Seeking opinions....

[moparnutcase]

Ok, this is a hypothetical question....whether you take it from the buyer side or the seller side is up to you but please state your perspective. Let's say a car is for sale for $4400 and it is in fairly good condition with a few minor issues that you are comfortable with but the one exception is the AC is not working, although all parts are intact for the AC. If the seller says to you don't low-ball me, what would you consider a low-ball offer on the $4400 asking price? One value I looked up states that in excellent condition, car is worth $4300 by the book. NADA says $3657 Avg.retail, $5775 high retail. Fire away folks!!

 

[Big_John]

I always look at the asking price and try to figure from there what the guy really wants for it.

In this case, $4400 says to me that $4000 is his real price.

Now... What the car is worth from there is up to you. I don't mind paying a few bucks more for something that is what I want, convenient to me, and I don't have to do a lot of work to it. But that's me....

If it's what you want, offer $4000. No insult, no low ball, just a honest offer.

 

[Jeff]

I would offer what I am willing to pay and not worry too much about the request not to low-ball. If my price is significantly lower, I might say I am interested but that we're too far apart, and not state a price, and see what signal I get back.

 

[Carmine]

I would offer what I am willing to pay and not worry too much about the request not to low-ball. If my price is significantly lower, I might say I am interested but that we're too far apart, and not state a price, and see what signal I get back.

That's what I do.

 

[300rag]

To the original question, I would consider anything less than 70% of the asking price a low ball offer.

 

[sixpkrt]

I usually go with my "1/4 offer off" the sellers price, if you think the car is worth purchasing. So I'd start at $3300. When/if the seller refuses your offer, ask "Why do you need to get $4400 for the car?"
At that point, the conversation should turn into negotiations if the seller is willing to lower the price, even if just little. Then I might come up 2x the amount of what the seller lowered his selling price by, and stay firm at that price.
If the seller senses you're about to walk, he might let it go.
Good luck.

 

[Polara_500]

If I'm buying used from a private party I generally assume he added a 10% cushion and work from there. Other than that, I look at what I'm getting, what it needs to suit me and derive my max dollar. If the two kinda sorta get close, then it's time to start dickering.

 

[moparnutcase]

Lot of good view points and feedback. Going Sunday to look at it and will report back on my efforts. Hoping the car is decent in person and if the price is right it is certain to come home with me.

 

[Polara_500]

Good luck, John.

 

[moparnutcase]

The follow up..............went to look at a 1987 Dodge Daytona Shelby Z today. 2.2 turbo,5-speed stick,T-tops,Ice Blue and 67,000 miles. His original asking price was $4895 but had dropped it to $4395 by the time I saw the ad. Talked on the phone and knew there were some issues with the car but the pics (here we go again,lol) looked fairly decent. Mostly original paint and faded in some spots,A/C not working,small oil drips/leak,rubber seals on side windows seriously cracked,visors needed recovering,headliner starting to sag but not terrible, seal on rear wiper shaft missing,solid rust free body with decent under carriage,ran and drove good,previous owner spray bombed the flat black area around the windows gloss black,aftermarket stereo,fart pipe exhaust. Now my issue that kinda pissed me off but kept my cool.....he says the battery is getting weak so he will knock $95 off the price and will take $4300. I confer with my buddy and determined that the most I would go was $3000. Tell the owner I am going to pass at his (demanded)asking price. He says "ok" and didn't even ask if I wanted to make an offer!!! Jerked off part is he tells me on the phone....."just don't low ball me". I take that as feel free to make an offer but don't insult me. Needless to say my search continues.

 

[72Fury]

They are neat cars. The search is half the fun. I think you'll find a better one, from someone more reasonable, given more time.

 

[tallhair]

To the original question, I would consider anything less than 70% of the asking price a low ball offer.

concur .. be nice, ask the questions you need to ask and move on if he's asking more than you are willing to pay. Don't insult him .. he may come down later and give you a call

also working A/C for a lowish dollar very very old car with all or most components still with the car is not a common thing IMHO .. count yourself lucky if all parts are there and in place or with the car if it's an otherwise nice car.

If it's not an otherwise nice car then forget it and keep looking.

If it's what you want and body work needed is minimum then that's worth even more than the very expensive to get working A/C .. and they are almost always very expensive.

 

[Polara_500]

Daughter totalled 2 87 Shelby Turbo Z's - wouldn't let her have any more of 'em after that. Both nice cars before she got hold of 'em. Bought myself one many years later but it wasn't something I was comfortable in as a daily commuter at 75 miles/day, especially in bad weather. Sold it to a kid that blew the motor the same cotton picking day, never did fix it. Fun little car though.

