Bartering for lower prices - a no-no?

It's not really considered "bickering" unless you're very rude about it (in how you write) or if you try to offer a laughable amount of money, like trying to get a second hand Bermann for $900. Often sellers will start higher than they expect to sell in an attempt to get lucky, but will lower the price a little bit every few days until someone bites. Sometimes if you offer a bit lower than their price, but still within reason, they'll sell it to you.

 

I don't think it's rude to ask, unless the seller specifies that their price is firm. Of course you want to be polite about it--stay within reason, and don't beat them over the head trying to get the price down.

 

Well, i think if someome is selling for say, a DoC too for like 350, with no clothes, nothing, then yeah you can ask lower, since you could find a split partner and get him for him 250. i think it all depends on how much their asking and all, and what kind of condition the doll is in.

 

I don't think it's rude, if you ask politely and make a reasonable offer. Sometimes the seller will feel it's worth lowering the price to get a quick sale. Or sometimes the doll may have been languishing unsold in the Marketplace for a while, and the seller would be only too happy to accept your price, in order to finally sell the doll. So I don't think it hurts to ask, as long as you're sensible and polite about it.

 

I don't think it's impolite to ask, or to make an offer, as long as you are respectful about it and as long as the offer isn't way off of what the seller is asking. As the previous reply said, this is especially true if it's a doll which has been up for sale for awhile with no takers.

 

I sold a doll for less than I originally stated simply to finally sell her (i included extras 2 outfits, wig, and eyes for same price as original doll)

 

I suppose it's fine as long as long as you're offering a reasonable price and as long as you ask nicely. Once. And then if you're told no, don't go back to the thread, don't argue, don't offer a second amount (unless it's the full amount the person is asking.) Just let it go.

Be sure to research the item you're buying first to make sure you're truly offering a reasonable price. If I had already come down $300 on a product and someone asked me for another discount, I'd be miffed. Take your time and do a little legwork first to make sure you're not already being offered a stellar deal.

I also think it's in bad taste to tell the seller why you need it at a lower price. (My dog just died, it's a present for my best friend whose undergoing treatments for chronic hangnails, etc.) Just offer what you can professionally and firmly, and then if you're told no, move on. If the seller changes her mind, she's likely to PM you again later, at which point you can decide if you're still interested.

I'd also always ask these things privately, in a PM, and not directly in the thread. Sometimes bargaining in the thread itself can seem like a public confrontation.

People asking for lower prices on this board get bad reputations because they're usually offering an embarrassingly low sums of cash, misunderstanding the value of the actual product, or trying to guilt trip the person publicly into selling. If you avoid those things, I don't see the harm in asking nicely. It might annoy some sellers, but if you've asked in a PM and it does annoy them, they'll probably just ignore you--and that's your cue to move on to another seller.

 

It depends on what the item is and how long it's been for sale. If I'm selling an LE outfit at the normal market price, I feel irritated when someone PMs me and says "I'm really interested this outfit! But could you make it cheaper?" If it's a doll that has been sitting on the Marketplace for a week or two, yeah, maybe make a lower offer. As long as it's not insultingly low! I think that if you want an item cheaper, you should be up-front with it. Like, say it in the first PM rather than stringing the seller along to think she's going to get full price. And if the seller says no, don't try to guilt-trip her into reconsidering.

I'm not going to say that you shouldn't do it - many people do and it sometimes works - but it's something I haven't done because I'm not personally comfortable with it (as a buyer or seller). I sort of figure that the price someone has set is what the item is worth to them. If I'm not willing to pay it, then the item is worth more to them than it is to me.

I don't think you should ever try to barter someone down for a service, though! For example, if someone charges $20 for a faceup or $30 to do some custom sewing, it would be really rude in my opinion to try to offer them less. That's like insulting their work and devaluing their time. If the price is too high for you, just pick someone else.

ETA: To agree with what Darkwood said, yeah, don't give your circumstance for "needing" a lower price. When someone says that they're having financial trouble and would like a lower price, my automatic reaction is "No. Why are you buying doll stuff if you're in financial trouble?"

 

Um, maybe this is out of place, but as long as you pay all your bills on time and you don't have to borrow money from him, why is it his business?

I'm saving for a doll, and my boyfriend just bought a $125 dress form for sewing. He buys power tolls to help with his prop-making for anime conventions. We both pay our rent on time, and we both are saving for retirement. It's not his money, so he doesn't bother me about it. I don't bother him about his money, either, since it's not mine.

