Would you consider this exchange insulting?

Notice: Page may contain affiliate links for which we may earn a small commission through services like Amazon Affiliates or Skimlinks.

SRussell

Active Member
Oct 7, 2019
327
152
43
US
User A on another platform listed an item for sale at $1000. User B posted: when your item does not sell in 3-4 weeks I’ll take it for $800 cash.

I replied to B’s post that it was insulting to make a public declaration demanding 20% off and assuming the deal would close.

Is my reply insulting? Would you consider B’s post insulting?
 

dandanio

Active Member
Oct 10, 2017
182
70
28
Huh? No. Free market, dude. Your item is only worth as much as others are willing to pay for it. Not a penny more. User B values that item at $800 and is willing to wait for it. User B knows that user A will usually lower the price to meet the intersection of supply and demand curves: Supply and demand - Wikipedia Why would you deem it insulting? Granted, I do not know the language used, but I assume it is just lowballing, looking for a deal.
 

PigLover

Moderator
Jan 26, 2011
3,184
1,545
113
I don't know if anything is really "insulting" in a commercial negotiation - which is at its core what you have here. Perhaps it could be insulting if you were an artist/creator of what was being sold and they offered a lowball, because then the offer is really directed at you or your creation. But when its directed at mere property items its just dealing with "stuff" and can't really be "insulting". Or - alternatively - if you find insult in how others value your property then that issue is all yours and yours alone.

That said, the approach taken by "user B" does seem to make him sorta an a.....e. Best thing to be done with people like that - offers like that - is just to ignore them. Nothing you say in return is likely to make them suddenly become a reasonable negotiator. When offering on a forum just ignore and move on. He'll go away. if you are on a platform (eBay, etc.) just decline and possibly block.
 

Rand__

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2014
6,626
1,767
113
That said, the approach taken by "user B" does seem to make him sorta an a.....e. Best thing to be done with people like that - offers like that - is just to ignore them. Nothing you say in return is likely to make them suddenly become a reasonable negotiator. When offering on a forum just ignore and move on. He'll go away. if you are on a platform (eBay, etc.) just decline and possibly block.
Well said:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: SRussell

Rand__

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2014
6,626
1,767
113
I dont think anyone objects to negotiating but this sounded quite rude in my opinion
 
  • Like
Reactions: T_Minus

Serverking

The quieter you are, the more you can hear...
Jan 6, 2019
510
212
43
@Rand__ I find many Americans can't or are not good at negotiating, this is likely could be due to schooling or not having to negotiate at Walmart etc (One of the reasons why America is always taken advantage off in trade deals, lol leave the table with nothing but your underwear on). In Eastern EU, Asia, South America everything is negotiated down to the last penny and service.

Negotiating is a art which shouldn't be taken personally.
 

PigLover

Moderator
Jan 26, 2011
3,184
1,545
113
Of course I’m all for negotiating on price. But leading with a statement intended to provoke - as in the OPs example - is a negotiation method that is not likely to be effective. It is just off putting.

Same scenario, if Seller B simply responded with an offer (e.g., “would you consider $800 for the item?”) it would have been much more likely to be considered, or perhaps counter-offered.

There is no need to be an (adjective) just to negotiate.
 

ReturnedSword

Active Member
Jun 15, 2018
526
235
43
Santa Monica, CA
Personally IMHO haggling over prices has mostly disappeared in the US because of mass production. Most shops where goods are purchased price competitively accordingly to supply and demand. The price difference from one shop to another does not vary greatly enough to warrant haggling, nor do sales clerks generally have the power to modify prices.

However for low volume purchases it is still quite common to haggle for things such as automobiles. I negotiate all the time on behalf of the business when purchasing stuff such as servers or networking equipment.

But most importantly, while the seller believes the item has Value A, the customer can also believe the item has Value B. If they can’t agree then it is best for both sides to just move on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: T_Minus

schmookeeg

New Member
Mar 25, 2016
27
14
3
47
Alameda, CA
www.msxpert.com
@Rand__ I find many Americans can't or are not good at negotiating, this is likely could be due to schooling or not having to negotiate at Walmart etc (One of the reasons why America is always taken advantage off in trade deals, lol leave the table with nothing but your underwear on). In Eastern EU, Asia, South America everything is negotiated down to the last penny and service.

Negotiating is a art which shouldn't be taken personally.
I find negotiating tedious. It's a privilege of wealth (in the global sense) to not need these skills, nor need to trade one's time (my time is precious) to grind out every last cent on a transaction. (my cents are not nearly as precious).

To the OP, the post by person "B" was hostile and condescending. They were asserting that they knew the value of the item for sale better than the seller did. Only the market and eventual sale can dictate if they were right or not. Even if they were correct, making such a thing public is rude and would see me not doing business with that person out of principle (another privilege). It was attempting to harm the sale for their benefit and casting a shadow on seller's asking price.

$0.02 (freely given :) )

- Mike
 
  • Like
Reactions: poto

ReturnedSword

Active Member
Jun 15, 2018
526
235
43
Santa Monica, CA
I find negotiating tedious. It's a privilege of wealth (in the global sense) to not need these skills, nor need to trade one's time (my time is precious) to grind out every last cent on a transaction. (my cents are not nearly as precious).

To the OP, the post by person "B" was hostile and condescending. They were asserting that they knew the value of the item for sale better than the seller did. Only the market and eventual sale can dictate if they were right or not. Even if they were correct, making such a thing public is rude and would see me not doing business with that person out of principle (another privilege). It was attempting to harm the sale for their benefit and casting a shadow on seller's asking price.

