Actually, I would have. I have nothing against bargaining. I do have something against someone trying to get a lower price without even taking the effort to see the item. As far as "imagined rules" go, I am the one who makes the rules on what I sell. Anyone else on Craigslist can do as they please. If the guy doesn't haggle, he's OK with the price. Only he can make that call.
Now that is a different story. I don't ever bargain over email or phone. I make an effort to see the item and then bargain. I can understand not bargaining by email.

I might bargain...after I see the item. I am not going to lowball someone without seeing the item first. If someone tries that with me I may just raise the price. I had a set of ladder racks for a full sized pickup for sale on CL. I had them listed for less than half of what a new set sells for and was throwing in some extras. First two emails wanted to know if I would take half the asking price...no, but I will sell them to you for $100 more :D I ended up selling them for the asking price. CL seems to really bring out the flakes sometimes. I really could care less to haggle most of the time if I feel it is a fair price. I know what I am willing to pay or sell something for. FWIW I usually do pad my prices to allow for some haggle room just for those that feel so inclined.

Aaron :)

As my father in-law used to say, "if you don't ask, you won't get". It never hurts to ask, politely.

My dd wife was ruthless. We'd go yard saleing together, and she'd try to drive the price down, no matter how great the price was. I learned by her example.

I don't try to bargain on Craigs. If I want something I let the seller know I'm willing to pay the asking price in my response.

As my father in-law used to say, "if you don't ask, you won't get". It never hurts to ask, politely.

It does sometimes. The seller might think he's already offering a screaming deal, and gets PO'd at an offer.

I bargain most of the time. It's part of the gig.

However, when a bike is priced ridiculously low I will give them the money and leave with a big smile. Recently I purchased a freshly tired and tuned, pristine '89 Technium PRE with a chain and freewheel that were new.....for 100.00.

The seller asked if the price was too low and I said, "not for me" :D

That's one of the few exceptions.

I bought my commuter of of CL. It had new tires, wheels, cables, shifters and probable some other new stuff that the seller replaced and cost me $125. I've been really happy with the work he did and the time he spent explaining what he'd done, and regularly heard you must have paid $200 - 300 when I told people I'd bought a bike without a motor. I'm hoping I can do something like that again when it's time to ad a second bike.

Yard/garage/rummage sales, C-list, E-Bay, etc., are one thing; sure, you kind of expect to 'haggle'. But at the Wally I work at now, I see haggling daily. Not being racist, but it's always the black folks, too. Sorry, peeps, but this isn't the street market in Istanbul -- we don't have the authority to haggle. What you see is what you pay (and no, I wouldn't do it for you if you were white, either).

Yard/garage/rummage sales, C-list, E-Bay, etc., are one thing; sure, you kind of expect to 'haggle'. But at the Wally I work at now, I see haggling daily. Not being racist, but it's always the black folks, too. Sorry, peeps, but this isn't the street market in Istanbul -- we don't have the authority to haggle. What you see is what you pay (and no, I wouldn't do it for you if you were white, either).

I haggle at Lowes/Home Depot all the time

I haggle at Lowes/Home Depot all the time

It is all about commission. On low-end merchandise, people working in retail may have no room (or authority) to negotiate.

However, when buying something that the sales person might be making a commission on (major appliance, riding lawn mower, etc.), there may be a better opportunity to "strike a deal".

When I sell, I entertain offers when the buyer is standing in front of me with the money. If I get an email or a phone call and somebody is trying to bargain, I don't even know if they're going to show up, so what's the point? One memorable sale, a person called and asked if I'd accept a certain offer, and I said yes. They didn't call back, and the item was sold later to someone else. A few days after that the bargainer calls and wants to see the item. I said sorry, sold already, and they flip out because we had an agreement, I'm gonna sue etc.
The other thing I do when I get a bargainer on the 1st day is to tell them I won't be dropping the price until at least a few days go by.

When I sell small parts, there's not a lot of room or need to haggle. I can stick it back on the shelf for as long as it takes. Eventually the item will sell. Not going to cut the price in half just because some clown emails me. I have bargained with bikes when a buyer is in front of me. Guys have shown up and made deals for multiple items that have worked out.

