It is a dead sure certainty that E*Trade did not offer to buy any shares of FFGO for a penny, as you state. How any kind of conversation on this matter could be twisted into that interpretation is a mystery. If the offer was for $ 0.0001 (or $ 0.00001, for that matter), you'd be well advised to take it. If you don't have too many shares, perhaps E*Trade is simply making the offer to close out the pointless discussion of the subject.