Indeed, this not only damages the credibility of the GA offering such a ridiculous amount, it also harms the VDB process.

Many, many flyers are not willing to even consider the VDB process, and think it's a hassle. I point out to coworkers all the time, that damage can often be minimal (a couple of hours, you still make your meeting, that sort of thing), but they can't be bothered.

Offering a trivial amount for a VDB like this reinforces that opinion. Further, people may not pay attention to announcements if they sound frivolous. If the GA needs to go higher to get their vols, some may already be on the plane due to the earlier low offer, making them more difficult to remove.

Sure, a low amount works at times, but the net cost long-term may actually be much higher.