Buying on eBay: What My Husband Learned About Negotiating
A couple of months ago, my husband discovered eBay.
Yes, eBay has been around for ages. And, yes, we've known about eBay for quite some time. However, we never got into it (I'm still not into it).
But one day my husband gave it a try, looking for an action figure he wanted. He won the auction, got the action figure for less than he could find it elsewhere, and was hooked. So began a spending spree on eBay.
In the process, though, my husband discovered a new way of bargaining on eBay -- one that didn't include always having to get in a bidding war. He has two basic techniques:
- Approach those whose auctions have failed: When my husband finds something he wants, he adds it to his watch list. In some cases, an auction will expire with no bids. When that happens, my husband will contact the seller and make an offer. A seller disappointed in the outcome of the auction is often open to my husband's offer, and arrangements can be made through eBay/PayPal for my husband to buy the item. He gets the item cheap, and the seller gets something, rather than having to pay the fee to try to sell the item again.
- Encourage sellers to add a "Buy it Now" to the auction: Another way my husband attempts to get a good deal is to encourage sellers to add a "Buy it Now" option during their auctions. If it's something my husband really wants, he'll send an offer for more than the asking price, but lower than what might end up being the bid if the auction goes through to completion (and lower than what he can find elsewhere online). Of course, the rules for "Buy it Now" are different (I'm not sure exactly how they work), so if the seller agrees, my husband pretty much needs to buy it before bidding gets beyond the "Buy it Now" price. This way, he can get an item he really wants for less than what he would pay elsewhere, and hedge against bidding driving up the price.
These bargaining tactics have worked reasonably well. Sometimes the seller won't agree, of course, so my husband just moves on and waits. This brings out some good lessons that can be learned about negotiating in general, whether you are buying a car or looking for a discount at the store:
- It never hurts to ask: Some people are scared to ask for a lower price because they'll be rejected. But there's no reason to let that fear stop you from asking. You certainly won't get a better price if you don't ask for one. The worst that can happen is that the other person will say no. But you might just get what you ask for, and that's worth asking.
- Be reasonable: My husband makes an effort to be reasonable. While he occasionally lowballs someone, only to accept a more reasonable counter-offer, the point is that he's mostly reasonable. Be realistic about what you are likely to pay. You can offer a really low number to get things going, but if you do that, be prepared to negotiate reasonably.
- Be prepared to walk away: You also have to be prepared to walk away. Decide what your highest price will be. If it goes beyond that, you have to be willing to walk away. My husband is willing to let an auction expire once the bidding reaches a certain point, or if the seller doesn't negotiate with him. You will be more likely to get your price if show that you are willing to walk.
One of the ways to get the best price is to negotiate. And there are a number of ways to get that if you plan ahead, think about what you are willing to pay, and stick to your guns about the highest price you are willing to pay.
