Now of course, I’m not generalizing but I do want to make it clear that yes, end users frequently lie. You can call it distorting the truth, you can call it something else if you consider the term “lie” too strong but I for one do not.

Examples:

• The “student” who says he needs your domain for a school project that’s not actually a student but a businessman playing the “student” card to convince you to give him a discount
• The “I’m on a shoestring budget” guy who is actually very well-funded.
• The “Your domain isn’t even that good” guy who bashes your domain despite the fact that he obviously liked it enough to go through the trouble of contacting you.
• The “I have to make a decision soon” guy who is actually under no such pressure.

… the list could go on and on.

The bottom line is this: don’t assume that absolutely everything end users tell you is 100% true. A lot of times, end users lie because in their opinion, such an approach will help them secure the domain they’re after at a lower price.

If that’s the strategy they want to choose, there’s little you as a domainer can do about it. Just know that when it comes to negotiations, you should think not twice but ten times before believing something.

Should you call them out by saying “I don’t believe any of this” or something along those lines? Well, I for one would advise against this, as the chances of such an approach generating a useless back-and-forth discussion are high. Just focus on the sale and on your goals when it comes to it, be polite and adopt the negotiation strategy you consider appropriate for that specific situation.