Should I block this bidder?

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Eric72

1. Was this an auction or a Buy It Now listing?
2. If the OP was willing to take $25, he would have simply accepted that offer. The "buyer" offering $20 later in the process doesn't really make sense. The seller didn't accept a higher offer, so why send a lower one?
3. Sellers on eBay have a "Tasks" section of their seller page. Within that section, there's a "Suggested actions" item. Some people, myself included, will routinely clear this by sending offers.
4. Buyers shouldn't get offended because the offer they got was "unsolicited" and/or not a steep enough discount. Someone offered to sell something cheaper than it was before. $45 to $39 is a discount of 13.33% That doesn't seem like a valid cause for angst.
5. The seller then went down to $35, a total discount of 22.22% Again, this doesn't seem like an unreasonable thing to have done.

Candidly, I would have blocked the buyer, too. The unconventional negotiating "tactic" makes no sense to me. If I wasn't going to take $25 for that, why would I take $20? If it was a typo, then I've lost a customer...a tire-kicker who apparently loves to spend time haggling and doesn't spend time making sure they've typed their two-digit offer correctly.

I can understand that logic more if the potential buyer approached the seller first and initiated the contact. But not when the seller started it. It is hilarious how some people can only see this from one side of the story, and if it isn't from their side, the party they started the negotiation with must automatically be bad and worthy of blocking. Un-effing-believable!!!!!!

Truth seems to be we don't really know the complete other side of the story as I don't believe the OP ever asked the other party why they came back with an even lower price offer. I had already wondered if it was possibly a typo and they meant to type $30. I don't know, and apparently neither does anyone else. But if some people want to rush to judgements without knowing the full story from both sides, so be it.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by BobC

I can understand that logic more if the potential buyer approached the seller first and initiated the contact. But not when the seller started it. It is hilarious how some people can only see this from one side of the story, and if it isn't from their side, the party they started the negotiation with must automatically be bad and worthy of blocking. Un-effing-believable!!!!!!

Truth seems to be we don't really know the complete other side of the story as I don't believe the OP ever asked the other party why they came back with an even lower price offer. I had already wondered if it was possibly a typo and they meant to type $30. I don't know, and apparently neither does anyone else. But if some people want to rush to judgements without knowing the full story from both sides, so be it.

Bob,

I'm not sure anyone will ever know the full story from both sides. Absent complete information, those who have discussed the topic up to this point have likely filled in the information gaps through their own individual paradigms.

In my particular case, personal experience has likely colored my opinion. I've been selling on eBay for 20+ years. During that time, I've occasionally dealt with would-be scammers. Along the way, I've made a few observations. Among these, I've noticed that scammers often exhibit odd behavior. Although this isn't always the case, and they don't always provide the luxury of revealing this before making a purchase, I've had more than a few instances of "...should have seen this coming, the signs were there..."

So yes, some people rush to judgment. Since you were quoting me as you made that statement, it is reasonable to surmise you've drawn that conclusion about me. I understand why one might rush to that judgment. If they didn't know I've spent two decades forming my opinion of odd eBay buyers, they wouldn't possibly have the full story.

This has been quite an interesting thread. What surprises me most is the amount of apparent passion from many of the people posting. I would not have expected this by simply reading the original post.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Bob,

I'm not sure anyone will ever know the full story from both sides. Absent complete information, those who have discussed the topic up to this point have likely filled in the information gaps through their own individual paradigms.

In my particular case, personal experience has likely colored my opinion. I've been selling on eBay for 20+ years. During that time, I've occasionally dealt with would-be scammers. Along the way, I've made a few observations. Among these, I've noticed that scammers often exhibit odd behavior. Although this isn't always the case, and they don't always provide the luxury of revealing this before making a purchase, I've had more than a few instances of "...should have seen this coming, the signs were there..."

So yes, some people rush to judgment. Since you were quoting me as you made that statement, it is reasonable to surmise you've drawn that conclusion about me. I understand why one might rush to that judgment. If they didn't know I've spent two decades forming my opinion of odd eBay buyers, they wouldn't possibly have the full story.

This has been quite an interesting thread. What surprises me most is the amount of apparent passion from many of the people posting. I would not have expected this by simply reading the original post.

Eric,

I understand where different people can be coming from, and at least you have said that you have had personal experiences that affect your own opinion on this topic, and I can respect that. I just didn't understand why the others are so quick to vote to ban this person because of their possible way of negotiating. Nobody was really giving any solid meaningful reasons, aside from basically the person didn't seem right or normal somehow. What I don't see is the correlation between how one negotiates or barters, and what that has to do with what kind of buyer they're going to be.

