Can't people negtiate any more?

[PomBstard]

I'm trying to sell my car, but I don't think people know how to negotiate any more. I've had three look at it - one didn't even test drive it, but all asked me as to the lowest price I would accept. I said the asking price, but they should feel free to make an offer. All just made their excuses and left. And that's not mentioning the numpties who want to negotiate on the phone before seeing the car. I'm not selling a Veyron.

Now, I know there are a couple of things that need sorting and I'm prepared to negotiate a price around these, but to just ask me what is my lowest price and then bugger off when I ask them to make an offer seems a bit daft to me. One of them spent ages going over the car, taking it for a good test drive and said he really wanted the car - I saw him and his girlfriend nodding at each other during discussions - he just seemed unable to make an offer.

WTF is going on?

[hornetrider]

Typical conversation these days said:

Scrote: Bruv I can get another one dahn the road for 2k less with the same miles innit? You'll never sell it for that price.

Me: Well fk off and buy that one then you twunt. Goodbye.

[BOR]

This has been discussed before, but what a fking palava.

Just name your price and people won't have to dick around with "negotiation"

Sorry OP, but if you'd told them the price you would accept, maybe you wouldn't have lost the sale.

[martin84]

The worst ones are the ones who try and knock you down on price over the phone before they've even seen the car. Ask if its negotiable by all means but some people just rung up and go 'whats the lowest you'll take?' as if you're going to tell them.

You wouldnt go into Tesco and negotiate at the till over the price of carrots.

[Jayho]

martin84 said:

The worst ones are the ones who try and knock you down on price over the phone before they've even seen the car. Ask if its negotiable by all means but some people just rung up and go 'whats the lowest you'll take?' as if you're going to tell them.

You wouldnt go into Tesco and negotiate at the till over the price of carrots.

I actaully sold a car like that. It wasnt a great deal, advertised for £1050 and the lady on the phone asked if I'd accept £900. TBF I was willing to go down to £800 due to having already bought a new to me car. I just said "Well come over and see the car and we can talk then" She came, saw the car, I pointed out the little niggles about the car to her which probably didnt show up on the pictures. She went for a quick test drive and then handed me over £900. I was happy, she was happy, all happy.

[bicycleshorts]

martin84 said:

The worst ones are the ones who try and knock you down on price over the phone before they've even seen the car. Ask if its negotiable by all means but some people just rung up and go 'whats the lowest you'll take?' as if you're going to tell them.

If my budget is X and you're selling a car for Y (>X), you'd want me to come along and waste your time with no interest in buying it?

Though I agree, it's stupid. Why pay exactly your budget for a car when it could have a major fault which a cheaper/more expensive one wouldn't.

[PaulB81]

martin84 said:

The worst ones are the ones who try and knock you down on price over the phone before they've even seen the car. Ask if its negotiable by all means but some people just rung up and go 'whats the lowest you'll take?' as if you're going to tell them.

You wouldnt go into Tesco and negotiate at the till over the price of carrots.

I worked in Sainburies as a student (10 yrs ago now which is scary). You would be surprised at the morons out there. We had a few customers who would regularly try to haggle over the prices of items picked up off the shelves. The irritating thing is, after you say no, cant do that. They ask for the supervisor and the supervisor would knock something off for them?!?!? What kind of a fking moron haggles over groceries in a supermarket!! Apparently the same type that calls up and asks what your lowest price is.

I'd rather lose a few k by part-ex'ing than deal with these idiots

[John D.]

BOR said:

This has been discussed before, but what a fking palava.

Just name your price and people won't have to dick around with "negotiation"

Sorry OP, but if you'd told them the price you would accept, maybe you wouldn't have lost the sale.

Eh? He did name his (asking) price. At that point its normal for the buyer to make an offer and negotiate a deal.

I'm totally with the OP. Experienced similar selling a car myself. Even had the guy who made an offer which I accepted then he cut off all communication. tt.

[skoff]

I don't really like the presumption of somebody who phones up and says 'what's your best price?' always struck me as time-wasting. However, the last car I sold was sold to a very nice chap who did exactly that. I knocked £50 off the asking price and he said ok. It was a very cheap car, so £50 represented a big % of the full price, but it was where I wanted to be on the sale.

It made me re-evaluate potential buyers like that. Their money is as good as anybody's, I'd rather make the sale than get on my high horse about how somebody chooses to negotiate.

[Mr Whippy]

PomBstard said:

I'm trying to sell my car, but I don't think people know how to negotiate any more. I've had three look at it - one didn't even test drive it, but all asked me as to the lowest price I would accept. I said the asking price, but they should feel free to make an offer. All just made their excuses and left. And that's not mentioning the numpties who want to negotiate on the phone before seeing the car. I'm not selling a Veyron.

Now, I know there are a couple of things that need sorting and I'm prepared to negotiate a price around these, but to just ask me what is my lowest price and then bugger off when I ask them to make an offer seems a bit daft to me. One of them spent ages going over the car, taking it for a good test drive and said he really wanted the car - I saw him and his girlfriend nodding at each other during discussions - he just seemed unable to make an offer.

WTF is going on?

It would sell if it was the right price.

Clearly they thought it was too much, or that you wouldn't move enough on price to make it worth what they were willing to pay.

In my experience, selling cars is easy, if you are a realist about the value of your car. Too many people are not, ergo they spend ages with idiots...

Both my last cars I sold to the first buyer for prices I was happy with, with little to no negotiation.

