Making a price offer
An offer isn't an attack, it's the normal opening of a deal. What decides it is rarely the number alone — it's what you offer alongside it.
The situation
You want to buy and the price feels high. Offer too little and you look disrespectful, offer too much and it costs you. On the other side sits a seller who has already had five messages saying 'best price?' and is fairly tired of it.
Good replies — and why they work
„Very interested. Would £80 instead of £100 work for you? I can collect tomorrow and pay cash.“
✓ A concrete number plus something in return: fast collection and cash are genuine arguments for sellers.
„Is the price negotiable? I'd offer £45 — if that's too low, just tell me your floor.“
✓ Polite, numbered, and invites the seller to name their own limit.
Better not like this
„best price???“
✗ The most disliked message on any marketplace — no offer of your own and no sign of real interest.
„I'll give you £20 for the £100 one. It's not worth more than that.“
✗ An extreme lowball plus an insult to the item — most sellers simply stop replying.
Three ready-to-copy replies
„Would you take £70? I'd pick it up today.“
„I'm offering £55, and collection by car is no problem. If you need more, let me know.“
„Is the price still firm, or is there room for cash on collection?“
And what do you reply to YOUR message?
Templates are the start — it gets really fitting with your actual message. Paste it, pick a tone, get three suggestions.
Generate a reply for freeWhy the sweetener matters most
Sellers rarely want only money — they want the thing gone quickly and without hassle. Naming when you can collect, that you'll pay cash, or that you have a van puts you in a better position than someone who sends a number alone. An offer ten percent lower with immediate collection often beats a higher offer with 'sometime next week'.
How much below asking is realistic
Ten to twenty percent under the asking price is normal on most items and isn't taken as rude. On listings that have been up a long time there's more room; on freshly listed, in-demand items there's little to none. If the listing says the price is negotiable, haggling is expected — if it says fixed, an offer is still allowed but should sit close and be phrased especially warmly.
FAQ
How much below asking can I go?
Ten to twenty percent is standard. Go lower only on listings that have been up for a long time.
Should I open with my maximum?
No, but don't lowball either. A realistic first offer with a collection commitment closes fastest.
What if they say no?
Accept it politely and decide whether the asking price still works for you. Pushing twice rarely helps.
Note: DatingPilot is a phrasing assistant. Review every reply before sending — there is no guarantee of any outcome, and real conversations beat any template.