I sell pocket watches on eBay and have elected to allow potential buyers the opportunity to make offers on watches that appeal to them.

One of the watches was priced at $250.00 and I received an offer from someone for $40.00. Shaking my head, I’m thinking, “gawd, it’s another one of ‘them”

I send a counter offer of $225.00 and thank them for their interest. Then they counter back at $50.00.

Ok, why? I wonder. Am I overpriced? I check with the competition. No, I am actually one of the lowest priced. I counter again at $225.00 and send a note: “What am I not getting here? I’m not overpriced and it’s the same product. Please help me understand your logic in tendering the low offers. Hugs and kisses, Michael (ok, maybe no hugs and kisses).

Their reply, $60.

“Now you’re just being a dick,” I growl. I counter at $215.00 and tell them to knock it off; eBay limits them to 5 offers and that’s it.

Their reply: “No thanks, I’m looking for a good deal.” “Really!?, I’m offering the lowest price on eBay!” No deal. Someone else will sell them the watch for a ridiculously low price. Apparently, many use their computers to blanket a website with cheap offers, hoping that someone doesn’t notice or is desperate for money and accepts their offers of “pennies on the dollar.”

If something is fairly priced at $100.00 and you offer $20.00, you are not looking for a good deal, your being an ass. I receive a lot of offers and, inevitably, about one in ten will play this game. They see low-balling as ok, especially when they’re able to do so almost anonymously.

That last guy with his “bottom-feeding” mindset almost sent me off the rails. It’s insulting and rarely, if ever, successful. Rule of thumb: ask for 15-20% off.

My sincerest hope is that as he walks to the mailbox to retrieve that newly purchased watch, a city bus hops the curb and plows his ass over.

TheSunflowerMuse