How to Tell Someone You Don’t Want to Buy Something Anymore in an Email

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When making a transaction online, you may find that you no longer want to purchase something midway through negotiations. This can be awkward if you don’t know how to address it.

To tell someone you don’t want to buy something anymore in an email, consider opening with a simple, direct statement of disinterest. Follow this with a clear reason and thank the seller for their time.

Here’s how to tell someone you don’t want to buy something anymore in an email.

How to Tell Someone You Don’t Want to Buy Something Anymore in an Email

An email like this is often called a denial of sale or transaction cancellation email. It’s not the same as requesting a refund; that would happen only after you finished purchasing an item or service in the first place.

To start this email, make the subject clear. Open with a polite greeting, but don’t add fluff; simply state your intention to stop the sale and your reason. You can leave your reason relatively vague – such as stating a change in circumstances – or note a particular point – such as an inability to agree on a price or the presence of a better offer. Either way, try to include something the seller can reference.

After this, you should always thank the seller for the time they spent on the interaction and wish them luck in selling their product or service to another customer.

As a note, if you are cancelling your transaction because of a fault with the product or service, you should be very clear about this. It may be that the seller is unaware of the defect and will want to resolve it before approaching another customer. If they’re being intentionally deceitful, having a written record of the flaw can be helpful if you need to report them to an authority.

Denial of Sale Email Template

Here’s what a denial of sale email might look like. Go ahead and adjust it to match your needs if you use it.

SUBJECT: [Product/Service] – No Longer Interested

Hello [Name],

I am no longer interested in purchasing your [Product/Service]. This is because of [Reason, add details]. As such, I will not be proceeding with the transaction.

I appreciate your effort, and thank you for your time, and I wish you luck in future sales.

Regards,

[Name]

This is what that might look like filled in.

SUBJECT: Table – No Longer Interested

Hello Jason,

I am no longer interested in purchasing the table you listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace. This is because I noticed a large scratch along the middle of the surface and when I assessed it in person, noticed it was not properly balanced. As such, I will not be proceeding with the transaction.

I appreciate your effort and thank you for your time, and I wish you luck on future sales.

Regards,

Piper

In all instances, you’ll want to be calm, polite, and professional in your writing. Missing out on a sale is disappointing, and even more so when you are not at fault. Try not to lay blame even if you have clear evidence that the transaction is misleading or misinformed.

As mentioned, if the seller is being intentionally deceitful, alert them that you will not be purchasing from them, then immediately publicly report them for their activity. You can do this through the help center of most online retail services, or by leaving a public review of their business on sites like Google or the Better Business Bureau. Only do this if you are certain they are being malicious.

 

Conor
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