Most bizarre negotiation tactic by eBayer

[ComicsAndCode]

So in the last week, I had listed my TMNT #1 (CGC 7.5 white) for $1050 with best offer. I end up selling it today for $975. I'm content. But I want to share a brief dialogue I had with another eBayer because it's so outlandish.

 

Buyer: makes his 1st offer of $750

 

Me: I counteroffer with $1000.

 

Buyer: responds with the same offer and this message:

 

"Thanks for the counter offer. Pete, have you thought about the loss you face from eBay & Paypal fees should you sell the book for 1,000.?? It would be about 100.00 charge...just trying to keep money in your pocket. SSC"

 

Is that just bizarre? "...trying to keep money in your pocket." So it's better that I sell it to this dude for $750 so that I pay less eBay fees AND reduce my profit by ~200. Am I missing something here?

 

 

 

[joe_collector]

This bozo obviously failed remedial math.

[Jonesin4Comics]

The guy was obviously trying to do you a favor. Don't all ebayers have the other persons bests interests at heart?

[binarysunrise]

Wait, but if you accepted his offer, you'd still have to pay paypal and ebay fees.

 

Maybe he meant the offer to be outside of ebay, getting around those fees, but unless he's sending cash, you'd still have the paypal fees to deal with. Oh, unless he was saying you'd have to pay less in fees because the selling price would be less??

[Conan]

That must have been some of that "new math" that I have heard so much about!

 

Offering $250 less, to reduce your $100 in fees???

[Senormac]

Hmmmm.... he offered just under 75 %

Then he didn't counter your counter

Meeting in the middle would have been $900 ....

Have they been selling for that much ??

[rodan57]

Wait, but if you accepted his offer, you'd still have to pay paypal and ebay fees.

 

Maybe he meant the offer to be outside of ebay, getting around those fees, but unless he's sending cash, you'd still have the paypal fees to deal with. Oh, unless he was saying you'd have to pay less in fees because the selling price would be less??

 

I wonder if this, indeed, was the implication.

[ComicsAndCode]

Wait, but if you accepted his offer, you'd still have to pay paypal and ebay fees.

 

Maybe he meant the offer to be outside of ebay, getting around those fees, but unless he's sending cash, you'd still have the paypal fees to deal with. Oh, unless he was saying you'd have to pay less in fees because the selling price would be less??

 

I wonder if this, indeed, was the implication.

 

I doubt it, but if he was, then he wasn't clearly conveying his intent.

[toysmania]

So what was your reply?

[phtmEVENstrngr]

I try to get good deals on books, but I'm not that...i don't even know what he is.

[ComicsAndCode]

So what was your reply?

 

"In my 11 years of doing business on eBay, that has got to be the strangest attempt at negotiating I have ever encountered. Let's see... $1000-$100 or $750-$65? The book is set at a fair price. I am dropping $50."

[Doohickamabob]

"Thanks for the counter offer. Pete, have you thought about the loss you face from eBay & Paypal fees should you sell the book for 1,000.?? It would be about 100.00 charge...just trying to keep money in your pocket. SSC"

 

Maybe he was hoping you were 7 years old.

[passion4comics]

He sounds drunk. Very drunk.

[devilsrain]

He sounds drunk. Very drunk.

 

Nah I know drunk,

 

Drunk is him counter offering with 1000 and you saying completely forgetting to come back with another bid.

 

Then realizing 2 days later you won TMNT 1

[Designer Toast]

I think the eBayer was trying to come off as sympathetic hoping you'd fall for it by thinking he was doing you some mercy.

[Logan510]

I had one buyer tell me I was charging over GPA and that I should lower it down to realistic levels so he could buy it. On another auction the same buyer sent me a lowball offer and when I responded that I had the book priced at the GPA average, he told me that GPA was just a guide...I didn't sell him either item

 

[Junkdrawer]

was he offering to do the deal off ebay? like send you a MO so you avoid ebay and paypal fees? this would also bury the transaction off the paper trail, but i'm sure you have a reciept so you can cut uncle sam in. it sounds like this guy was trying to put the fees saved/avoided in his pocket. thats what it sounds like.

[ComicsAndCode]

I had one buyer tell me I was charging over GPA and that I should lower it down to realistic levels so he could buy it. On another auction the same buyer sent me a lowball offer and when I responded that I had the book priced at the GPA average, he told me that GPA was just a guide...I didn't sell him either item

 

see, now that's when you block the spit out of that guy.

[dopy02]

did he ask you to relax and look deep into his eyes before he made the offer?

[ss5rmp]

how can you not accept that logic. screw the math listen to the logic...i swear i wasnt the one who made the offer. although i have been known to offer one dollar to a few books that are way overpriced to just annoy a seller.