Why people don't list prices when selling?

[digitz80]

Anyone else find it annoying when people don't list prices when selling stuff in EC?

I can understand on some high dollar items that will probably get haggled or whatever, but why force the extra unnecessary step of "/tell how much do you want for that?"

I know I've passed over items simply because no price was listed. Things that might be cool to have for an alt or something, but didn't really need. To me, not listing a price just makes it less likely you'll sell the item.

[polishanarchy]

Avoids unnecessary (and excessive) undercutting battles, maybe? If someone is selling an item for 3k, and you're willing to sell for 2.8k, let the customer find out when they ask you and the other guy won't go to 2.799.

Funnily enough though, whenever I do this I find I get the most inquiries from people who are also selling the same item, so they can undercut anyway. I still prefer it though.

[jolanar]

I don't think I've ever really seen much undercutting in the EC tunnel. But I don't really care either way since the price people advertise is almost never what they are willing to sell it for anyways. You should know before hand what the cost of an item is and send in a lowball offer regardless of whether or not they listed a price or not.

And in case anyone doesn't already know about it: http://www.p99auctions.com/ is an amazing resource.

[Danth]

I don't ordinarily list prices because I'll typically accept anything in the general vicinity of a given item's normal value. If I take a slight hit to get out of EC sooner, I consider that a good trade. If I do happen to list a price in an /auc, however, that price is firm and I decline or outright ignore any lowball offers.

Danth

[Tecmos Deception]

Most people are probably just too lazy to look up a price they're good with until after someone expressed interest.

Also a lot of people are miserable little dudes who have more fun trying to squeeze another 100pp out of an item than they do getting the fuck out of ec sooner so they can go actually play the game.

[kuuky]

To some of us tunneling is playing the game

[Lunababy]

The same reason some websites don't have prices for things until you go to checkout. It's a marketing tactic (that works).

[darkreap]

I don't list prices because regardless if I'm selling the item cheap, everyone always offers lower than what I'm selling it for. By leaving the price off the auction it gives you more room for negotiation. If I list a price that is too high knowing everyone will low-ball my offer it will scare off a lot of potential buyers. If I list it a the price I want to sell it for I will likely be selling it for less as everyone wants to get a deal. Just remember, eventually someone will be willing to sell at what your willing to pay.

[digitz80]

The same reason some websites don't have prices for things until you go to checkout. It's a marketing tactic (that works).

In my case at least, it's the opposite, at least for cheap lower end items.

[digitz80]

Well here's my thought process on it.... Interesting how everyone has a different take on it.


Let's say I'm a chanter, or have a chanter alt with available funds 3k. I'm passing through EC. Someone auctions a loam sash. No price listed.

Unless i'm familiar with a loam sash and it's normal price already, at the very least I now have to send a tell asking how much it costs. I have no idea up front if it's something way out of my price range. If I do know what the sash goes for normally, I don't know if the guy is selling cheap to get rid of it, selling for normal price, or selling it a bit high to make a little extra money.

Especially for people like me who hate spending time in EC, unless it's an item I know before hand I'm really interested in, having no price listed greatly reduces the chance of me purchasing.



Putting that price:

-Tells people who aren't familiar with the item the price range. Sometimes it's hard to tell a 100p item from a 1000p item if you aren't familiar with it. A noob with 1,000p to his name will not have to ask you how much, or check a website site that way. He knows instantly it's out of his league.

-For those who do know the going rate, it signals your intentions. Selling low to get rid of it fast? Want the average rate? Don't want to sell it so bad and want to make a little extra money? Yes there's always haggling, some people will go down in price, others not etc, but at least it's saying, at least to me, "this is what I'd reasonably like for my item".



I rarely sell anything -- pack rat with tons of alts who doesn't enjoy EC trading. But when i do, I check p99auctions to get a feel for prices. Decide how badly I want to sell the thing. If it's an item in high demand and I don't care if I sell it fast, maybe price it above market. If I want to get rid of it quicker, price it low. Otherwise just set it at the average. Offers a little lower than /auctioned price are usually accepted.

[Tecmos Deception]

Everybody please /tell drumas how much for crafted armor?

[Gumbo]

I get the feeling at times that people attempt to buy or sell items in the tunnel when they don't really have the item and are just trying to lower or raise the price.

