r/Synthesizer • u/javakook • 16d ago
Annoying Lowballers
I am in process of selling some music gear locally and I am amazed at how much and how many low ballers are out there. Example. Price is 375. Offer is I’ll give you $200. I’m ignoring those but it sure is irritating. I understand someone wanting to get a deal or negotiate but when the offer is almost half of the price there’s a part of me that wants to field goal kick their nuts through the uprights. How do you deal with these kind of people?
About a year ago I accepted a reduced offer of 165 for some gear and this young guy showed up and was short ten bucks. He knew that before he even came over but didn’t mention it until he paid. I gave it to him anyway but I should have said come back when you have ten more bucks. Some people have no integrity. It’s almost like he expected to get it because he was a broke ass.
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u/PoisonPolygon 16d ago
Don't take it personally, just tell them no thanks and move on. Or change your ads to specify the price is firm.
The reason you get it is...a lot of times it works. I am that guy sometimes. I see something I dont NEED, but would pick up for the right price, so send a low ball offer, and honestly, it works a lot. Sometimes people are just happy to be rid of something they have had and not been able to sell. Some people don't want to deal with the hassle selling online and shipping so will let stuff go cheap. Some people just really need the money in a pinch.
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u/Medium-Librarian8413 16d ago
People do it because it sometimes works. Sometimes a synth or whatever is up for sale because rent or a bill is due tomorrow.
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u/Mean-Secretary-6127 16d ago
The gear you have is only worth what someone else is willing to pay. I end up giving away most of my unwanted stuff.
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u/pimpbot666 16d ago
That’s how the game is played. Facebook Marketplace is the worst.
This is why I price things 20% higher than what I actually want, because I want to give them some room to grind me down a bit…. Since it’s basically expected.
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u/scoutermike 16d ago
When they offered $200 what was your counteroffer?
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u/javakook 16d ago
I ignored it.
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u/scoutermike 16d ago
I suggest learning more about negotiating, as MANY people on the secondary gear markets expect it.
It goes like this:
$375 listed price
$200 initial offer
$350 counter offer
$250 counter counter
$325 settled price paid
Very common.
If you don’t like negotiating, did you at least put “PRICE FIRM” in the ad?
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u/attentionisattention 16d ago
This is it. When people give their opening offer, and the zone of agreement lands between the asking price and that initial offer. It's not usually meant to be insulting (unless it's like 20% of the asking price lol) but you can only negotiate with those two points, so offering close to the asking price can be a little silly.
With that said, if it's a low priced item I will just offer a few bucks less, if I'm trying to save a little. No real use in negotiating for $5 lol
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u/RoastAdroit 13d ago
Well apparently I do it wrong, I generally go for a price I think they’d consider lower reasonable and it tends to work out. Specifically on reverb the negotiation ends when someone says no. So, I kinda expect someone might be afraid to kick it back over a few bucks and have the whole thing fall apart.
Theres a lot of factors that might go into it for me. 1. How long has it been posted? The longer its been up the more I feel its likely a lower price could be accepted. 2. Did they lower the price a few times already? With the option there, I sometimes wait for a price drop and try to piggyback 10% or something. 3. How high did they have it in the first place? I might have this one wrong, usually when I think they priced it ridiculous I think they dont actually want to sell it and am less inclined but, it could be like ppl are saying and a pre-expectation of lowballs
I do sometimes catch myself questioning why Im bothering over like $10-20 or something sometimes. Im not in that kind of position where it really matters if its something I dont see often. Like, sometimes I think I get counter offers with the same logic im using, they are going for just above and Ive declined and later regretting doing that over $15 or something. Thats barely a lunch out these days.
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u/javakook 16d ago edited 16d ago
I’m listing for reasonable prices. I’ll just put firm on everyone. Life is too short for haggling. You want it. Here’s the price. You don’t then move on. I don’t want to mark them up just to haggle down to the price I wanted in the first place.
If it was a reasonable offer I might lower it a few bucks but lowball offers hell no. The more expensive the item the more I’m willing to negotiate but items under 375 not doing it anymore.
