Doug Henning disappearing act

Maybe it's a stretch in this anonymous, fear of intimacy, internet age but I've found the telephone a useful tool to seal a bargain, buying or selling. If they're too chicken to put there mouth where their money is, how interested could they be?

Yes, I had a buyer hammer me for a month to lower my price and when I finally did, he changed his mind the day before the check was to be sent to me. I almost gave him a neutral for the lack of coutesy, but he caught me in a good mood and I let him pass. By the way his moniker is....

Why do sellers bother to put O.B.O. on an ad when their price is firm in the first place? It doesn't hurt to ask someone with a O.B.O tag on their price what their bottom line is and invariably when asked in my experience O.B.O. sellers either get offended or do not respond to questions. A simple FIRM on the price in the ad goes a long way to stave off low ballers.

I cant say I've ever backed out on a confirmed deal ... I've asked about availability and then declined to purchase for various reasons but in order to secure a good deal - you have to :

A. Watch like a hawk ... which I can’t at work (7:30-5)

B. Jump to a confirmation right off the bat - I hate that. “I’ll take it!”

Mostly because the Ebay hawks watch these sites and buy to resell - this is complete BS.

I like to introduce myself in a polite fashion and ask a few questions ... then agree or decline. I gave up on low balling because it's generally looked down on. I can say I have been burned TWICE by sellers who agreed to sell to me but took a Paypal transaction from someone else before I could confirm and send the money. That REALLY gets me going. I think if you are willing to take a money order … you should at least give a day or two to Paypal the money. Don’t email me and tell me I was too late – after we made a deal … I’m still mad about it. It’s that kind of behavior that spawns the Ebay kind of atmosphere that we all don’t want to deal with.

I would advise sellers to be picky about buyers if you get multiple people offering to buy. Don’t just take the first offer – it’s your deal … you can select WHO you want to sell to. Don’t go high and negotiate down - as a lot of buyers like me gave up low-balling due to the sharp criticism in forums and on ads. I have passed up quite a few deals that where “almost” there. The sellers might have budged BUT I read time and time again that low-ballers are not welcome so I let them slide. Creating a fun environment for people who love audio equipment and like to play with toys requires BOTH buyers and sellers to develop ethical standards. Lets weed out the Ebay reseller element.

Just my two cents …

Horseface, I'm with you on the resellers. What's even worse are sellers posting ads for items they do not yet possess.

Ericthered, the reason sellers get offended when you ask for the minimum price is because you are asking them to bid against themselves. The civil way to negotiate is to make a counteroffer that you are willing to stand behind and go from there. Asking "how much does it really cost so I can think it over" is no kind of offer at all.