ULPT: When buying something on craigslist, send a bunch of insultingly low offers from burner emails, then send a 'reasonable' offer from your real address. They'll usually accept it.

This is why I kept getting shit offers for my PS4. Makes a lot of sense actually

That's called the anchoring affect...real psychological affect where your brain gets anchored to a lower number and then the higher number jumps out thinking you got a good deal.

'£5 for that Porsche, but only if it has a full tank of gas'!

Using this to buy a car.

Mostly because cars in this area are way overpriced

Additionally you could create a couple listings in neighboring cities for less, in your serious offer you can cite them as a reasonable price making the excuse you don't want to drive (but will ofc)

I actually have a buddy who's playing the long con in an effort to buy a small residential building in New York City from his own landlord. He has friends call from random numbers with insultingly low offers, he sends typed and handwritten letters with different "buyer's names" whenever he's traveling out of state and obviously different return addresses. He calls and disguises his voice from pay phones etc. He says that after a few years of doing this, he's going to offer a few million dollars more than all those offers were, and if the landlord agrees it would be a steal relative to real market value. I'm sitting by on the sidelines eagerly waiting to see what happens when that day finally comes.

As someone who has had this happen as a seller, it's easy to tell when that's happening and I usually just ignore them. GL tho

This won't work with me. I use offerup. It's too obvious to see the account was made this month, has no feedback, no items for sale and not even a profile picture.

Plus I'm super patient.

But I will admit op's plan does work. Most people actually need the cash.

You can also try just telling them that ebay has it for ____ price or simply offering half and work from there.

This also works with other situations like finding roommates, buying cars, etc. Call in with different numbers "and voices" sounding like a crazy, or annoying person, asking tons of stupid annoying questions. Then call in with your normal, calm self.

Also works for random, off-beat jobs where they want people to call in.

I was giving away my dresser and desk set that was in pretty good condition a month ago on my university's sell page on FB. I got a lot of people that offered me money anyway and could move it out right away. One dude messages me "Interested in furniture. Do you deliver?" No. I will not deliver you my FREE furniture...

I did this for my friend so he could get his mountain bike for cheap. Messaged the guy, gave him a stupid low offer, then went with my friend to pick the bike up at a more reasonable price, and as we drove away he texted me saying he had just sold the bike.

I unironically have done this on both ends. Both low bidding a seller, and for contract work making work invoices for people looking for work that range from crazy high to my actual price but all under different names. Every now and then they even take the overpriced one and I get more money.

Ever read the story the Pearl? Quite a tale it was, given the fact that the man who tried to sell the pearl ended up with his house burned down, and killing the ones who actually wanted the item.

Are you prepared to die OP? Are you?

This is actually a psychological principle known as the “door in the face” phenomenon

Lmfao you evil genius

This is my strategy for any 2nd hand buying/selling site so I can resell the stuff r/flipping

that only works on desperate people. which is pathetic on your end

Another idea is to agree on a price over email and then bring like 50 bucks less than you agreed on and they'll usually be desperate enough to make that deal