Is it unethical to allow a buyer to price your item in this time of high demand?
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Ragnar Danneskjold
Member
There's not such thing as an "outrageous price". How about this: you the seller set your initial price at 1 million dollars. The buyer sets his initial price at 1 dollar. Then haggle it out.
That's the free market. The natural price of something should always be where the lowest price a seller is willing to sell for and the highest price a buyer is willing to pay meet. If they don't meet, no sale. No one is forcing either of you.
That's the free market. The natural price of something should always be where the lowest price a seller is willing to sell for and the highest price a buyer is willing to pay meet. If they don't meet, no sale. No one is forcing either of you.
browningguy
Member
So I had a similar experience yesterday, except not an auction, and with a dealer I have dealt with before. I let him set the prices, keeping in mind of course the current hysteria, and they were well above what he could have paid a week ago. I did a couple of trades at the prices he offered and both of us went away happy.
When I see people offering things at outrageous prices for a buy it now I think gouger. When I see people put things up at true auction and let the market set the price I'm ok with that.
When I see people offering things at outrageous prices for a buy it now I think gouger. When I see people put things up at true auction and let the market set the price I'm ok with that.
Ragnar Danneskjold
Member
Why?
Don't like the price, don't buy it.
Some people apparently think that offering an item for sale at a price they are willing to pay is unfair, but not offering the item to them at all IS fair.
If you think a PMAG is worth $60 to you right now, too bad, it isn't fair to sell it to you. You can't have it at all.
Logic...note even once.
If you think a PMAG is worth $60 to you right now, too bad, it isn't fair to sell it to you. You can't have it at all.
Logic...note even once.
Cesiumsponge
Member
I'm glad these people aren't in government. They'd be the ones passing legislation telling you how much sodium you can have, how many guns you can own, and what books you can read because they're legislating by imposing their own will, rather than legislating for freedom.
Lets use an extreme example. A severe weather system like a hurricane wipes out a city on the east coast. Generators are instantly sold out. A few Americans in the midwest and west coast load up trailers of generators and drive them across the country and sell them to east coasters with a markup to make a profit that pays for their time and gas, whilst offering a very valuable product in a marketplace where supply has dried up.
Generators fly off the trailer and they're sold out in a matter of hours from people willing to pay.
Is that unfair? The media makes a big deal about it, claiming they were unethical price gougers. They said so from the safety of their climate-controlled studios free from the dangers of high winds, flooding, and other hazards. They haven't donated anything for free or offered any supplies at-cost. Were these people supposed to give it away for free? At cost? They did what the media, the government, and other critics did NOT do. Spend tens of thousands of dollars on product, load it up in their personal vehicles, and truck it across the country to people who needed it.
Maybe those Americans would be better off without a resource injection into the local, dried-out supply chain. Lets just pass an "anti-gouging" law (some states already have it) and have these people with excessive supply simply not provide anything to people who are looking to buy.
Lets use an extreme example. A severe weather system like a hurricane wipes out a city on the east coast. Generators are instantly sold out. A few Americans in the midwest and west coast load up trailers of generators and drive them across the country and sell them to east coasters with a markup to make a profit that pays for their time and gas, whilst offering a very valuable product in a marketplace where supply has dried up.
Generators fly off the trailer and they're sold out in a matter of hours from people willing to pay.
Is that unfair? The media makes a big deal about it, claiming they were unethical price gougers. They said so from the safety of their climate-controlled studios free from the dangers of high winds, flooding, and other hazards. They haven't donated anything for free or offered any supplies at-cost. Were these people supposed to give it away for free? At cost? They did what the media, the government, and other critics did NOT do. Spend tens of thousands of dollars on product, load it up in their personal vehicles, and truck it across the country to people who needed it.
Maybe those Americans would be better off without a resource injection into the local, dried-out supply chain. Lets just pass an "anti-gouging" law (some states already have it) and have these people with excessive supply simply not provide anything to people who are looking to buy.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I don't think "logic" enters into the equation.
wankerjake
Member
Haha. 90% are ok with this scenario, but then you get a bunch of posts whining about dealers "jacking up" prices. That's special
Buyers dictate prices guys.
