I have a watch listed on Chrono24, currently the second lowest price of its type on there.
It really annoyed me that a dealer emailed and asked me after a couple of questions "what's the lowest you would take on this watch?"
This bothers me anyway and I think that buyers should just make an offer and if the seller isn't interested they can leave or perhaps counter. It really annoyed me that a dealer would operate this way. He never told me he was a dealer but I just saw his signature.
Im probably just in a mood, just wondered what others thoughts were on this.
"whats your best price?"
I hate it when I get that question with a listed watch. Its never I question i get from UK buyers either, just "others".
My best fecking price is the highest one I can possibly get !!!
Its like they expect you to negotiate your own prices down without them making you an offer
Asking for the 'lowest' or 'best' price is a normal negotiating technique.
Dealers will try and get your watch for the lowest possible price.
It's what they do.
How would they make decent money otherwise?
They are not going to offer top dollar, and then make very little when they sell it on.
It may also be a route to some negotiation for a price that you would be happy to accept.
Has happened to me in the past. Did not offend me in the slightest.
Again it wouldn't if I went to a dealers but it just didn't seem right that they go looking for a a deal in this way. Fair enough if he had made me an offer but to message asking for the lowest I would take, so he would go and sell it for more.
I have nothing against dealers making offers and if I went to a dealer for a price I would expect it to be lower than a private sale because they will look to make a profit on it. But to message me on a sales add for the lowest I would take without making an offer. I didn't like it!
Last edited by JPCain86; 25th February 2016 at 18:20.
They're sending these emails all day, it means nothing to them. If you want to avoid getting emotionally involved while interacting with them, set up your own template for replies, eg "currently my lowest price is that advertised. If you wish to make an offer lower than that, I'll bear that in mind going forward"
I have done this before. Surprisingly they don't read the ad.
Not just dealers, when I see a watch I'm interested in I usually ask 'what would you take for a cash deal - face to face?', but as far as I'm concerned the reply is the end of the negotiation. What annoys me is, as for example when I recently advertised a watch on a French forum, a dealer asks for my best price which I give, then offers 30% lower with the cheery '...and I'll pick it up tomorrow'.
They need to get stock from somewhere so I guess this is just one approach, it wouldn't annoy me really, I'd tell him what I'd be hoping to get for it and if he tries to get more off just ignore.
I wouldn't be the least upset about being asked how little it would take to purchase.it's just part of the "game" of negotiation.the dealer probably gets asked themselves the same question a dozen times a day.always best to stay calm and polite - remember you don't have to sell or buy.
Agree with one of the previous comments that they are in business and sending standard emails asking for "best-prices" all day. They are traders like car dealers and they are looking to buy low and sell high. Prepare a standard response. "This is my best price. Thanks for asking."
When people, not necessarily dealers, message you to say that they can give you cash but only to the third of the value of your watch...jog on
Isn't a low ball offer the norm for a dealer?
buy low, sell high.
mike
Fishing for a desperate seller. Happens with cars as well.
If you email 100 people selling a Rolex Sub and offer 20% less that the market value, it only takes one to have had a hefty credit card bill through the post that morning to fold.
Simple word of advice.
If negotiating a price upsets you, don't place or answer ads.
Mick
I can empathise a little with the OP on this. Basically, the dealer is trying to sniff out how desperate he is to sell and he's trying to prey on this. If a seller really does need the money quickly he's likely to accept a low offer and that's what the dealers hope for.
It's all part and parcel of selling. However, I have rule where low-ball offers are concerned: if an offer was a deliberate low-ball attempt I won`t sell to that buyer at any price. We all like a bargain, but there's realistic offers and then there are insults.
Paul
Best just to say the asking price and if you ask again 5% more than the asking price as it's the cheapest watch for sale on here !
he's a dealer and has the cash ready to go, you could be desperate for the cash, and when your desperate to shift something, a drop of a couple of hundred is worth considering.
I would consider myself lucky you have interest in it, offer not enough?
just say No.
Dealers survive and put food on the table through profit and profit alone.
Some are hand to mouth, one man band types who are professionals at this sort of technique. Some "larger" dealers no doubt do the same thing too.
Nothing new or surprising going on here.
GLWTS.
I don't consider asking for your lowest price straight off negotiating really, lots of ads state low ball offers will be ignored. Surely the seller in most cases does a bit of homework first, as the op did, and prices it very attractively to start, so low balling or what's the lowest price pitch is going to be annoying. When I see something I'm interested in it doesn't take long to research the price, and if it's clearly keen and I want it, then I'm on it, or at best ask for postage all in or a token discount as a gesture to me driving a deal.
