var json_comments = new Array("
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SteveZim1017
December 29, 2008 3:33 PM
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I HATE the whole notion of Haggling. Pain in the ass when buying a car, now I have to do it for my DVDs too?


Make it the same price for everyone, period. It would be so much easier for everyone.

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9 replies
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sicknick
December 29, 2008 10:37 PM
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@SteveZim1017: Glad to know I've got one less person out there trying to get a deal. Makes it easier for those of us willing to work a bit harder for it. I love haggling. Enough that when Verizon went to a 'no haggling' price policy, I left to go to At&T. That switch/haggle session got me a 200 dollar phone for 50 bucks that I turned around and sold for 350 on ebay to buy the smartphone I really wanted.

Two days ago I walked into Best Buy, happened to want the laptop that was on sale for 599.00 but they only had the floor model. Sales guy offered it to me for 550, but also mentioned it was scratched a bit as he unhooked it. I offered 525 and he agreed.

Haggling is awesome, and should be how everything is shopped for. If you're too lazy/unintelligent/shy to get a better price, ok, cool, you pay the sticker. If I'm smarter/willing to work for a better price, we should be able to get one.

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narayan1121
December 30, 2008 3:21 AM
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@sicknick: I really love when people ask, \"what price can I get?\" and I get to smile and say \"the price on the sticker.\" Average margins on flat-panel TVs have dropped from 40% to 13% in the last 18 months. If any of you think there's really that much room for them to drop further, you just don't know what you're talking about. But if you buy the service plan with 60% margin, then of course I'll take another 3% off your TV! As long as I get mine, you can get yours.

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Oranges w/ Cheese hates what Christmas has become
December 29, 2008 8:20 PM
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@SteveZim1017: Agreed. Make it a reasonable price for everyone, so everyone gets the fair price. Not some marked up greedy bullshit.

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floraposte
December 29, 2008 6:31 PM
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@SteveZim1017: It's not like it's required, though. I can't imagine that I'd save enough money by haggling on the meager electronics purchases I make for it to be worth the time--I'd gladly pay extra for a \"get out faster still\" feature, in fact.

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Traveshamockery
December 29, 2008 5:51 PM
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@SteveZim1017: Retailers accommodate for discounts when they set their \"normal\" prices. When you pay full price, you subsidize a discount for someone else.

I would much rather be the one getting the discount than the one subsidizing someone else's.

Haggling is fun, and can save you money. But I would never encourage anyone else to haggle. The more you pay, the better discount I can get!

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Illusio26
December 29, 2008 3:52 PM
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@SteveZim1017: I disagree. I love haggling. I like feeling like I'm getting a bargain. Even if I'm not, it just find it fun. I'd haggle at the grocery store if they would let me.

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Vicky
December 29, 2008 4:13 PM
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@darkjedi26: Once, after reading an article on haggling, I went on my planned afternoon trip to the grocery store and decided to try out what I'd learned. Worked great in the meat market. As I recall it was \"Since your is out of stock, may I have for the sale price?\"

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factotum
December 29, 2008 7:05 PM
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@Vicky: If it was out of stock, how could you buy it? I'm confused.

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ngoandy
December 29, 2008 3:46 PM
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@SteveZim1017: I agree. MINI doesn't do haggling for their cars. I loved it. Very simple.

Pissed my dad off though. He was cosigning (I didn't have a credit history) and is accustomed to haggling.

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JakeChance84
December 30, 2008 4:39 AM
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@ngoandy: Scion is the same. All you have to pick is your model, the color, and auto or manual transmission. Well, the prices do vary between models and types of transmission, but they all come with awesome sound systems, front and side airbags, the works. All 'extras' are cosmetic like door runners or spoilers and some electronic like GPS.

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karlrove
December 29, 2008 3:39 PM
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hmm..methinks this race to the bottom in terms of price is not helping the economy

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2 replies
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DeleteThisAccount
December 29, 2008 3:49 PM
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@karlrove: So bonuses for BestBuy's CEO level leadership won't be quite so high this year... and that will destroy the rest of the economy, never mind that most of their employees struggle to make over 10 bucks an hour while selling USB printer cables at a 97% markup. I'm sure the boys at the top are really suffering to make their car payments.

/End Bitter Rant.