 

[tallhair]

He says "ok" and didn't even ask if I wanted to make an offer!!!

I'd do the same thing he did. That would indicate to me (if I was the seller) that we are too far off and let you walk also.

He advertised it at a price, then lowered it .. I'd read that as he's come down to what he really wanted and thinks he can get (unless he's a goofball or psycho then who knows) and if you don't counter near then he reckons you are being nice and not low balling him on purpose therefore you are to far apart and no reason to prolong it and he probably appreciates it or doesn't give a ****.

 

[moparnutcase]

I'd do the same thing he did. That would indicate to me (if I was the seller) that we are too far off and let you walk also.

He advertised it at a price, then lowered it .. I'd read that as he's come down to what he really wanted and thinks he can get (unless he's a goofball or psycho then who knows) and if you don't counter near then he reckons you are being nice and not low balling him on purpose therefore you are to far apart and no reason to prolong it and he probably appreciates it or doesn't give a ****.

Not a big deal but why would you say on the phone "don't low ball me" and then in person not even want to hear an offer. If he was set on $4300 as his bottom line then he should have said so. Most ads I have seen in that situation say price is "firm", his didn't. He has had several people look at the car and obviously he still has it....that should be enough to convince him that the price is too high.

 

[cantflip]

I may be the world's worst negotiator. I usually only enter into a transaction after I have decide a number I can live with... and if I am too far from the seller's number, I usually just don't get involved.

I have probably missed a lot of opportunities due to this, but I really don't ever set out to jerk someone's chain in a transaction. I don't believe anybody who has sold to me felt like I was hard to deal with. But with the entire world out there feeling like they have to be the "negotiation king" these days... maybe there is a better way.

When I start with a counter offer, it usually is because I think they are way too overpriced not to. I almost always piss them off when I do that. Most recent was a EB guy selling a portable Snap on/wheeltronics lift he thought it to be worth twice what I did... had to offer though, he was too close to home to not try.

 

[tallhair]

Not a big deal but why would you say on the phone "don't low ball me" and then in person not even want to hear an offer. If he was set on $4300 as his bottom line then he should have said so. Most ads I have seen in that situation say price is "firm", his didn't. He has had several people look at the car and obviously he still has it....that should be enough to convince him that the price is too high.

There are no rules.

What is the car and what do you want to pay?

 

[Samplingman]

The follow up..............went to look at a 1987 Dodge Daytona Shelby Z today. 2.2 turbo,5-speed stick,T-tops,Ice Blue and 67,000 miles. His original asking price was $4895 but had dropped it to $4395 by the time I saw the ad. Talked on the phone and knew there were some issues with the car but the pics (here we go again,lol) looked fairly decent. Mostly original paint and faded in some spots,A/C not working,small oil drips/leak,rubber seals on side windows seriously cracked,visors needed recovering,headliner starting to sag but not terrible, seal on rear wiper shaft missing,solid rust free body with decent under carriage,ran and drove good,previous owner spray bombed the flat black area around the windows gloss black,aftermarket stereo,fart pipe exhaust. Now my issue that kinda pissed me off but kept my cool.....he says the battery is getting weak so he will knock $95 off the price and will take $4300. I confer with my buddy and determined that the most I would go was $3000. Tell the owner I am going to pass at his (demanded)asking price. He says "ok" and didn't even ask if I wanted to make an offer!!! Jerked off part is he tells me on the phone....."just don't low ball me". I take that as feel free to make an offer but don't insult me. Needless to say my search continues.

I'm confused, did you make an offer of $3000, or just decide that was all you were going to pay? If you didn't actually make the offer then there could be no negotiations. If you wanted it, I would have at least thrown a number out with all of the bullet points justifying the price. IMHO, $1000 would have been insulting and low ball, but $3000 opens up a dialog and is fair game, regardless how firm a sellers price seems.

 

[moparnutcase]

Never made the offer as he stated "I will take $4300 and I am losing $300 at that". When I told him that I would not purchase at that price he just said "Ok, sorry you came this far to look at it", and never opened the door to an offer. Figured he would not take $3000 at that point so kept my mouth shut. Like I said, I was jerked off because ON THE PHONE, he said "DON'T LOW-BALL ME......I interpret that to being open to an offer whether he likes it or not. He basically said his price in person and I wasted my time. His asking price is for a car in excellent condition and highly doubt he will get it from someone with half a clue. Like I said, no biggie as there are nicer cars out there, just pisses me off that my VALUABLE time was wasted!

 

[cantflip]

I seldom respond to the "no low ballers" ads... and I don't usually try to negotiate much.