MM - Derisory offers

Audigex · 22 May 2011 at 01:57

Hey

Couldn't work out anywhere better to put this within the MM, so I thought I'd put it in the general section.

On the MM (Members Market) I've just seen a post get a warning from a mod that it's a derisory offer and will not be tolerated.

I can understand if someone was offering 1/10th of the asking price, but in this scenario the difference was £10, and 2/3 of the original asking price: offering £20 for a £32 asking price.

Please note that it wasn't my own offer, this isn't a complaint but is a genuine query and in my eyes a point for discussion. As an auction/bartering area, surely an offer of 2/3 of the asking price isn't totally unreasonable? The price often drops by up to 1/3 over the course of a thread: and there's nothing to say that the seller has to accept the offer. Offering much less than 2/3 of the asking price I can understand as being derisory, but I don't see how this is a problem? If I was buying an item, even "as new", second hand, I'd be expecting the option to barter. Surely nobody posts their actual asking price up, everyone expects to be haggled down... the seller in this case did later say "that's too low for a new item", but they could just as easily have proposed a halfway-house offer.

One final note: the same item in the same condition can be found on auction sites for £27. Surely a prospective buyer should be able to offer what they think it's worth: then the seller can accept if they later decide it won't sell for the asking price.

So, genuine question, what is the limit of a derisory offer? 25%, 20%, 10% of asking price? Of cheapest sale price? The lowest buy it now on that auction site for the same condition?

Okay, this sounds like a bit of a complaint - but I'm genuinely baffled by the application of this rule.

Mason- · 22 May 2011 at 02:01

I saw this too, and it confused me.

By the looks of it he was suspended too (don't know if it was related) but if it was I think it's a terrible decision.

Hades · 22 May 2011 at 02:04

COmpletgely agree here. If I was selling something and someone offered a low offer I'd just reject it. I can't see the problem with low offers. In this instance it doesn't even sound that low.

kylew · 22 May 2011 at 02:05

I'm also in agreement, though seemingly some mods can and do just act on things without really thinking about it, or at least being fair about it. I can see this thread being deleted really.

Tummy · 22 May 2011 at 02:06

Seemed a bit :confused:

dante6491 · 22 May 2011 at 02:06

I think it gets worse the larger the amount. Offering £20 for something listed at £30 isn't perceived as derisory as £200 on £300.

PermaBanned · 22 May 2011 at 02:06

Percentages don't really scale with item value anyway, i agree this rule either needs to be removed or have some actual figures involved, rather than leaving people guessing.

Morba · 22 May 2011 at 02:08

A valid question.
Ok, ther must be some sort of agreed 'joke' of an offer level, but that wasn't really that bad at all.

For all the rules in MM there is a lot of ambiguity or randomness to the moderating and definitely misunderstandings. Which brings me back to a point I have made many times, if someone is to be told off for something, something which others could fall foul because of also, it should be stated clearly.

In MM the broken rule is generally quoted, which is good.

Jamesbcd · 22 May 2011 at 02:15

Rubbish rule really. My suggestion would be to email the seller politely with proposed offer.

buchtis · 22 May 2011 at 02:30

Sounds retarded if he got suspended, sounds like someone was on a power trip and made a bad decision.

If it's a crap offer it can simply be rejected, no idea what the fuss is about and saves mods some work.

Slade2 · 22 May 2011 at 03:08

Member market?

can someone direct me to it? I am sure I didnt have access to it before are there some rules or so?

Sin_Chase · 22 May 2011 at 03:12

Go in with a lowball £20 offer and expect to meet halfway sounds reasonable. I don't understand why the rule even exists, it's not like the seller is obliged to sell at any price. Get rid of people who go in offering 50 pence on all sales as chancers sure, but genuine bartering on items with an aim to purchase is far from that surely?

Fr0dders · 22 May 2011 at 03:22

i agree its a worrying trend if thats the way that MM is going to be enforced.

Everybody knows you start with an offer so low that the seller won't accept and then work your way up.

"how much for x"

"thats £30 mate"

"how about £29"

"ok fine."

But if the seller would have settled for £25, then he's paid over the odds. Buyers start deliberately low to work their way up to something in the middle.

sk82jack · 22 May 2011 at 03:22

Slade2 said:
Member market?

can someone direct me to it? I am sure I didnt have access to it before are there some rules or so?

Need to be a member for 3 months and have 250 posts buddy!

Dave85 · 22 May 2011 at 03:23

It should be exactly that a members market. Mods should have nothing to do with the prices. If someone makes a silly offer then it will be rejected by the seller. Why should a mod feel they have to intervene as if its there item there selling.

Just another of amazing un clarified rules.

Energize · 22 May 2011 at 04:00

Derisory offers (time wasters) should not be allowed, but there needs to be clarification on what constitutes a derisory offer I agree. There is nothing worse than having a thread or inbox spammed with insultingly low offers.

.Lethal · 22 May 2011 at 04:04

I guess I must be an exception here, I've never really been spammed with silly offers or had "so low its retarded" offers made.

I've bought and sold a fair few items over the years too.

HarryPainful · 22 May 2011 at 04:22

buchtis said:
Sounds retarded if he got suspended, sounds like someone was on a power trip and made a bad decision.

If it's a crap offer it can simply be rejected, no idea what the fuss is about and saves mods some work.

Exactly. Power tripping.

Many of the mods here are famous for it.

reddeathdrinker · 22 May 2011 at 04:23

Likewise - never been on the receiving end of any lowball offers either. I set a fair price, and 80% of the time I've sold at the asking price.

All depends how quickly you want/need the cash at the end of the day...

DampCat · 22 May 2011 at 08:12

If someone offerd £20 for my £32 item i'd be a little miffed, as I'm already selling the item at what i believe to be a reasonable price (maybe a touch higher, knowing that someone will offer lower). Also, i'd be concerned that it would start a trend of people in my thread offering low figures for my items... especially if i DID accept the £20.

The point of the rule is to encourage discussion via email over offers that may otherwise compromise the integrity of the sale. A valid example would be people i've sold items to before and built up a relationship with. There are several regular traders on the MM that have done me favours, or put in the extra effort, or driven to my house personaly to deliver. Those guys i would be more inclined to offer a better price to, knowing that it would benefit me in the future. Doesn't mean i want that viewed publically.

I'm all for it. Either offer a reasonable amount, knowing you may get a little bit off the asking price, but keep chancing away from the public eye. Nobody is trying to discourage picking up a bargain, but the reason people sell items on the MM is to make money, not provide a discount clearance service.