Negotiating 101!

[lkwinnipesaukee]

Hey guys,

Seeing as I plan on buying a bike soon, I thought I'd make a thread about negotiating a motorcycle purchase. This is something that will benefit everyone.

I'll add what I know, and you guys add what you know. Hopefully this thread can grow to be a goldmine of info, and save people some money.

Assuming you're buying a used bike:

-Tell the seller that if they throw in X gear, they have a deal.

-Riddle off all the problems with the bike, how much it is to fix, and then make an offer.

-Make an offer twice the difference between the asking price and what you want to spend. Then offer to "meet half way" ($2000 bike, you want to pay $1,500. Offer $1000).

-If paying cash, put less than the asking price in your pocket. Then pull out the wad of cash and say, "$XXX, this is all I have." Optional: give the rest you have to your friend, ask him to "borrow" money if need be.

-Tell the seller that your parents will NOT let you pay more than $XXXX.


Thats all i can think of. I know some are a little deceptive, but thats haggling. You are being deceptive about money; they are probably being deceptive about the bike.

Add in what you guys can think of!

 

[oldguy]

When I sell a used bike I know exactly what it is worth and that is what I ask. Pull your tactics and I send you on your way and it is you that loses out on a great deal. Ask anybody that I have sold a used bike to there are a couple on this site

 

[robwbright]

How about this - know what you are willing to give for the bike, offer that, and leave if they don't take it.

Easy, simple, no deception.

 

[Rich Rohrich]

Thats all i can think of. I know some are a little deceptive, but thats haggling.

No that's acting like a complete tool, and will likely get a door slammed in your face (or worse) for wasting someone's time. Not having to deal with PITA guys like you is the exact reason I only sell my bikes to people I know. I would rather give it away to a friend than deal with someone like you.

 

[RocketRaccoon]

How about this - know what you are willing to give for the bike, offer that, and leave if they don't take it.

Easy, simple, no deception.

I agree 100%. I always offer what I think is a fair price and if they don't take it, I thank them for showing me the bike/car and go about my business. On my last bike...I didn't even try to haggle. The guy was nice enough to let me do a layaway on it. I thought the least I could do was give him what he was looking to get. We both got what we wanted and we would both be happy to deal with each other again in the future.

 

[lkwinnipesaukee]

I didn't mean to sound like a complete asshat when I originally posted; and if I did, I apologize.

I was just trying to share ideas about buying a bike that in your opinion is not advertised for a fair price. If the price is good, by all means take it. But after you have looked at the bike, and it is not worth to you the asking price, ask to go lower. It never hurts to ask. In the end, you both could walk away happy.

Again, I apologize for coming off as a jerk.

 

[dirt bike dave]

If I fairly price a bike at $2,000 and someone low balls me at $1,000, the negotiations are terminated. If they call again, their price just went up to $2,500.


- I think it is appropriate to ask the seller if they have any gear or spare parts they want to throw in to sweeten the pot. Look at what they have and revise the offer accordingly. Telling the seller to throw in a wish list of specific items probably isn't going to work.

-If you riddle off all the problems with the bike and how much it is to fix, be prepared to listen to the seller compare his asking price and the retail price of his mods to the price of a new bike. He will also probably disagree with you about the things that need to be fixed, and their cost. You might just convince him the bike is too cheap or priced just right.



-Tell the seller that your parents will NOT let you pay more than $XXXX. (This is not the seller's problem and has no bearing on the market value of the bike. He will ask why you are wasting your time and his looking at bikes that are out of your price range.)

 

[RocketRaccoon]

I didn't mean to sound like a complete asshat when I originally posted; and if I did, I apologize.

I was just trying to share ideas about buying a bike that in your opinion is not advertised for a fair price. If the price is good, by all means take it. But after you have looked at the bike, and it is not worth to you the asking price, ask to go lower. It never hurts to ask. In the end, you both could walk away happy.

Again, I apologize for coming off as a jerk.

If the asking price is not fair...I wont even waste my or their time looking at it. If I look at the bike and find that the cost of repairs will be extensive, I again will offer them what I think is fair and if they don't take it...I walk. I think what got some of us heated about your post was the fact that you would try to scam/deceive the seller. Thats low and there really isn't any reason for it. It just shows what your character is and most of us would rather not deal with a buyer such as yourself. That being said, Im not angry at you and there is no need for you to apologize to me. ;) Happy riding... :ride:

 

[mandark1967]

When I sell a used bike I know exactly what it is worth and that is what I ask. Pull your tactics and I send you on your way and it is you that loses out on a great deal. Ask anybody that I have sold a used bike to there are a couple on this site

Exactly! I always fix up my bikes into the kind of shape a buyer would be lucky to find and I always ask what it's truly worth. If a buyer tried those tactics on me he would be the one who loses out. Not me.