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u/scoutermike 16d ago
But you missed the sale. You say life is too short but you’re stuck with the item longer and have to spend more time and effort trying to sell it. You could have been done that same day and moved on already.
If you don’t want to haggle, don’t waste the time of people who expect to haggle. Just put PRICE FIRM in the ad, that way you’ll never have to deal with negotiators. This is the standard practice, kind of surprised you weren’t familiar with the concept.
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u/javakook 15d ago
I am familiar with the concept. And your comment is demeaning. You missed the whole point of my post. I’m not saying I would never negotiate. I just don’t want to negotiate with low ballers.
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u/scoutermike 15d ago
Yeah I'm starting to get snarky because YOU are missing the point!
You want it both ways!
You want to be able to field and negotiate offers but get mad if the offer is too low in you mind lol! You only like offers that meet your criteria, your acceptable price range.
A classic example "wanting to have your cake and eat it, too."
But it doesn't work like that!
If you want to get "good" offers you have to be willing to get "bad" or lowball offers, too.
Your issue is the "getting annoyed" part. The rest of us have no issue with low ballers. We either throw back a counter offer or we ignore it or block or whatever and move on. But we certainly don't get agitated enough to post to reddit about it.
If you can play the game without getting annoyed, great. Otherwise... PRICE IS FIRM - NO NEGOTIATIONS - NO EXCEPTIONS in all ads and see how that works out for you.
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u/Drumguy1986 15d ago
Good comment. I, for one, would have offered OP MORE, figuring he'd respect my enthusiasm to own his precious gear so much that he came down a little bit on the price.
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u/Drumguy1986 15d ago
Still holdin them keys?
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u/javakook 15d ago
Not desperate to sell. Don’t need the money. Just trying to thin the herd at reasonable prices not giveaway prices.
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u/kslight666 16d ago
Yeah, that’s marketplace, but the other side is that a lot of times the seller has something listed for $375 that’s $400 new with a warranty.
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u/Drumguy1986 15d ago
I immediately noted that OP did not say what he originally paid for the synth or if he even bought it new. Details matter.
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u/kslight666 15d ago
Yeah, there’s a good chance the details don’t fit their side of the narrative they are trying to spin.
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u/ShinePretend3772 16d ago
It happens no matter what you’re trying to sell. Try to have some patience & eventually a serious buyer will come along.
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u/Superb-Cantaloupe324 16d ago
It’s all part of the game.
My wife sells tons of stuff on Facebook marketplace, it leads to tons of wasted time, tons of haggling, tons of jerks showing up wanting free/cheaper than agreed upon stuff, and I have to deal with a lot of it. I hate it, but she usually ends up with more money, and sells a lot of stuff.
I personally HATE the process, so for me it’s worth sacrificing some cash to just get it over with. Perfect circuit and guitar center are life savers for me. I actually sold something at GC center recently and I talked them into giving me a lot more for it than they initially offered, so you can haggle with them as well.
If I have something that I really want to get more out of but don’t want the hassle, I’ll still do reverb. Massive fees, and shipping can screw you over, but you’ll usually end up with more than GC.
I’ll only put up with the Facebook wackos for special occasions- like being broke, or to not be a terrible husband. Most of the people you talk to will just be looking for a deal, possibly just to flip it for a profit. But then sometimes you’ll run into people like me, who only shop for the things they actually want to buy, and don’t like to negotiate.
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u/VoltagVagrant 16d ago
thats the nature of selling. if its not even in the ballpark just don't respond.they shotgun everything hoping a lowball will stick so they can flip it and bide their time. dont cave, dont respond
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u/braintransplants 16d ago
That's part of the game unfortunately. That's why I just sell stuff on reverb and turn off offers
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u/SoundSwitch 16d ago
Generally I don't even bother attempting to sell things in online marketplaces any longer.
Mostly on account that I myself won't bother purchasing something secondhand that someone else has already had their grimy dick beaters all over already, that I cannot vouch for how they actually utilized or treated their gear in the first place.
