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PM's

J

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I understand for specific details and just whatever there is a use. How come price discussions have to be done in private? This is a well known forum and is looked at as the standard as far as price. I think that by doing business in private you are cutting the industry short. I have also noticed a lot of best offers. I don't agree with this either. You guys should take pride in what you have bred and post what it is worth. This is not Fauna auctions. Everyone hates sandbaggers. Standing up for your product is the only way to get rid of these people. Just my two cents.
Gary
 
Gary, while I understand your point (as I REALLY hate "best offer") pricing, its the right of any and every seller to price and sell their stock according to their needs. Some people might not need to get as much out of a product as the next person.

Lets say, I have 10 Albinos that I am breeding and end up with 50 babies... You have one and end up with 5 babies. When you do all of the math, feeding, housing, overhead, etc... I might only need a certain amount to get out of all 50 of those babies versus what you might need to for you to be happy out of 5.
 
If you have an animal posted for a certain price and someone makes you an offer, you should always take it to a pm. If you have 10 of something there may be those who pay your asking price. There may be those who get you to come down and you may sell all 10 animals for a different price. If you sell something cheaper to one customer the others that paid more could get mad. As a seller you should always negotiate behind the scenes.
 
Because if someone manages to talk me down in price for one animal, I don't necessarily want the next guy to come along and say 'oh, well, you gave HIM that price, I want it too'.
 
I agree. We do sell ourselves short, but it is business and even a retail store won't be in business too long if they keep the product on the shelves.

Taking it to pm ensures that no one else knows the price.

(not really because some guy was in chat calling a breeder that sold him an animal "dumb" because he got a nice animal for a really cheap price :) )
 
well, I've never understood folks that buy a snake(or a car or anything else) at a price and then later see it lower and scream that they were scammed.

You see shiny car at $100. You buy shiny car at $100 and crow to everyone because you got the bestest car for the best price and you're happy as a clam. All is well. Then you see shiny car for sale for only $75, and suddenly you claim you got ripped off because you paid $25 more?

If you were happy at the time of purchase and you got the advertised item for the arranged price, you have no reason to cry 'rip-off'. Sometimes the price goes down because of time, the animals haven't sold. Sometimes the seller might accept less because some bill came due unexpectedly, or they blew a tire. Maybe the seller is having an off day and just wants to move the snakes becuase one pooped on him.

If the buyer CHOSE to take more time and hunt the whole world for every one of the item he's looking for, checking all the prices, THEN made his decision, he'd have gotten his shiny car at $75. Sometimes I buy the first offered one, simply because I'm impatient or want instant gratification and don't want to bother with price shopping.

But people will still yelp about paying a higher price than someone else, even if they were happy enough with the price WHEN they bought said item. So if the price negociating takes place in PM or phone, or email, then there's less butt-hurt for people who might have buyer's remorse only because they see someone else getting a better deal.

I do prefer to see a price on a item for sale, and am much more likely to pass on any thread or ad that doesn't offer at least a starting price. But the seller can set the price on any item at any time for whatever he wants. He can tell person #1 twice the price, just because he doesn't like them! It's HIS product. He can offer it at $2 to someone he likes.. or because he's had a great day that day.

Private negociating keeps all of the "but HE got..." out of the equation.
 
OBO

In terms of OBO, I actually prefer to list OBO so that there is an option to negotiate on the price. I like to think of it like at a reptile show. The price listed is NOT what I am going to pay for it, especially given the number of reptiles I end up purchasing. :D Those of you that don't like the OBO what do you see as the problem with it?

I also agree about the pay a price and then complain about it. Some people are better at negotiating than others are! Kevin's point is well said. They were happy to pay the price they did at the time of purchase and now they want a different price? :NoNo:
 
scaledverts said:
In terms of OBO, I actually prefer to list OBO so that there is an option to negotiate on the price. I like to think of it like at a reptile show. The price listed is NOT what I am going to pay for it, especially given the number of reptiles I end up purchasing. :D Those of you that don't like the OBO what do you see as the problem with it?

I also agree about the pay a price and then complain about it. Some people are better at negotiating than others are! Kevin's point is well said. They were happy to pay the price they did at the time of purchase and now they want a different price? :NoNo:
Click to expand...

As a seller you should never put OBO in your ad. It says that you will take less then what you are asking. Why bother even putting up an asking price if you are announcing to the world then your asking price doesn't mean anything. It can also give the impression that a seller is desperate.

Most sellers will come down from their asking price, but it is foolish to advertise that you will. Price negotiations should always be done behind closed doors, period. Some people will even pay the asking price without ever trying to get the seller to come down.

Every customer is a new and different person, which means that every business transaction should be handled individually. This is not something the whole world needs to see. My business is my business and the whole world doesn't need to know it. Negotiating behind closed doors is also about respect, not just to the seller, but to each buyer as well.

So when you decide to start selling, never put obo in your ads.
 
brd7666 said:
As a seller you should never put OBO in your ad. It says that you will take less then what you are asking. Why bother even putting up an asking price if you are announcing to the world then your asking price doesn't mean anything. It can also give the impression that a seller is desperate.

Most sellers will come down from their asking price, but it is foolish to advertise that you will. Price negotiations should always be done behind closed doors, period. Some people will even pay the asking price without ever trying to get the seller to come down.

Every customer is a new and different person, which means that every business transaction should be handled individually. This is not something the whole world needs to see. My business is my business and the whole world doesn't need to know it. Negotiating behind closed doors is also about respect, not just to the seller, but to each buyer as well.

So when you decide to start selling, never put obo in your ads.
Click to expand...

I disagree about the OBO listing. Not every buyer knows that negotiation is an option. Putting OBO tells those newbie buyers that they can offer slightly less than what you are asking. Without it they will simply move on and you will not make a sale. I would rather make a sale than have an animal sit online for months while I slowly lower the price until someone wants it (and probably STILL asks for a lower price). I happen to see it the exact opposite way, OBO doesn't tell the "world" that you are desperate it tells everyone that you are willing to work on the price. Honestly, how often do you list an animal for the rock bottom price? I personally NEVER do.

I have also had customers pay the asking price (many times) even with the OBO there, so that argument is null and void. Also, OBO does NOT mean that negotiations have to happen in the open. I am not sure where that comes from. I agree that negotiations should not take place in public.

I have listed sales both ways and had more success with OBO listings than non OBO listings so in my personal experience OBO has actually facilitated the sales and I will most likely continue to put both types of adds up. Everyone has their own way of doing things and there is no "This is how to sell a reptile" handbook that is the best method for every person. What works best for me may not for you. Heck, what has worked best for me may not continue to work best for me!
 
I'm perfectly happy if newbie buyers don't come up with the idea of asking for less. I research my prices carefully, and do my best to list fair prices. I don't like being talked down, even if it is sometimes necessary to give someone a discount to close the deal. I'd rather not have to sell any animals for 'rock bottom price'.
 
I agree with Brian about OBO, whenever I see that (on a snake, on a car, whatever) I would not even consider offering the full price, the seller is already saying they will take less. I've put OBO on some of my sales in the past because honestly I was willing to take less but wanted to show what I felt the value was worth. I doubt I'd do it again though.
 
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