Should PSers comment on prices?

[MissStepcut]

Specifically on items advertised in the new "Preloved PS Jewels" section.

I could certainly see it both ways.

 

[Maisie]

If someone is selling something they are entitled to ask whatever sum they like. They may not sell it at that price, if its overpriced nobody will be interested. I think they will figure out pretty quickly that they need to amend the pricetag.

Should it be pointed out to them? I don't think so. Especially if they are well informed about diamonds and know what the full asking price would be.

 

[Skippy123]

If someone is selling something they are entitled to ask whatever sum they like. They may not sell it at that price, if its overpriced nobody will be interested. I think they will figure out pretty quickly that they need to amend the pricetag.

Should it be pointed out to them? I don't think so. Especially if they are well informed about diamonds and know what the full asking price would be.

I agree with this. If people comment on prices then there may be arguing. I don't see the point in it and I rather see that section stay as it is a privilege to have it and they can yank it anytime if things get heated there. Unless you are serious about purchasing something, then msg them the price you would like; the worst they can say is no.

eta: okay I see what you are talking about; like when something is extremely close to retail price. gotcha
I guess if there is no chance for an upgrade and just a slim discount I can see how people might comment? because there isn't much of a benefit to the consumer. I don't know though; I rather people don't so we can keep that subforum.

 

[missy]

Since this is a consumer forum I can see why people feel they have a right and maybe almost an obligation to comment if they feel something is not *right*. However, knowing the specifics of the situation we are discussing here I do feel quite badly for the seller as she is selling to help a family member who needs surgery.

So I definitely see both sides and remember, not everyone here is as savvy when it comes to pricing as others and that is one of the reasons PS exists. To protect consumers and make sure they get the most bang for their buck so to speak. I refrained from posting in that thread as I really feel for the OP and think that some of the comments might have been overly harsh. There is no absolute right/wrong answer here but it is helpful to see what others thing re pricing on these items to make sure they are getting a *fair* deal. Of course, fair is subjective as that does depend on what the market (PSers) will bear.

 

[makemepretty]

We're here to help each other. Resale of a used item at 10% off original price is ridiculous but I wasn't going to post that, I'm glad someone else did though so that a newbie doesn't get suckered. I honestly lost any respect I had for the seasoned pricescoper though. When I saw the ad on DB, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Owning something first does NOT make it worth more but it seemed that was their main selling point. I thought "shame on them". Here we're always telling someone not to over pay and they were in my eyes, price gouging.

 

[Mayk]

We're here to help each other. Resale of a used item at 10% off original price is ridiculous but I wasn't going to post that, I'm glad someone else did though so that a newbie doesn't get suckered. I honestly lost any respect I had for the seasoned pricescoper though. When I saw the ad on DB, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Owning something first does NOT make it worth more but it seemed that was their main selling point. I thought "shame on them". Here we're always telling someone not to over pay and they were in my eyes, price gouging.

What she said....

 

[Lula]

I think many people read about the recent "success" stories where PS'ers have sold their stones for more than they purchased them for, and this may have created some unrealistic expectations. In my experience with buying and selling on the secondary jewelry market, especially among people who know what they are doing, the expectation is that price is negotiable. Anyone selling on the secondary market learns pretty quickly that people are shopping there in search of deals.

That said, I do think that the comments on that thread were overly harsh. I think that it is perfectly okay to make an offer for a lower amount (privately) and I think it's also okay to comment publicly on the thread something to the effect of, "nice [item], but out of my price range."

I don't think the harsh comments do anything to help newbies either. The pre-loved forum isn't Tiffany's, but I'm not sure we want it to become the equivalent of Filene's Basement either, which I think would be a real turnoff for newbies.

If people want to discuss the fairness, ethics, morality - whatever -- of the price of a specific item listed, then do it in a separate thread, not in the poster's listing thread.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

We're here to help each other. Resale of a used item at 10% off original price is ridiculous but I wasn't going to post that, I'm glad someone else did though so that a newbie doesn't get suckered. I honestly lost any respect I had for the seasoned pricescoper though. When I saw the ad on DB, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Owning something first does NOT make it worth more but it seemed that was their main selling point. I thought "shame on them". Here we're always telling someone not to over pay and they were in my eyes, price gouging.

Seriously?

She wasn't asking more than she paid for it, and she was VERY transparent about the pricing. How can I newbie get suckered when all the information is provided in black and white?

If you don't like the price don't buy it! It's pretty simple.

And FWIW, that ring is an absolute bargain for here in Perth. Today I saw a .50ct cushion for $4500. Just the stone, no setting, so IMO she isn't ripping anyone off.

