I let a customer talk me into lowering my price and it backfired on both of us

Had a guy at a flea market in Austin last weekend offer me $40 for a vintage lamp I had listed at $60. He was super nice, talked about his mom having one just like it, so I caved. He paid, walked away happy. Two hours later he comes back furious saying it was broken. I checked it, the plug was just loose, 5 minute fix. But he wanted his money back and I had already spent $20 on lunch. Should have stuck to my price. Anyone else had a discount deal turn into a headache?

2 comments

2 Comments

victorb171mo ago

That part about him coming back furious is telling. Did you happen to notice if the plug was already loose when you sold it to him, or do you think he might have messed with it trying to get a refund? I've had buyers pull little tricks like that before, yanking on cords or claiming a scratch wasn't there when I know I checked it good before they left. Makes you wonder if the story about his mom was just part of the act to get the lower price.

nina_jenkins1mo ago

Two hours later he comes back furious saying it was broken" - yeah, that's the part that gets me. People act like you're trying to scam them when something minor goes wrong on a used item they got a deal on. I've had that exact same thing happen with tools I've sold at swap meets. You knock ten bucks off and suddenly they think you knew there was a problem. But here's the thing - a loose plug is nothing, and him blowing up over $40 says more about him than it does about you. Next time just stick to your price, even if they seem nice. It saves both of you the headache of a weird return window too.