$0.02 (freely given :) )

- Mike
To add to this, IMHO if the potential customer really felt that the item was worth X value lower than the asking price, they can ask politely, or just wait until the available market price corrects. Of course this can also backfire for the potential customer. A while back, it was my opinion that a Herman Miller chair was worth 20% less than it was being sold for, so I moved on and didn’t buy it. Now it’s being sold for 80%+ higher price due to tariffs and COVID hah hah.
 

alex_stief

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2016
884
312
63
38
I've seen much worse. And then sold the item a few days later for asking price. More precisely: was asking for 550, someone declared that such an old piece of junk would never sell for that, and offered 200. In a later private exchange, he tried to bullshit me about the specifications of the part I was selling, and gradually increased his offers up to 400. Too bad I had no intention of selling to him at any price, right after that first message.
Offering (read: not DEMANDING) 20% below asking price is not something I would consider insulting.
Blurting out that the item will never sell for asking price could be considered offensive. But from your description of the exchange, I don't see that either.
All in all, I don't see anything worth getting upset about. The internet is a rough place.
 
Last edited:

Netwerkz101

Active Member
Dec 27, 2015
308
90
28
User A on another platform listed an item for sale at $1000. User B posted: when your item does not sell in 3-4 weeks I’ll take it for $800 cash.

I replied to B’s post that it was insulting to make a public declaration demanding 20% off and assuming the deal would close.

Is my reply insulting? Would you consider B’s post insulting?
Keyword: "Public" - you post in public, you get the public's response - like it or not.
(of course different rules in different places - did "User B" violate any rules?)

As "User A", I would not be insulted by the text posted, as is, from "User B" in a private message.

I would not feel any way negative if "User B" posted in public:
"If your item does not sell in 3-4 weeks I’ll take it for $800 cash."

I am not sure of "User B's" intent or simple lack of using better words ..but it does come across as a but-whole post.

In any case, i'd ignore and press on with life.

I did not find your reply insulting either - but if User B replied to your reply, you probably just fed a troll.
 

Marsh

Moderator
May 12, 2013
2,642
1,496
113
True real life transaction on Ebay in the month of May 2020.
Seller posted $999 BIN price, accepted my first offer of $200. It is only worth $200 to me and the seller.

I learn from T-minus, you never know until you try.

It is just business.

I deal with real estate investment . I check my pride and emotion at home.

Example:
I am located in SF CA. In year 1989, I was looking a single family home in SF, asking price was $250k.
House was not in best shape, housing market was cooling down. I offered $235K, seller rejected my offer.
Fast forward to 1991, in the middle of recession, seller listed the same house for $235K, few months on the market still no taker.
I offered $210K, seller accepted the offer.

There is no animosity between me and the seller. Seller was relief to dump the property.
Not all dealing is smooth, I give myself a day to get over the annoyance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: T_Minus

Serverking

The quieter you are, the more you can hear...
Jan 6, 2019
510
212
43
There is no animosity between me and the seller. Seller was relief to dump the property.
Not all dealing is smooth, I give myself a day to get over the annoyance.
Thats a real businessman right there!!
 

T_Minus

Build. Break. Fix. Repeat
Feb 15, 2015
7,625
2,043
113
Negotiating is alive in well in the USA. You're either in an industry it's not common in and\or don't deal with many transactions in the second-hand, refurbished, etc space. From goods to professional services, heck even to employee or employer I've been on all sides of the negotiation. As Marsh said you never know unless you ask. An important thing to remember for those new to negotiating is a seller doesn't care about your negotiation reasoning unless it's related to the market, like Marsh noted about the item he just purchased seller and buyer both knew the actual value and completed the transactions. Buyers and sellers have their own reasoning for a price and sometimes you can't make the sell, and sometimes it's not even about the dollar amount it may be about how fast they acn get the money because of a surprise bill.

Make that offer :) but if they say no, be sure to follow-up ;)
 

CreoleLakerFan

Active Member
Oct 29, 2013
485
180
43
I find negotiating tedious. It's a privilege of wealth (in the global sense) to not need these skills, nor need to trade one's time (my time is precious) to grind out every last cent on a transaction. (my cents are not nearly as precious).
I'm in agreement. I know how i value an item and what I am willing to pay for it. I also respect the sellers desire to make a profit, and I don't feel the need to "win" a negotiation. If I feel the seller is being unreasonable, I simply will not pay for it and move along to something else.

The inverse is true - I am fairly astute at judging the value of items I have for sale - or so I would like to think. How I value an item in my possession may not the same value someone else assigns it, and in that case they can get to stepping. I do not care if someone lowballs me, but what starts to get under my skin is when someone attempts to convince me that my valuation of the item is incorrect and I should give them what they want for less than I am willing to take.

Which is the feeling I suppose the OP is describing ... So yeah, that guy was rude and a jerk! Don't sell to him! :D
 

fp64

Member
Jun 29, 2019
71
21
8
<<I replied to B’s post that it was insulting to make a public declaration demanding 20% off and assuming the deal would close.>>

U r right. B was insulting. The reason is that B is throwing to the seller's (A) face his supposed ineptitude and ignorance in front of other potential buyers and bystanders. I am not into marketing and things, but demeaning the other party as a negotiating strategy while trying to scare off other buyers in such a callous manner, is probably the last thing one would try if at all.

The following seems to be around from the dawn of the internet, and often ignored: dont post anything that u would not say to another person's face.
--
 
Last edited: