QuotedPartAnswers · Updated 2026-10-30
Should I send a high 'go away' quote instead of declining the job?
Price one of your own parts: Drop a STEP model or PDF drawing — about 90 seconds, no account.
Your part priced in about 90 seconds, no account.
Send a high quote only if you'd be happy to win at that price; otherwise decline politely. A "go away" price is a real offer, and a buyer who accepts it holds you to it. For a 10-piece aluminum bracket our pricing engine quotes $83.77 each and a cost of $64.44. Double it to $167.54 and a win earns $103.10 a part against $19.33 at the normal price: great if it happens and the work fits, and a headache if it doesn't. A two-line no-quote takes a minute and leaves the buyer with a good opinion of you.
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Why shops do it, and where it goes wrong
The appeal is easy to see: the job is a bad fit (a material you don't stock, a tolerance you don't like, a customer with a payment history), declining feels rude, and a high price "declines" without saying no. If the buyer goes away, nothing is lost. If the buyer says yes, you have a job you didn't want at a price that at least pays well.
The risks are real. A buyer who needs the part may accept, and a shop that quotes twice its normal price for a part it doesn't want may also be unprepared to run it well. A buyer may also compare your number to others and conclude your quotes are unreliable, or tell the next buyer. And a pattern of high quotes teaches the buyer that your numbers don't mean anything, so they ask for a lower one next time.
A decision rule
Ask one question: would I accept this job at this price? Then act on the answer.
| Situation | Send | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You'd happily make it at your normal price | Normal quote | That's the business |
| You'd make it, but only for a premium (a rush, a hard material, a chaotic customer) | Premium quote, with the reason on it | Honest: the premium is real and written down |
| You can't or won't make it (no capability, no capacity, a customer you won't work with) | Polite no-quote | Costs nothing, keeps the door open |
| The price would have to be absurd to be worth it | Polite no-quote | A fake price is a risk without a payoff |
Wording that works
"Thank you for sending this. We aren't able to quote it: [it needs a 5-axis we don't run / we can't hold the schedule / it's outside our capability]. We'd be glad to see other work. If it changes, send it again." Short, specific, no apology. A reason helps: a buyer who learns you don't do large castings will send you machining.
If you'd do the job at a premium, say what the premium is for: "Quote includes a rush surcharge of $X for a 5-day lead time" or "price reflects a minimum lot of 50 because of the setup." A buyer can accept an explained price, and an unexplained one just looks like a bad quote.
Time spent counts too. If a quote takes 90 minutes to prepare and you don't want the job, a no-quote in five minutes saves most of it. Decline early, before you spend the time.
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- Prices are from QuotedPart's pricing engine (US starting catalog, 30% markup, 10 brackets); the doubled price is an arithmetic illustration.
Questions
What if I really want them to go away?
Then decline. A price too high to win and a price that is a refusal are not the same thing, and the first may be accepted.
Is a premium quote the same thing?
No. A premium quote has a stated reason and you'd be willing to do the job at that price.
Price one of your own parts
Drop a PDF drawing or a STEP file. QuotedPart reads the print, measures the model and prices it in seconds, on default shop rates you can change.
Your STEP file or PDF drawingDrop a PDF drawing, a STEP file or both
Free. No account, no email. Priced at our default US rates until you set yours.
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