Haggling - asking price & offer prices

[Alfie168]

I once met a bloke in Yorkshire who used an interesting tactic when buying anything, and it seemed to work.

He would look at the price ticket, look the seller in the eye, with ever such a slightly disparaging look say, "What'l you take"..then say nothing. He pretty well knew the value, so the salesmans next comment told him if he was dealing with an idiot, or someone who wanted a sale.

If the salesman tried to bluff it out at the ticket price, the bloke would smile a bit and say "I didn't ask what you wanted, I asked what you'l take"...being pleasant but firm, and giving away as little as possible.

It all seemed a bit pedantic at first, but by keeping it simple he more than often reached a deal that suited both parties. I have to say he was quite a tough nut, and had the balls to keep going when most of us would chicken out, but I saw him do this more than once and I built up a sneaky admiration for his down to earth approach. It certainly cut out a lot of the c*ap.

So decide what YOU want to pay, and go for it. You never know.

Good luck

Tim

 

[David_Jersey]

The best technique for haggling I have discovered is to genuinely not be bothered if the purchase happens (and having a good idea what an item is worth or can be purchased for elsewhere).

Of course not so easy that one with Boats

For valuing a boat, IME what works well is pretending you already own it - and are looking to sell. And ask yourself "how much would I be confident in getting?".

 

[NealB]

Only a boat

When selling our previous boat we had the odd tyre kickers and a few serious ones.
One of them used the following line when he started to negotiate: 'What you're asking is too much, I could buy a new Bavaria for that kind of money'.
My reply: 'Then you should buy a Bavaria because we're done - the wife will show you out'.

It may be different if you're dealing with someone desperate to sell, but you can insult/alienate a seller with a ridiculously low offer.

I've sold (and bought) many boats over the years.

When selling, I'm never insulted by someone who is serious enough to make me an offer.

I wouldn't want any potential buyer to feel inhibited about making me an offer - how would that be in my own best interest? It's easy enough for me to say, politely and honestly, 'thanks but no thanks'.

I just don't understand why you chose to close the door (literally!!) to further negotiations.

I'd much rather have the offer, than the person walk away too shy, or too nervous, to say anything.

 

[PeterGibbs]

I once met a bloke in Yorkshire who used an interesting tactic when buying anything, and it seemed to work.

He would look at the price ticket, look the seller in the eye, with ever such a slightly disparaging look say, "What'l you take"..then say nothing. He pretty well knew the value, so the salesmans next comment told him if he was dealing with an idiot, or someone who wanted a sale.

If the salesman tried to bluff it out at the ticket price, the bloke would smile a bit and say "I didn't ask what you wanted, I asked what you'l take"...being pleasant but firm, and giving away as little as possible.

___________________________________________________________________
This is the way - consider the tactics: the asking price is known; what the vendor would like is not, so ask him. The final unknown is your-counter offer which will, of course, be 5% or so less than the vendor's answer to Q1. This way you get down to bedrock. You keep controlof the negotiation.

Then, you can enrich your deal further: what would you like the vendor to do that is worth something to you? Pay for launch, replace some piece of gear..etc

Then the coup de grace, if you want, is to offer to get the boat surveyed within 24 hours and cash paid thereafter direct to the vendor's bank account, for a further rounding down.

A serious vendor will recognise the professionalism of this approach and that he could have a cleared sale within 24 hrs - that sort of certainty is worth something!

Of course many vendors fall into the smiling "nice guy trap" preferring do do the deal the genteel way, rather than the direct - to their own cost! Along come Mr and Mrs Pleasant who talk about this and that, how much they like the wooden finishes, the layout of the galley - every dammed thing on the boat. They part with broad smiles promising to instruct their surveyor immediately. Time passes and other parties are discouraged in deference to the Pleasants -but of course they are never heard of again...!

PWG

 

[Lakesailor]

I once met a bloke in Yorkshire

It may not work when buying from a Yorkshireman though.
We used to get visitors wanting to stay with us and when we said the room was £70 per night they would ask "What is your best price?"
I always answered " My best price is £95 per night, but I didn't think you'd stretch to that."

