eBay: people who ask for discounts on fixed price listings

Eric72 · #1 09-20-2025, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlevy

I put an item that had a BIN of $225 with no "best offer" on my watchlist and the next day received an offer from the seller with an 8% discount. The offer was good for 4 days. I responded to the seller that I appreciated the discount but that the price was still too high and asked if the seller could do $170 (75% of the original price, or 83% of the new offered price). The seller didn�t respond, so on day 3 I declined the offer with a message saying I had asked the seller if they could do $175 (actually increased my offer a bit) but hadn�t heard back. They didn�t respond to this message either.

To me, it isn�t about whether the price is fair or not for the item, but the anonymity of the internet allows sellers to do things that they wouldn�t normally do if they were set up at a show. You wouldn�t just ignore someone making you a reasonable offer for an item at a show, you would respond with some sort of answer (i.e. �no, can�t do that�). In this case, the seller is an experienced seller with a 100% positive feedback of over 7,500, yet couldn�t take the time to respond to a potential customer. To me, it is just plain rude and bad business. But I guess the seller just doesn�t care. Remember, they offered me a discount first.

Rick

It�s possible the seller had the �automatically send offers� feature turned on for that item. I�m not condoning the fact they ignored your message, though.

rlevy · #2 09-22-2025, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric72

It�s possible the seller had the �automatically send offers� feature turned on for that item. I�m not condoning the fact they ignored your message, though.

That may have been what happened, but the funny thing is that if the seller had responded with any type of answer turning my offer down, I probably would have accepted his offer. That's why I waited 3 days before declining. Now, I have moved on.

Rick

Eric72 · #3 09-22-2025, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlevy

That may have been what happened, but the funny thing is that if the seller had responded with any type of answer turning my offer down, I probably would have accepted his offer. That's why I waited 3 days before declining. Now, I have moved on.

Rick

Yep, not even responding to your message was poor form...and it cost him the sale.

Even when people probably aren't going to like my reply, I always make it a point to respond. It only takes a moment to send a "sorry, no" message when people ask for steep discounts. A few times, they've bought them item anyway and told me, "it never hurts to ask."

lumberjack · #4 09-22-2025, 07:52 PM

These are collectibles, unless you can go into a bank with your cool stuff and say, "I have $20,000 worth of priceless gum cards, give me a home improvement loan," and the banker says, 'If you say 20 grand, that's good enough for me," cards and sports collectibles are only worth what two people (or in the case of a bidding war, three people), say they are worth.

There may be a general agreement as to what something is worth, but when two people sit down to hammer out a deal, the general agreement is simply a starting point.

If you buy a new car, it drops about 10% in value as soon as you drive off the lot. Same car. You weren't being cheated by the dealership, that's how it works.

My neighbor down the street just cut the asking price of his house by 25 thousand dollars. It may be worth more to him, but not to any prospective buyers at this precise moment. That's how it works.

I sold a Satchel Paige (rookie) photo last year for $6,800. A like image just went for 32 hundred on eBay. To my neighbor down the street, it is worth absolutely NOTHING (excuse me for shouting). That's how it works. The next Paige may go for 10 grand.

Prices aren't etched in stone.....When Dr. Beckett came out with his price guide, he said he feared that the guide would become not a guide, but a bottom line that nobody would go below. My point bein'.....

No one should be insulted by an offer (and it would be equally nice if nobody made insulting offers). It would also be nice to get feedback on an offer.

Being polite isn't a crime.

lumberjack

ALBB · #5 09-23-2025, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumberjack

These are collectibles, unless you can go into a bank with your cool stuff and say, "I have $20,000 worth of priceless gum cards, give me a home improvement loan," and the banker says, 'If you say 20 grand, that's good enough for me," cards and sports collectibles are only worth what two people (or in the case of a bidding war, three people), say they are worth.

There may be a general agreement as to what something is worth, but when two people sit down to hammer out a deal, the general agreement is simply a starting point.

If you buy a new car, it drops about 10% in value as soon as you drive off the lot. Same car. You weren't being cheated by the dealership, that's how it works.

My neighbor down the street just cut the asking price of his house by 25 thousand dollars. It may be worth more to him, but not to any prospective buyers at this precise moment. That's how it works.

I sold a Satchel Paige (rookie) photo last year for $6,800. A like image just went for 32 hundred on eBay. To my neighbor down the street, it is worth absolutely NOTHING (excuse me for shouting). That's how it works. The next Paige may go for 10 grand.

Prices aren't etched in stone.....When Dr. Beckett came out with his price guide, he said he feared that the guide would become not a guide, but a bottom line that nobody would go below. My point bein'.....

No one should be insulted by an offer (and it would be equally nice if nobody made insulting offers). It would also be nice to get feedback on an offer.

Being polite isn't a crime.

lumberjack

Totally Agree !

Gorditadogg · #6 09-23-2025, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumberjack

These are collectibles, unless you can go into a bank with your cool stuff and say, "I have $20,000 worth of priceless gum cards, give me a home improvement loan," and the banker says, 'If you say 20 grand, that's good enough for me," cards and sports collectibles are only worth what two people (or in the case of a bidding war, three people), say they are worth.

There may be a general agreement as to what something is worth, but when two people sit down to hammer out a deal, the general agreement is simply a starting point.

If you buy a new car, it drops about 10% in value as soon as you drive off the lot. Same car. You weren't being cheated by the dealership, that's how it works.

My neighbor down the street just cut the asking price of his house by 25 thousand dollars. It may be worth more to him, but not to any prospective buyers at this precise moment. That's how it works.

I sold a Satchel Paige (rookie) photo last year for $6,800. A like image just went for 32 hundred on eBay. To my neighbor down the street, it is worth absolutely NOTHING (excuse me for shouting). That's how it works. The next Paige may go for 10 grand.

Prices aren't etched in stone.....When Dr. Beckett came out with his price guide, he said he feared that the guide would become not a guide, but a bottom line that nobody would go below. My point bein'.....

No one should be insulted by an offer (and it would be equally nice if nobody made insulting offers). It would also be nice to get feedback on an offer.

Being polite isn't a crime.

lumberjack

Well said. We are all just trying to make a deal.

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