I think I pissed off a buyer today.

I went to a local e-scrap buyer today with 200 DVD CPU players (no boards), 50 A driuve (no boards), 75 power supplies (no wires) and 4misc electronic devices. I got paid $4 for a 35 inch flat screen tv (broken), $3 all in one pc, .15/lb power supplies, .015/lb shred, misc electronics and docking stations. A penny and half for docking stations fully intact.
Anyways I am filling a box with my scrap DVD CPU players at my local ewaste shop when the owners' son came out to see what I am selling. He grabs a DVD carcass and says I will be right back. I continue to unload when I see him returning with his dad (owner) carrying the DVD carcass. 1st thing he says are we're the boards. I replied that I removed them and he kept telling me that he was a process facility that he really couldn't do anything with the shred. Ok I twisted his arm and will get .015/lb. he then asked why I wasn't selling to him and I replied that you don't pay well enough. He wanted to know where I sold. After that conservation he walked away not very happy.

I made almost $50 for that trip.

As the times get tougher, some of the buyers seem to get a little more high-strung. This is hurting everyone including them, so I can see why they get worried.

You have to do what's best for you, though. It's just business....

then the buyer needs to be clearer on what he will take and not take. if he doesn't want the lower end stuff, then just do not pay for it...simple. He can also not purchase the DVD carcasses WITHOUT the boards attached....again simple.

this is all about the buyer having to adapt to the changing business market (it's volatility) just like a regular scrapyard. Adapt or die...ask the dinosaurs (well, we will leave out the meteor strike, but you get the point).

the old saying works here..."it isn't personal, it just business" in reference to where you are selling different items. my guys have asked about my cpu, motherboards and other higher end items...I casually mention the prices I get (from a buyer here I might add) and they just go "Oh WOW" and that is that. I am in the business for ME...I can't sell at a significant loss, because your business model didn't take into account the downturn in the markets.

Whoa.. before anyone jumps Rolly.. he has the right to sell WHAT he wants to WHO he wants to maximize his profits!

My local buyer doesn't complain when I sell him certain things and not another. He asked me once if I ever get HD boards? I said Sure.. he asked me why I didn't bring them local.. and I informed him of the price I was getting shipping them.. He said "Man.. wish I got that price".. he didn't get MAD.. he actually is now starting a relationship with that buyer to sell some items himself!

I get exhausted with yards, buyers etc that think that you should sell EVERYTHING to them.. as long as you play by their rules.. they have no right to complain.. getting mad at your seller who is helping to feed your a$$ isn't going to help you anywhere down the road!

When I am asked who I sell to my answer is a very respectful "I don't share that information with anyone because that's how I make a profit". I have always gotten positive response. They are in business to make money and should expect you to as well.

I do have one supplier who seems to not like the idea I make much at all from his material. Of course I don't share any substantive information with him. I don't fear him or others becoming competitors of mine but I do have concerns he will try to squeeze me harder on price.

Always be prepared to walk away from a deal. Mike

My business is just that "MY BUSINESS", details about how, who, what, and when is almost always guarded by me for a reason, I'm in business to provide for my family and myself. I conduct myself professionally and ethically, I don't intentionally deceive anybody. I also don't "SPOON FEED" anyone, with sources, information or methods, as I have worked hard for everything!

Now hold on here. E-Waste to me = boards. Correct? Isn't that pretty much what all the E-Waste buyers on here are after? N ot steel/shred. So, not sure why the OP is upset they might have ticked off and E-Waste buyer when you basically sold him, uh, non E-Waste?

E-Waste is technically anything and everything computer and electronic related and so may contain metal, plastic, rubber, etc.. and covers towers, laptops, cd drives, floppy drives, mice, keyboards, memory, cpus, etc..

Originally Posted by newattitude

Now hold on here. E-Waste to me = boards. Correct? Isn't that pretty much what all the E-Waste buyers on here are after? N ot steel/shred. So, not sure why the OP is upset they might have ticked off and E-Waste buyer when you basically sold him, uh, non E-Waste?

doesn't matter..if he has it on his buy list, it is fair game. I have never seen anyone say "you can sell me your wire or cases but only if you have 20 pounds of motherboards". Again, the buyer set what he will buy and his prices...not your place to do anything but sell to him and collect your money. If he doesn't want or can't make money on shred, then take it off your list.

He quoted me a price. Whether he low balled me or not. He said he would buy shred at a penny and a half. Sure it sucked but it was shred and he [B]bought[B] it. He buys white plastic at .12/lb and black at .08/lb. Each of those drives had plastic that were ABS plastic. Sort it out at your "sorting facility" I could of easily went to PSC metal in town and got .05/lb for shred. But I didn't, I gave him the business of the shred. I am sure his buyer pays a lot more for his shred. I see people bring in refrigerators, dryers and washers, electric wheeler chairs and no one is turned away. If they say that can't buy it, they always offer to recycle it for free. A lot of people just give up and leave it. He's making a lot of free money.

This is turning out to be a really tough commodities market and everyone is fighting hard to stay a float. Every time I am on this website you can always find a current article on how to break down material better, find a better way to sell or use some way to make more money. We all do it. If we didn't no one would use this website. Everyone is right, business is business. The thing that pissed me off is that my buyer seemed agitated that I wasn't selling my high grade boards to him. He expects that I am just going to sell everything to him. Maybe no one has done that to him.

Next week should be fun. I have two gaylords full of low grade boards that I broke off copper and aluminum. should be a fun time again.

Originally Posted by acain

"he kept telling me he really couldnt do anything with the shred" To me its a little confusing. Did he meen he didnt want it, or did he meen, "Im not paying e-scrap prices for it" ? Also, if he took something in the back to ask his father about it, mabye he's not very experianced at the buisness, and it might be a good idea to deal directly with the owner when possible? Just thinking. What Im really wondering is this.. If I pull into a yard with fifty cpu's, thats e-scrap... but if I yank the guts out first.. I have a load of metal. How can it still be e-scrap without the "E" ? The yard i go to pays so much per lb for batteries. If I cut the top off of a car battery and take the insides out, they certainly wont take it ... its not a battery any more. Its just plastic. Before I got throat cancer I was an auctioneer. I had a big store, and Ive bought and sold everything from antiques to appliances, tools, furniture, ect ect ect.. One thing for certain in that type of buisness is, the other guy is always out to beat you. I dont have to like a person to make money off of them, nor do I have to make them happy every time.

I understand what you're saying however if you take the motherboard out of a desktop or tower and leave everything else in there, it's still E-Waste. Such in the case Rolly said he removed the boards only, leaving everything else therefore their still considered E-Waste. Sounds like the guy wanted a bunch of working cd drives and got iffy when they weren't what he wanted. I just had a game returned to me because the buyer thought the cover of Xenosaga 3 was too risque(Is Xenosaga really that bad?).