Been in sales for years. A lot of potential customers assumed I'd be willing to blow off my commission just for the honor of selling to them. The usual line was "I have lots of friends (or associates) who will buy from you". I learned quickly that this is one of the biggest lies since "one size fits all". My response was to smile and offer them a rebate for every paying customer they would send.

"Don't you trust me?" Not if you say that to me. My answer was usually "I trust you completely. However, management doesn't trust me. Let's show them proof of what a valuable business partner you could be'.

Another potential tack to take (with retailers), is to ask for a discount if you pay in cash. Helps with their AR and/or cost of credit card transactions.

Very recently I was the OP's ideal buyer. I saw the ad, responded to it via e-mail and included my contact number. He said he'll call me the following day, as it was night when I contacted him. The next day I waited for his call, and while waiting I wondered if he might change his mind, or if someone said they'd pay more, or if the stuf was stolen. It was a smoking deal. Then he called and I met him. Did a cursory look of the items because they were in excellent condition--almost newish. I paid the asking price. Normally I like to negotiate in the spirit of CL, but this was such a hot deal that it would be insulting to offer anything less. And, no the items were not stolen. Didn't ask. It was obvious he had the money to buy nice things.

I'm still giggling at the awesome deal I got!

Last night I sold a GT Outpost Trail MTB frame. It was a low end bike, paint in sad condition. Listed it for $20.00 OBO. Guy offered me $10.00. I took it because buyers for this item are going to be rare. $20 was a bit optimistic. By stating OBO, I was asking for offers.

The buyer met me in the parking lot of the local grocery store at his insistence. He showed up with his friend. Both looked the cholo type. Struck me on the way home that they were nervous about who I could be. In real life, I'm the Ned Flanders with a limited wardrobe type.

When I was in India I had to bargain for EVERYTHING. Fruit, taxi ride, blankets. It did not help I am a white guy with somewhat american-ish accent, so I get routinely overcharged 2-3x the rate. After three months, though, I got quite used to this and become immune to all the BS excuses ("uuh no, the night-time charge doesn't start until 11pm, It's 9").

The best is when you reach the lowest price possible, just walk away. 80% of the time the vendor will start calling you back, lowering the price even further. "Oh I could never survive if I charged so low" my butt!

1. The buyer responded to the listing without trying to bargain for price.

Here's a great deal on CL - no need to bargain.

http://syracuse.craigslist.org/bid/3010447394.html

Wanted to buy some items from a CL seller, 30-miles one way. Traffic time of day, told him I was serious and gave him my cell# and asked twice for him to call if anything changes and that I was on my way. I arrive, an 8-9 year old girl answers the door and tells me her daddy is not here and the items were sold. I say can I talk to your Mommy? (in a kind manner). She says no one is home. OK it's on, obviousley the weenie had no sack and had his poor little daughter do his dirty work. So I tell her, go tell your daddy that the man is calling the police because I'm too little to be here alone. She comes back and shut the door and I heard the lock click. My new rules are seller delivers. I explain I am honest and if the item is as stated I will buy it. No delivery, no deal.

That sucks, dirtclod! My mistake as a seller is that I have held items for a buyer who said he's serious only to have him flake out. I'm too nice and will try to contact the seller to inform him that if I don't hear from him the item will be sold to the next person who is ready to buy now. I try to state in my CL ad that I will not hold item for anyone, but end up usually doing so because the interested buyer says he can only come on this day or that day. I rarely will deliver but on occassion have done so under the condition that buyer is obligated to buy and there is a gas charge.

Djork. I guess I'm jaded by so many shady people. I'm sure if I see a Command post or something I really want I will loosen the noose, (hypocrite) But very carefully.

I once delivered a fridge for a sweet little old lady. She showed up, haggled me down on the price and managed to talk me into delivering. I'm a softie for little old grandma's. I get there and her son's all came pileing out of the house to grab it. NOTE there were trucks in the driveway. Efin Skank.