Someone is asking 'how much are you expecting'?

[jmbau]

I've listed a second hand item for sale and just got a query from someone 'wondering how much you are expecting to get?'  Which I find kind of weird - it's an auction, after all.

How would you respond?

(I wrote back and said Why do you ask?)

[garrcc]

I would respond by saying - "Oh about 6 million dollars" - .

We all know that auctions are not predictable....who knows what an item is worth? It is the bidders who determine the value of an item at the time an auction ends.

I have had high quality items ...heaps of watchers & no bids...then i have had what I would could consider as a junky item and the bidders have gone into a frenzy and the item has sold for a silly amount.

To answer your question - I always respond. "Just leave a bid that you are comfortable with"

[cherry*135]

If it is an item that you have no idea how much it might sell for, then there isn't much you can say to the person asking. Just say as mentioned above, that you prefer to let the auction run.

If it is an item, that you do have a $ amount you hope to sell it for, you could tell the buyer the amount, up to you though, you don't have to respond with an amount.

[treasuress.4207]

Some people just need a smack up the side of the head......

with a brick.

It's a rude question imho, and I've never had one like it.

[joxamara]

Whatever the market is prepared to pay...how much are you offering?

[jmbau]

Thanks a lot for all your answers - you pretty much covered all my reactions. I'm just a private seller, nothing else. And no, I'm not interested in doing stuff outside eBay.  I think it's the tone of the queries that bothers me  - it's somewhat rude and disparaging (s/he wrote back and said they were asking because 'I can't imagine anyone wanting to buy a second hand X but if your price is reasonable I may buy it now') .  I figure, the point of an auction is to find a price! 

[collect247]

Well good luck in selling your vacuum and I hope you get a good price for it,it's funny though when I first glanced at it I thought it was a golf bag lol.

[2106greencat]

---

@treasuress.4207 wrote:

Some people just need a smack up the side of the head......

with a brick.

It's a rude question imho, and I've never had one like it.

---

Oh, if only.............

how many sellers would just love to reply in just that fashion to some wanna-be-wheelerdealers 

[treasuress.4207]

I think it every day at some point..... 

my all-time favourites are the ones who message you specifically to let you know that they can buy it cheaper somewhere else....

my answer to that (not the one that pops into my head) is usually... 'well I suggest you do that then'....

The one in my head would get me in trouble AGAIN on the boards.

[digital*ghost · Accepted solution]

---

@jmbau wrote:

 'I can't imagine anyone wanting to buy a second hand X but if your price is reasonable I may buy it now') 

---

Sorry, just saw this and was highly amused by it. Must be some kind of bargaining tactic - in one sentence, try to convince a selller no one will be interested in their item, that way when you tell them that you are, they will be surprised and ready to offload it quickly.