"Feel free to make an offer" - Greed?

[horseboy]

I can't even fathom why someone would think taking offers on an item is greedy. It is actually an absurd premise.

 

[Spunkmeyer]

I can't even fathom why someone would think taking offers on an item is greedy. It is actually an absurd premise.

Not when a seller then tries to turn it into a bidding war: "Hey, you offered me $450, but Mr. X offered me $500. Are you willing to make it $550?"

And so on.

 

[mhkohne]

I am seeing more and more of this type of thing. I am sure it's part of the "Secrets to Power Negotiating", as seen on Oprah's Best Seller list -- Never be the first person to mention a price, or you lose power in the negotiation process.

To me, this just sounds greedy. If you are a professional negotiator, or if you are selling a house or maybe even a car, then I understand that there could be thousands at stake, if not millions, so all parties concerned come to the table with that in mind.

But when you are selling a used Centipede trackball or some part off a game that is just taking up space in your garage, why not just come up with an asking price? It can be high or low, that is up to you, as it is your item. But when someone tells me to make an offer, I think "this guy wants to take me for all he can", I get offended, and generally back off and decide not to play.

It just seems like common courtesy to me to set a price that is fair. Then if you want to negotiate, then go for it, but refusing to set a price when it is you that has something that someone else might want, just seems wrong.

You're over-analyzing. I do this whenever I have something that appears to have low value to me - first guy to name a price gets it. I've found that setting a too-high asking price (due to not knowing what price to ask) is worse than setting none.

 

[p1899m]

Its not the make it offer thing that bothers me. It's when you give an offer that seems fair and the other party results to name calling over a price.That is the issue I have with it. If you don't care for the offer then don't start with insults over the price.

about 50% of the "make offer" people who I've responded to have acted this way and gotten an attitude. I generally try and keep an eye out and see if I can find out what they sell the item i offered on for. I usually find they are selling at nearly retail prices. Couple this with the fact they won't post a price but prefer the make offer route and I assume they are looking for someone uninformed enough to over pay for an item. To me that's a douche move. The other 50% are usually people who just want the stuff gone and are willing to accept a reasonable offer. Still the douche bags have soured me to making offers most of the time.

 

[savit4l8r]

about 50% of the "make offer" people who I've responded to have acted this way and gotten an attitude. I generally try and keep an eye out and see if I can find out what they sell the item i offered on for. I usually find they are selling at nearly retail prices. Couple this with the fact they won't post a price but prefer the make offer route and I assume they are looking for someone uninformed enough to over pay for an item. To me that's a douche move. The other 50% are usually people who just want the stuff gone and are willing to accept a reasonable offer. Still the douche bags have soured me to making offers most of the time.

Really? 100% of the "make offer" posts I have responded to have resulted in snobbish responses when my offer was obviously below what they were fishing for. So I don't even bother to respond to them anymore. Don't list a price = I'm not interested. I'm sure there are (many) more who feel this way. Post a price people.