Dave

[obob]

Mr Whippy said:

PomBstard said:

I'm trying to sell my car, but I don't think people know how to negotiate any more. I've had three look at it - one didn't even test drive it, but all asked me as to the lowest price I would accept. I said the asking price, but they should feel free to make an offer. All just made their excuses and left. And that's not mentioning the numpties who want to negotiate on the phone before seeing the car. I'm not selling a Veyron.

Now, I know there are a couple of things that need sorting and I'm prepared to negotiate a price around these, but to just ask me what is my lowest price and then bugger off when I ask them to make an offer seems a bit daft to me. One of them spent ages going over the car, taking it for a good test drive and said he really wanted the car - I saw him and his girlfriend nodding at each other during discussions - he just seemed unable to make an offer.

WTF is going on?

It would sell if it was the right price.

Clearly they thought it was too much, or that you wouldn't move enough on price to make it worth what they were willing to pay.

In my experience, selling cars is easy, if you are a realist about the value of your car. Too many people are not, ergo they spend ages with idiots...

Both my last cars I sold to the first buyer for prices I was happy with, with little to no negotiation.

Dave

Same here, sold my last car to a buyer who texted me to ask what my best price was , I told him and he came and collected the next day.

[Sam1990]

Best response to someone asking 'your best price' is to ask for their best offer which they think is reasonable. Have sold my last 2 cars on that basis, came down a small amount for minor things like car parking dings etc. If you name a price they'll only try and drag it down further, let them think they're getting one up on you. Most of the time, being British about it, they'll actually make a fairly reasonable offer and not take the piss.

Should someone ask you the same thing over the phone just tell them you think the asking price suits the car but come and have a look to see what they think.

ETA:

Bob. I have never understood the mentality of texting someone about a car. My friend texted a few potential car sellers asking them details. It saves time and effort to just pick the phone up... People these days.

[Jasandjules]

PomBstard said:

WTF is going on?

Sorry, it might just be me but you said the lowest you would accept is the asking price, then said make me an offer.

Surely if you've just said the lowest you will accept is the asking price then that's what they would have to offer to buy it, and if they don't want to pay that price, they walk!?!?

[Chicane-UK]

John D. said:

BOR said:

This has been discussed before, but what a fking palava.

Just name your price and people won't have to dick around with "negotiation"

Sorry OP, but if you'd told them the price you would accept, maybe you wouldn't have lost the sale.

Eh? He did name his (asking) price. At that point its normal for the buyer to make an offer and negotiate a deal.

I'm totally with the OP. Experienced similar selling a car myself. Even had the guy who made an offer which I accepted then he cut off all communication. tt.

Quite. Had this myself when trying to sell a car. The price I advertised it at, is the fking asking price. If I wanted to knock £500 off, then that would have been my asking price.

There are some utter knuckle draggers out there unfortunately.. and thankfully have managed to sell my last few cars to enthusiasts who actually turn up at the agreed time and gave me the asking price without quibbling.

[sim16v]

Shoot me down if you disagree, but I've found this a lot with people new to the country.

I think they must receive training for that method of negotiation.

Sold some last year and their opening line was what is your best price please?

First one went to a couple of Ethiopians.

I had a horrible Nissan Almera up for sale for £900, told him my best price would be £2000, but I didn't expect him to pay that.

Didn't half confuse him!

Anyway, it must have been good for him as he paid £850 for it in the end.

On filling in the paperwork, it registration doc was addressed to some random woman over 300 miles away.

[curlie467]

Jasandjules said:

Sorry, it might just be me but you said the lowest you would accept is the asking price, then said make me an offer.

Surely if you've just said the lowest you will accept is the asking price then that's what they would have to offer to buy it, and if they don't want to pay that price, they walk!?!?

I think the OP meant that when asked what the lowest price was, he stated what the asking price was and asked them to make an offer based on that.
Not that his asking price was the lowest price.

[Snowboy]

I've sold a car recently and had a similar experience.

In my experience when you give the 'best price' they make an offer cheaper than that.
If the cars on for 2k and you'll accept 1800, and they ask for a best price, just say 1900 or 1850 and they'll knock the rest off.

Alternatively – put 1800 NO OFFERS in the advert.

If you want to play the haggling game then there's no guarantee they will play by your rules.

[Jasandjules]

Snowboy said:

In my experience when you give the 'best price' they make an offer cheaper than that.

Then you say no.

That's what I did, I told someone my lowest price, they came round with £50 less cash than that. So I said no I'm fine (on a 10k plus car) and have a nice drive home. They went away and came back with the £50 so they got the car.

[martin84]

In my experience if someones made quite a journey to come and see the car they're more likely to buckle in negotiations and pay more than they really wanted to. But adverts with 'no offers' on it can make you think 'well fk you then you cock'

[Prof Prolapse]

Chicane-UK said:

Quite. Had this myself when trying to sell a car. The price I advertised it at, is the fking asking price. If I wanted to knock £500 off, then that would have been my asking price.

There are some utter knuckle draggers out there unfortunately.. and thankfully have managed to sell my last few cars to enthusiasts who actually turn up at the agreed time and gave me the asking price without quibbling.

I get your point about being punctual, that's just good manners, but... If someone offers you below asking price you that annoys you? Have I misunderstood?

Unless a car is advertised as "no offers", why wouldn't they make you an offer? They'd be a mug not to ask as most experienced sellers build in a bit of negotiating room.