More on topic, everyone else has said it better than me already, especially since I don't have a doll yet, but politeness has got to be the key in bartering.

 

I've done it... just do it professionally. Send a PM stating that you offer X amount for what they're selling. They'll get back to you with either acceptance or rejection and sometimes a counter offer. It's a perfectly normal way to do things, and something that it pays to be good at anyways.

I would never try to get something for a rediculously cheap price, but if I can shave a few bucks off the top then all the better for me. And sometimes when I offer a price it's because it's something I really want, but I'll offer the absolute most that I could pay for the item up front. It may be less than they're asking, but it's all I can afford right then. The biggest trick to that is that I'm always offering cash up-front and paid in full. No lay-aways. If you ask for lay-away then you'd better be prepared to pay a premium. Since you're taking extra time anyways then you should compensate the seller for their patience.

 

I agree with what everyone else has said-- as long as you come off as respectful and polite in your PM, then I don't think it's a problem.

I've asked people to come down in price before, though instead of stating the price I'd be willing to buy the item at, I usually ask the other person how much in price they'd be willing to come down. That way, the decision rests completely with the seller.

Personally, I don't think it matters if you do the way I described or ask them to come down to a certian (reasonable) price, but I just prefer doing it that way.

 

I agree with everyone else. Doing it tastefully and respectfully is alright. Definitely don't offer reasons/excuses, and also be aware of how much the product originally cost. I know I've received PMs asking me if I'd go down any lower on some very nice, expensive Enchanted Doll eyes that I had already lowered, and I refused and thought the person was a little rude in the way they asked.

 

I have quite a bit of experience with bartering because my mom used to buy and sell anything and everything for a living once. She always told me that there were unwritten rules for bartering

1. Know what your buying, make sure your getting a good deal and you not insulting the seller with a price thats to low
2. Be polite and/ or charming. People prefer to trade with someone who is pleasant.
3. Give yourself plenty of leeway. You may not get the price you want so you may have to settle for the next best thing.
4. Don't let the seller talk you into an unfair price. This is really important. Sometimes (though to be fair I've never come across this here ) some sellers will try to make you buy a item you've made an offer on for an increased price by telling you things like "someone already offered me that price for it already".

There are loads more I can tell you, most are just common sense. In short, it can be rewarding to barter for a better price, and it is a common practice in every buying/selling situation. You shouldn't feel bad for trying as long as your within good reason and you use good common sense.

 

I dont think its rude so long as you dont come across as being pushy, you know what i mean?

I live by the phrase "if you dont ask you dont get." So if i want something badly enough then i will ask if its possable to lower the price just a little or ill ask about layaway. Im always polite and try to make it clear that if the seller decides to refuse my offer then thats 100% cool with me and im not going to turn into a raving loon because i cant get what i want LOL!

I think it all just depends on your attitude when you make the offer.

Rachie XX

 

I've had about 4 sales that the buyer asked "would you sell it for XX" (where the amount was lower than my original asking price) and I sold it to them at their price. However, sometimes I haven't, so it is important when you ask to take a "no, but thank you for the offer" POLITELY! ^^'' I've been "yelled" at for not taking a lower offer.

 

mmmm.... just to re-state what some others have said... I mean, if the price about what the item goes for... I dunno. I haven't had so much of a problem here on this community, but there is NOTHING more annoying then selling something at half what you paid and havin' 14 people email you saying they'll pay 20-30% what your asking. That many people, the price is low... come on. "Can I have X,X,X, X, X, X, and X for $20 including shipping?" Rawrg.

Or just sending an email offering, literally, HUNDREDS less than the asking price. Come on nows... XD

But that is just me. Guess it never HURTS to ask.... I do try to be polite to people who ask me outragious things...

 

There's nothing wrong with trying, so long as you're polite about it.

You can actually haggle at Best Buy stores, did you know? Like, they'll give you $10 off of something if you're buying their $15 packs of batteries. ^^;;

 

i would consider the condition VS the price. then make an offer. Like very one else seems to agree on just be polite about it. The good thing about dealing with a US seller is you wont have to pay the horrible shipping cost witch has never been under 65.00 for me.
I sold a DOC girls body on ebay that i bought brand new from DOD starting price at 150 a bidder offered me 170 + 8 shipping for it. I explained that the body is 215 on DOD + 65.00 shipping so it cost me 280 total. so even if i sold her the body for 200 she still be saving alot of money not having to buy in from DOD . Sence i only had the body for 4 days i consider that as an example of a bad offer. other then that i'm totally for bargaining