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Do you bargain at retail stores?
- Thread starter Doctor Q
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I always try to have a bargain with stores for high value items.
One thing I always keep in mind is that if I can't get any money off, I'll try to get something 'extrat' of the same value as the money I want off for free. I keep in mind the cost to them of that 'extra' is far less than the cost to me at retail.
I also subtely let them know that I know who else sells the product locally, and that I'll be headed there next if I don't get the deal here.
One thing I always keep in mind is that if I can't get any money off, I'll try to get something 'extrat' of the same value as the money I want off for free. I keep in mind the cost to them of that 'extra' is far less than the cost to me at retail.
I also subtely let them know that I know who else sells the product locally, and that I'll be headed there next if I don't get the deal here.
I wish you luck, a gun and a ski-mask.generik said:Ok I am going to try to do that for a MBP at the local Applecentre, I think a MBP is only worth $1500, wish me luck!
We just got estimates for some mini-blinds for the house. The price quote form the company we liked best was for a few hundred dollars. Instead of telling them OK, we said that we are a returning customer so we should get a discount. They said ok and took off $50!
Now that I see what these "counteroffer" superpowers can do, I'm gonna go right down to the bank and see if I can talk the ATM into giving me some extra cash with my withdrawal!
Now that I see what these "counteroffer" superpowers can do, I'm gonna go right down to the bank and see if I can talk the ATM into giving me some extra cash with my withdrawal!
Moving into my first apartment, I had to do some furnishing. I was a good shopper, shopped around, and found a good deal, and bought it. I was very eager to by as sitting on the floor is no fun. I still feel I got a good deal, however the other day I was out shopping with my parents, who wanted help me out with a few things for the new place, and found that negotiating is rather simple.
We ended up getting about 15% knocked off some small furniture items with a simple asking of, is this the best price you can do? I think it really depends on the place, product, and people.
I know even working retail, I certainly go out of my way to find coupons and adjust prices where I can for the customers I see coming in often.
We ended up getting about 15% knocked off some small furniture items with a simple asking of, is this the best price you can do? I think it really depends on the place, product, and people.
I know even working retail, I certainly go out of my way to find coupons and adjust prices where I can for the customers I see coming in often.
The most important tool in bargaining is being prepared to walk. You not only have to be prepared to walk, the salesperson has to know you are -- a good salesperson knows the look of desire. And if you don't get the price you want, do the walk. I've walked out of innumerable car dealerships that weren't willing to discuss price honestly.
Incidentally, from hard experience I've learned that it does zero good to know dealer cost on a car. This has no bearing on whether you get the car for the best price. Car dealers get all sorts of incentives and hold-backs from the manufacturers, and they change frequently. Comparison shopping is the only way to get the best price, and you have to compare prices for the exact same car over a relative short period of time. Any deviations, and you have no idea.
Incidentally, from hard experience I've learned that it does zero good to know dealer cost on a car. This has no bearing on whether you get the car for the best price. Car dealers get all sorts of incentives and hold-backs from the manufacturers, and they change frequently. Comparison shopping is the only way to get the best price, and you have to compare prices for the exact same car over a relative short period of time. Any deviations, and you have no idea.
You are such a geek.Doctor Q said:
Like we didn't know that already though.
When I got a car just over a month ago, the dealer did all the haggling necessary. The best time to go is when they need to make room on a small lot for new models. I ended up paying about $1500-2000 under what most people did on it.
God, I used to work in Halfords (a retail car parts/cycle store) people used to try to haggle with us all the time over everything from Sat Nav units to air fresheners, bikes to brake pads. It was seriously annoying, most of the people that tried to haggle struck me as grade A dicks. Why would I give you something for cheap if you're an arsehole to me? If a customer was extremely nice, I'd give them things I wasn't supposed to, but never if they asked.
"I wants don't get"
"I wants don't get"
I can so relate to that feeling. Like most people, I will haggle over the price of a car, but I've never tried to do so for other items. We bought some new furniture back in January and it never occurred to me to try to negotiate a lower price -- we were just happy that we'd bought it on "sale".Doctor Q said:
Well, I don't know the statistics about female ones, but my mom is a serious haggler. I once saw her haggling about the price of a pencil at mom and pop stationary store. This was no fancy pencil, either. Just a cheap pencil. Now, that felt embarassing.Kwyjibo said:
I try to negotiate for large ticket items as well, but there are few stores in the US where you can actually do it. Who do you negotiate with at IKEA? That pretty much leaves cars and mechanics. Of course, if you go the mechanic with a dead battery, he does not give you a good deal on a new one. What am I gonna do if I refuse his price, ask for a jump so that I can drive to the next store?
In any case, I don't enjoy negotiating. I'd rather search for low prices on the internet and shop online or at a large retailer with the lowest price for that particular item.