Think of it like this, a guy's walking down the sidewalk next to a used car dealer, just minding his own business and looking at the cars as he's walking by. All of a sudden a salesman runs up to him and grabs him and says come on, I'll make you a special deal on one of the cars I saw you looking at as you walked by. The guy walking by goes along just to not make a scene. So the salesman drags him over to a red sporty car marked $5K, and says to the guy I can let you have it for today for $4,200. The guy, who really wasn't initially interested in actually buying the car, figures OK, he'll offer a price where he actually would consider buying the car, and gives the salesman his top offer, $3,500. Well, the salesman quickly thinks to himself there's no way he'll let that car go that cheap, but instead of just thanking the guy for at least listening to him and letting him go on his way, he comes back and pushes at the guy some more to still try make a sale. And this time it is with another even lower offer of just $4K, but with the salesman now telling the guy that is his final lowest offer, take it or leave it. So now the guy is perturbed and thinking, he wasn't that interested in the car to begin with, and he already made this salesman his best offer, which he doesn't want to take. Instead, he got a lower counteroffer and ultimatum thrown back in his face by the salesman, who can't take a hint and is still trying to push a deal. So the guy thinks, how can he get his position across to the salesman? He just wants to get this over with, but since the salesman is still pushing to make a sale, he wonders if maybe he drops his offer even lower, the salesman may be desperate enough to sell and comes back to see if the guy will take the car for his original offer price of $3,500 after all. So the guy counters back at the salesman with a $3,200 offer, figuring the salesman will either lower his asking price again, or realize he isn't getting what he wants for the car from this guy, and finally terminate the negotiating. And of course, finally let the guy continue walking on his way on the sidewalk. Except the salesman has a screw loose and gets upset with the guy not agreeing with what he thinks is such great deal, and daring to negotiate back against him. So he tells the guy that he made the offer to, to get off his used car lot and don't ever come back, or he'll call the cops on him trespassing. Even though it was the salesman that dragged the guy onto his car lot to listen to his deal to begin with. Then a month or two later, the guy ends up finding a similar car, at a different dealership, asking about what he was willing to pay for such a car in the first place when talking to the salesman that has now banned him. So he cuts this new dealership a check for the full amount they wanted, and drives away a happy owner, while the dealership gladly deposits his check in their bank. And then take a story like that to Reddit's "Am I The A$$hole" site and see who the majority over there sides with.

Now take the "car" that was being sold in my example, and add a "d" to the end of it to make it a "card" that was being sold instead..........................

[philliesfan]

Bob C. - Here is another version of your story.
Think of it like this, a guy's walking down the sidewalk next to a used car dealer, just minding his own business and looking at the cars as he's walking by. All of a sudden a salesman thinks he will help this guy out by offering a lower price than he was asking. So the red sporty car marked $5K is offered for $4,200.
The guy figures OK, since I am interested, I will offer a price where he could steal it from the salesman and offers $3,500.
Well, the salesman thinks to himself there's no way he is able let that car be stolen that cheap, so in his kind heart he lowers it one last time and lets the gentleman know he cannot go any lower.
So now the guy is perturbed that he can't steal it. And thinks the salesman may be desperate enough to sell at any cost and completely rip off the salesman and comes back with a paltry offer price of $3,200.00
Confused by the buyer and realizing that the potential buyer may have a screw loose and does not want any possible aggravation, decides to stop this and any future negotiations. He leaves the original price on the car and it sells a week later for the full amount.

Now take the "car" that was being sold in my example, and add a "d" to the end of it to make it a "card" that was being sold instead..........................

[BobC]

Originally Posted by philliesfan

Bob C. - Here is another version of your story.
Think of it like this, a guy's walking down the sidewalk next to a used car dealer, just minding his own business and looking at the cars as he's walking by. All of a sudden a salesman thinks he will help this guy out by offering a lower price than he was asking. So the red sporty car marked $5K is offered for $4,200.
The guy figures OK, since I am interested, I will offer a price where he could steal it from the salesman and offers $3,500.
Well, the salesman thinks to himself there's no way he is able let that car be stolen that cheap, so in his kind heart he lowers it one last time and lets the gentleman know he cannot go any lower.
So now the guy is perturbed that he can't steal it. And thinks the salesman may be desperate enough to sell at any cost and completely rip off the salesman and comes back with a paltry offer price of $3,200.00
Confused by the buyer and realizing that the potential buyer may have a screw loose and does not want any possible aggravation, decides to stop this and any future negotiations. He leaves the original price on the car and it sells a week later for the full amount.

Now take the "car" that was being sold in my example, and add a "d" to the end of it to make it a "card" that was being sold instead..........................

LOL

Bob, Bob, Bob!

Absolutely true and fine to change my example, but you completely missed my point, while also conveniently leaving out the most important part of the story, about the car salesman taking umbrage and banning the guy forever from his used car lot, after it was the salesman who originally talked the guy into coming onto his lot to start negotiations to begin with. The point in my example of mentioning that the guy could then turn around and do a different, smooth and seamless deal with another car dealer was merely to demonstrate that regardless of what the first salesman thinks, the whole episode doesn't automatically make the guy a bad buyer. But you're right, that first car salesman could push his aggressive sales technique on the next guy just walking down the street and end up making a deal for what he originally was trying to get for the car. And yes, that is great for the car salesman, but does it excuse and justify his treatment of the first guy he ended up banning? NO!!!!!! The banning of the first guy and subsequent sale to another guy have absolutely no correlation or anything to do with each other.

My entire point is that there are a lot of dealers on here that may share a lot of myopic viewpoints when it comes to dealing and engaging with potential customers, but that those viewpoints may not be so universally embraced by society in general. And exactly why I mentioned the possibility of telling such a story on Reddit's AITA site. I would not be surprised to find the general public consensus would be to find that the salesman banning the guy in my story would in a majority of their minds, be the a--hole.

I am in no way looking to disparage any dealers, and truly believe they have the right to sell their stuff for what and how they want. But they should at least be aware that how they may act and treat customers can possibly make them look like a--holes to a large number of people. The old adage is supposedly, "The customer is always right.". I know in real life that is certainly not always true, and there are definitely a lot of crappy customers out there. However in a case where a potential customer did not initiate the interaction, and then technically did nothing wrong, deceitful, or illegal, but still gets banned by the seller as a result...................well, try thinking about how that may look to the general public. And for those that come back and say they don't care what the general public may think, that is fine. Just don't also complain and argue about how the general public may view you then, because doing so may also tend to make one look like an..................................

And if someone wants to label me the same way for bringing up and questioning something like this, I'm perfectly fine with that. Just have the courtesy to actually respond to questions asked, and try to be open minded enough to realize yours may not always be the only acceptable opinion out there, nor necessarily the majority opinion. And this is not specifically directed at any one person. As I said, I respect people's opinions being based on past issues and incidents you may have encountered. I may not understand them, but you are entitled to them.