Undercutting bane or blessing: Do you do it?

[Deleted]

I notice a lot of threads complaining about undercutting. Its normally done by those who are being undercut. I only have a tiny bit of sympathy with them.
undercutting is a natural consequence of a competitive supply and demand system. There can be nothing wrong with selling your items cheaper than other people trying to sell the same. Competition means cheaper prices.

the crux of the complaint seems to be that intense competition means some people arent able to sell their goods and find it frustrating. Its possible to blame this on:

1. People who camp the ah. They put lots of time in checking to see they are the cheapest so they can make gold as one of the aspects of the game. Some people collect achievements, some raid, others like pvp and some find it fun to compete and make gold. My advice is either compete or find another niche where its less competitive or another strategy that bypasses your competitor.

2. If the addons werent so sophisticated and virtually automated, then the undercuting would be nowhere near as intense. I used to check with pen and paper, which required much more effort than clicking a single button. Addons make it more eficient and easier, but then addons mean more people compete. I wouldnt be sad to see TSM and other listing addons to be removed. I can live with it though. The AH is considerably dumbed down as well.

3. Competition wouldnt be as bad if there were less bods feeding everyone and his dog to do the shuffle. People are going to use the easiest way to make money and for most its by buying botted materials and then shuffling. All that happens here is the gold farmers make real money and players who gather are pushed out of their profession.

So before people complain about undercutting, then realise its just a natural consequence of how Blizzard has allowed the game to develop. That most of the people complaining do so because they are having done to them what they are trying to do to other people. They just arent as good.


FAOD I am not complaining about undercutting.
I should have clarified undercutting for the pruposes of this thread is the competitive sustained relisting of ah items.

[Jarg]

Of course I'm not, I'm crafting the gems and vendoring it, because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

[thalaeg]

I undercut all the time and when i buy i get the lowest price even if it's just 1 copper

[Deleted]

Undercutting is a consequence of the game development? Yeah right, it's a consequence of having a market. As for bane or blessing? Depends on how good you are with the auction house.

[Deleted]

Undercutting is a consequence of the game development? Yeah right, it's a consequence of having a market. As for bane or blessing? Depends on how good you are with the auction house.

Yes the state of undercutting as it is at the moment has a lot to do with how the game has developed. It wouldnt be as cuthroat without as it is because people wouldnt put the effort in.

[chazus]

Heaven forbid people who work for gold get gold.

Also, notably, most trade systems have software to track this stuff. Why should this be any different?

[Deleted]

Of course I'm not, I'm crafting the gems and vendoring it, because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

Me too. I only ever put things in the AH if no one else is selling.

Of course I undercut, and only ever by 1 copper.

[Deleted]

undercutting is a pita for anyone camping the ah. as it doesnt only lower your profit but also the undercutters. whenever i see anyone posting inferno rubies for 45g when the prize finally rose back up to 60+ i want to bite into my keyboard.
on the other side, if ppl wouldnt undercut significantly, they would never sell anything due to the ah campers.

[Deleted]

2. If the addons werent so sophisticated and virtually automated, then the undercuting would be nowhere near as intense. I used to check with pen and paper, which required much more effort than clicking a single button. Addons make it more eficient and easier, but then addons mean more people compete. I wouldnt be sad to see TSM and other listing addons to be removed. I can live with it though. The AH is considerably dumbed down as well.

There are currently 341 glyphs ingame. That number is likely to increase further in MoP.

Auctions last a maximum of 48 hours.

To post a glyph using the default UI, takes ~10 seconds - since you have to manually enter the price. That's roughly an hour of performing one of the most mind-numbing activities possible in game, every two days.

Better believe scribes would demand much higher prices for their glyphs.

[Solidhype]

undercutting is a pita for anyone camping the ah. as it doesnt only lower your profit but also the undercutters. whenever i see anyone posting inferno rubies for 45g when the prize finally rose back up to 60+ i want to bite into my keyboard.
on the other side, if ppl wouldnt undercut significantly, they would never sell anything due to the ah campers.

Think you nailed it right there.

End.


Besides, Undercutting is a PART of the whole system, you think only 1 person gets to sell anything at any given time? undercutting IS the Auction House.
But there's some people who go further than others, taking it personal etc.