I have to agree with a previous post and say if someone bugged me with a stupid offer or questions then I wouldn't sell to them at all, no matter what.
Now if you over price an item initially then that's fair game.
Each to their own, but I don't think many full-time dealers would bother with this sort of bottom-feeding.
There is easier business to be done, frankly.
H
Happens in all forms of trading. It's expedient. If you have no interest then ignore it and move on. The last thing either party wants is a protracted dialogue with no sale/purchase at the end of it.
I can understand it may be annoying but it is not their intention. An annoyed seller is less likely to sell to them.
It is normal for anyone to ask for the best/lowest price. The thing that amazes me is that some people will make an offer slightly less than the quoted best/lowest price. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't...
With that in mind, some people tend to think that there's still a reservation with the quoted best/lowest price and that there is still a bit of negotiation room.
The lowest I'll accept.
I always respond the same way: "the maximum you can afford"...!
Shuts em up.
I don't mind if someone ask about Your best price... What is annoying is if You replied and never heard back... as a professional I think it would be nice to reply back just say sorry I'm not prepared for that or just say... Thanks
Think it stems from the personality type. Some will just make an offer while others persist with the 'best price' tactic which I find annoying as it wastes everyone's time.
Simply tell him what your lowest price is.... it may only be £10 less than what you're asking or £500.. Your choice.
I enjoy the simplicity of dealing with dealers. You give them a price and they'll either say ya or nay, job done.
Usually much better than holding out for an extra £200/£500 (or however much) and having to waste your life dealing with timewasters for days on end.
Simply tell him what your lowest price is.... it may only be £10 less than what you're asking or £500.. Your choice.
I enjoy the simplicity of dealing with dealers. You give them a price and they'll either say ya or nay, job done.
Usually much better than holding out for an extra £200/£500 (or however much) and having to waste your life dealing with timewasters, answering stupid questions, complicated payment procedures etc etc for days on end.
Why not list it on our very own SC, chances are you won't be asked a similar question, and of course a TZ'er could benefit from the second lowest price for the watch on chrono24.
I suspect as you had it advertised at almost the cheapest one on Chrono24, the dealer may have thought you needed to shift it quickly and thought it worth sending an email asking if you'd go cheaper.
It was only a brief polite email (by the sounds of it), not Donald Trump screaming in your face "Here's $10 and think yourself lucky! Now get out of my sight!".
Would you consider selling it on eBay or you prefer chrono 24? I just wonder people's preference for selling if not using S&C
Yep they are dealers and they work with profit and loss and that is called business
I recently had words with a well known UK dealer and was offered silly money which would have given them with a very minor "tart up" around a £1500.00 profit based on a similar model on their site I just laughed said no thanks and moved on.
Last edited by mart broad; 27th February 2016 at 10:40.
Maybe it's me then but if someone asks "what's your best price?^ I immediately discount them as a serious buyer.
I'll be polite and say well make me an offer around my asking price and we'll see if we can agree, but often they don't bother or make such a laughably low offer that I tell them that we're unlikely to be able to reach a mutually agreeable price.
Once or twice I have found that they'll then come back with a more realistic offer, but it's rare.
I put the people who ask ^what did you pay?" In the same category or people who clearly don't have a clue what is on offer
I feel the likely hassle of selling to such people isn't worth the trouble.
M
Last edited by snowman; 27th February 2016 at 14:05.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I am not sure why people have such allergy tonthe question- What's your best price ?
Experience shows that buyers are often prepared to sell for less and pricing is often ambitious.
To me, it is not an issue.
Haggling or low balling on the other hand would annoy me.
Just seems lazy to me.
Do some research, know what the watch is worth and make a reasonable offer based on its condition.
No one who asks 'what is your lowest price' is interested in anything but lowballing.
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I will give you an example.
Bought a watch last week.
A relatively uncommon model and first time I saw a preowned on sale.
Hence, it was hard to have any idea of the market for it.
Called the seller and asked him for best price.
He knocked off $500 ( if he had asked me I would have just asked for $300 less)
Deal done. Took 30sec of my time and I got a watch I had been thinking of for a while at what I think is a good price.
Seller sounded pleased too.
Don't let it bother you. A dealers money is as good as anybody else's, and a sale is a sale. The fact that he has contacted you shows that he is interested, he might have a customer already lined up for your watch.