 

[kx125412]

With the bike I just got (1989 YZ250) the guy was asking $2200 which was way to high because i've seen a couple 89 YZ's and WR's go for $1500. I listed things that needed fixing and said look i've seen this bike go for $1500 in the same shape or slightly better than this so I think its fair to say $1500. It was a kid a little older than I am selling it and he said sure. It's not just going there and offering $1000 bucks less than what the person's asking its doing research and finding out what that bike has sold for in the past and its condition. Now I got lucky because I went and bought it the day it was listed, that kid could have easily gotten $2000 for it around here.

 

[Chili]

I hate selling bikes so I tend to sell them to friends at a heckuva deal or trade them in. Besides lowballing and all the other crap of wasted time I've had friends have bikes stolen after showing them so I don't need them seeing the other 2 or 3 bikes I have when they come to look at the one advertised.

The market I live in everyone wants to negotiate a better deal no matter what price you are selling it for. I'll generally ask $200 more than what I will take for the bike. First question they ask is how firm are you on the price and I'll tell them I'm not interested in wasting time going back and forth playing the lowball game so this is my bottomline, if it doesn't work for you don't waste either of our time.

Case in point my 86 RM125 I just sold this week I advertised for $1200 knowing full well I wanted $1000 for the bike. First two calls asked is the price firm? I said I'm not interested in negotiating back and forth, first person here with $1000 takes the bike home. The one guy then asks what if I pay cash? :laugh: I advised him I didn't plan to take a cheque or credit card payment for the bike so cash would be his best bet :laugh:

 

[pyrofreak]

I think that "haggling" is prefectly fine, but there is a difference between that and "lowballing". If I sell something, I ask a little bit more, then I can come down and someone can get a deal, but if you wanna give me asking price, then I am still getting what I wanted for it. I do get pissed when someone offers you a stupid low amount, but I know of people who only had so much money, told the seller that, and called a few weeks later, and got it for their price. Sometimes it works, but you can tell when someone is unlaoding something or wants to get it off their lawn, etc, but it's different when they are just selling it with no real need, and most of the time, they will not compromise. I have gotten an old Toyota pickup for $200 when the asking price was $1000 firm. I felt it was worth about $500, but had $600 on me. It had set there for awhile, and I went and asked about it. I told the guy it was going to be my first vehicle, and I only had a few hundred bucks saved, I guess he felt bad or got sick of looking at it. Told me $200, and SCORE. Lol, a buddy of mine called about it a couple weeks before that and was told no less than $800, but he just wanted to scrap it anyway. Even if a bike is worth the asking price, it doesn't hurt to see what they'll go down to, sometimes you hope X amount of money can get you something better than a bike with the actual blue book value of that amount. If you offer a little less, people don't usually get offended, just do your homework, and don't act like you know more then them, and don't try to screw them. Dealing with different people is a gamble, but if you don't try to screw anyone, then it's usually not too much of a nuiscance. Most people can tell your intentions, and if you are honest, and just trying to get a little break, people will work with you. I've gotten deals before, and I've given deals before, just be honest, and don't try to take advantage.

 

[XRpredator]

. . . take a cheque . . .

dang ol' people talkin' Canadian!

 

[knowiam]

The one guy then asks what if I pay cash? :laugh: I advised him I didn't plan to take a cheque or credit card payment for the bike so cash would be his best bet :laugh:

I laugh too... when someone says they have "Cash"... My standard answer is: "Great! We no longer accept beads, blankets or beaver pelts as payment." :whoa:
Playing hardball with dealers is all fair in my book as I view it as war... :p
Buying from your friend or neighbor requires a completely different tactic...it should be fair for both parties or not happen at all.
In both situations, be sure you are willing and ABLE to buy-One should never, ever waste anothers time!
Ken

 

[mox69]

The original poster had some good ideas, it just depends on your intentions.

When I bought my bike the kid was asking $600 bucks. I brought $600, but my intention was to pay $550. I put $550 in my pocket and gave $50 to my friend who came with.

After looking the bike over, noting a few things I told him I was thinking $500. He said that was too low. I responded ok how about $550. He accepted and I bought it.


The kid very obviously knew nothing about these bikes, he had a rough idea what it was worth. His dad was standing right there, he had no problem with the price we set either.

Offering him $250 would have probably insulted him, or just showing up with only $300-400 in cash would have done the same. I knew I wanted to pay $550, so I lowballed a bit to get to my price. I assume these things are part of doing business. Like previous posters said if you don't want to deal with people looking for deals, sell your bike to friends.

It's always a good idea to size up the seller when you meet him. If he seems like he knows nothing about the bike, his price is probably a rough guess at what he wants for it. If he's an expert on every inch of the bike, his price is probably pretty firm. I wouldn't insult such a seller with lowball or dumb offers.



On a similar note, my first big purchase was not a very good experience. I bought a '67 camaro from a college kid back when I was in high school. The conversation went something like this:


Him: Well I wanted to get $6500 for it, but if you don't have that much we can work something out.

Me: No no thats fine, I would love to pay $6500 dollars.


Granted the car is worth a lot more today, but it wasn't really the smartest purchase.