Are people not haggling?

mtn wrote: Crackprice: God I love you craigslisters. Go buy someone else’s $800 1990 Mazda Miata. Thanks.

Hey, uh, crackprice...you're a "craigslister" too now. Takes two to make a deal.

I always make an offer if the ad says OBO. Heck if it doesn't say Firm I'll usually make an offer. I'm Asian so haggling is an art form but there's a difference between haggling and trying to take advantage of someone. I've paid asking price and I've asked if they were open to offers if I wasn't sure. Yesterday picked up an incomplete set of wheels for a smoking deal, wasn't going to haggle but the seller dropped his price 30% when I emailed him to set up a time to meet.

I knew a older (never married 60ish?) lady that had a new car every 2 years. I chatted with her about the new car she had in the parking lot and I was getting more confused the more she was talking about buying it???

Come to find out when she bought a car, she thought the window sticker was the price the dealer was selling the car for. She paid full window sticker price every time, and she never knew that she could haggle and pay less. I knew her for 20 years, so I have seen at least 10 new cars from the same dealership.

It is a sad story. Hated it for her. She did not have a lot of money.

I try not to think much about the dealership. Its legal, yes,.....and I think they will be trying to sell all the cars in hell they can one day.

Back from the dead - guy selling sweet xylophone we need for our high schooler - $1,000.  

So I ask if he will take less - no, I’m firm on the price.   I ask if he will take $950?  No, I priced it to sell at $1,000.  

It was a good deal so I bought it but I told him it was odd nobody wants to haggle on Craigslist used stuff.  Five people in the room looked at me like I was a nut job.  Asking for a discount?

My family grew up in Chicago and you always went to Maxwell Street and argued  out your price with the vendors.  I’m getting to be an old man........

My dad was a haggler and many a time I was with him when he bought this or that, but I hate haggling. If I think something is worth the price, I pay for it but this also means that if I ever go to sell the item, I usually lose on it. I think it comes down to the Golden Rule of "do unto others" because I have had a lot of bad selling experiences on Kijiji (Canadian Craigslist) and don't want to be one of "those people". The unreal lowball offers are insulting, not just the start of negotiation.

I'm with the "I'll pay a fair price" crowd.  If your asking price is good, I'll pay it straight up, not just automatically try to get it cheaper.  The flip side is, I've pretty much decided what I'm willing to pay before I even get there, so if you are above that and won't come down, I probably won't come up very far, either.

If the price is fair and the item is as described im willing to pay asking price. I only haggle if i get there and find out they "forgot" a bunch of stuff for the ad. 

Datsun, if you really want to haggle I have a guitar I could sell. Interested in a guitar? I'll throw a price on it if you are. I could even meet you in DG.

If I am buying something I have probably already done my homework for weeks/months and know what I feel is a good price.  I usually make a lower offer that isn't insulting, and expect the seller to meet me somewhere in the middle. 

But said items are often already a fair enough price so if they don't have any wiggle room I am usually ok with that too.  I skip right over ads that I think are listed wayyyy too high. 

As an introvert, I can't be bothered to haggle. It's too much work. Take my money, give me my stuff, and let me go

mtn said:

Datsun, if you really want to haggle I have a guitar I could sell. Interested in a guitar? I'll throw a price on it if you are. I could even meet you in DG.

When teenage daughter wakes up I’ll ask her.   Tobias Music?  His new antique back bar is from my dads house.   

I just bought a running driving pick-up for $250.  Listed on the list of Craigs for $375 his first reply to my 'is it still available?' was "yes, two fiddy".  I wanted to correct him, not.  First meeting - looks good, let's do this.  I didn't even get under the truck or ask for the hood to be lifted.  It started.  He would drive it ten blocks to me the next day.  Deal done.  He was SO relieved to get out from under what was a gift and I didn't look it in the mouth. 

Datsun310Guy said:

mtn said:

Datsun, if you really want to haggle I have a guitar I could sell. Interested in a guitar? I'll throw a price on it if you are. I could even meet you in DG.

When teenage daughter wakes up I’ll ask her.   Tobias Music?  His new antique back bar is from my dads house.   

Yeah--never been there but been meaning to check it out for a while now. 

This is pronably not a guitar for a teenage girl, unless she's be just looking for a project... cheap Asian hollowbody from the late 70's that needs new pickups, truss rod adjustment... it's a project for sure. And not to stereotype, but not a guitar that a teenager would really think is cool. I obviously could be very wrong. 

But, I am happy to haggle!!

I'm always curious where people come up with their pricing that they offer. I'm selling an e46 Thule roof rack on a few groups right now. I have it listed for $100 (obviously I'd take less than that) but had someone offer me $90 IF I'm willing to drive 2-3 hours to deliver it. Maybe I'm crazy but if you are expecting me (the seller) to go above & beyond you need to be at a minimum of asking price. Especially when there are toll roads involved.

I hate haggling, I put it right up there with making an appointment for surgery.

Long distance haggling is tougher, since you don't really know the condition until you see it. And sometimes not then....

dropstep said:

If the price is fair and the item is as described im willing to pay asking price. I only haggle if i get there and find out they "forgot" a bunch of stuff for the ad. 

Pretty much the same here.  I bought a set of wheels for my wife's van.  Guy had them listed for $150, which I would gladly pay.  When I show up, he doesn't have change for a 20, so I asked if he would take $140 so I didn't have to go in and make change.  He was fine with it.  

On the other hand, I was trying to sell my wife's old car for 4k (a bit high considering the miles, expected to get talked down a bit).  Within a week of it being listed, I got a request for the lowest I would take.  When I responded 3k, the person said "well, could you take 1k?"  Seriously?  It sat for 3 months before I sold it for 2400...buyer got a deal and I got it out of my yard.  We do miss that car though :(