bad form

[bloke]

This has not happened to me in a long time, and it hasn't happened very often, but - once an price has been quoted, an agreeing buyer travels a significant distance to come purchase it, and particularly if the condition of the merchandise is even better than described - it's really bad form to attempt to negotiate a lower price in-person - as if dangling money over a seller's head, but only offering it if the seller agrees to take less at the last moment.

The fact that the buyer drove all that distance is an indication that they accepted the terms and the price. The time for negotiation came to an end (again: assuming nothing about the condition of the merchandise was over-represented by the seller) at the moment the buyer headed towards the seller's location to pay for and retrieve the merchandise.

When I've driven to a seller to purchase an item, I've never negotiated at that time unless there was a previously unrevealed condition issue. If there was a condition issue that concerned me, I might have simply backed out of the sale and pointed out the previously-not-revealed condition issue, rather than offering less. At that point, the seller could either shrug their shoulders or offer a lower price.

Finally, for a buyer to behave in that manner is bad form whether it's a business or an individual selling, as - often - a business is actually owned by an individual. All of that having been said, purchasing instruments from the big box places on approval - and then returning them after a failed audition - is really bad form, but that's another topic.

[matt g]

Too many people watching those “reality” shows where dudes drive long distances to haggle over rusted out cars.

I get haggling over local stuff but to your point, given the item is in at least the condition advertised, it seems like an insult.

[Three Valves]

Yes, so long as the condition is as described I pays the price.

I don’t even get off my ass or make an inquiry if the price isn’t right.

[bloke]

One person asked in a private message how I have handled this type of situation. In fewer words then I typed in the private message, I just tell such people that they are the one who was attracted by the item and the price, and came to me - based on that attraction.

[bort2.0]

Has anyone ever driven to pick something up and then paid more than asking price?

But really, your scenario sounds unbelievable and incredibly believable at the same time. People...

[Stryk]

Of all the instruments I have purchased, I only played one before I paid for it - that was my first horn in 1975. Not sure what that says about me, just a fact.

[bloke]

I bought my 5450 (which is - head-and-shoulders - the best one I've ever played) in-person.
It had previously un-revealed dents and horrible valve action.
I knew I could fix all that and with no consequences. The tuning/sound were fine, and the price was low enough to not quibble.

The Gronitz PCK (bought in-person) was in perfect-new condition (used), and I'm not going to reveal what I paid, but - no - I didn't try to talk the person down. There were also a couple of higher-priced (and far worse and far worse condition) instruments that the same person also was offering for sale.

The 5/4 Rudy-Meinl 5-rotor-with-#2-trigger (same thing: in-person, not revealing what I paid here, no quibbling).
The 4/4 Rudy Meinl 5-rotor was bought in-person at 3 A.M. at FedEx (from an employing flying jump-seat), but - well... - I had previously sold it to that same person (new), and it was still in new condition, at that time.
The 3/4 Rudy Meinl 5-rotor (used) that I bought was also bought from a person to whom I sold it new...but I decided to flip that one, rather than keep it (though it was a heck-of-a-lot better than the 4/4 one.
' funny how (of the Rudy C tubas) if it's one that plays pretty well in tune, its probably going to be one of the 5/4's.

Thinking back, most everything (other than the will-never-sell-it-unless-I-can-no-longer-play F tuba, and - OK... - a NEW gold brass 188 that was a "dog") was bought used/in-person.

[Sousaswag]

All of my horns have come used with an agreed-upon price. When possible, I play them. That wasn't possible with my first small-bell 5450, my Willson rotor F, nor my 5450RA. I've just gotten lucky that no horn I've purchased has been a total dog... Actually, ONE horn was. But one to 7 is a pretty good streak!

Sorry for the unfortunate/annoying circumstances you dealt with.

[bloke]

They've been in the fairly distant past...which is why I considered it "safe" to bring up the topic.

[donn]

Is it not standard practice with motor vehicles? You don't have to agree to their offer, but they will come and have a look, and offer less than you asked, however little you ask.

[bloke]

I suppose it's up to a automobile dealership to react to anything they choose to react to. With me it's basically no reaction. I have reacted with absolutely no words to behavior such as that before, and I made a buyer so uncomfortable they just went ahead and handed me the previously agreed to price.

[Mary Ann]

Is it not standard practice with motor vehicles? You don't have to agree to their offer, but they will come and have a look, and offer less than you asked, however little you ask.

Well I think that is different in that they have not agreed to the price ahead of time. My understanding is that what bloke is talking about, they have agreed to the price, showed up, and then un-agreed with their prior agreement.

[Ace]

Of all the instruments I have purchased, I only played one before I paid for it - that was my first horn in 1975. Not sure what that says about me, just a fact.

Same with me. I haven't been burned yet. Lucky.

Ace

[Dents Be Gone!]

I agree, guys. This is the way to go.

[bloke]

sort of the opposite:

When I repair things to sell that are used, I always do my very best, and I don't discuss every single dent that I removed or every single area that I might have polished and relacquered because of a solder joint or something like that. I do often state that any potential buyer should realize they're looking at digital pictures - and digital pictures often-or-usually look a little bit nicer than the actual item. I guess what I'm saying is that I try to underrepresent.
-----------------
Again, no one has tried to pull that on me anytime recently, which is why I thought this would be a safe topic. A long time ago, someone who did try to pull that on me drove to my place from about 600 miles away, and the instrument was in original amazing condition - whereby I didn't even touch up any lacquer or remove any dents.

[Dents Be Gone!]

I agree, guys. This is the way to go.

[bloke]

"safe" - in that it has happened to me so long ago that I don't remember anyone's name who tried to pull something like that on me, and no one would recognize themselves in this thread...
------------------------------------
This is a tangential topic, but another funny way that humans tend to think/behave (when seeking out services or products) is the phenomenon of anti-local discrimination.

ex's:
"Their custom-made products or their special services can't be particularly good, because they're less than an hour away."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ vs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"That guy in New Zealand must have the best widget/do the best work, because they are the farthest away place that offers fill-in-the-blank."

[Dents Be Gone!]

I agree, guys. This is the way to go.

[bloke]

I've had people (including some of the tuba-nerd-recognizable) travel from several miles south (past there, one might come fairly close to running out of "muricuh") and more-than several hundred miles north for "bloke" to work on their stuff...I've heard (thanks to the interwebs) of people much closer to them who are known for doing good work... ( LOL...but bloke posts a lot, and he's far away, so he MUST be a "magician").
I am pretty good at smoothing out people's boo-boos...as - it seems - the majority of what people want done is that sort of stuff, but - me? - I can nearly always see where I've fixed something.

I was glad to get the work ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ , but didn't post social media pics of "me and my bud so-and-so"...

Maybe they weren't happy about this/that/the-other with those people nearer to them...(??)

Here's how I usually manage to keep people from getting mad at me:

"Either (usually) I simply do good incident-free work or: Hey...I just messed up this thing - right here, but I'm going to take it off and fix it nice and/or - since I messed it up - I'm' going to see about making you a better one - and (of course) no charge. Let's hope I succeed."

[Dents Be Gone!]

I agree, guys. This is the way to go.