Petty Haggling Becomes Major Hassling

I had a spare refrigerator that I put up for sale on a few websites for 1000 kronor (~100$). I got a prospective buyer within minutes and there were a bunch of additional prospective buyers within the hour. I had written in the ad that I wouldn’t haggle, and I told the buyer in our chat that the price was fixed and non-negotiable.

He arrived with a trailer to pick it up and I helped him carry the awfully heavy fridge out from my garage into the driveway so he could have a look.

Buyer: “It’s really what I’ve been looking for. I’ll take it.” *He motions that we should load it onto the trailer.*

Me: *Not moving to load it.* “Great! That’ll be 1000 kronor.”

Buyer: “Yeah, about that… Can we say 500?”

Me: “No. It’s 1000, and I don’t want to haggle.”

Buyer: “Come on man, it’s not worth that much.”

Me: “Maybe, but I think it is. I really don’t want to haggle. I told you that the price was fixed.”

Buyer: “Yeah, but… Come on, I’m probably your only buyer. 500 is the best you’ll get.”

Me: “No, I have a good half-dozen in line that want to buy it. Please, stop trying to haggle.”

Buyer: “Bulls***, you’re lying about the other buyers! But, can we say 750? It’s the highest I’ll go.”

Me: “No.”

Buyer: “Stop being so difficult!”

Me: *Leaning closer.* “You know what? Just for you buddy. 1200.”

Buyer: “What?”

Me: “1200! That is my final offer.”

Buyer: “Did you just raise the price?”

Me: “Yes. 1200.”

Buyer: “Fine, I get it. I take it for 1000.”

Me: “The price is 1200 now.”

Buyer: “What the f***? That’s the pettiest s*** I’ve heard.”

Me: “Probably, but I hate haggling. If that makes you think I’m petty, then so be it.”

Buyer: “You’re a d***! 1000 was the agreed-upon price! This is illegal!”

Me: “It really isn’t. I can set the price to 1200 since I am the seller, and I can sell it for whatever I want. If I decide that the price is a handful of shiny beads, the mummified corpse of Ingvar Kamprad, and five Ave Maria, then that is what goes. And, now I refuse the f***ing sale since you’ve insulted me one time too many. Go away!”

The guy shouted a bunch of profanities, got in his car, and drove away so quickly that he left his shadow on the driveway. The next buyer was there within an hour to pick it up, and he paid the full 1000 kronor.

Was I petty? Probably yes. Did it feel good? Definitively yes.

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