Rather than haggle with a car dealer themselves, some people hire "car buyers" to get them a good deal, but I don't know much about what these people actually do. Are they great hagglers who argue for a good price on your behalf, or are they simply middlemen (sorry, middlepeople) who have discount deals with car dealers? Has anybody used one of these services?
Doctor Q said:
I have, out of disgust with dealing with car salespeople who will lie right to your face and think you don't know. I bought two new cars using a broker. They generally deal directly with the fleet sales department. I don't know if I got the absolutely best possible deal on the cars this way, but it was headache-free, which counts for something. A lot, in fact!
I'm terrible at hagglig/bargaining so if I know I'm going to be purchasing something expensive, I'll take someone along who is good at it. They always manage to get a lower price or something free thrown in.
IJ Reilly said:
How much do you pay for that service? Is is a flat fee or a percentage of the price of the car?
rdowns said:
I agree you should never judge a customer by the way they dress. I work at a luxury retail store. A few of my best customers always dress casual. Most of them are so wealthy they do not care how they are dressed sometimes. Additionally, they could care less of what I think. As for young people, you never know if that young kid's dad is mayor, bank president, etc. Ok...we're getting a little of topic. I will stop rambling now.
WildCowboy said:
I'm sure it varies, but I paid a flat fee, around $150 I believe, but that was several years ago. I suspect the broker may also have received a kickback from the dealer. I also recall that the broker's fee was on a sliding scale -- higher for a more expensive car.
In the guitar world, almost everyone haggles the prices down; it's expected. I'd never pay retail for guitar stuff. Once you get to know the salespeople, it gets a lot easier.
I wouldn't try haggling at your average retail/department store: Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, JC Penny, Pier 1, etc. You'd probably be wasting your breath.
I wouldn't try haggling at your average retail/department store: Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, JC Penny, Pier 1, etc. You'd probably be wasting your breath.
As a Best Buy Canada employee, I get really annoyed when a customer tries to bargain, since we are a non-commission business.
However, if a customer is really nice or patient depending on the circumstances, I often throw in a USB printer cable (with a system purchase) for free... that's all we really can do, but hey it beats paying $30 friggin dollars for a $2 product.
However, if a customer is really nice or patient depending on the circumstances, I often throw in a USB printer cable (with a system purchase) for free... that's all we really can do, but hey it beats paying $30 friggin dollars for a $2 product.
Aha! If I dress up very nicely, they will assume I'm poor, feel sorry for me, and give me a huge discount!sushi said:
Doctor Q said:
I did. The sticker price on my car was around $13877 USD (I live in Australia and used the Conversion widget to get these prices), and the car broker got it for me for $12460. It's not an expensive car at all, and I really couldn't get a better price myself, despite starting a thread here and getting lots of tips about negotiating car prices.
It's still a good deal though. That's $1400 off a cheap car, and I had absolutely no headaches this way. The guy charged me $50 for this "negotiating" service, and gave me a price. If I liked the price and bought the car, he probably got money from the dealership I bought it from. That's fine. The people at the dealership treated me like every other customer, and not a second-rate customer who "went through the broker and paid less." which is fantastic. They even drove 40 minutes and delivered the car to my door!!
They brought 2 cars so that the guy who delivered my car to me had a way to get home.
i worked, with commission, at a store that got a lot of bargainers. I personally could not stand most bargainers! and a lot of time I did not tolerate them. No I'm not going to give you 30%-50% off this 1 item because you ask.. I'm making little enough as it is! Now don't get me wrong, if people are buying a bunch of items and spending a lot of money, I'll even shave some points off if they don't ask, so that they will come back and spend money with me, and I'll always do that with good customers or people who have shopped with me before. But don't come up and ask for a $500 item at $300 and expect me to give you the deal. or asking for a lower price on a sale item, that we are actually only making 5% on now. And asking to "speak with a manager" is basically telling the salesman he's not good at his job. Good luck getting any customer support from him, if its that kind of item you are buying.
to make a long story short, i'd say if the item is over $1000 10% is a respectable number to ask for as a discount. 20% is possible at some stores but don't ask for more. And if you want to get customer support form the salesman in the future, don't even ask.
to make a long story short, i'd say if the item is over $1000 10% is a respectable number to ask for as a discount. 20% is possible at some stores but don't ask for more. And if you want to get customer support form the salesman in the future, don't even ask.
I've only haggled once, when I bought my last car (a VW Golf) back in April. I had done some research on the web and had a web price that I could get through a broker. I went to the local dealer, had a test drive and sat down with the salesman. I said "I can get it for X on-line. Match that and you have a sale, otherwise I'm off."
I got the deal, the salesman got some commission and I got a very nice car a couple of weeks later.
I haven't dared haggle in a "normal" retail store yet.
I got the deal, the salesman got some commission and I got a very nice car a couple of weeks later.
I haven't dared haggle in a "normal" retail store yet.