doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Making offers on guns, trying to understand

You guys are always great with your input, so I need some insight as to the thinking of many of the internet gun buyers

This is something that has been puzzling me for years.

How come buyers are deathly afraid to make an offer on a gun?

Just today a fellow contacted me about buying a rifle. I have a very exceptional price on it as I know what it will cost me to replace it. I gave him a price and said make me offer, of course, no offer.

I have folks call about guns which I know that I have a great advertised price on. They want to know my best price and I say well make me an offer. They do not. I have had a few who did make offers and I accepted it and then they said they had to think about it! So, why do so many so called buyers afraid to make an offer or others who make an offer and you accept it , then will not honor their own offer? Do you think they are real buyers or are they just professional lookers?

?????????????????????

John Boyd
Quality Arms

I think they are real offers....but humans like the "touchy-feely" thing....if they had it in their hands and "you" closed them on the spot with your "special price", most likely they would buy it on the spot..........the electronic media gives these buyers a chance to re-think their offer...think about their wife, their kids, the gun, their car, their job...and so on.......bottom line is they get cold feet and walk...but it does happen "eye to eye" as well, but it is easier to spot the flakes...eye to eye....!

BRGDS,

John,
I think most people are afraid of offending a dealer if they make an offer. The U.S. is different from other countries in that bartering seems to be only allowed in certain segments of the market, expamples would be buying cars, homes, etc.
And there's alot of tire kickers out there too...I'm guilty of that myself...when I first started buying doubleguns, I kicked alot of tires.
I've made dealers offers..what I would consider very fair offers and 95% of the time..I get treated like shrek. Chased out of the shop with pitch fork and torches.
A dealer had a gun for sale and the price was $3650....I offered $3000 and I pay the shipping, his counter was $3600 and I still pay the shipping and that was his final offer...in the beginning, he too asked me to make an offer.......

The ones who are afraid to make an offer are the ones who are afraid you will accept their offer and then it's put up or shut up time. I looked at a Parker today that the asking price was way out of line. I asked his best price and he knocked it down $400, roughly 5%. I said no thanks and then he asked me to make him an offer. After some thought I did (what I thought it was worth). I think it pissed him off. Needless to say no gun exchanged hands.

I've found the same thing at gun shows. IMO, I think that they really don't want the gun in the first place. The ones that make an offer then back out, are just getting their fill of bragging rights to go back to their friends and tell them that they could have bought a ?????, for $$$$$. I find the ones that really want to buy a gun, will either pay the price marked or make an offer that they will honor.

binko

Excellent topic and I understand how this can be puzzling.
I have always held the idea that on used firearms with a price tag of 1K or more, the first 10% off should be easily negotiated. ie $,1695 becomes $1,500.
What I have always been amazed at is when a prospective buyer tells the seller everything thats wrong with his gun.....I usually consider this a buying signal.
FWIW sometimes a gentle qualifier, "would you like to open your safe and see this in there?" should preceed price negotiations.
Excellent topic, better discussed than typed.

If a person understands what a gun is worth, and they have the money to make the purchase, like the gun enough to buy it, then they should be willing to make a offer. Most buyers are just looking. I like to figure out what I am willing to pay before the phone call. But that is just me.

I suspect a few sellers will take any reasonable offer most days. Why miss a sale for a few dollars? I have often split the difference and bought a gun. But as John pointed out I had to first make and offer.

I think to some extent the interaction that takes place depends on expectations, i.e. the buyers knowledge of the dealer's practices and preferences. For instance, I have done regular business with several major dealers. One needs simply to be asked his best price. He responds with (almost always a very fair) price, and that IS the price--no further negotiation. Another likes to banter back and forth before getting to the bottom line. Another very upscale dealer doesn't like banter, or even to admit discounting, but offers a decent price almost in a whispering way, so others don't hear. I always try to find someone who knows a particular dealer and their practices before I even make contact--knowing the rules helps. However I will not try to work with someone who is rude, disrepectful etc. I have no problem with a dealer who sticks with a price, so long as it's done in a respectful way.

Having said all the above, I would personally rather have someone quote me a fair price they would sell the gun for,which I can consider and either accept or reject, rather than expecting me to make an offer. Guess I just don't like haggling like others do.

Hi all, first off I have to say that I myself have asked John questions on different guns at various times. He has always been a professional who does not give curt or smart answers. He tries to answer them the best he can. I wish more dealers were like him.

But, back to the question at hand. PA24 and LeFusil really answered the question IMO. I think each of us has tire kicked at one time or the other. I have delt with some gems as well as jerks.

I just bought a Greifelt from a guy who was just a joy to deal with. In fact he called me to ask if I had any other questions. I was very impressed with not only that, but he answered all my questions and offered me a price (the same price I was going to offer!). We have had several nice conversations since. On the other hand, I've had dealers tell me after I offered a price this little comment "Well let me tell you something here...." Do you think I haggled with him?

As has been said by others, folks get cold feet and the net offers them a way out. They can't see you and you don't see them. I also think that with guns some people feel that the set price is just that and they have no real intent of buying, but perhaps want to know more about a gun.

This is a great topic and a complex one to give a correct answer.

All the best!

Greg

One of the prime drivers is fear of overpaying. People with insufficient knowledge usually know (at least deep down) that they really don't know as much as you know, bravado aside. They are very insecure at making an offer. If you accept it, they automatically assume they overbid.