Low-Ball offers

[The Joker]

Thanks guys, was thinking of getting my mum a Rolex for Xmas. Ladies Rolex's seem to be a bit of a minefield. I know it's difficult to answer what is a good starting offer without all the details. Guess I'll have to do some homework. Good thread

Originally Posted by mjm800

Unreasonable. I would not start at 1000 below unless it was really banged up and needed a lot of work, then again I probably would not be interested is such a watch that needed 1k knocked off the top. If it is priced too high say at 7k when it should be 6k I won't make an offer because I don't want to deal with a price gouger anyway. Rule #1 there will always be another watch they make millions of them if you pass on one another will be along shortly to take it's place...guaranteed.

Normally I have a price in mind before looking to buy then I look for watches in that range and sometimes if the price is right I won't even negotiate because I know it's already a good deal.

Originally Posted by TempoKing

Let me know if used ?
Which model
what color dial
what bracelet
serviced ?
box and papers
reason for sale
There are so many reasons why a watch should sell for one or the other price

[globalmedia33]

[Alcan]

What works every time for me is "priced fairly and firmly at......."

[p_mcgee]

For the last few watches I've attempted to sell on TRF and TZ, I got several offers at the exact same wholesale price. I assume there's some popular price guide out there. I thought about walking over to the bookstore & checking it out. I know the IWJG has an on-line price guide as well.


Got lowball offers as well, but I just respond with "best offer so far is XXX". If they are interested they will come back, otherwise buh bye.

[cornerstore]

I had an experience on Ebay last fall ,I listed a Z serial LNIB Sub for very fair price of$4300 OBO. The guy offers me $2K I send back a polite but humorous response,3 minutes later he hits the Buy it now pays full price.I asked him why the low ball in the first place, his response was he wanted to see what my temperament was so if there was a problem what type of person he would be dealing with .Had I been snarky he would have gone elsewhere is what he indicated but because I made him laugh he did the deal .

[dysondiver]

if you want 10 k , and your offered 1k , its a start , after that its just the sport of negotiation.... anything is only ever worth what some one else CAN pay for it.
thats it , that place that day that time .
if a man has 8 dollars he wont be buying a 10 dollar watch ,,, on the other hand if the seller needs 8 dollars more than he wants 10 dollars , thats the price.

[Wolfgang427]

Like life itself, its all give and take.

[tudorlex]

Any suggestions on how to proceed where an item has been sitting at the 2nd hand dealer for 12 months or longer & the seller will not budge from their asking price? Any request to commence negotiations is met with abrupt almost rude response. I do believe that their is always another one available, but this one has the desired serial #, b&p etc. Not so easy to find the complete package even though its not even that sought after a model.

[gwozhog]

Okay guys this is the internet. You are dealing with general public. Do not get your panties in a bunch over lowball offers. It will always happen and there is nothing you can do about it. If you know there is not a better deal out there eventually the numbnutz making the riduculous offer will figure that out too.

[A320]

Originally Posted by yannis7777

Well said Lisa

[Pep04]

I deal in negotiations of big money deals. My negotiations are more complex than asking price vs offered price. But, that's not the point. My point is that, you always get a counter offer. Your asking price is the first offer. The buyers offer is the first counter offer.

I NEVER get offended. It is simply a case of do you want the deal.

If there I were selling a watch for say $5,000 NIB and at the AD it goes for $5,500 I am already offering a better deal. If I received an offer for $4,000 I would take into account what I paid for the piece and how fast I want to move it. No offense would be taken because that is just business. It all in the business model of the individual. You must keep emotion out of any business dealing. Otherwise, you WILL be hurt, offended, angered, etc...

While we have some very solid sellers here, the truth is that they offer the service available to a watch or offered by the manufacturer. Mayors offers 2 years service AFTER the manufacturers warranty expires. While that not mean much for some, it means a lot to me when considering a particular watch. A SS Daytona will sell for $11,300 (correct me if I am wrong) at Mayors. Here on TRF, you see them all the time for close to $11,000 if not list price BNIB. To me, when you factor that 3% Paypal fee and the loss of the extra 2 years (mostly likely won't needed but if you did it would be money out of pocket down the road), the $11,000 offer doesn't seem too enticing. That's just one example.


Just my opinion. This is a great thread. But, sellers should not get offended by ANY offer. Simply counter or ignore. But offended??? I can't see why.

[wootini]

Yep. You're negotiating the contract, not the person. It's just biz :)

[xjeeunitx]

"PRICE IS FIRM AT $XXXX."

That's all you need to write and all the low ballers will stay out.

[SPARTAN2161]

Originally Posted by Mac-Apple

I don't even respond to buyers who have ridiculous offers, its ok to ask for a couple hundred off but several hundred is nuts. I had a guy offer me 1200 on a Breitling Superocean Heritage I had, the watch sells for 2k all day everyday used, where do these fools get the nerve at to offer these nutty prices.

You would have to pay me to where a breitling!!!! Hahah jk jk

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk

[sherwin]

Originally Posted by Pep04

...But, sellers should not get offended by ANY offer. Simply counter or ignore. But offended??? I can't see why.

