OBO but really isn't

[I Swan]

This isn't your typical whining about marketplace prices, gouging, off roster premium thread. What I am wondering is how often you all encounter or best offer sale posts but they really aren't.

A few times this has happened to me. On the most recent example a rifle was listed at $1250 OBO. I asked seller if $1000 would do and if not what would? No reply. I PM'd again after I saw rifle bumped multiple times with price drop of a whole $50 to $1200. So I messaged again and asked if OBO what can we do since I already made an offer.

I was told $1200. I responded maybe OBO should be removed since it truly isn't OBO. To his credit he did eventually remove the OBO. And rifle is still languishing unsold. I don't think offering $1000-1100 on a $1200 price with multiple deleted bumps (I check dates and remember on guns I may want) is a low-ball offer maybe he saw it that way, I don't know.

I think people sometimes don't really understand or really mean OBO when they put it but for some reason they still put it. Because all the cool kids do? Because they think it gives them street cred? I have put or best reasonable offer before on my sale posts.

I should start a separate thread on price drops of like 2-4% I've never understood that tactic or reasoning behind it.

[mycrstuff]

You sound like a friend of mine that thinks you have to accept any offer if you put OBO in your ad. OBO means they are not fixed on the price and will negotiate. A low ball offer like yours is not an offer but an insult.

[trackcage]

You sound like a friend of mine that thinks you have to accept any offer if you put OBO in your ad. OBO means they are not fixed on the price and will negotiate. A low ball offer like yours is not an offer but an insult.

If I list a glock gen 3 for $1,000 and someone offers me $500 is that a lowball?

[XDJYo]

Or BEST offer.

There could have been other offers that the Seller was entertaining and they may have not panned out. The Seller is under no obligation to accept your offer if it is below the asking price.

The transaction is a 2 way street. Both have to agree. If you don't get any response from the Seller, move on. If you do. Party on!

Common courtesy would have the Seller at least respond and say that your offer is too low or that he will only accept $X. Which he did. Maybe he doesn't really want to sell it and it just seeing if he can get a certain price for it.

If I don't get a response from the Seller and they're flakey, I usually will cut my losses and move on. Since if they're flakey with e-mail or PM's, how flakey will he be with an appointment at an FFL that may or may not be close to me.

Hope you get what you want. If not, I'm sure there are others out there.

[ACfixer]

I think a $1,000 offer on a $1,250 OBO gun that hasn't sold for a couple days is a fair opening volley. Depending on the market price of course... but I would kind of expect a counter offer. But nobody is under any obligation IMO unless you offer the full asking price on the seller's terms.

Now I do see people using OBO as an obvious attempt to circumvent the no auction rule and I kind of wish that was policed somewhat better but I don't really know how you can. When someone is selling that aforementioned gen 3 G19 for $1,200 OBO it's not within the spirit of the rules.

In the end, if you don't like an ad, a gun, or a seller... it's just best to move on.

[Chapped Hide]

You sound like a friend of mine that thinks you have to accept any offer if you put OBO in your ad. OBO means they are not fixed on the price and will negotiate. A low ball offer like yours is not an offer but an insult.

A $1,000 offer on a gun with an asking price of $1,200 or OBO is an insult?

In regards to the bold above, at what price should negotiations begin in your expert opinion

To the OP, there are some pretty quirky sellers here, I've ran across many. Never really understood why people would hold out for weeks or months to try and get an extra $100

[sbo80]

on the opposite side, I've had several PMs to my sale, that didn't offer at all, and just said "how low will you go?". That's stupid and I'm not going to answer. I already posted a price. I've never specifically said "OBO", I think on a forum like this it's implied. It's always appropriate to negotiate, even if the seller just says no thanks, which I've also done. I'm not obligated to counter-offer either. Every firearm I've listed I accepted less than I asked eventually, but the cheaper the item, the less likely to bend.

[alwaysbest]

If I list a glock gen 3 for $1,000 and someone offers me $500 is that a lowball?

Why would you even respond to someone asking $1000 for a Gen 3 Glock? I wouldn’t.

on the opposite side, I've had several PMs to my sale, that didn't offer at all, and just said "how low will you go?". That's stupid and I'm not going to answer. I already posted a price. I've never specifically said "OBO", I think on a forum like this it's implied. It's always appropriate to negotiate, even if the seller just says no thanks, which I've also done. I'm not obligated to counter-offer either. Every firearm I've listed I accepted less than I asked eventually, but the cheaper the item, the less likely to bend.

^^^^THIS.

Also, you kinda get a sense if the guy is really interested or just “browsing”. If I list an item for $1200 OBO and someone offered $1000 and I said yes and then he flakes, should I change the post to $1000?

[ACfixer]

Never really understood why people would hold out for weeks or months to try and get an extra $100

You have people that are willing to drive 80 miles round trip to save $50 on a Glock at Bass Pro, and they have to drive it twice. This place is ground zero for skinflints.

[559BearDown]

Always ask way more than you expect to get in this marketplace.

[sfe187]

Offering $1k for item listed $1250 is NOT lowballing. Seller should be cordial and reply all questions. A simple answer like Thank you for the $1k offer but my best and final is $1200, $1100 or whatever. This is a classic example of either seller have no selling skills or just using "OBO" tactic to seek responses and hoping someone out there would pay close to full ask.

[hermosabeach]

DILLIGAF

Lots of acronyms

TLA


How many people can’t even post a thread and follow the for sale template

[mycrstuff]

You sound like a friend of mine that thinks you have to accept any offer if you put OBO in your ad. OBO means they are not fixed on the price and will negotiate. A low ball offer like yours is not an offer but an insult.

To all the people who commented on my post above most of the people who try to force the OBO issue are looking for bargains and are not willing to pay fair market value. My comment was not directed at the OP's specific offer but the people who try to force the OBO issue. The whole idea that you have to accept any offer received seems to be a new idea that only came around in the last few years. Back when for sale ads were in the newspapers and not online OBO meant you were flexible on the price. If the ad didn't state OBO the price was firm.

[OCEquestrian]

You have people that are willing to drive 80 miles round trip to save $50 on a Glock at Bass Pro, and they have to drive it twice. This place is ground zero for skinflints.

So true...So many penny wise and dollar dumb CalGunners...

[I Swan]

You sound like a friend of mine that thinks you have to accept any offer if you put OBO in your ad. OBO means they are not fixed on the price and will negotiate. A low ball offer like yours is not an offer but an insult.

I saw your rebuttal to this but for the record and as others stated I really don't see how an offer of $1000-1100 on a $1200-1250 item is insulting lowballing.

So in your mind what wouldn't be insulting, an offer of $5-10 less on a $1250 gun?

I just don't think some sellers understand what OBO means or they are playing a game or a scam. That is why I will put or best reasonable offer. Obviously if the only offer I get is 2 pennies I'm not going to take that.

On most of not all guns I don't really care if I get it or not and seller can choke on their item and keep bumping away in vain. I already own so many guns and buy so many that it is about as exciting to me or as important to me as buying a gallon of milk.

I've learned long ago that there is millions of guns out there and another deal will always eventually come up, sometimes even better than the one you didn't get the time before.

It is very frustrating buying and especially selling guns on CGN and that is why I generally don't sell much here not worth the problems and flakes and trolls and nonsense. I try to keep some guns in CA but some people here sure make it hard to do so.

I just have never seen the false OBO problems mentioned here before just the other beating a dead horse topics about the marketplace we always see like about gouging and pricing.