So nothing will grate on your nerves more than nickel and dime-ing when you are negotiating the biggest sale of your life! It may sound completely petty, but honestly, it gets to a person! So back and forth with the buyers of a whole….entire….house….finally ended satisfactorily today! Yea! But not before we agreed to giving up our refrigerator, washer/dryer, playset, basketball rim, AND our living room TV armoire! So let me preface this by saying we both err on the side of generosity and maintaining good faith during negotiations.
But there must be a limit. And yes, I found my true mojo…over the weekend…when selling furniture online via Facebook yard sale sites. Yes, yes I did! So I listed a chair – a beautiful, cream colored, plush glider used for the Littles’ baby room – probably paid over $200 new – beautiful condition – for $50 online.
Potential buyer messaged – agreed to the price – then sent her “boyfriend” to pick it up. So he gets here, makes small talk, then decides to “negotiate” by offering us $40 instead of the $50 agreed upon. I know, I know…$10 difference. Not a big deal, right?
Wrong! Somewhere something inside of me said – “I’m not negotiating ANY MORE!” I blurted out, “that’s a little ‘bait and switch’ isn’t it? After all, the price was agreed to online.” He says, “Yeah, but everything’s up for negotiation, right? And I’m here, and I have a truck. And….it’s only going in a sitting room in my house…won’t be used much.”
AS IF what you arrived to load it in matters…AS IF where you are going to put it…or what you are going to do with it matters! The price is $50! Period!
So I look at Steve, and then looked back at “Frank” and said – the price is $50. Handed back his $40 and walked away. For some stupid reason, it actually felt good watching him drive away without our little $50 chair. And yes, for the record, I did sell it later that day for the full $50 (which was still a steal)!
And some little evil part of me hoped his girlfriend gave him hell…
Sorry…I will pray for forgiveness for that tonite. Sweet dreams, everyone!