How to handle possible customers who

A lot of people may also think that shipping is around $40-50, and may not have realized how much that cost has risen in the last year or so. I know the high cost has forced me to look closer to home for my snakes, and the only animals I'm having shipped are the ones that no one breeds locally.

Or they do know, but figure if they throw out a low price to start negotiating that you'll counter-offer somewhere in the middle.

I admit I'm bad at dickering, if I see something marked $X then I figure that's the price.

Another alternative is to include the price of shipping and offer local pickup discounts.

Originally Posted by bcr229

A lot of people may also think that shipping is around $40-50,

Honestly that is what I thought when I first started buying snakes. All I ever saw was "plus 50 for shipping". Until I had to ship out my first snake.... I flipped lol. Now most of the time I always do plus shipping and put that cost out first.

Wait till you get the ones who ignore the price you posted and ask if they can have it for free because they don't have any money but really, really want it. Politeness has gone out the window with my replies to those requests.
It seems that there are a lot more people replying to ads with extremely lowball offers than there have been in years past.

Originally Posted by SPJ

Wait till you get the ones who ignore the price you posted and ask if they can have it for free because they don't have any money but really, really want it. Politeness has gone out the window with my replies to those requests.
It seems that there are a lot more people replying to ads with extremely lowball offers than there have been in years past.

I get those offers. My buddy on here has a sweet sunglow and was offered $175. For an adult. Lol

I ignore these type all together now. I guess it's better than being ruder by going off.

this isn't a snake but its a good example of a lowball insulting offer.

I was at a garage sale and the item was a band saw. The seller and customer were discussing it and finally the customer said "would you take 25 for it"

The seller looked at him as if he misheard him him and said "what"

the customer repeated "would you take 25"

The seller said "I'm asking $135.00"

the buyer said "Oh, I'm sorry I thought it was $35"

they said a few more things and the customer said "I was wondering because $35.00 was such an incredible deal"

I muttered under my breath and it took all my will power not to say out loud "$35 was such an incredible price but you still didn't feel bad about trying to screw him out of another 10"

I had to leave before I said something.

Another annecdote, I was at a flea market and the guy set up next to me was telling me a story about the time he made a killing on a bunch of old golf clubs. A different vendor had 6 of them and he was asking $5.00 each. This guy bought one just because he liked it. As he was walking out of the flea market some other guy asked him if it was for sale.

What will you give me for it?

I'll give you $30.00

"I paid more than that" Lie #1 which cost him most of the respect I had for him

"OK, how about $60.00."

Sold

Then he tells me how he went back to the original seller, offered him $15.00 for the remaining 5 then tracked down the third guy and sold them to him for $50.00 each.

This is a guy that will avoid at all costs in the future. He is a liar and a cheap SOB and cares for absolutely nothing besides making as much money as possible and he will do absolutely anything to accomplish that goal. I ignored him for the rest of the day and passed on a few things he was selling that I was interested in.

Now I understand buying cheap and selling for more as that is how a lot of us make a living but to lowball an already good deal is something I can't stand. He made an extra 10 bucks on the deal and it cost him a potential customer.

What is my point you may ask? Just that different people have different opinions on pricing and manners an what is offensive and what is acceptable etc. The best thing is to just exit the situation as politely as possible and move on to the next guy. Its not worth it to get worked up over it.

My favorite barter story happened a couple months ago when i decided to sell my 8 inch male jack dempsey. I put an ad on craigslist for 20$ firm and get a hit less than an hour later. The guy offers me 10$ delivered to syracuse which is 90 minutes away. When i tell him thanks but no thanks he says he will tell all of his cichlid buddies not to buy from me. Oh well i sold everything i had for sale to people that he knows locally. Tire kickers can ruin the desire to sell anything.

I reply to all offers politely no matter how lowball it is or what ever ridicules trade offer they have. there's never any harm in asking is how i see it.. but if they persist then i will ignore them..

when i sold my first snakes, i got a message, no HI or Hello, just i will give you 20$ for that normal ball python !!!
so i simply replied , no thanks !! the pet shop down the street gives me 50$ and sells them for 120$ so if 60$ (my price) is too much for a captive bread, healthy animal i'm sorry but i can't let it go lower than that..

and on asking, i wanted to buy from a guy selling a bunch of used pvc hides and a few exo ones.
add said no shipping and 150$

i offered him 100$ plus shipping, he replied NO SHIPPING it cost like 100$ to ship and my offer was too low..
i politely replied thanks , no harm in asking and by the way, shipping would be 15$ and the stuff you are selling has a value of 175$ new !!! so my offer is fair considering it's for used hides, i'm sure you are getting lower offers, if you change your mind, i will be happy to get these off your hands.
he replied back and we agreed to 120$ shipped, he said that because i was polite he re-considered the shipping part since he was certain it was $$$ he agreed to ship in the end.

so sometimes, just being nice and polite will get you a better deal.
and there's never any harm in asking "nicely"

i know many out there lack proper maners and right out leave the politeness out..
with these , i simply reply no thanks, but feel a reply is important..

i have another story just this week, someone selling dart frogs, i inquire about what she has left and if shipping is available.. she replies where do i live?? after giving her the info, i eagerly await the answer to see if i can add to my collection , only to be ignored and never earing back.. she's on the forum every day too !!!! i'm not one to keep asking.. so i will simply bring my business elswhere..

being polite and courtious goes both ways, sellers and buyers.. public relations is the most important aspect of being in business, many fail because they lack it..