Is it ever acceptable to question an advertised price?

[Chriscotter]

Morning all hope everyone is well. I drop onto the site and normally just flick through the ‘what’s new’ section unless looking for a specific topic. I find it increasingly annoying when it’s the same advert for weeks on end constantly bumped. I appreciate some items are bargains and am amazed they haven’t been snapped up, on the other hand most items have a comparable market price, I recently enquired about a rifle that was far overpriced and made an offer at what I thought was a fair market price. It was kindly refused. The post them had no less than 13 bumps with not a single reply. The price was dropped to within a few pound of my original offer and still no takers. By the way a picked up the same rifle with a better scope from swillington for £50 less than I offered so certainly not sour grapes. I appreciate people want/need as much as they can get for an item but if people aren’t realistic the forum is just full of bumped adverts that make it abit boring in my opinion.

 

[CarlW]

I have occasionally seen some real bargains on here, but generally find items to be - as David Dickinson might say - "all of their money."

 

[Freeforester]

^This

More often the matter is somewhat otiose; if an item doesn't sell within a reasonable time frame, maybe it should be withdrawn, or the bump frequency 'regulated' until such time as 'inflation' makes the offer more appealing, lol. Some sellers have thicker skin than some potential buyers, always!

In turbulent times as in good times, those willing to pay that little bit more are the key that makes the difference to both parties being content; given the economic forecast, there is quite a lot of uncertainty in the prospects for the coming months and even years, which does not make for an easy marketplace. Supply and demand also figures in the equation.

A drowning man will clutch at a straw, it's true, but most do not feel they are treading water just yet, and so the seller will always hang on as long as he can, for hope dies last. I agree it is a bit boring when you see an item that one feels may be 'overvalued' continually bumped up (God loves a try-er, they tell me!), but it is usually best just to continue to look for whatever you seek elsewhere.

 

[N1mr0d]

You should never do it in the sellers sales thread as it is not a thread for general discussion (this bumps it into view for the rest of us), by PM certainly if say you have seen it advertised new elsewhere for less.

My experience buying and selling via SD has been 100% positive, I have met some lovely folk. If it looks too expensive to me I just walk on by.

 

[Chriscotter]

You should never do it in the sellers sales thread as it is not a thread for general discussion (this bumps it into view for the rest of us), by PM certainly if say you have seen it advertised new elsewhere for less.

My experience buying and selling via SD has been 100% positive, I have met some lovely folk. If it looks too expensive to me I just walk on by.

and I do agree (partly) live and let live and all that. But when I load the what’s new section to see the same post bumped for the 4th time that week it really starts to get tedious.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Is it acceptable to privately make a genuine offer to buy the product for a lower price?
Of course. They can can only say no if they don't like it.

What I don't like to see is people publicly devaluing somebody's advert just because they think the price is too high. For example, I was offered a gun recently which would be a good price if I were able to collect locally, but add on either diesel or dealer fees and it would no longer be a bargain. If I could get the same gun locally for a few quid more, I would, and wouldn't feel ripped off just because the asking price was higher than the other gun that I couldn't really have bought anyway.

Value is relative.

 

[N1mr0d]

and I do agree (partly) live and let live and all that. But when I load the what’s new section to see the same post bumped for the 4th time that week it really starts to get tedious.

I suppose having been on the SD for a few years helps me to recognise the titles of adverts (or threads) I do not need to read again in the new posts list, I think it probably takes 1/10th of a second to move on, like everything you get better with practice

 

[Stalker62]

...the matter is somewhat otiose...

I was going to google that but then I could not be otiosed ...









otiose
[ˈəʊtɪəʊs, ˈəʊʃɪəʊs, ˈəʊtɪəʊz, ˈəʊʃɪəʊz]

ADJECTIVE

1. serving no practical purpose or result.
   "there were occasions when I felt my efforts were rather otiose"
   synonyms:
   lax · negligent · neglectful · remiss · careless · slapdash · slipshod ·
   [More]
2. archaic
   indolent or idle.
   synonyms:
   lazy · indolent · slothful · work-shy · shiftless · loafing · inactive · inert

Did you see what I did there?
My vote for word of the week.

