08-04-2021, 05:30 PM
Here in Switzerland there are two types of behaviour that I find really annoying when it comes to buyers responding to ads posted in the internet.
1. The potential buyer sends a text message saying they will take the item for a price which is almost half of what is being asked.
2. You talk to a potential buyer, and the first thing they ask is what is my lowest price.
Having sold a number of things over the net I have experienced both of these on a very regular basis.
A couple of years ago I was selling my Moto Morini Corsaro. This is a pretty special bike, and certainly not something for an inexperienced rider. Due to this I was being cautious about who would end up buying, wanting to get know the potential buyer a bit before selling to be sure that it would end up with somebody who understood what they were buying. I think I was asking for something like $ 7’000 for the bike, and I get a text message from a guy saying he would take it for $ 4’000. I texted back to him that he had not even seen the bike, and that he really should take the time to actually look at the bike before making any kind of offer. Surprisingly he wrote back saying that I was right, and he asked if he could come to see it a couple of days later.
The guy shows up, after having taken a 2 hour train ride, and is instantly impressed by the bike and the shape it was in. We get to talking for a while, and I soon realize that he has indeed done his homework about the Corsaro. I let him take it for a test spin, and when he comes back he had a huge smile on his face. He calls his brother for advice and even though he was talking in German (I live in the French speaking part of Switzerland) I could understand that he was completely hooked. After his call, he agrees to pay me the amount I was asking, and soon left as a happy buyer. So, even if this one began the wrong way, it actually worked out!
As for those asking for my lowest price, I usually answer that it is my asking price. If they are indeed serious, they will come to check it out before making any kind of offer.
1. The potential buyer sends a text message saying they will take the item for a price which is almost half of what is being asked.
2. You talk to a potential buyer, and the first thing they ask is what is my lowest price.
Having sold a number of things over the net I have experienced both of these on a very regular basis.
A couple of years ago I was selling my Moto Morini Corsaro. This is a pretty special bike, and certainly not something for an inexperienced rider. Due to this I was being cautious about who would end up buying, wanting to get know the potential buyer a bit before selling to be sure that it would end up with somebody who understood what they were buying. I think I was asking for something like $ 7’000 for the bike, and I get a text message from a guy saying he would take it for $ 4’000. I texted back to him that he had not even seen the bike, and that he really should take the time to actually look at the bike before making any kind of offer. Surprisingly he wrote back saying that I was right, and he asked if he could come to see it a couple of days later.
The guy shows up, after having taken a 2 hour train ride, and is instantly impressed by the bike and the shape it was in. We get to talking for a while, and I soon realize that he has indeed done his homework about the Corsaro. I let him take it for a test spin, and when he comes back he had a huge smile on his face. He calls his brother for advice and even though he was talking in German (I live in the French speaking part of Switzerland) I could understand that he was completely hooked. After his call, he agrees to pay me the amount I was asking, and soon left as a happy buyer. So, even if this one began the wrong way, it actually worked out!
As for those asking for my lowest price, I usually answer that it is my asking price. If they are indeed serious, they will come to check it out before making any kind of offer.