Whats not to say that someone won't auction and say they want to buy an item for such and such cost, maybe 400 more than it's worth. Then when asked, they say they just bought one. This could make the seller think they can sell the item for the new, higher price and make extra on it.

[Beckoning]

I'm not sure it really matters. I've tried both approaches (price and no price) and I end up with the following:

WTS Golden Efreeti Boots 2000 pp

Will you take 600 pp?

[big_ole_jpn]

Anyone else find it annoying when people don't list prices when selling stuff in EC?

I can understand on some high dollar items that will probably get haggled or whatever, but why force the extra unnecessary step of "/tell how much do you want for that?"

I know I've passed over items simply because no price was listed. Things that might be cool to have for an alt or something, but didn't really need. To me, not listing a price just makes it less likely you'll sell the item.

takes too much time. I only sell when I have a pretty much full mule inventory. researching and typing price for 80 items doubles my chat spam and quadruples the time investment required when in reality only 1/8 of my items will even be desired and a buyer will have to look price up himself to know whether he's getting ripped off anyway. hope this helps

[big_ole_jpn]

it's sorta like the laundry policy back at my momma crib. She was laid back generally, but really autistic about always demanding that you clean the lint filter out AFTER you used the dryer. Would get real mad if you didn't.

But this means that before every load of drying, she was checking the lint filter anyway, thereby doubling the number of times the lint filter had to be opened and checked on. Simply cleaning out the lint filter before a load of laundry is obviously a more optimal solution in terms of total man-hours expended.

[kb2005]

I don't list prices because regardless if I'm selling the item cheap, everyone always offers lower than what I'm selling it for. By leaving the price off the auction it gives you more room for negotiation. If I list a price that is too high knowing everyone will low-ball my offer it will scare off a lot of potential buyers. If I list it a the price I want to sell it for I will likely be selling it for less as everyone wants to get a deal. Just remember, eventually someone will be willing to sell at what your willing to pay.

wise.

[Ravager]

I'm not sure it really matters. I've tried both approaches (price and no price) and I end up with the following:

WTS Golden Efreeti Boots 2000 pp

Will you take 600 pp?

[Jimjam]

Just decide what the item is worth to you personally, and send a tell.

Either they'll be happy (maybe you even offered over market rate), or they'll say "wtf, newb, this is worth a million megapixels" in which case you'll be no worse off than you were before.

[Thulack]

I found that by listing a price you were more likely to sell a item. People dont have to worry about asking you what the price is or try to super lowball you on something. If you list a price most time people would reply with either a "i'll take so and so" or "will you take this for so and so". More often then not if a actual price was listed the "offer" would be much more reasonable then if i didnt list a price and let people just throw numbers at me. I would say the little time it takes to research the price on something was worth it because there are people who just wont bother to send a tell if they didnt see a price or would super lowball to a point it was a waste of typing.

[Lanzellot]

you can have a life in tunnel also tecmos ,damly bastard tunnel it have me again :eek:

[maskedmelon]

I found that by listing a price you were more likely to sell a item. People dont have to worry about asking you what the price is or try to super lowball you on something. If you list a price most time people would reply with either a "i'll take so and so" or "will you take this for so and so". More often then not if a actual price was listed the "offer" would be much more reasonable then if i didnt list a price and let people just throw numbers at me. I would say the little time it takes to research the price on something was worth it because there are people who just wont bother to send a tell if they didnt see a price or would super lowball to a point it was a waste of typing.

This has been my experience. I always assume if a price is not listed, the seller is seeking a premium... which aside from laziness/apathy is always the case. You are not losing any more customers by listing a high price than you already are by listing no price. If it floats your boat though, have at it! ^^

[Lhancelot]

I almost always list prices on items to sell, to avoid people asking me what I want for it. I rather just be upfront and list a price that I want.

I also tend to price it high, because people always lowball your asking price.

The only time I do not list an item price is when I see many people /auc the same item, and to give them courtesy of their prices I won't list mine especially if I will sell for less than them. I don't want to create a pricing battle which has happened to me before.