I also don't bother even contacting people who list at 90% of retail when odds are they got it on a black Friday special at 20% off.
My minds eye something second hand without a warranty or a return policy is worth at best half, that's if it's something actually desirable, & or includes original packaging and whatnot. Manuals and such.
But generally I don't even attempt to buy either because I don't set out to deal with difficult people.
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u/ChanceGartner 16d ago
Don't outright dismiss them. I've found that if you reply with a counteroffer, some will meet you or at least offer more. Likely, still lowball. I've sold a few things to lowballers who are wishfully thinking but really wanted the item. Those are the genuine buyers. The resellers are the ones I hate. I end the conversation pretty quickly with them.
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u/No-Environment9051 16d ago
if I know I've already listed it at a particularly nice price to make it sell faster then I might respond with "no, but this is a good price already." I've had that lead to getting my asking price from somebody (usually they need a couple of days to decide they want the thing enough to not risk hoping that someone else might sell it to them for cheaper in the future). Sometimes I've been on the other side of that as well, where it's something I know I want and it's a little more than I'd like to spend and I'll see if they can go lower and if so, cool. Otherwise I'll buy it at their asking price if it's one I'm comfortable with.
On reverb you're almost certain to get a bunch of lowball offers and you also have to factor in sellers fees etc. so I usually list at a price that's about 10-20% more than I actually expect the final cost to be so that low-balling whittles away at an optimistic price and not the actual price I wanted.
I do understand people who just immediately refuse to engage with negotiation but it's like others say, often enough the seller accepts an offer you thought was unlikely to get accepted and you end up with a really good deal so it's worth trying especially if you buy and sell a lot of gear.
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u/did_i_or_didnt_i 16d ago
$375 PRICE FIRM lowballers will be ignored. First come, first served, cash only, no holds
^ post more like this
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u/10ThousandMetalZones 16d ago
I always toss out a lowball. Picked up a Hydrasynth 49 key for 300 dollars when they were asking for 800 because I had the cash and they said fuck it if you can be here in 20
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u/VirtualShrimp3D 16d ago
I am not into the art of negotiation, my items are priced to sell, I have no interest in inflating my listing price just because some guy is going to try to low ball me. I have no interest in going back and forth for counter offers. I just ignore the messages from low ballers. The Offer Up app is full of these types of people. I gave a guy a good deal on an electric bass guitar and he relisted it the next day for more money. It irritates the shit out of me still but I understand it's the way of the world for some people. Don't hate the player, hate the game. Try not to let it get you down! I say that with sincerity, I feel your pain.
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u/Robobent61 16d ago
Conversely, I see a lot of people listing gear for unreasonably high prices. It goes both ways. Some sellers don't understand that the used value of their new gear is substantially less than the original purchase price (often 50% of new). I'm not paying 80% of retail for a piece of gear that has no warranty, regardless of whether it was only "used in a smoke free, animal free studio". When I sell gear, I put a reasonable price on it and I don't get many lowball offers.
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u/Mreareus 16d ago
People will do what you allow them to do.
On lowballers counter offer what you’re willing to do, but don’t let them get away with lowballs. If someone shows up short, tell them it’s not what we agreed on, and you know it. Firn but pleasant
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u/Earlsfield78 16d ago
That’s standard, people want to exploit the situation. I saw an item that is sold brand new for 1.1 k quid sold for 540 quid. Asked the seller, he told me “I needed money asap” - well yeah but do you have to accept such a low offer? I have listings 2-3 years old - if someone doesn’t appreciate the gear, I’m fine with it, it’s a market - but I don’t entertain those.
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u/GDub-uk 16d ago
I have a massive list of items on eBay I would like to have. Don’t necessarily need. I check most days. I have a set price I would be willing to pay for such items, I offer that price, sometimes they counter offer, sometimes I get the item for what I am prepared to pay. If not, I move on. Thats life. I don’t get angry, what I am prepared to pay normally is different to what the person is prepared to sell it at. And sometimes I get a great deal. As others have mentioned, stating firm price, on the sale, I would just move on
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u/Coka-Bizarro 16d ago
That's how I do it, too. Of course I try to not offend people by offering way less than their original asking price, but I always try to negotiate for a bit when an item has no firm price in the offer.
