Why would someone ask if you match prices?

[richard1rst]

I get this question from time to time and I can't help but wonder: If you have already found it cheaper somewhere else why are you wasting your time asking me to match a price that you already have?

The only thoughts that come to mind are:

The other seller is out of stock (in which case they are not really SELLING it for that price. (Not necessarily an eBay seller - Sometimes it is an off eBAY site and after you click it they post it is currently out of stock).

OR

The buyer has had a problem with that seller in the past. In which case why would I match the price of a problem seller you don't intend to buy from anyways

Or am I missing something?

Without knowing where or how they got their inventory (bankruptcy sale, going out of business sale, fell off a truck) or even whether it matches what I am selling (is it out of the box, shop worn) why would I bother?

[gramophone-georg]

The word "bottomfeeder" comes to mind.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Another variable is shipping costs: If the other seller is charging for shipping, and if you offer free shipping or a lower calculated rate (i.e., closer to the potential buyer or using a cheaper shipping method) then equal selling prices could still yield a lower total cost to this buyer.

[bar-29368]

Maybe they have ebay bucks or a coupon/gift card to spend but the other seller isn't on ebay?

[slippinjimmy]

Maybe they are a loyal eBay buyer and/or seller and they prefer to buy here rather than say on Amazon where the same item might be avail;able for a little bit less.

Or maybe they are impressed with your "style" and would buy from you rather than someone else if the price was the same from either.

I don't get much of this sort of question but when I do I indicate I give very good shipping discounts for additional items and I will consider bulk discounts for purchases of "x" or more items. As a general rule I do not discount single items.

[luckythewinner]

Why would someone ask if you match prices?

They bought from you previously.

They like you as a seller (feedback, length of service, etc. )

They have an eBay coupon, eBay Bucks, gift card or credit.

They want to use PayPal and keep the transaction off a credit card.

They don't want to set up an account on the other site just for one purchase.

The other seller is far away and/or has higher shipping.

The other seller does not have the exact same color, fabric, or style.

They are lying and just want a discount.

.

.

.

[inhawaii]

I asked for  price match once.  My reason was that i would rather buy from the small ebay seller than from Amazon.

I forget what the item was and what the price was but there was such a small difference in price.  I thought for sure the ebay seller would say yes.  But he said no.

I came back to the boards to talk about it and got "slammed". The nerve of me asking for a price match.  

[bigdeals.etc]

@richard1rst  These time time messages, how much lower is the price they ask you to match?

[gwzcomps]

Personally as a seller I find it irritating when people want to haggle on stuff I am not taking offers on. If they are making a bulk purchase it is one thing. If they want to do it for the sake of haggling it is another. The days of haggling left when people decided they want the Amazon experience on eBay. Also the fact that I have to absorb losses every time a buyer decides to cause pointless problems.

[richard1rst]

 "These time time messages, how much lower is the price they ask you to match?"

Actually it is not a set percentage. Sometimes it is significant and other times around 10%.

But I am a full time business seller, not a casual seller trying to clean out some stuff lying around. When I had a B&M store and was about to hire a salesperson I would ask What is the primary function of a salesperson? I would usually get a quizzical look and a little smirk - To make sales. WRONG! The primary purpose of a salesperson is to make a PROFIT.  Every dollar of discount you give comes right out of, and diminishes, profit by a far greater percentage than the discount itself. Your costs remain the same.

So I don't do it. I would sometimes get a reply You can't come down 10%? and I am tempted to reply You can't come up 10%?

I liked @slippinjimmy answer:

 I indicate I give very good shipping discounts for additional items and I will consider bulk discounts for purchases of "x" or more items. As a general rule I do not discount single items.

[bigdeals.etc]

Yea I’m with you on that. None of my listings have best offers and I never honor anyone’s price negotiation on one or a few units. 

I always just end up mentioning my already existing promos. They can get a discount if they buy 4 (which is already advertised on the listings). For the ones that don’t have promos, I say I’m happy to honor a discount for bulks orders of 40 or more (insert whatever number you want in there). 

I’ve actually gotten a few buyers who wanted to buy the advertised promo of 4 units but got upset when they realized they had to have them all sent to the same address (they wanted 4 different shipping locations).

[a_c_green]

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@richard1rst wrote:

I get this question from time to time and I can't help but wonder: If you have already found it cheaper somewhere else why are you wasting your time asking me to match a price that you already have?

---

Agreed; I treat a request worded like that as bologna. I've encountered it both as seller and as buyer at various times:

"Seller X has this same widget listed for $100 less. Are you willing to match that?" 

...or...

"I've already got an offer of $100 more from another buyer. Are you willing to match that?"

I can't take that bait. I don't even like the question. In both cases, I'll generally respond with something diplomatic like, "That sounds like a pretty good deal from the other guy. You should probably take it while you have the chance. If that deal falls through, my offer might still be available." Heh.

[richard1rst]

@bigdeals.etc 

By the way, remember some time ago you asked me about a buyer/sale you had concerns with and I said it had only just happened so I could not comment.

It has now been probably several weeks to a month and I have not had any problem with it.

Better late than never.

[inhawaii]

richard:  I kind of disagree with your stance.

If you could sell EVERYTHING you have listed for sale by lowering your price by 1 cent, would the be a good thing or a bad thing?

My boss and his wife often have arguments. She refuses to discount anything. She would rather not sell it then discount it. A $100 widget that sells for $200. If the customer asked for a $10 discount. She would say no. My boss will say yes. He would rather make $90 profit than zero. 

I know it's a fine balance and ultimately you as the business owner has the last say.  I respect that. 

[richard1rst]

@inhawaii 

"He would rather make $90 profit than zero. "

Except he is not making a $90.00 profit. First, the obvious: eBay takes $17.38 (assuming you have a store, otherwise they take $19.00) and Paypal takes $5.80. So now your profit is down to $66.82. And is that widget with free shipping? If so your profit just dropped some more.

Now the less obvious: Packing and shipping supplies (even if you use free USPS boxes there is tape, bubblewrap, labels and ink.) A regular business (such as mine) has to also consider the cost of warehouse rental, insurance, utilities, salaries, gas/maintenance/registrations  on the delivery vehicles, state and local business and inventory/property taxes, what accountants call the "time value of money" (in other words the lost income I would have had if I put the money I spent on inventory into a money market fund (my local credit bureau offers 6% on larger deposits)) and then my salary along with the required 12.4% Social Security taxes (bear in mind that as a self employed individual I pay double the rate that you pay) along with medicare and payroll taxes. 

And finally the unpredictable: returns and refunds, goods damaged in transit and refunded.

You know all those posts that ask "Why aren't I making any money?" Maybe they forgot all of the above. Of course if you are a casual seller working out of your house then SOME of those expenses may not apply.

Historically a business following the rules makes an average net taxable profit of about 10% on sales after all of the above expenses (further reduced by federal and state income taxes - although I get a slight break there - Nevada is one of only a very states that does not have a state income tax). My prices are set based on those metrics. So if I offer a 10% discount I am at best breaking even. And I am not here to "break even".

You know the line some sellers use: There is more to the cost of shipping than just the postage.

Think larger: There is more to the cost of running a business than just the inventory.