[kined]

because people in the tunnel are absolute scum and advertising your price is a good way to never get an item sold or to constantly lose money. if you sell anything for over 1k, people want to pay atleast 500 less than ANY price you advertise. if you list it over price over you will not get any messages about it. i always used to try listing prices to show that i had very reasonable costs, but it just ended up with everyone undercutting me for the same amounts. when i don't advertise a price they tend to give an offer that is more close to a reasonable price. i don't think I've ever had anyone accept my posted prices and it was losing me money so i just stopped doing it.

personally i would kill for a bazaar since everyone in tunnel is a penny pinching nerds who should have all their pixels deleted.

[Ele]

what usually bugged me was people not even providing a counteroffer and just "lol u suck"

[nyclin]

I always list prices because it reduces the number of tells I have to answer. My listed prices are always average or below average, and very few people lowball me.

People are always going to want you to come down; it's a lot easier to say "my advertised price is already below average, take it or leave it" than it is to haggle for 500-1k plat.

In my experience, anyone who lowballs or tries to haggle down prices that are already low is just looking to flip the item. I can't count the number of times I've had someone pester me for days about a single item, give me sob stories about their cash flow, etc. just so that I'd cut them a deal only to see them flipping the item for +1k or +1.5k within 20 minutes.

[Lhancelot]

I always list prices because it reduces the number of tells I have to answer. My listed prices are always average or below average, and very few people lowball me.

People are always going to want you to come down; it's a lot easier to say "my advertised price is already below average, take it or leave it" than it is to haggle for 500-1k plat.

In my experience, anyone who lowballs or tries to haggle down prices that are already low is just looking to flip the item. I can't count the number of times I've had someone pester me for days about a single item, give me sob stories about their cash flow, etc. just so that I'd cut them a deal only to see them flipping the item for +1k or +1.5k within 20 minutes.

I had one guy say, "all I got is 1500pp on me, I need to run to the bank for 200pp more. You still want me to run to the bank and get it?" I said, "yep. I asked for 1700pp." He then said, "Alright fine you win! here's 1700pp for it!" lol I just had to laugh at that.

[lowner411]

If it wasn't for , I wouldn't know how much things were worth. It's a fantastic resource.

[joppykid]

Most people are probably just too lazy to look up a price they're good with until after someone expressed interest.

Also a lot of people are miserable little dudes who have more fun trying to squeeze another 100pp out of an item than they do getting the fuck out of ec sooner so they can go actually play the game.

This 100%. I always say that I'm losing money sitting in EC and a few hundred plat doesn't matter. Can even say I got my money's worth use out of it to make me feel better if I have to lol.

[xKoopa]

I never list prices and just tell people to offer what they wanna pay

I usually just sell for whatever they offer unless its ridiculously low

[Mortiis]

[/QUOTE]In my experience, anyone who lowballs or tries to haggle down prices that are already low is just looking to flip the item. I can't count the number of times I've had someone pester me for days about a single item, give me sob stories about their cash flow, etc. just so that I'd cut them a deal only to see them flipping the item for +1k or +1.5k within 20 minutes.[/QUOTE]

https://www.project1999.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7737&stc=1&d=1470332465

That sucks, however those are the people spending the time to tunnel quest. That's how they choose to play. More power to them. I personally hate wasting time selling in EC. Hate. it. I only reserve that for Saturdays/Sundays when the population is worth spending the time for.
I don't always list prices for the sole purpose of linking more crap into a few posts as possible.
Also, if people don't use P99auctions and in some cases wiki to get price points and ball park figures it's their fault.

[Vandil]

I generally ignore the people that don't post prices. Just like I wouldn't buy a car or groceries if there wasn't a price. If its appropriate to haggle on something, I'll haggle, but I want to see a price.

[Mortgage]

Selfishly, I'd rather everyone list prices. The more people list a price, the more useful p99auctions is.

[Evia]

To some of us tunneling is playing the game

[myriverse]

I generally ignore the people that don't post prices. Just like I wouldn't buy a car or groceries if there wasn't a price. If its appropriate to haggle on something, I'll haggle, but I want to see a price.
^This.

[Whirled]

WTB http://wiki.project1999.com/Tolan%27s_Darkwood_Bracer
for very cheap.

[nectarprime]

If you ask me the price and it's a little over what you're expecting, you'll still buy it. That's why.

[Wowbagger]

If selling, I list a price. If buying, I make a reasonable, educated offer - whether a price was listed or not.

All depends on which you value more highly... your time, or marginal differences in the pixel-price of pixel-items.

