Recent Offers in my RL shop; Hidden in the Hills

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by 2Hearts Uptown @Ruby Lane on May 1, 2012 at 10:43am

No similar offers, thanks for the heads up.  If we wanted to sell on Ebay, we would!   If they want to spend the hours required to troll Ebay for good deals, which certainly are there to be found,  then more power to them.  But that is not Ruby Lane's customer profile.  Our customers are mostly return visitors because they want the selection, the quality, the reliability and the service we provide.     

Permalink Reply by Hidden in the Hills on May 1, 2012 at 11:00am

Thank you for the encouragement; I was beginning to doubt my prices, but I think they are fair, and I told them so; resulting in no sales. Could be a whole new scam practice.

Permalink Reply by Pearl's Parlor on May 1, 2012 at 11:03am

I would think they are trying to intimidate you into lowering the price.  If they can find it cheaper, good for them.  I would just congratulate them on their good fortune.  We all know that eBay prices are not as high right now on most items as they used to be.

Permalink Reply by Ornaments on May 1, 2012 at 2:55pm

We all get (insultingly) low offers from time to time and often they take the form of  'I saw it on ebay (or another site). for less'.   I usually politely point out that there are a lot of reasons why prices could be different (other person has had the item longer and wants to circulate stock, for example) and that ebay prices vary widely - the better comparison on ebay is BIN prices rather than auction results.  That's if I'm feeling nice.  Otherwise, I just decline the offer without any further comment.  I did have one customer follow through and buy the item, complaining all the while about the price.  Go figure.

Permalink Reply by Jan Story on May 1, 2012 at 7:05pm

I wonder if they're some of the "bad buyers" who try to intimidate eBay sellers into lowering their prices or giving partial refunds.  EBay is starting to crack down on some buyer abuses - maybe these are people who find themselves on a lot of BBLs or with suspended accounts, so they're trying their shenanigans elsewhere. 

Permalink Reply by San Marcos Art Glass on May 1, 2012 at 10:43pm

I have a stock answer for people who talk about seeing it for less on eBay. I tell them that yes, good bargains can be found on eBay sometimes, so it can pay off to spend time looking. That keeps the conversation positive while pointing out that the eBay price was a bargain. 

Many of the people buying from eBay and other auctions are resellers, so I consider many of the prices wholesale. We couldn't compete with them or our shops would close quickly. Personally I am not targeting the typical eBay shopper. I am targeting either the collector or person wanting to buy a gift.

I had two strange circumstances just recently for people writing to get bargain prices, so this thread struck a chord with me. They mentioned how much similar items sell for on eBay. We were able to agree on a price (three items for two customers). A few weeks later I saw all the items listed on eBay with high BIN prices. One of them is still listed and even has a note that she got it from her grandmother's attic. Just call me Granny. :) It is a heavy glass piece from c 1900, so we all know it would be pretty dumb to put it in an attic in Arizona, anyway. Too hot!

Permalink Reply by Graceful Antiques on May 2, 2012 at 7:46am

One of them is still listed and even has a note that she got it from her grandmother's attic. Just call me Granny. :

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Now that is hilarious. Thanks for helping start my day with a laugh. 

Permalink Reply by Jan Story on May 2, 2012 at 10:21am

That seems to be a favorite tactic with some sellers - it's kind of the equivalent of the used-car salesman's "belonged to a little old lady who only drove it on Sundays." 

Permalink Reply by Hidden in the Hills on May 2, 2012 at 10:46am

To all of you who have replied, I very much appreciate your input and funny correlations and stories! They are uplifting. One of my offerers is still contemplating my generous counter offer, we'll see. Good Selling!

Permalink Reply by Antiques on Canaan St on May 2, 2012 at 12:37pm

My last three sales were all offers. I accepted two at 20-30% off without countering. I am just not good with negotiating and if they have been listed for a long time, I let them go. The third offer was pretty funny-It was for 45% off and included the remark they had just had an organ transplant and that's all they could afford.  Well, at the time I was pretty sick myself and waited to respond until the next day when I might be more gracious. By then they had upped their offer to a reasonable amount which I accepted.

Permalink Reply by Joel Gilgoff on May 23, 2012 at 6:39pm

If someone tells you they saw your item for less on eBay - it can't be something more desirable than your item (ot there was a problem in the one listed on eBay) - or they would have purchased it on eBay and never emailed you.  Your best reply would be "What is it that stopped you from buying the item in eBay"?  What is it that I can do to allow you to purchase my item?

Permalink Reply by 2Hearts Uptown @Ruby Lane on May 23, 2012 at 6:49pm

Very positive approach - now if I can remember your line when this comes up!

Joel Gilgoff said:

If someone tells you they saw your item for less on eBay - it can't be something more desirable than your item (ot there was a problem in the one listed on eBay) - or they would have purchased it on eBay and never emailed you.  Your best reply would be "What is it that stopped you from buying the item in eBay"?  What is it that I can do to allow you to purchase my item?