And to answer the original OP, no people shouldn't comment if their post is just to be catty and not offer anything constructive which is all that particular comment was.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Let's just say that sometimes I think exactly what others are saying but decide it is best not to say it! The idea that anyone thinks they could get close to retail for a used setting is a stretch, as one example. I would not make an offer on something like that unless it was my dream ring and the exact thing I had been looking for. But as someone already said, people always find out when they have anything priced too high; they will get lower offers or no offers.

I will say there was another post regarding selling a stone that I had to withhold my thoughts because it had already been done. Sometimes you really want to speak up not to make people feel bad, but more for others so they don't make the same mistake!!!!

 

[Skippy123]

Let's just say that sometimes I think exactly what others are saying but decide it is best not to say it! The idea that anyone thinks they could get close to retail for a used setting is a stretch, as one example. I would not make an offer on something like that unless it was my dream ring and the exact thing I had been looking for. But as someone already said, people always find out when they have anything priced too high; they will get lower offers or no offers.

I will say there was another post regarding selling a stone that I had to withhold my thoughts because it had already been done. Sometimes you really want to speak up not to make people feel bad, but more for others so they don't make the same mistake!!!!

OH!!! I Never thought of it that way. That makes sense, especially if a newbie from Rocky Talk ventures that way. Okay maybe I change my mind on my answer but still it may be frustrating for our admin and mod? I rather keep that section issue free as it is nice to have that section on PS. Though I can see both sides.


ETA: I read some study where we value what we own at a higher price than it Would sell if it means a lot to us. I found that interesting, like we put value on the meaning it has for us which may be wrong to do?

 

[ame]

We're here to help each other. Resale of a used item at 10% off original price is ridiculous but I wasn't going to post that, I'm glad someone else did though so that a newbie doesn't get suckered. I honestly lost any respect I had for the seasoned pricescoper though. When I saw the ad on DB, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Owning something first does NOT make it worth more but it seemed that was their main selling point. I thought "shame on them". Here we're always telling someone not to over pay and they were in my eyes, price gouging.

What she said....

I also kind of agree with this. I don't know that I'd say I had lost respect for her, but I do think it's priced ridiculously high. I don't often go in that section, I don't have any need for any new bling.

 

[kelpie]

I think it's any one's right to ask for whatever price they want. The market will determine whether it sells and how fast. I think it's rude to comment in the the OPs thread that they are way off base unless it seems like they really don't know what the value should be like when I sold my DBTY necklace and got 18 emails clamouring for it but felt wrong raising the price. Sometimes it's good to get a sounding board to determine a fair price for everyone.

For what it's worth I believe the asking price is 10% off current prices which are probably close to double what they were when she bought it. But location is a factor too since diamonds cost way more is Aus and the duty has been paid.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yes, I also think the price was based on 10% off of current prices. I can see listing at 20% off of current prices on a desirable stone (AV's or ideal cut), but not on a setting unless it was something rather spectacular. If I sell my Leon setting, I would feel lucky to get half for it. Designer items such as Tiffany might also be sold at a higher price than non-branded. I would probably list my Legacy band at 20% off retail because that is the pricing I see for similar Tiffany items on ebay (not planning on that, though!).

I do think the input was to be helpful, but I think discussing pricing here for used items is a much better idea than on someone's thread.

 

[Haven]

I don't understand the purpose of the Preloved PS Jewels forum if we are not allowed to post comments about the price of the items for sale. I see a strong desire to protect our own here on PS, and I'm willing to bet that if a very new member posted a similar item at the same price, PSers wouldn't have thought twice about commenting on it honestly, and would have defended their comments when challenged by the newbie OP.

The conclusions that some posters' comments were "harsh" or "rude" are interpretations, of course, and I don't agree with those conclusions. To say that a price seems high might feel rude to someone who is emotionally attached to the item, I understand that and my heart goes out to the OP, who is a beloved PSer and surely a wonderful person. The fact that she felt comfortable sharing her current situation shows how wonderful this community is, and that she expected support from the community. I am not overlooking that. However, the fact is that this is a business transaction, like it or not, and loose as they may be, there *are* standards that can be used to determine whether the price of a secondhand stone is reasonable or not. We can offer our emotional support while also offering feedback about the price, itself.

I know that I can be quick to fly off the handle when I'm feeling fragile, and I certainly don't fault others for doing the same. But in the end, I hope the Preloved PS Jewels forum adheres to the same open discussion policies as the rest of the forum. Otherwise, I'm not really sure it has much value to anyone.

 

[Skippy123]

For what it's worth I believe the asking price is 10% off current prices which are probably close to double what they were when she bought it. But location is a factor too since diamonds cost way more is Aus and the duty has been paid.

I am wondering if the vendor DOES allow upgrades then would it be on the Original price the OP paid or the current Price?

eta: that makes sense Haven, maybe discussion should be allowed?

