Another consumer-related poll

[zzbottom]

Say you're in a shopping environment where negotiation is reasonable to anticipate (i.e. Used car dealership, flea market, antique shop, Craigslist, etc.) and you see something for sale that you might be interested in purchasing. You notice the price and it's significantly higher than you're willing to spend on the thing. What you're willing to

Comments

[fenicedautun]

I will say that I went lower than many people, but I don't think I'd ever do a lowball offer without more communication around it. For example, asking why this item is valued at $X when I've seen other similar items at lower price $Y (allowing you to educate me on why this is a better product). Or (and this is more common on Craigslist and for furniture size items) offering less but offering to come and take it away with truck, or to take several items at the same time.

[bitty]

I think of 50% as a starting point for haggling, if the intent is to haggle. I put 40% instead of 45% because sometimes 45% is sloppy math - finding a round number near 50%. ($100 for a $210 item.)

I guess I would think of this as more appropriate for in-person than in response to an online ad. Although I would haggle in response to a Craigslist item depending on the item and amount. Maybe I'd start a little higher. But, if the intent is to haggle, starting at 50% and working up to somewhere in the 70-80% range may be the goal. And that's not insulting so much as a cultural habit.

[plymouth]

I once put a small piece of furniture up on Craigslist for $50 or best offer. Someone offered me $10. I decided that was too low to be worth negotiating so I wrote back and said "sorry, not interested in selling it for that price". They wrote back and offered me $15. By that point I had a couple other offers for $35 so I wrote back and told them so. They said to let them know if the $35 offers fell through, they would still give me $15. People are so flakey on craigslist that when someone gives me an offer that low I feel like it's not worth my time. I ended up selling it for $35.

[muffyjo]

This depends on some context so I couldn't quite answer the question. For instance, I have been offered things for free that I would have gladly paid for but am enormously grateful that I didn't have to because money had been tight at the time. I have been charged on a sliding scale because I was unemployed. I was charged on a sliding scale (higher end) because I was gainfully employed. And all of those I was willingly engaged in the price haggling.

So I'm not sure I have a bottom price that is insulting. I'm not sure I have a top price that is insulting. Mostly I have things that cost too much, just enough, or so little I can afford it and have money to spare. I just don't have pride invested in pricing control.