How to lowball on Facebook Marketplace without getting ignored.
A good lowball isn't rude. It's a specific, believable offer from someone ready to pick up today, with a number you worked out before you sent it.
Know your ceiling before you type
Every lowball starts with one number: the most you'll pay and still make the profit you want. Work it out before the conversation, so the seller's counter doesn't talk you into a bad buy.
- Realistic resale price. Use recent sold prices for the same model and condition, not asking prices.
- Minus selling costs. Platform fees, payment fees, shipping and packing, or your time and gas for a local sale.
- Minus repairs and extras. A missing charger, a cracked case, a service.
- Minus your profit target. A fixed dollar amount or a return on your cost, whichever you use.
What's left is your ceiling. The lowball offer calculator works this out, along with an opening offer that leaves room to move.
What to say
Sellers of anything desirable get a flood of “Is this still available?” messages. Offers that get answered usually share four things: they're specific, polite, fast to accept, and give a reason for the number.
Example opener: “Hi! Is the PS5 still available? I can do $300 cash and pick up today after 5 in Cape Coral.”
Example with a reason: “Hi, interested in the MacBook. Since the battery's at 78% and there's no charger, would you take $380? I can come by tonight.”
- Lead with the number. A vague “what's your lowest?” invites the seller to name the price.
- Anchor with facts from the listing. Condition notes, missing accessories, and older models are fair reasons. Made-up “I saw it cheaper” claims tend to backfire.
- Make yes easy. Cash, a pickup time, and a location near them.
- Keep it short. Sellers read these on their phones.
Handling the counter
Most useful lowballs get a counter, not a yes. Decide your moves in advance:
- Counter below your ceiling: accept, or meet in the middle once if there's still room.
- Counter above your ceiling: say your final number politely. “I can do $340 max, no worries if not!” keeps the door open.
- No reply: one friendly follow-up later is fine. Repeated nudges rarely help.
- Price drop later: sellers often come back or drop the price after a few days.
Three or so back-and-forths is usually enough to find out if there's a deal. Endless haggling costs more time than it saves.
When not to lowball
- The listing is already well under market and fresh. Offer asking (or close to it) and pick up quickly before someone else does.
- The seller wrote “firm” and the price already works for you.
- You can't show up quickly. An accepted offer you can't collect wastes everyone's time.
Doing it at scale
If you're working several searches, speed and consistency matter more than perfect wording. Pounce's Auto-lowball can make an offer on otherwise-approved listings priced up to 33% above your normal buy target. You set a lowball ROI target (or a target price for manual searches), and that's a hard limit, not a suggestion. Pounce negotiates for up to three replies, then flags accepted offers, workable counters, and anything that needs you.
New setups default to 20 new conversations per account per day, shared between Auto-message and Auto-lowball, with messaging hours and radius you control. Seller acceptance and profit aren't guaranteed, and you still handle pickup and payment. Lowballing in the Docs.
Staying safe while you negotiate
- Meet in public, well-lit places, or at police-station exchange zones where available.
- Inspect and test before paying. For phones, check the IMEI and that iCloud or Google locks are removed.
- Be wary of sellers who push for deposits, shipping-only deals on local items, or payment methods without buyer protection.
Common questions
How much should I lowball on Facebook Marketplace?
Work back from what the item will actually sell for, minus fees, shipping, and travel, then subtract the profit you need. That's your ceiling. Open somewhat below it so you have room to meet a counter. The lowball offer calculator does the arithmetic.
Is lowballing on Marketplace rude?
It can be when it's vague or insulting. A short, polite message with a specific number, a reason, and a pickup time usually gets a reply, even when the answer is no.
Should I message first or offer first?
On fresh listings, confirming it's available and making an offer in the same message saves a round trip. Sellers of popular items get many “Is this available?” messages; one with a number and a pickup time stands out.
Can software lowball for me?
Pounce's Auto-lowball can send an offer on listings priced up to 33% above your normal buy target, then negotiate for up to three replies within the limit you set before handing the conversation back to you. You still arrange pickup and payment.