On haggling... A small rant about being "Nickel and Dimed."

[cw]

yea i bet that is one of the most miserable jobs in the world is a used car salesmen. yet some are liars, but some are also just tryin to make a living

 

[jvls1942]

they are all trying to make a living and they are all liars..

some are just so good at it you believe them..

 

[Pattymal]

Grrr... I am mad for you. That guy was completely in the wrong. Period.
A similar thing just happened to me and I am still steamed that I allowed it-
I held a yard sale, and put out some of my daughters outgrown clothing. In the tote that I was pulling from, there were some very nice, very expensive items (Hanna Andersson) that I decided would do better at a consignment store, so I left them in the bin and slid it far back under the table. Later in the morning, a woman handed me a handful of clothing, and asked me how much- as I was folding and bagging them, I realised they were all the expensive, name brand items that I had left in the bin. I was annoyed, but we needed the money, so I thought, "whatever." I even gave her a ridiculously low price ($2 per item), knowing full well I could get far more than that at the consignment store. She opened her very expensive handbag and said, "Oh, all I have is $X.00, will you accept that amount?" She hadn't even looked in her wallet! I knew she knew exactly what she was doing, and what the stuff was worth. I gave her a hard look but she stared me right back down, and I finally said I would accept what she had offered. She quickly grabbed the bag, and as she was walking off, she threw two really nice developmental toys into it, and said, over her shoulder, without making eye contact, "Oh, I paid for these too!"
I should have said, "Like HELL you did, theif!" but I was honestly so shocked at that point, that I just stood there in disbelief.
I was swindled by a professional, and I did NOTHING to stop it.
Did I mention that I am still furious with myself?

 

[Zahboo]

We usually make people pick it up right by the house at the feed store *don't want all the crazy loons at our house* But if we do meet half way, ect. I want THEM to pay ME gas money. The part of being a seller is they come to you because they want it. In this economy why was he getting a shredder if he didn't need it???

 

[mjdtexan]

To be honest, its to your credit that you handled it like you did. Some of us would have been confrontational (thats my forum friendly word) about it. I would have. I think it actually makes you the better person. I usually feel rotten about it after I was "confrontational".

 

[maplesky7]

ooh that burns me.

How'd you like to go to a zoo and see the Zebra display and realize it was a painted donkey?

http://www.plime.com/plime-com/l/128947/1/


scan down to see the poor fella.

Honestly...someone give that zoo a chicken and paint it pink and call it a flamingo.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Oh for heaven's sake! That poor donkey don't deserve it and yes its a BAD paint job.

It would be nice if they would chip in for gas money....

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Well, I hope you feel better for having shared, and having our sympathy & support. I like having learned the term "stairstep wit" to describe my mental condition. I call it "FedEx Response", you know, guaranteed next-day delivery.

It was certainly wrong, & rude, of your buyer to ask for a discount because he drove to pick up the merchandise. Does he expect a discount at the grocery store because he drove there to shop? He was also wrong to criticize you for haggling over just 3 dollars because he was doing the exact same thing.

I probably would have been just as dumbfounded by this unexpected behavior, and responded the same way. But now you know, and we all know, how to better stand our ground. So many of us are in the same situation, trying to find ways to supplement our meager incomes, finding ourselves in the middle of on-the-job-training in advertising and sales.

This guy & his kind are as old as time. The Bible describes the man who complains in the marketplace that the merchandise is no good, but then goes and brags to his pals about the great deals & bargains he got. Learn from this, and share the wisdom with others, and let it go. Don't carry this guy around any longer. He got his shredder, you have your class.

to you

to shredder guy

 

[PotterWatch]

Sounds like the guy my husband agreed to buy a boat motor from. We drove thirty minutes to get there only to have the guy try to raise the price $50 more than what had been agreed upon. Needless to say we left without the motor and my husband posted a nasty-gram on craigslist when we got home.


I agree that the guy you sold to has probably done the same thing to other sellers so he has learned that people will give in to it.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

This guy & his kind are as old as time.

yep. actually he was probably a sales guy of some kind... the kind that does it for sport. he 'sold' you a bad deal....and you took it, probably because you are a kind person.

me - i eat sales guys for lunch. most of my career was in sales or marketing so i see the game a mile away. i usually give them one opportunity for a "good" sale/buy/whatever. then look out. i figure you need to play the same game to level the field. my poor hubby - he still doenst know when i'm 'performing' and when its real.

as for paying for gas? are you kidding? who would have had to pay for his gas if he drove to the store to buy the shredder?

you'll know better next time. most people like that are like dogs - if you dont run they will back down. he can take his $3 and go jump in a lake. lake washington that is - from his houseboat
;-)

give it the big WHATever and go on with your happy day know that you are not like him.​