I have this dude who got hung up on the rods, He have never been there until couple months ago then he was pissed people undercutting his Fel Iron rod to 50g, when he "totally" sells them for 500g, which may be true since the market isnt really big on those. But to eliminate this he just posts 10 rods, 500-100-70-60. etc until people get bored an just stops, this goes for all the rods, I was doing fine selling them for 200-250, but now he just came in and act like a selfish douche.

There's a difference in how you do the same things.

Of course I also undercut, how should I else put anything on the AH ? But only by 50s knowing anyone else can do the same within seconds.

[Vynistra]

If I'm selling something, I currently look at the lowest item (usually over a few days to try and eliminate someone from posting low as a decoy).
Then put it at usually a 20% undercut.
I'm not looking to make big profits, I don't want to have to keep reposting if stuff doesn't sell.
In my entire time playing, I've had probably 5 - 10 item expire (well unless it was a really strange item or guessed at a price).
But anything that normally sells like glyphs, gems, enchanting mats, etc usually sells within the first 12 hours for me.
Which works perfectly for me. If an AH camper buys it, reposts it and eventually sells it, good for them. I got what I wanted out of it.

[Nohara]

I have no problem with undercutting. Its the game of who is the smartest. nothing wrong with a timed undercut.

I do have a problem with idiot undercutting. Like undercutting with a insane percentage on items that will also sell on higher prices (belt buckles, potions, flasks) often with lots of stacks. But what i hate the most is idiots that mess up a chance to reset the price on a item. Just took the initiative of netherweave bags on my server. There were 30 bags left for less the 10g each, and less then 30 minutes left on AH timer. So I put on 12 bags to reset the price for more then double the gold, some idiot decides to put on 80 bags for at least 24 hours, undercutting the ones that had 30 minutes left with 10%. Bags will always sell, this guy just lost double the gold for himself and for all other bag sellers. Smart move......

[justret]

When I want to sell something, I try to sell it. What that means is I put the item in for a noticeable discount just to make sure it sells. That being said, I don't use the AH to make money, I don't have the time, or the motivation to do that. A buddy of mine had the right thought process though on this a while back, which doesn't get widely done because it's risky and takes a lot of time but: You want to corner a market, BUY the market out and make your own prices...If a gem is on sale for 45g but you want to sell it for 100g....BUY everything below 100g, re-post and babysit those auctions to make sure nobody gets below you. Like i said risky, but I watched him make 200,000g on one patch day. And he does it the first week of every content and pvp patch.

[Cowt]

I expect to be undercut on every auction I post.

What I don't like is people killing the market by undercutting far more than they have to.

[sophos1]

If you don't undercut, you will rarely ever sell anything.

[Joey Ray III]

always and always by 1 copper (that's all you need)

[doot]

I do have a problem with idiot undercutting. Like undercutting with a insane percentage on items that will also sell on higher prices

You sure he's an idiot for posting at the price he wanted? The value of time and objects to people is relative so if he wants to sell his belt buckles for five coppers let him. It is his business, don't like that it is affecting yours? Sorry, but that's the way the market works the people buying also decide what is a good buy for them.

[Babytaco]

The AH is very competitive. Undercutting is essential when making money. Personally, I only undercut by 1 copper every single time and it WORKS. I absolutely hate people who undercut by more than 5%. There's no point to it.

[Halabash]

buy low and sell high is the ticket right? Undercutting is a blessing because its the market that establishes the real value of an item not the merchant.

[stryfe1]

Undercutting others is simply one of a variety of tactics used to sell your goods on the AH. If you play the AH, then I imagine you do it. There are probably thousands of people on each server that don't play the auction house, but simply use it to occasionally buy or sell goods. For them, it will be bane or blessing. Blessing if they were a buyer and someone undercut a ton because they wanted a quick buck and could care less about other's feelings on how the AH "should be run". Bane if you are actually casually selling, and someone is constantly undercutting by 1c.

I'm not racing to 1 million gold, or riches that are pointless to keep hoarded. When I sell, I sell for quantity over price. The stuff I do while playing usually loads me with mats in certain areas. And you know what? I sell cheap because of that. I'll sell 20 netherweave bags at 8 gold because I really don't care you are selling 5 netherweave bags at 32g each. I just want my 160g, and don't really care that I lost a chance to sell them for 640g. I've got more enjoyable things to do in the game than relisting items and following long-term pricing strategies. I'll save that for IRL.