What is " lowball"


Do any of you have an idea of what constitutes lowball as a general rule. I have purchased things at 75% of asking price and have been ignored at 90%. All my sales have involved some haggling to find a middle ground and some started at what I thought was a lowball, so it annoys me when I am ignored. I guess it is better than getting involved with someone too busy to type NO THANKS and hit send. I'm just curious what everyone considers a rule of thumb in regards to making offers.
mthieme
I am just surprised that people have no interest in making an effort to agree on a price in the middle, after all obo means the price is up for debate in my opinion.
Mtheime, if an item is priced correctly to begin with (meaning within 5% -10% of it's market value), then going down the middle on a 75% offer might still be considered low. Conversely, if the item is priced too high, then a split down the middle might be considered by the buyer to be too high. It's all predicated on how educated the buyer and seller are to the proper market value of the item, based on research of comparable recent sales and listings.

"Splitting down the middle" does not work as a blanket principle for buying or selling because it doesn't take into account the variables of the sale. However, it can work if the item is priced properly.

"Lowball" is a fiction. The market determines the maximum price that an item will sell at, not the seller.
significantly below market price. where that is 90% or 75% depends on the item and the people involved. Lowball is well below market price. Also it seems that only white, north american males ro not *like* to haggle. I don't know why. I hate to make it a racial thing, but that's just been my observation. Everything is negotiable! :-)

Also, I'm willing to bet that sellers who do not respond to your 'lowball' offer are not too busy in any way. I think they were just 'insulted' by your lowball offer and are 'returning the insult' in kind by simply ignoring you. I remember that from when I was a kid. Sometimes an adult wouldn't even acknowledge you. It was basically saying "you aren't worth the effort for a reply." So sad. :-/

Aaron
I agree with Viridian. Since no one actually knows what the seller considers a "lowball" offer, I feel that any offer is appropriate.

If the seller doesn't like it, they can just say so. I believe that ignoring someone's offer is rude.