VB or VHB. Every German who has sold a bicycle or a sofa through classified ads knows the letters. They stand for Verhandlungsbasis, basis for negotiation. A seller who writes “100 Euro VB” announces that the price is open. One who writes Festpreis, fixed price, announces that it is not. The tech magazine GIGA tells buyers that sellers will often go down 10 to 25 percent from a VB price. It also warns them not to offer five euros and a bar of chocolate for an item at 100 euros.
The price law for businesses has a matching rule. A trader must state the total price, and may add a note that he is willing to negotiate. The note is allowed only where it matches die allgemeine Verkehrsauffassung, the general view of what is customary.