doucanoe
Registered Audio Abuser
This sales approach always cracks me up. Why not just say $300.00 ?
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ele/852701901.html
RC
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ele/852701901.html
RC
Interesting sales approach.
- Thread starter doucanoe
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Arkay
Lunatic Member
He might be assuming that people will make lower offers than the asking price, and some will NOT buy it if they don't "get a discount". There are people like that. If he said $300, they would insist on paying $200 or walk away...but if it is priced at $500, they will pay $300 for the exact same item. Silly :screwy:, I know, but there are people like that!
Some stores use this practice all the time, marking prices and X-ing them out with a "discount" price written underneath. The goods are never sold at the fictitious crossed-out "original" price... or maybe they were set out for one day at that price, just to justify the sign. Stupid, but sometimes it works.
Alternatively, he might just be trying to eliminate all the time-wasting lowballers calling to offer him $50 or $250, that he will never accept. If he just priced it at $300, they would call; with this approach, they might not.
He'll get a caller --probably most of them-- saying, "Look, I'll give you three hundred, not a penny more," who may be told, "If no one pays more within X days, it's yours". Some wont' like that and back out, but as a strategy it might work for the seller.
And then he might get lucky, and have people who really want those speakers but who don't read the ad completely. They'll pay $500, or perhaps offer a little less.
Basically, he has started the equivalent of an eBay auction with a starting price of $300 and a "buy it now" price of $500.
On balance, I agree that it's a stupid approach, but not completely stupid.
Some stores use this practice all the time, marking prices and X-ing them out with a "discount" price written underneath. The goods are never sold at the fictitious crossed-out "original" price... or maybe they were set out for one day at that price, just to justify the sign. Stupid, but sometimes it works.
Alternatively, he might just be trying to eliminate all the time-wasting lowballers calling to offer him $50 or $250, that he will never accept. If he just priced it at $300, they would call; with this approach, they might not.
He'll get a caller --probably most of them-- saying, "Look, I'll give you three hundred, not a penny more," who may be told, "If no one pays more within X days, it's yours". Some wont' like that and back out, but as a strategy it might work for the seller.
And then he might get lucky, and have people who really want those speakers but who don't read the ad completely. They'll pay $500, or perhaps offer a little less.
Basically, he has started the equivalent of an eBay auction with a starting price of $300 and a "buy it now" price of $500.
On balance, I agree that it's a stupid approach, but not completely stupid.
doucanoe
Registered Audio Abuser
I understand what he is trying to accomplish but not being an auction, he is just begging for $300 offers.
Not that I care one way or another, it just illustrates how not to market an item for sale on Craigslist or anywhere for that matter. The speakers are of no interest to me just the curious way the ad is written.
Listing an item as "OBO" will usually get it's fair share of lowballers, but these can be screened out prior to meeting with a potential buyer.
Just another interesting Craigslist ad to me.
RC
Not that I care one way or another, it just illustrates how not to market an item for sale on Craigslist or anywhere for that matter. The speakers are of no interest to me just the curious way the ad is written.
Listing an item as "OBO" will usually get it's fair share of lowballers, but these can be screened out prior to meeting with a potential buyer.
Just another interesting Craigslist ad to me.
RC