 

[ame]

We're here to help each other. Resale of a used item at 10% off original price is ridiculous but I wasn't going to post that, I'm glad someone else did though so that a newbie doesn't get suckered. I honestly lost any respect I had for the seasoned pricescoper though. When I saw the ad on DB, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Owning something first does NOT make it worth more but it seemed that was their main selling point. I thought "shame on them". Here we're always telling someone not to over pay and they were in my eyes, price gouging.

Seriously?

She wasn't asking more than she paid for it, and she was VERY transparent about the pricing. How can I newbie get suckered when all the information is provided in black and white?

That is not true. She IS asking more than she paid. She's asking 10% off the current price for that stone and she's had it for two years. Diamonds have gone up a lot more than 10% in two years!

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

For what it's worth I believe the asking price is 10% off current prices which are probably close to double what they were when she bought it. But location is a factor too since diamonds cost way more is Aus and the duty has been paid.

I am wondering if the vendor DOES allow upgrades then would it be on the Original price the OP paid or the current Price?

eta: that makes sense Haven, maybe discussion should be allowed?

Ok I see the point about it being 10% off current price, no original purchase price. I still don't feel that it is a 'ripoff' though. Retail diamond prices in AU are a rip off.

I'm not familiar with GOG policies but if it is similar to other vendors then the upgrade, buyback etc policies can not be passed on to the new owner.

 

[Haven]

Re: Price

I actually think we should use the stone's current value, not what the owner originally paid, to determine a "fair" asking price on the secondhand market. It doesn't matter what she paid, IMO, it matters what the stone is valued at *right now* in the market. I may have inherited a stone at birth in 1980, and thus paid nothing for it, but if I want to sell it in 2011 I'm going to use the 2011 value to determine my asking price. (This is a separate issue than the 10% off instead of 30% off issue, of course.)

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

We're here to help each other. Resale of a used item at 10% off original price is ridiculous but I wasn't going to post that, I'm glad someone else did though so that a newbie doesn't get suckered. I honestly lost any respect I had for the seasoned pricescoper though. When I saw the ad on DB, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Owning something first does NOT make it worth more but it seemed that was their main selling point. I thought "shame on them". Here we're always telling someone not to over pay and they were in my eyes, price gouging.

Seriously?

She wasn't asking more than she paid for it, and she was VERY transparent about the pricing. How can I newbie get suckered when all the information is provided in black and white?

That is not true. She IS asking more than she paid. She's asking 10% off the current price for that stone and she's had it for two years. Diamonds have gone up a lot more than 10% in two years!

See my above post.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Trade-in would be based on the original price it was purchased for by the seller if a trade-in would even be honored (and I don't think they should expect that anyway). But that is a non-issue in this case because someone would be nuts to do a trade-in on any stone that was bought from a PS vendor before a few months ago. They will do better selling on consignment (if prices stay as they are or go higher in the future). But if the buyer of a second hand item pays too close to list price, they aren't going to do well reselling in the near term, either. Bottom line in this case is that the buyer should only buy if they want this particular stone!

 

[Rhea]

Would there be duties on import to the US at that price?

I think we should use current diamond prices, not diamond prices from when the stone was bought, but it still seems high to me. It'd be ideal for someone located in Australia so they were saving the 10% off retail, plus the duty. I do think most other countries have duty and import taxes, US included, which negates any discount off the retail price.

 

[sillyberry]

If someone posted in a thread on Preloved asking "is this a good price?" would it then be fair to provide commentary or context?

I think the answer has to be "yes". People provide that type of guidance and advice on RockyTalky and I cannot see why it should be any different on Preloved. Consumer advocacy site, and all. This could benefit the seller ("yes, this is a great value!") or not ("sorry, but I really don't think this is a good deal for the second-hand market.").

Now as an unsolicited opinion? I suppose it is a closer call. On the one hand, I imagine that if vendors could post items for sale on RockyTalky people would feel no hesitation making comments on price. None whatsoever. My intuition leads me to believe that similarly preemptively commenting on price on Preloved is acceptable. Sure it may be frustrating to a seller, but I don't think those types of comments should be rationally viewed as hurtful.

I also don't appreciate being manipulated into silence, but that's another issue altogether.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

I would not have thought twice about her asking price if it wasn't for the fact that she pointed out exactly how much it costs new and that she's had it for two years (which means she bought it for a lot less). The intention was to show the buyer that they were buying an item under cost but what it really came across as is "I'm not taking a hit on this sale, in fact I may be making money while saving you $500!" For me it comes down to poor marketing skills on her part.

 

[vintagelover229]

I think she has every right to ask the price she was asking. It doesn't matter what she paid for it-the fact of the matter is she's selling it for funding for a particular purpose. She's not selling it to make a profit to buy another or bigger stone and she wouldn't be selling it if she didn't need it for this particular reason.

