Fatparrot: It is clear that you are a man of principle, honest and diligent and ethical. Your approach to things is a little different than mine. Here is mine: eMail is free.
It does not "cost" anything if you are running an auction to educate someone by writing, "That would not be fair to other folks. If you are interested contact me after the auction closes." Likewise, what is the problem with writing to someone: "My price is fair and your offer is not in the ballpark." Or, "No thanks." It is not only "more polite" it is better business. They might respond by agreeing to your asking price. I may have a blind spot here but it seems as though some folks take what they consider to be a lowball offer as a personal insult. If the question is asked politely (i.e. not something like "Your Klingon preamp is a hunk of junk and I plan on a major modification to the power supply--will you take $5.00 including FedEx overnight to Buffalocrotch Iowa") what is the problem with a reply that takes ten seconds?
It does not "cost" anything if you are running an auction to educate someone by writing, "That would not be fair to other folks. If you are interested contact me after the auction closes." Likewise, what is the problem with writing to someone: "My price is fair and your offer is not in the ballpark." Or, "No thanks." It is not only "more polite" it is better business. They might respond by agreeing to your asking price. I may have a blind spot here but it seems as though some folks take what they consider to be a lowball offer as a personal insult. If the question is asked politely (i.e. not something like "Your Klingon preamp is a hunk of junk and I plan on a major modification to the power supply--will you take $5.00 including FedEx overnight to Buffalocrotch Iowa") what is the problem with a reply that takes ten seconds?