Why do I have to "make an offer"?

[Mark42]

Why do I have to make an offer to get the best price on a product? For example, I've been shopping for a performance exhaust system. It is available from many retailers, and all for $449.00 shipped. Never found an advertised price better than $449 shipped. But a few retailers have a "Make an offer" button setup on their site. So I take the make an offer button, and offer $300 shipped. They respond in minutes (automated email I guess) with a counter offer of $296 shipped. Ok, its even less than my offer! So I'll take it. Thats over $150 off the advertised price!!!!

But why jump through email hoops to get the best price? Why not just show the best price when the item is added to the checkout basket?

It just seems like a waste of time and effort all around.

 

[Brent S]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

I underdstand.

I went to a lumber yard and the materials I needed came to $1200 delivered. I told them I only had $700.00 and would have to wait.

I was both happily shocked and pissed when he said he would sell it for the 700. I was happy I got it for what I could afford yet somehow mad that if I had the 1200 he would have taken it.

It's also amazing how much you can save just by asking " is that the best you can do?"

I still don't like it. If someone is asking a price I usally decide if the product is worth that to me, and then either buy it or not.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

I don't know Mark, I by nature always want to try to negotiate a better price.
I try to make sure the negotiation is always positive and not beligerent so if there is a better price....maybe I'll get it.
What does get me tho' is when a seller doesn't post any price at all to work from. I like to at least see his approximate 'baseline'. Often these sellers won't give you the price until they have attempted to download 20 minutes of air time selling their item to you.
All Good
BP

 

[642mx]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

I ordered a cat-back exhaust for my Tundra a couple weeks ago from Gibson. I visited Gibsons site and saw I could order online, but I had a few questions so I called them. After the sales guy answered the questions, he asked if I was ready to buy and told me he could knock off $100 if I wanted to buy it now.... I didn't even ask for a discount (but I jumped on it)

 

[scipper77]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

They do it because a lot of people will pay the higher price.

I worked with a guy who bought a 2 year old Dodge neon for the same price as a new one would have cost from the same dealer due to some rebates and what not.

Some people just don't bother and it is like free money to a seller.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

I can deal with negotiating. What I absolutely hate is rebates. To me, they are a fundamentally dishonest way of doing business. I avoid retailers that use them like the plague, but have had to play the game on occassion.

I am now fighting with Sprint, because they insisted on a rebate deal for a cellular internet aircard. They charge $50 for it on your bill and you are supposed to get that back through the rebate program. I sent the paperwork in over four months ago - no rebate. The joke is on Sprint, however, because I told them that I wouldn't pay the $50 on my bill until I had the rebate. Every month, I pay the legitimate charges for my phone and internet services, but ignore the charge for the aircard purchase.

I really think it is time for consumers to fight back. There are so many of these sleazy programs and people just let retailers get away with them. LOL - let's start the rebate revolution!



???

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

I guess negociating a price is ok most of the time . However Ive been looking for a car for my son for 2 months and am sick of people listing a car for sale and not wanting to give a price. They take time to give you a story about it with paragraphs of details with plenty of pictures etc but they wont give a friggin price. The small lot dealers are the worse offenders. I guess they want to get you there and 'size you up

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

I guess that's one of the problems I have. I see a value what it is worth in my head and if it out to lunch I walk. I think what you are seeing is people playing the old business rule "don't leave any money on the table".

 

[mscher]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

Is it possible that $1200 was what they figured they could sell the items for at a decent profit, whereas for $700, they eat most of the profit, but get the stuff out the door and put some money in the bank?

Maybe payroll and the electric bill was due.

I underdstand.

I went to a lumber yard and the materials I needed came to $1200 delivered. I told them I only had $700.00 and would have to wait.

I was both happily shocked and pissed when he said he would sell it for the 700. I was happy I got it for what I could afford yet somehow mad that if I had the 1200 he would have taken it.

It's also amazing how much you can save just by asking " is that the best you can do?"

I still don't like it. If someone is asking a price I usally decide if the product is worth that to me, and then either buy it or not.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

Is it possible that $1200 was what they figured they could sell the items for at a decent profit, whereas for $700, they eat most of the profit, but get the stuff out the door and put some money in the bank?

Maybe payroll and the electric bill was due.

Likely.

I have spent a lot of my life either building, or selling lumber and building materials. The margin suggested here is obscene for bldg materials.

Either the guy was fishing (for the $1200) or needed cash ($700). The margin on lumber and materials is far less than the $700/$1200 switch. Hardware- maybe. But wow.

 

[mscher]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

It's kind of a shame, IMO, that "haggling", which has been part of business, since man traded pretty stones, is becoming a lost art. In some cultures, sellers are a bit offended, if you simply pay their asking price.

Our culture has just become accustomed to simply plopping down the money and hope for the best.

I always get a kick watching the old farmers haggle over a $1200 treadmill (for the wife), with the young Manager, at a sporting goods store. They will spend nearly an hour there. That "sale" price is where they start to negoiate.

I'm not nearly as good at it as I'd like to be, but when I know what something is worth, haggle near that price and buyer and seller end up happy, it's a good day.

It's a lost art that needs to make a comeback.

 

[eastont]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

I love that phrase "Is that the best you can do?"
When I was in business and someone asked me that I'd usually answer with, no it's not normally, but for you, yes it's the best I can do.
I usually would make the sale at my original asking price, and that would have about a 15-20% margin to haggle with.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

It's hard to say why a certain seller would offer a discount on a given day. I do know that toward the end of the fiscal year, it's better to make something on inventory rather than pay taxes on it. It all depends on your overhead and expenses but when you see year end or inventory reduction sales, they may be legitimate sales because the merchant can accept a lower profit.