I don't think she should sell it at a loss of what she paid for it considering that no one could buy it for that price right now and since she won't be able to replace it for any where near what she got it for.


If you want to talk about crazy prices why not mention the DB who bought an OMC/OEC off ebay for 500.00 and then marked it up to 3k?
IMO that's way different than a branded "designer" signature stone that flies off the shelves before they are even cut that has insane import duties and a long wait for it to be set by a different vendor in a very nice setting.

IMO you can ask more since you ahd to put up with the wait and the duties. It may not be right for *some* buyers out there but that doesn't mean what she is asking isn't fair. It's more than fair.

Do I think people should comment on prices people are asking? Yes and no. Yes if the seller puts OBO and then someone comments they think it's a bit high and the seller says send me an email and we'll see if we can work something out.

To SOME people the 10% off isn't enough to get them to buy it. But it's 10% off with a setting without the wait of shipping it from vendor to vendor and waiting for the right stone. The ones of us who got the first batch of AVC waited over 2 months before we got our stone not including what she had to wait in order to get it-have it set AND to have it imported.


If I was only selling the stone to help out a family member and I knew I couldn't replace it for what I paid for it after waiting months and months to get it and diamond prices had increased by 50% or more by the time selling came around I 100% for sure would ask closer to todays market prices than what I paid for it 2 years ago. That's almost like expecting a vendor who gets a stone traded in on a upgrade to not re-sell it at current market value. It wouldn't happen.

 

[Amys Bling]

Re: Price

I actually think we should use the stone's current value, not what the owner originally paid, to determine a "fair" asking price on the secondhand market. It doesn't matter what she paid, IMO, it matters what the stone is valued at *right now* in the market. I may have inherited a stone at birth in 1980, and thus paid nothing for it, but if I want to sell it in 2011 I'm going to use the 2011 value to determine my asking price. (This is a separate issue than the 10% off instead of 30% off issue, of course.)

I have to agree with this logic since you explained it this way. A while ago a PSer bought a bag of mixed rocks/stones for I believe 200 and happened to find a good size asscher! Should they have to sell for 200 if current value is 3000???

 

[kenny]

Buyers want a low price.
Sellers want a high price.
This fact is as old as commerce.
Neither is being a monster.
IMHO we should leave buyers and sellers alone to negotiate in private and make no comments on price.

Seller X may have just lost her job, husband, house, health insurance, and is facing major surgery but she should not feel obligated to share those details with us to justify her asking price to the net nannies.
We have no business budding in on a private transaction.

Plus if the community pressures people to justify high price with a sob story a few sellers will just lie.
This mentality that we should police prices to keep PS chaste and pure is so problematic.

I have never posted a link to a sale on DB but did list a ring a year ago.
It never sold so my price was obviously too high, or maybe I needed a sob story.
Why it didn't sell is for me to figure out, not for me to be told by some busybodie.

It matters not if the seller paid full retail last week or got a KILLER deal 20 years ago, or inherited the diamond this morning and paid zero.
The value of something is based on today's value.
Imagine if you were buying a house and told the seller, "Oh but you only paid $50,000 for it in 1972 so you are ripping us off".

BTW since we may all be sellers now PS is no longer just a consumer site.

 

[sillyberry]

I don't think anyone is saying a seller shouldn't be able to list an items for whatever price he or she wants, for whatever reason they want. OF COURSE a seller has the right to ask whatever price he or she wants!!! Whether to use the money to donate to charity, deal with personal financial issues, or buy a pony, they can ask for whatever price they want. As a buyer, it genuinely doesn't matter to me WHY they are selling an item.

The question is whether the members of Pricescope had a right to comment on that listed price.

I don't view this as being about one specific incident. I view this as coming to a community consensus about the norms associated with listing items for sale here on this forum.

 

[Karl_K]

As a trade member now I have to be careful.

Personally I would love to see consumers being able to get 10%-15% back of current internet prices on diamonds.
After all the new value of the stone is today's price not last years. Assuming no damage or change in grading.
However settings are a very different matter today's value in a used setting is scrap price + any diamond value.
Anything over that is a gift.

As for commenting on value in a non-argumentative way I think it is fine.

 

[partgypsy]

I don't know why I thought this. I was looking at tvs at Craig's list, and someone was trying to sell a particular brand (used) tv for MORE than what is is currently selling for new. I almost felt like contacting the poster but didn't.

 

[kenny]

I don't know why I thought this. I was looking at tvs at Craig's list, and someone was trying to sell a particular brand (used) tv for MORE than what is is currently selling for new. I almost felt like contacting the poster but didn't.

I think it is because we ALL have a tendency to project OUR view of morality, values, and ethics onto others.
I struggle to resist this daily.
Unless a crime is being committed what others do is none of my business.