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Applekid
December 29, 2008 4:03 PM
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@AngrySicilian: Please. CEO level leadership would rather fire a bunch of employees than cut back to only one brand new ivory backscratcher per week.

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ChuckECheese
December 29, 2008 3:43 PM
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Ah, the third-world-ization of the U.S. economy. When will we get our first military junta? Oh wait, it's already here.

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INsano
December 29, 2008 9:16 PM
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@ChuckECheese:


God forbid we live like most of the world. Being a rich, ignorant sucker is so much easier on my limited cranial capacity.

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ChuckECheese
December 29, 2008 10:46 PM
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@INsano: I know what you mean--it's so much easier on my brain too!

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intellivised
December 29, 2008 3:45 PM
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I haggled my way to a lower price point @ Guitar Center... and I wasn't the only person doing so.

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3 replies
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nevets68
December 29, 2008 10:36 PM
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@intellivised:

Hmmmm I do need a nice mixing board (nothing too fancy)...and there's a GC near me.

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racermd
December 29, 2008 5:17 PM
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@intellivised: That's because GC employees have been allowed to adjust prices for a good long time. It's like any other major purchase - either buy a few high-margin goods to get a discount on the high-price but low-margin item or pay full price for the high-price item and get a few trinkets (cables, strings, etc) for free.

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alysbrangwin
December 29, 2008 3:46 PM
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Best Buy is not a bazaar. I don't shop there anyway because it makes me feel depressed, but I wouldn't bring myself to haggle with some poor employee in a heinous blue shirt.

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sicknick
December 29, 2008 10:47 PM
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@alysbrangwin: Too bad for you. I was already getting 50 bucks off an on sale laptop since it was the floor model. When the employee unhooked it from the floor lock, he said it was scratched a bit. I offered a price 25 bucks lower, and got a 600 dollar laptop for 525.

You'd have paid another 75 bucks for the same item.

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alysbrangwin
December 30, 2008 6:36 AM
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@sicknick: Except I wouldn't have bought it from Best Buy!

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sicknick
December 30, 2008 8:11 PM
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@alysbrangwin: Then you would have paid even more then I did. I shop around huge. I went from store to store the day after Xmas to the Circuit City, Micro Center, Best Buy and Office Depot all within a mile of each other north of Detroit. I then went home and spent an hour checking similar specs on laptops on ebay, pricewatch and a couple other websites. Looked up reviews, etc.

Best Buy had the best price at 599. After haggling, they blew everyone away.

I hate Best Buy, but saving almost a 1/6 the total price of something is worth shopping there. If you make enough to ignore smart shopping practices, more power to you, but I have to stretch every dollar further.

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Traveshamockery
December 29, 2008 5:58 PM
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@alysbrangwin: Feel free to pay full price. It's fully possible to negotiate a discount successfully. I bought my father an $1799 LCD last Christmas for $1399 at Best Buy. It was on sale for $300 off, but I negotiated an additional $100 discount.

But by all means, continue paying full price!

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ludwigk
December 29, 2008 7:38 PM
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@InfiniTrent: There is a nearly infinite YMMV sign attached to your post. First, a $1800 marked down $300 was probably never a $1800 to start with. Second, even after the sale price, the TV probably still had a healthy margin on it, or the mgr was just not smart.

If a sale item, even a $1500 one, has crap margins, the mgr won't take $20 off the thing. My guess is that the mgr was desperate to make some numbers, or still had a chunk of margin to work within, or just fails at math.

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antimir
December 29, 2008 4:19 PM
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@alysbrangwin:


depending on the level of the associate, they may not even be allowed to change the price for you.


i HATED when people tried to haggle with me when i worked there. i hated best buy, and sure, had it been within my power, i would have let people walk out the doors with $2 cameras, BUT for me to adjust the price on anything meant calling a manager over, waiting 10+ minutes for one to show up, explaining to him/her WHY the price was being changed, having him/her sign a form, then they'd have to type a code into the register, otherwise the price would jump back up.


it was a pain in the arse, and the general store policy is 'no haggling' anyway, since the employees make no commission. (therefore i couldn't 'make a deal' by say, taking $25 off the price and dipping into my commission a bit, because lowering a price meant taking it directly out of the store's revenue, something money grubbers like BB would NEVER stand for.)