Some people may not agree with me, but those who counter offer are actually serious buyers. No one would waste their time trying to offer you a price if they were not serious.

Think about it, if I walk into an AD for the sole purpose of tyre kicking, I would not even counter offer their price, or ask for "the best deal".

But if I have cash in hand and willing to pull trigger, that is when I will sit down and talk business. Sellers should *imo* understand this, and if the price is below cost, simply say thanks for the interest but no thanks.

[Cuts33]

I agree with Pep. There's no such thing as a "low ball" offer IMO. An offer is an offer. Accept it. Reject it. Counter it. Those are your options.

Every negotiation needs a starting point. As a buyer, if you have a watch listed for $5000 and I offer $4500, the last thing i want to hear is that you accept. Because then I'm stuck wondering if you would've taken $4000. You can always go up, you can't work your way back down.

There's a great scene in the movie Orange County with John Lithgow when he's trying to get his kid into college. He tells the dean "let me explain to you how negotiations work, you tell me you need $5 million for a new gymnasium and I counter with something ridiculous like $1000 for some medicine balls and we meet in the middle somewhere."

I know the quote is not exact but it gets the point across. Business is just that - business.

[cody p]

A good read. Thanks for sharing your insights.

[LordNinja]

Originally Posted by Pep04

I deal in negotiations of big money deals. My negotiations are more complex than asking price vs offered price. But, that's not the point. My point is that, you always get a counter offer. Your asking price is the first offer. The buyers offer is the first counter offer.

I NEVER get offended. It is simply a case of do you want the deal.

If there I were selling a watch for say $5,000 NIB and at the AD it goes for $5,500 I am already offering a better deal. If I received an offer for $4,000 I would take into account what I paid for the piece and how fast I want to move it. No offense would be taken because that is just business. It all in the business model of the individual. You must keep emotion out of any business dealing. Otherwise, you WILL be hurt, offended, angered, etc...

While we have some very solid sellers here, the truth is that they offer the service available to a watch or offered by the manufacturer. Mayors offers 2 years service AFTER the manufacturers warranty expires. While that not mean much for some, it means a lot to me when considering a particular watch. A SS Daytona will sell for $11,300 (correct me if I am wrong) at Mayors. Here on TRF, you see them all the time for close to $11,000 if not list price BNIB. To me, when you factor that 3% Paypal fee and the loss of the extra 2 years (mostly likely won't needed but if you did it would be money out of pocket down the road), the $11,000 offer doesn't seem too enticing. That's just one example.


Just my opinion. This is a great thread. But, sellers should not get offended by ANY offer. Simply counter or ignore. But offended??? I can't see why.

Also well said.

[Vetteman]

So now I'm having second thoughts about offering $1K for the YG Day-Date in the classified section maybe I'll try $1,005

[Welshwatchman]

[handsfull]

Pep04/Lisa have it right.

Courtesy is the rule. Business is business....NEVER personal. Stay professional at all times. Keeping that in mind whether your a buyer OR a seller will make your dealings go SOOOO much smoother.

IMO/Experience: It's the reason why DavidSW is so highly regarded, he keeps emotion out of his dealings.

[z32turbo]

Originally Posted by Pep04

I deal in negotiations of big money deals. My negotiations are more complex than asking price vs offered price. But, that's not the point. My point is that, you always get a counter offer. Your asking price is the first offer. The buyers offer is the first counter offer.

I NEVER get offended. It is simply a case of do you want the deal.

If there I were selling a watch for say $5,000 NIB and at the AD it goes for $5,500 I am already offering a better deal. If I received an offer for $4,000 I would take into account what I paid for the piece and how fast I want to move it. No offense would be taken because that is just business. It all in the business model of the individual. You must keep emotion out of any business dealing. Otherwise, you WILL be hurt, offended, angered, etc...

While we have some very solid sellers here, the truth is that they offer the service available to a watch or offered by the manufacturer. Mayors offers 2 years service AFTER the manufacturers warranty expires. While that not mean much for some, it means a lot to me when considering a particular watch. A SS Daytona will sell for $11,300 (correct me if I am wrong) at Mayors. Here on TRF, you see them all the time for close to $11,000 if not list price BNIB. To me, when you factor that 3% Paypal fee and the loss of the extra 2 years (mostly likely won't needed but if you did it would be money out of pocket down the road), the $11,000 offer doesn't seem too enticing. That's just one example.


Just my opinion. This is a great thread. But, sellers should not get offended by ANY offer. Simply counter or ignore. But offended??? I can't see why.

X3!!!!!!!

It's not personal just an offer. No need to ever get offended.

Great topic!

[Pep04]

I have a real life example.

I bought my boat back in 2009. The asking price was $160,000. I was eyeing the boat and a month later, the seller came down to $145,000. The going price on the boat was anywhere from $150,000-$185,000 depending on electronics, condition, extras and hours on the engines.