Some do enjoy the haggle, some must find a rush in buying low and selling high, or using the old "first one to offer a number loses" e-peen swelling tactic... more power to 'em, but I just wanna get my arse out of EC with my loot or my plat and get on with it.

Real life offers real benefits from mercantile profits... it does not, however, offer giant slaying. More fallen giants, less retail for me.

[Lojik]

It's probably a form of price discrimination. They're not interested in attracting people who want a good price, they want people who will just pay whatever cause ec sucks. A lot of these are just people who sit in ec selling 1000 different items, so selling 1 for slightly cheaper and faster doesn't really matter to them cause they live in the tunnel. It's kind of like poker, the person who bets last has the advantage. I know a lot of you've seen something you want auctioned, only to ask how much and get "make an offer" in return.

If you're trying to sell off volume for relatively cheap then it's good to list prices as it attracts customers

[Zorlon]

The majority of people do not list prices for a few simple reasons:

1. They don't know what it's worth and...

2. They're embarassed/shy to put a price, both because they're worried that not only could they be undercutting themselves, or they're worried they ask too much and get laughed at.

Also not everyone uses p99auc/ahungry and not everyone knows it even exists. There may even be some purists that refuse to use it.

Most people, in general, are bad at basic economy/business transactions. Haggling really is an art form and not everyone is cut out to do it.

I really don't understand why people can't just offer if no price is listed. Even if you're undercutting, sometimes someone just wants to dump items and isn't really worried about max profit, rather, would just dump an item for cheap to the first person that offered something that looked reasonable.

[Morbo the Annihilator]

i don't spend my days in EC, and it's far quicker to just throw all my crap into /auc without prices.
if i don't get any tells, i camp.

who has time for this tunnelquest nonsense?

[Laugher]

This has been my experience. I always assume if a price is not listed, the seller is seeking a premium... which aside from laziness/apathy is always the case. You are not losing any more customers by listing a high price than you already are by listing no price. If it floats your boat though, have at it! ^^

This

As to why people don't list prices I am not sure, I always list prices and get undercut almost immediately, but I've never had trouble selling because of it, and like Thulack said listing can also result in better offers.

Had a friend who was a haggler who made good sense of gearing out his chars on the cheap, I just didn't have the tunnelquest patience myself.

[Cecily]

I don't list prices, because I like to sell my items fairly cheaply; however, if you post a price it gets locked eternally as the "going rate" on p99 auctions. That website absolutely ruined the prices of some of the less common tailored items and made it unprofitable for me to craft them.

[applesauce25r624]

That website absolutely ruined the prices of some of the less common tailored items and made it unprofitable for me to craft them.

the real fatcats are the sellers that backstab each other via undercutting

[Spyder73]

the real fatcats are the sellers that backstab each other via undercutting

Got to push product bro

[Ravager]

I don't list prices, because I like to sell my items fairly cheaply; however, if you post a price it gets locked eternally as the "going rate" on p99 auctions. That website absolutely ruined the prices of some of the less common tailored items and made it unprofitable for me to craft them.
Just spend a week or two grossly overcharging it until the average price you want is locked in the system. Do it from a few different alts too, that way it looks like a trend.

[paulgiamatti]

I list prices 100% of the time but I have a very low tolerance for haggling/bargaining. I always invest a good amount of time figuring out reasonable prices based on a bunch of different factors like past listings, demand, rarity, etc.

I don't really mind the undercutting - anyone who's worked in sales knows that's just business as usual. You can play the Wolf of Wallstreet game or not - I've had success both ways. Sometimes people will pay a little more for my stuff just because when I tunnelquest I'm responsive and not a douchebag. Sometimes people will pay a little more just because they know who I am. Sometimes people will pay a little more just because they didn't see the other auction with a lower price. Barring all of that, there will always be another buyer after the undercutter sells theirs.

[Ravager]

My attitude when it comes to undercutting and all of that is let them, I'm not out anything if I don't sell right away, I'll just come back next week and try again.

[Gumbo]

I've had this incident happen before and it happened again in the tunnel where I was selling an item for 700. It has sold for 700 for months now.

So I get a tell from someone using a pack-mule asking about the price. I tell them 700 and they reply back saying that the most they will pay is 600 and the item is only worth 500.

If the item as they put it is only worth 500 but the most they will pay is 600, then why are they asking about the price being 700?