On the subject of offering below the asking price for a boat, I'm thinking about one at the moment with a high asking price (for what it is) and 2 obvious flaws.
If I offer on it I'll let you know the story.

 

[Refueler]

I once met a bloke in Yorkshire who used an interesting tactic when buying anything, and it seemed to work.

He would look at the price ticket, look the seller in the eye, with ever such a slightly disparaging look say, "What'l you take"..then say nothing. He pretty well knew the value, so the salesmans next comment told him if he was dealing with an idiot, or someone who wanted a sale.

If the salesman tried to bluff it out at the ticket price, the bloke would smile a bit and say "I didn't ask what you wanted, I asked what you'l take"...being pleasant but firm, and giving away as little as possible.

___________________________________________________________________
This is the way - consider the tactics: the asking price is known; what the vendor would like is not, so ask him. The final unknown is your-counter offer which will, of course, be 5% or so less than the vendor's answer to Q1. This way you get down to bedrock. You keep controlof the negotiation.

Then, you can enrich your deal further: what would you like the vendor to do that is worth something to you? Pay for launch, replace some piece of gear..etc

Then the coup de grace, if you want, is to offer to get the boat surveyed within 24 hours and cash paid thereafter direct to the vendor's bank account, for a further rounding down.

A serious vendor will recognise the professionalism of this approach and that he could have a cleared sale within 24 hrs - that sort of certainty is worth something!

Of course many vendors fall into the smiling "nice guy trap" preferring do do the deal the genteel way, rather than the direct - to their own cost! Along come Mr and Mrs Pleasant who talk about this and that, how much they like the wooden finishes, the layout of the galley - every dammed thing on the boat. They part with broad smiles promising to instruct their surveyor immediately. Time passes and other parties are discouraged in deference to the Pleasants -but of course they are never heard of again...!

PWG

I go along as Mr. Nice guy ... and keep it pleasant. I ask what they will accept, then when they still ask too much - I make my low offer subject to survey - IF I'm interested in the boat. During my viewing - I gauge what low offer I consider - IF I think I will make offer. It's then up to seller. I walk away leaving my contact details. I never say I will appoint surveyor or anything else to give false hope if boat is not what I want. I'm honest - if I have no interest in the boat - I say so.

If I was selling a boat and I had someone try the offer and then later the well - what am I going to repair / replace / cover etc. - then sorry I'm not interested. I would politely decline that part of the discussion and just say - make offer, I'm not up for working on a boat I wish to sell.

To me - you view a boat, you make offer subject to survey. If survey shows up problems - you discuss with seller. If I'm seller - I just repeat - make offer. I'm not there to give work to repair yards.

 

[alan_d]

Occasionally you can get a password for soldboats.com if you google it. But it's usually not long before it gets changed.

I knew that, but I thought if I said so on here the thread would be pulled. (Happened previously to someone else.)

 

[Spyro]

I knew that, but I thought if I said so on here the thread would be pulled. (Happened previously to someone else.)

I remeber the post but I think some one actually posted the password or a link to the page giving it.

 

[fishermantwo]

I was always told to buy a boat on the hull, deck, sails and engine.
All the other stuff however desirable will be out of date in a year and then will add little value.

There isn't much point in having the latest chart plotter if the sails and engine are shot.

I have been quite interested in this thread because there is a boat i would love but it is out of my price.
I hate making offers on things i just tend to think its either worth what there asking or it isn't
It could be worth making him an offer on it.

Rob

I agree with your points on engine and sails. I check on yachts electronics that are listed. In the yachts that I watch constantly for my next one, the units fitted are always a few years old and a quick check on Ebay will show what it would cost to fit the same units today. Really cheap.

The items that are going to cost the most are sails. Even good engines are regularly coming up on Ebay.

If the yacht is going to be sailed then the deciding factor is going to be sails.