GB etiquette

[johngross]

On a fixed price (Buy it Now) listing on Gunbroker, sometimes the seller will give you the option to make an offer (GB refers to it as "Take a Shot"). The particular listing I'm looking at does not have the "Take a Shot" option.

Is it common/OK to message the seller and negotiate a lower price? And if they agree, do they cancel the listing and then relist it with the new price?

And by the way, this is not an attempt to bypass the purchase through GB.

Any finally, yes, I did check the rules at GB (quoted below). It says not to make an offer if there is no Take a Shot option, but I think that's to refrain people from trying to get around going through GB.

"If Take a Shot is not available on an item you are looking at, the seller is not interested in entertaining offers. Do not contact the seller with an offer or attempt to make an offer outside the system this constitutes a breach of the GunBroker.com User Agreement."

Thank you.

 

[NewLiberty]

I'd guess it depends on the seller. However, it isn't uncommon for me to get those sorts of messages on there. However, for fixed listings I almost always have take a shot open.

As long as a listing doesn't have any bids, the seller can change almost anything in it, including the price. Once bids come in, you generally can't edit a listing.

 

[Tom S.]

Hmmm... let's see, rules state do not contact seller with offer unless "Take a Shot" is offered and you want to know if it's OK to make an offer on an ad where "Take a shot" is not offered.

Aw heck, rules only apply to some folks, right?

 

[sophie]

Hmmm... let's see, rules state do not contact seller with offer unless "Take a Shot" is offered and you want to know if it's OK to make an offer on an ad where "Take a shot" is not offered.

Aw heck, rules only apply to some folks, right?

It never ceases to amaze me that some people just don't know what "no" means.

 

[Rule3]

Any finally, yes, I did check the rules at GB (quoted below). It says not to make an offer if there is no Take a Shot option, but I think that's to refrain people from trying to get around going through GB.

"If Take a Shot is not available on an item you are looking at, the seller is not interested in entertaining offers. Do not contact the seller with an offer or attempt to make an offer outside the system this constitutes a breach of the GunBroker.com User Agreement."

Thank you.

What do you think the above "rule" means??

 

[arjay]

I've received offers on a few listings.I just told them highest bidder wins.

 

[Narragansett]

Well, the rule is the rule, but that would not stop me from asking if he was open to an offer. Maybe it is the second listing? Maybe he forgot to add " make an offer. " I have bought several guns that were firm prices that did not sell in a month, because they were too high.

Maybe the way to do it is to ask if he forgot to add the make an offer feature?

 

[Truckman]

I only look at GB as a price guide on completed sales, but occasionally a gun currently listed will catch my eye that's in a local store...In that case I'll go there, look at the gun and if I like it, make an offer...If an agreeable price is found I have the cash to walk out with it on the spot...Sellers are on GB to sell a product, they don't care where it gets sold...

I've never bought or sold anything through GB and never participated in an auction of any kind...I'm extremely leery of dealing with people I don't know, and can't see so unless the seller has an established rep (such as here on the sales forums) no money changes hands......Ben

 

[Rammer Jammer]

If the seller doesn't have a Make an Offer option guess what they don't want?

Offers

 

[johngross]

Thank you all for your thoughts and comments.