 

[Freeforester]

Next you'll be going for the SD 'cunning linguist' prize, lol

 

[Defender 130]

I have seen stuff on here i think it was books where the seller had a stupid high price (£25) and someone made a reasonable offer (£15) on the thread which was refused, stupid thing is the book in question was available on amazon brand new delivered to your door for less than the £15 offer that had been made and refused

I think half the problem is when people selling dont bother checking online to see if the price they are asking is about right for a used item because if im buying something its the first thing i do

 

[Stalker62]

Word of the week. A tenuous connection but reminds me of a game we used to play at work.
In the late 1980s they (who are these "they") brought in tape recorded interviews for suspects.
As part of the novelty of the situation a new game developed - officers would give their partners a word that had to be slipped into the interview. The word was only given to the partner as you entered the interview room and it had to make sense during the interview. It could not just be uttered like some Detective with tourettes and must pass unnoticed by those not included in the game.

The prisoner (client now) and his solicitor where already in the room.
As we entered I gave my oppo. his word - "Aardvark".

That should fcuk him.

We all sat down and my oppo. got the prisoner, solicitor and me to introduced ourselves before he moved on to introduce himself.

"I am DC XYZ. You are here because you have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and aardvark to ask you some questions about that".

Genius.

 

[Swedish]

@Stalker1962 I hope you weren't accused of upping the ant-eater?

 

[243ack]

Word of the week. A tenuous connection but reminds me of a game we used to play at work.
In the late 1980s they (who are these "they") brought in tape recorded interviews for suspects.
As part of the novelty of the situation a new game developed - officers would give their partners a word that had to be slipped into the interview. The word was only given to the partner as you entered the interview room and it had to make sense during the interview. It could not just be uttered like some Detective with tourettes and must pass unnoticed by those not included in the game.

The prisoner (client now) and his solicitor where already in the room.
As we entered I gave my oppo. his word - "Aardvark".

That should fcuk him.

We all sat down and my oppo. got the prisoner, solicitor and me to introduced ourselves before he moved on to introduce himself.

"I am DC XYZ. You are here because you have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and aardvark to ask you some questions about that".

Genius.

I hope the interview was concluded in a timeous manner.

 

[Freeforester]

@Stalker1962 I hope you weren't accused of upping the ant-eater?

Are y'echidna me??

 

[Dazb1967]

I like the ads with no offers, Which is fair enough, But then when there's no interest in the item as it's overpriced you see it start to come down in price.

 

[Overlay]

Well I’ve always had a thing about people or companies not advertising the price for something within the advertisement for the product

keeping it short - I avoid them like the plague

until now - I’m looking for a new thermal for spotting and on ringing around found a company that has given me a very significant discount and they have it in stock to go Guaranteed which on its own is fantastic.

we might be on the up. At last

 

[Pedro]

Sometimes I think people put things up for sale on here at a top price in the hope that a potential purchaser will think because we're all in the same game and he's advertised it on here, it must be cheaper than elsewhere, he's one of us.

And sometimes that is so. But a bit of due diligence before by buyers should sort that out.

And sometimes I think there's people who would sell their own fingernail cuttings if they could...

 

[enfieldspares]

I remember posting this conversation back in January 2020 here on SD:

MY LISTING ON A GUN SELLING WEBSITE
BSA Airsporter Mk 6 early four figure after GL serial number...GL####.
Good condition for its age although it does show signs of use. A nice and overall pleasing gun. Gun has original correct front and rear sights. £135.00

AN ENQUIRY RECEIVED
Would you post and would you take 80.00 Plus could you text my phone number with your answer thanks

MY REPLY USING THE WEBSITE'S EMAIL - SO I DIDN'T SPEND THE 10p ON THE TEXT
Thank you for your enquiry.
Good Luck in your search. I hope that you find an Airsporter at that price. If so tell the seller that I'll take ten.

And the end of the tale? I sold it via a local "chattels" auctioneer and it made £170 less commission and paid out to me in six days of the auction.

 

[reiver]

Other side of the coin
I had some 9.3 x74mm brass and ammo for sale On here and had a bloke say it would never sell at the price and it was a buyers market for 9.3 !he was in the trade and could buy the ammo for less than I was asking! He made a silly offer for it .
I was selling at less than it cost me .
It sold the same week for the asking price .
2 weeks later the bloke who tried to knock me down put a wanted add for 9.3x74 brass and ammo the custard!!!
Reiver

 

[zambezi]

"I am DC XYZ. You are here because you have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and aardvark to ask you some questions about that".

Doubtless he was interviewing a scally