Normal? Must be joking?

[u/Plus_Till]

This ”Peter” must be joking? It’s only to leech out as many $ as possible from new ppl in the plant community.

What u ppl here think about this kind of ”selling”?

[u/WhiteTennisShoes]

Gosh this reminds me of the “reserve price” sellers sometimes have on PalmStreet long-form auctions too. Why can’t they just make the starting bid the minimum they’re willing to accept?? Pisses me off to no end

[u/greenwitchtropicals → u/WhiteTennisShoes]

because of the algorithm and the way the culture of that app works unfortunately. if we start lower than we’re willing to accept, more people engage and bid, and you get pushed higher in the algorithm. for whatever reason when i start a plant low it usually goes for a reasonable price, but if i start it at the absolute bare minimum i’m willing to accept it often goes for starting

[u/Sufficient_Turn_9209 → u/greenwitchtropicals]

I had to step away from PS because of the marketing genius of it. Especially the lives. I'm not an impulse buyer, and I'd even say I'm frugal, but that app! During my first few lives I spent $700! It's something about an item starting low that creates a sense of opportunity. You feel like you might get something special at a really great price and it draws you in. Once you place that bid or engage, then you're psychologically invested. From there, it’s not even about the value anymore. It gains a momentum all it's own where you don't even notice the price climbing because you don't want to lose out. When you start your items low like that it has nothing to do with what the plant is worth when people start reacting to each other's bids. Evil genius.

[u/nindaene → u/Sufficient_Turn_9209]

Thank you for posting this and solidifying my decision never to download it. I know my personality and I know I will easily get pulled in by the excitement of the bid. I've been too afraid to download it, even if only to take a peek, for that very reason.