I'm asked for discounts all the time. Some buyers feel that they have an obligation to ask for discounts -regardless of if it's legal or not.If it's the difference of a few hundred dollars profit vs none, then I might be inclined to give a discount but not all the time. I only get insulted when they know it's not legal and ask anyway,

 

[Expidia]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

I really think it is time for consumers to fight back. There are so many of these sleazy programs and people just let retailers get away with them. LOL - let's start the rebate revolution!

???[/QUOTE]

Ditto on the rebate thing . . . all states should outlaw them. I once read in the Wall St Journal an article that said retailers like Best Buy use a rebate to be able to advertise their products cheaper and statistics show that they know 75% of buyers don't send the rebate in or not on time.

I've been guilty of this myself because I wait a few weeks to make sure an electronic item is working correctly. I've forgotten to send the rebate in on time. I also hate their ploy of forcing you to cut out the bar code out of the box and then they won't take it back period once you do that . . . all should be illegal to pull this stuff on consumers.

Also, it's been shown another large percentage of consumers won't call more than once to track their rebate check. They know this and just say "it's on it's way" knowing very few consumers will ever call a second time asking where is my check already?

It's a lot easier to just not get invloved with a rebate type purchase in the first place. You can usually go on line and find the same product with no rebate, free shipping and no tax anyway with a little effort

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

To the original post, a lot of times the manufacturer will state the MSRP and will pull the product from retailers who advertise for less. But they do not care about the actual sale price.

Sage (fly fishing rods) does this in Canada. I bought one at one store and they knocked 20% off the rod price, but rang the discount up against the reel and showed the rod at full price. Seems Sage is really picky about keeping the retailers all at the same price.

I've stopped buying when a rebate is offered. But what still ticks me off is the Instant Rebate. Costco does this a lot. Product is normally $100, but you get an "instant rebate" for $20. You still pay tax on the $100 so you pay (here in BC) $92 instead of $89.60, with the difference being taxes.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

...I'm asked for discounts all the time. Some buyers feel that they have an obligation to ask for discounts -regardless of if it's legal or not....when they know it's not legal and ask anyway,

OK- educate me: Why on earth would asking for a better price be illegal?!

Second: I generally pay what is asked of me from people I know. I stop doing business with those who take advantage of me; it has happened a few times, but not often with people I know. Or I pay the asked price if I know it is a fair price; I educate myself as consumer and know what a fair price is. But if I know there is a lot of margin (car parts, for example) or know the reputation of the supplier/seller for gouging, or whatever- I will either ask for "X"-dollars or will say I was prepared to pay "Y"- can you match that? Sometimes I have said "is that the best you can do" but not frequently.

Speaking of car parts; I have friends "in the business" of auto repair and parts, so I feel at an advantage in that area. Here is an actual event when my ex-wife broke down. Had her get it to a nearby garage as I was working and couldn't check it out. Ford ignit module from local garage in an emergency: $78. They walked just down the street to the parts store to get it. I refused to pay the full bill for other reasons ($380 bill for a Ford Escort "tuneup" parts and labor when I told them I wanted an estimate for anything above $100. All it really needed was the ignit module). So after some words, I walked across the street and priced the parts- over the counter: said ignition module was $28 from the same supplier! Then I called me FIL, who works for another parts store, and asked what "garage" column was for same part: $14 and change. If I didn't know better I would have paid the $380 for the "repairs." Instead, now educated, I paid them their labor rate for just 2 hours, plus the plugs, wires and ignition module at the price *I* could buy them for. Think it was like $160ish. They still made money on the parts, and it sure didn't take them 6 hours (or shouldn't have!) to figure out the ignition module and give it cap, rotor, plugs, and wires.

So why should we haggle? Because it keeps the questionable honest, and lets the honest shine.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

OK- educate me: Why on earth would asking for a better price be illegal?!

I think he means when it would be illegal to give a better price.

Lots of people want a "cash price". Selling something without remitting the taxes is illegal. It's legal to sell for cash price as long as taxes are remitted.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

I guess negociating a price is ok most of the time . However Ive been looking for a car for my son for 2 months and am sick of people listing a car for sale and not wanting to give a price. They take time to give you a story about it with paragraphs of details with plenty of pictures etc but they wont give a friggin price. The small lot dealers are the worse offenders. I guess they want to get you there and 'size you up

I'm a "small lot dealer". The prices are on the windshield of every car.

But I cannot give you the $3000 the other dealer offered for your $1500 trade-in.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

I think he means when it would be illegal to give a better price.

Lots of people want a "cash price". Selling something without remitting the taxes is illegal. It's legal to sell for cash price as long as taxes are remitted.

Oh! Duh!

It never occurred to me to ask a retailer to sell without taxes, so I didn't get that. That would be like asking a business owner to bet the farm, asking him to mess with the State.

I have been on the other side of the counter a number of times, so it didn't cross my mind.

 

[mscher]

Re: Why do I have to "make an offer"?

"Cash Price" has nothing to do with sales taxes.

It costs the seller money to accept credit cards and to accept the risk of accepting checks. Cash, provided it is not counterfeit, makes the merchant mor money in the long run. the saving could be passed along, if asked.

No merchant in his/her right mind, would not collect sales tax, if they were required to do so. Saving a few bucks, just to get in trouble with the State Revenue Service, is not a good idea.