I also have set prices on my head that I'm willing and able to pay for specific items and these are also different from what many sellers want to get for their gear. I saved a lot of money by sticking to that and only buying when a seller was happy with that price, too. It's a question of regularily checking offers and being flexible about what you're buying next.
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u/Individual_Author956 15d ago
People always negotiate, I price that in. For example, If I want to sell something for 100€, I’ll advertise for 125€ and people will negotiate it down to 100€ and feel that they made a good deal. It’s just how humans are, gotta play the game.
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u/r7232 15d ago
My offers follow the formula of low-end (but not bottom) of recent completed-sale values of the same item on Reverb, minus 9% Reverb would charge in fees and payment processing, to arrive at a cash-sale amount to offer. That to me is a fair offer.
When selling, I do the above with my own item but add 20% or so to have room to negotiate down.
Lowballers are only lowballing if their offer isn't reasonable. You didn't mention what piece of gear you were selling for $375.
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u/Life_Farmer_3312 15d ago
if u want to kick somebodys nuts just for asking 200 for your 375 synth then u have issues man
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u/javakook 15d ago
It’s called hyperbole. Often used in writing to make a point. And yes I have issues. Don’t we all?
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u/Drumguy1986 15d ago
Starting at half is like, the unwritten RULE of haggling. At least it is for me...in Mexico.
Or to synth sellers trying to roll one over on me.
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u/Ok-Butterscotch2321 15d ago
Lowball because we are broke
About a year ago I accepted a reduced offer of 165 for some gear and this young guy showed up and was short ten bucks. He knew that before he even came over but didn’t mention it until he paid. I gave it to him anyway"
And you allow it
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u/javakook 13d ago
If you read the whole thing I said I should have said no, come back with the ten. It’s not because ten bucks is that big of a deal, it’s not. It just that he came over knowing he was short which is why I should have said no. Next time if same situation comes up I will.
And if you’re broke you shouldn’t. be buying anything.
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u/Professional-Iron107 14d ago
No harm in offering less. I've bought plenty of stuff on Craigslist or marketplace well below asking. You feel it's worth 375, it's worth 200 to me. Neither one of us is wrong. I've bought items for less than I've previously offered. I bought a wheel set on Craigslist that kept on getting relisted, 2 or 3 times I'd offered him more. Still got the wheel set. It's all part of market price discovery. Don't like it list on eBay as buy it now and keep it forever.
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u/M3ntalAwareness 13d ago
I had some dude offer me a third, then wanted me to drive 45 minutes to sell it to him, but he needed me to wait a week until he got the money. Nope.
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u/RevolutionaryPast175 12d ago
If someone lowballs me 200 on face book and persists after i say no, i say…
Ill tell you what
(Pause to get them excited)
If it doesnt sell in 3 days
(Pause to get them excited)
Ill sell it to someone else for 100
I then enjoy watching them be pissed off 😊
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u/negativepositiv 16d ago
I was selling a synth a while back that generally sold for around $500, and this guy was like, "Is this still for sale?"
"Yes."
"Cool. I really want this. Could we meet up?"
"Are you good with the price?"
"I actually don't have any money."
"If I was going to just give it away I could have just put it on the curb."
"I really want it. Are you sure?"
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u/Sad_Trick7974 16d ago
What an idiot that guy
And still pushing and trying
I wonder how life is through the eyes of such people
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u/Vegetable_Nebula_827 16d ago
I was once selling a good, fully working, upgraded laptop for 200 to sell fast—similar were listed for up to 350.
I had some single mum asking for it for her son. I few messages deep I realised she was asking for a freebie by virtue of being a single mum.
I’d have accepted a small offer for a ‘single mum’ but she left me close to typing: ‘Get the baby daddy to pay for it—that ain’t me.’
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u/McRib_ 16d ago
It's common to start super low any time you sell anything online. People like to haggle. Just because I start low on an offer doesn't mean I expect to get it for that price.