The boat I bought had it all. State of the art electronics, low hours, pristine condition and completely rigged for any kind of fishing. I called the broker one day and offered $100,000 cash no financing. I offered to close as soon as the survey was done. The guy asked me, and I quote "are you high?" (lol, I know the guy so I took it as a joke). He said he wouldn't even go to the owner with that kind of offer. I politely said that that was my budget and I was not trying to put a price on the boat. But, that is what I can pay and I had cash.


Sure enough, 3-4 weeks later my phone rings. "The owner says he will take $125k." I considered it, but knew that this was the beginning. If he even called me, it was because the owner didn't have any activity on the listing. I told him my $100k offer stood if it was under 50 hours of use since I first saw the boat. Long story short, we closed the deal but the owner said that he couldn't let go of the trailer at that price because it was worth $8,000 alone. We closed the deal 4 days later. A month later, I get a call from someone selling the exact trailer for $3,000. I offered $1,500 and the guy said to come get it and bring cash.

Moral of the story is that any offer can be accepted. The wrong offer is the one you don't make.

[The Godzilla]

Originally Posted by Pep04

I deal in negotiations of big money deals. My negotiations are more complex than asking price vs offered price. But, that's not the point. My point is that, you always get a counter offer. Your asking price is the first offer. The buyers offer is the first counter offer.

I NEVER get offended. It is simply a case of do you want the deal.

If there I were selling a watch for say $5,000 NIB and at the AD it goes for $5,500 I am already offering a better deal. If I received an offer for $4,000 I would take into account what I paid for the piece and how fast I want to move it. No offense would be taken because that is just business. It all in the business model of the individual. You must keep emotion out of any business dealing. Otherwise, you WILL be hurt, offended, angered, etc...

While we have some very solid sellers here, the truth is that they offer the service available to a watch or offered by the manufacturer. Mayors offers 2 years service AFTER the manufacturers warranty expires. While that not mean much for some, it means a lot to me when considering a particular watch. A SS Daytona will sell for $11,300 (correct me if I am wrong) at Mayors. Here on TRF, you see them all the time for close to $11,000 if not list price BNIB. To me, when you factor that 3% Paypal fee and the loss of the extra 2 years (mostly likely won't needed but if you did it would be money out of pocket down the road), the $11,000 offer doesn't seem too enticing. That's just one example.


Just my opinion. This is a great thread. But, sellers should not get offended by ANY offer. Simply counter or ignore. But offended??? I can't see why.

professional

[Lisa]

Originally Posted by xjeeunitx

"PRICE IS FIRM AT $XXXX."

That's all you need to write and all the low ballers will stay out.

See, my husband would consider that a challenge! He likes to say, "no price is absolutely firm." Then again, he wouldn't lowball, either. Probably.

[Pep04]

Maybe it is just me, but I don't understand the definition of a "lowball offer". I've never heard of a "highball offer". Why is taking a shot in the dark considered a "lowball offer"? You never know unless you ask.

[nch209]

It works both ways, and is relative in a lot of ways. I always try to be reasonable when dealing, and keep emotion out of it. I do like to deal though!!!

[Singslinger]

Originally Posted by Lisa

Hmmm.... I've bought and sold a fair amount of stuff over the years. I've received amazingly low offers and I've also made them. But you know, it's just not my style to be insulted or refuse to deal any further with someone who submits a very low offer. Nor do I think they need to be ridiculed. They just might be willing to come up a lot but you, as a seller, don't know that yet. Courtesy and patience pays off in the end.

I've made a few low offers - which I expected to be countered - and the seller accepted and I ended up with a great deal. On the other hand, I've also had to really work to arrive at a price acceptable to buyer and seller. It's all part of the game. Here on TRF, I made a fairly low offer on a watch as a starting point for negotiation. My husband wanted the watch and he was ready to pay the asking price, but of course we would prefer to pay less if possible. The seller didn't even respond to my message. He probably lost a sale and I wasn't impressed that he didn't even bother to reply.

And, when I listed my Rolex here not too long ago, I received a few offers from dealers that were well below my asking price - and my asking price was low to begin with. Was I insulted? Of course not. Everyone wants the best price. Why fault them for that?

I guess my point is: buyer or seller, being polite, patient and considerate of one another is the best way to do business.

Very well put! As someone earlier said - it cuts both ways. It all depends on whether you're a buyer or seller!

[Turkeyboy]

Its just business..........when you put an item up for sale, you have to expect all kinds of offers. No matter what I am buying or selling, I always counter............why not????? Either I or the other side of the transaction can always walk away. I never understand people who get insulted or place ads with "Price is Firm"....its just not the way business is transacted. Just my .02.....

[azguy]

Originally Posted by Mac-Apple

I don't even respond to buyers who have ridiculous offers, its ok to ask for a couple hundred off but several hundred is nuts. I had a guy offer me 1200 on a Breitling Superocean Heritage I had, the watch sells for 2k all day everyday used, where do these fools get the nerve at to offer these nutty prices.

They think they are on Pawn Stars, or some other show, and think they need to start real lowI think there should be close to 10% included in any sellers price for haggeling. If you really want to sell the watch price it well and say "firm, no offers excepted"