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?

[inhawaii]

richard1rst:

You've made some good points. It's obvious there are 2 types of sellers. Those who must have their asking price and those who are open to offers. 

When i price/sell widgets for $100,  after factoring in the cost of the item, shipping, fees and all the other things you mentioned it leaves me X amount of net profit, let's say $52. There are times when i'm willing to make less than that in order to make the sale. I'm ok making $50.

I don't even accept offers on my listings but when someone does make me an offer, and it happens alot, i'm at least open to consider them.

That's just me. I understand we all run our business differently.

Good luck to you and all sellers.

[myboardid]

I have been asked and this is the way I approach it - I ask to see the source of the price they are asking me to match, including the name of the company or seller and the date the offer was made. I want proof.  Usually they cannot provide that info because it actually doesn't exist.   But if they can, and I can still make a profit at that price, I will actually offer it to them at a tiny bit less.  I would rather turn over the item at the smaller profit, reinvest my money into more inventory and then sell the replacement  item also at a profit.  In total I would make more. 

I once sold an item (no request for a discount) where the buyer slammed my feedback because he found the item at a lower price elsewhere.  The site he found it on was, at that time, brand new and I had never heard of it.  It was not the big A but now, a couple years later, it is one of the big box companies' online discount websites. 

So buyers do look around the internet (and locally)  at the prices available before they choose which seller they will buy from.  If they consistently find lower prices on other sites than eBay, they will go there first before looking here.  If they come to you and ask you to match the price, you should feel flattered that they would like to buy from you instead of someone else.  If you can't make a profit if you lower your price, then politely refuse, but don't be insulted by having the question asked.

[emerald_door]

Only once did I get a request to match a price.  The potential buyer told me that the NWT dress I was selling was available on a retail website for a lower price.  I checked the website and they had only one size left, the smallest size.  I was selling a larger size.  I declined to match their price.