I recently received this question from an eBay seller.
I have a repeat buyer (which is wonderful and all), but he talks me down so low on things. My first time negotiating I accepted a low offer on some pants and now he’s returned asking for even lower prices because “he’s a repeat buyer and wants a break”. I’m trying to stay professional and when negotiating I say this is my bottom line, but then he comes back with a low offer anyway? Any suggestions?
The first thing a seller must do is ask “how badly do I want to sell the item”. If there is no rush to recoup your investment, then let it ride. If you give a potential buyer your bottom line, stay firm. There are SO MANY buyers on eBay, your item will eventually sell and most likely for your asking price.
Also, there are quite a few seller fees that a potential buyer may be unaware of (listing fees, store fees, buy it now fees, final value fees, PayPal fees, packing supplies, shipping charges, etc.). The goal on eBay is to make a profit, not break even. A seller must consider those fees when negotiating a price with a potential buyer.
Just because he’s a repeat buyer doesn’t mean he gets extremely discounted prices. Unfortunately, since he was able to purchase one item at a low price, he expects the same treatment with all items now. My advice would be to simply reward repeat buyers a standard “repeat buyer discount” and stick to it.