Buyers dictate prices guys.
ApacheCoTodd
member
Boy are these poll results paradoxical (or is it ironic?) given the gnashing of teeth and wailing about "gouging".
So, is the retailer still gouging if he looks at the prices in auction results and matches them in his shop?
So, is the retailer still gouging if he looks at the prices in auction results and matches them in his shop?
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Interesting, huh?
Arkansas Paul
Member
My only beef is with the retail stores that jack up prices at times like these. It is certainly their right to do so, but I will not do business with them in the future. I can see a small increase but some places were charging 3x-4x what they were a week ago. That's their prerogative if they want to, and its mine to not shop there any more.
On the personal sales, if you let an auction start out at a fair price and it gets bid up, you are not doing a single thing unethical. You didn't ask for the crazy price, people were likely scrambling to pay it. Sell and sleep well.
On the personal sales, if you let an auction start out at a fair price and it gets bid up, you are not doing a single thing unethical. You didn't ask for the crazy price, people were likely scrambling to pay it. Sell and sleep well.
Arkansas Paul
Member
He's not technically gouging, but he's pissing off the people who pay his bills. I would wager that places like Cheaper Than Dirt and Midway USA make 90%+ of their money from people who buy from them regularly. CTD has pissed off a lot of people and they're not going to forget it any time soon.
wankerjake
Member
You understand their cost goes up as well in times like these, right? The consumer isn't the victim, they are the driving force.
It's dumb business to not adjust.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Methinks most the folks complaining have no idea what it takes to run a business. Consumers complain about corporate greed but there is greed at every level, including the consumer level. Most people have no idea just how liberalized their thinking has become. The fact that there were more people shopping on Black Friday than there were voters on election day, for one of the most important elections in recent history, tells us a lot about the average American.
crossrhodes
Member
Oh Well
Oh well. If they want to charge that price and numb nuts is willing to pay.
It's praying on peoples fears for profit. Unethical....Yes, Illegal....No. I watched the price of a bare bones AR jump $600.00 over night in a local gun shop. Yesterday he was charging $1800.00 for the same and up $2200.00 for some with magpul hand guards and stocks, called it his "upgrade special" Also charging $62.00 for a PMAG. Location: somewhere in VT is all I'm going to say.
Oh well. If they want to charge that price and numb nuts is willing to pay.
It's praying on peoples fears for profit. Unethical....Yes, Illegal....No. I watched the price of a bare bones AR jump $600.00 over night in a local gun shop. Yesterday he was charging $1800.00 for the same and up $2200.00 for some with magpul hand guards and stocks, called it his "upgrade special" Also charging $62.00 for a PMAG. Location: somewhere in VT is all I'm going to say.
Do not let the buyer set the price, that would be a losing situation.
There are 2 types of buyers, those that buy when prices are low and the stock is plentiful. Than there are the procrastinators that buy during a panic. Don't reward them for their stupidity. If you don't take their money someone else will.
There are 2 types of buyers, those that buy when prices are low and the stock is plentiful. Than there are the procrastinators that buy during a panic. Don't reward them for their stupidity. If you don't take their money someone else will.
wankerjake
Member
You don't have an option. It's the buyer's decision to fork over the cash. Right now, folks are forking it over. It's just as "unethical" for the mass consumer to buy up all existing stock...
There are alternatives to this system, and they have proven to be detrimental overall.
I hate to say it but if I had an AR that I wanted to sell at this time, I think I'd want to set the price, not let the buyer do that. Sure, I may negotiate somewhat, but I won't sell low to someone that did not have the common sense to buy at the correct time.
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308win
Member
I don't get all of this concern about the price of items. If you think the price is too high don't buy; if you don't have a choice and there is no subsitute, well, life is seldom fair.
wankerjake
Member
Aha! We are saying the same thing. The buyer is setting the price. Not as a single fellow, but as a mass of buyers. The "set" price is so because BUYERS are paying that much.
Sellers can raise prices all they want. Until somebody pays for it, the product doesn't move.
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