Please fix constant undercutting & with multiple retainers

[Jinko]

I just use a scorched earth policy myself. But im not exactly like other people and have a huge bankroll to bounce pricing all over the place and keep competition levels artificially low. Undercut me by 1g, 500g, 1k etc?... I undercut by 10s of thousands at a time in return.

And you think you are the only one ?

You are creating your own problems (and everyone else's), but good luck with that.

[Lyrinn]

You are creating your own problems (and everyone else's), but good luck with that.

It's not as bad as you'd think. You would have to try it (and have the means to maintain it) to see what happens, but depending on the item(s) in question and the amount of competition you have, you essentially get a rubberbanding effect where prices start high, drop to near no profit over some time interval, and then bounce back up. It's a long game of patience where the reward is a monopoly over said item(s) if you succeed in driving off competitors. Most people simply don't have the capital or determination to sell 5 items in a row for virtually no profit. It's dirty ... but it works, if you have absolutely no care for the economy as a whole.

[Palian]

As mentioned above you can't buy and sell those items for a profit because the supply far outreaches the demand and you also have to account for tax on top of that.

Wouldn't that indicate that even the undercut price is still too high?

It's a long game of patience where the reward is a monopoly over said item(s) if you succeed in driving off competitors. Most people simply don't have the capital or determination to sell 5 items in a row for virtually no profit. It's dirty ... but it works, if you have absolutely no care for the economy as a whole.

That might work, but unlike in RL, it's not a stable monopoly because in game, there are no entrance barriers (in form of upfront costs like machinery etc.) to get back in the market, if it seems profitable.

[Jinko]

Wouldn't that indicate that even the undercut price is still too high?

No it would indicate that there are way too many of those items on the market due to ease of access/gathering.

[Isus]

No it would indicate that there are way too many of those items on the market due to ease of access/gathering.

Which decreases the value of the item...which then makes the listed price too high....

[ponokiyo]

I know how frustrating it can feel to not be paid commensurate to your perceived value of an item.

Reasons for undercutting:

1. Quick $ with lower profit margin.
2. A byproduct of which they have no attached value to.
3. "Dumping"

IF you are really adamant that you want this particular market, the best way to handle the situation is to control the market with your gil. Purchase and flip for a profit. That way, you both earn a profit on your own terms.

Consider how you got into your market in the first place. Probably through a method not so different from the undercutter you are complaining about -- competition. If you and fellow sellers of the same market are not very competitive and sell at the relatively same price, then you guys are operating way worse than the under cutter, which is collusion through price fixing.