if you're dealing with a supervisor, though (signified by a round, silver nametag), feel free to ask, though i HIGHLY doubt they'll do anything for you. BB only promotes those who drink the kool-aid

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FaustianSlip
December 30, 2008 3:12 AM
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@antimir:

\"for me to adjust the price on anything meant calling a manager over, waiting 10+ minutes for one to show up, explaining to him/her WHY the price was being changed, having him/her sign a form, then they'd have to type a code into the register, otherwise the price would jump back up.\"

Bingo. People who try haggling with me aren't getting anywhere- for one thing, it would be noticed if I was doing random price drops all the time. For another, it means the eternal wait for a manager, et cetera, et cetera while other customers stack up waiting for help (and get increasingly annoyed). Now, price matching, I'm happy to do. I've called around to several stores at the same chain to help facilitate a price match for a customer (the product needs to be in stock for us to do the match). But I have no patience for haggling- especially when a customer acts irritated that we don't do it. Sorry, sir, but this isn't the souk.

Oh, and everyone wears those oval tags now- don't assume that because someone has one on, they're a supervisor. The odds are against it.

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mac-phisto
December 29, 2008 4:51 PM
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@antimir: yeah, i've never had luck haggling at best buy. i recently bought a samsung LN46A550 - went to best buy to check it out & they wanted like $300 more than newegg. kid was trying real hard to get me into the tv, but after i got him all high on the sale, i whipped out the printout from newegg. 'match this price & i'm sold'. i thought he was gonna cry.

circuit city actually did a better job - they matched the price of the tv, but wouldn't throw in any extras or reduce the price of their cables. i ended up just buying it from newegg. <$1300 delivered (including cables & mount) & i got it in 2 days.

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Fresh-Fest-1986
December 29, 2008 5:33 PM
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@mac-phisto: I was looking at the LN40A650 TOC and did pretty much exactly what you did. Went to check out the TV at Best Buy, asked about price match, and then left. Spent time at a couple of other places then just ordered it from NewEgg.


The biggest headache I had in the whole process was figuring out why the hell I even tried anything other then Newegg.

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KyleOrton
December 29, 2008 3:53 PM
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@alysbrangwin: I'd rather haggle there than with a small-business owner with expenses and rent to pay.

Find the right disillusioned college student, be nice and talk to them, and then tell them what you want. Chances are they could care less how much money the store makes on it and will either give it to you or ask a manager on your behalf.

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sideffects
December 29, 2008 5:42 PM
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@KyleOrton: So, big companies do not have expenses or rent to pay?

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KyleOrton
December 29, 2008 8:46 PM
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@sideffects: Of course they do; I just don't care.

One is a person, the other a corporation. Best Buy doesn't offer the additional value to me that a local, owner-operated store does. Hence, I want to pay as little as possible (or buy somewhere else where the value equation is more favorable.

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Gaambit
December 29, 2008 3:48 PM
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Someone tried this yesterday with me, arguing over the price of a booklight of all things! Please, don't let this be the start of a trend. If you can't afford it at it's regular price, you just can't afford it. Find a better deal elsewhere or move on.

Oh, and please don't tell me Wal-Mart has it cheaper and expect me to change it at that point. Not everyone can gouge their prices like Wal-Mart.

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Manraysky
December 29, 2008 7:59 PM
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@Gaambit: Oh, I get that too. \"If you won't lower the price on this spatula, I'll take my business elsewhere!\" It's so tempting to say, please do.

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oneswellfoop
December 29, 2008 9:49 PM
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@Manraysky:
I always loved the people that tried to haggle with me when I managed a watch store. With very few excepting we had the lowest price in the city, and we were the largest city around unless you wanted to drive 3 hours to a city with higher prices overall and more sales tax.
People would storm out when I refused to budge, because unless I'd lower the price more, they wouldn't feel as if they got a good deal.
Most of the time, they'd come back a couple hours or days later and happily buy at the price we offered.

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Illusio26
December 29, 2008 3:54 PM
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@Gaambit: It's not always a question if you can afford it. It's more why, should I give you more money when I don't have too. When I'm buying a new car, I can afford the $10,000 sticker price, but if I can get them down to $8,000 by haggling, there is nothing wrong with that.

I do agree that arguing over a booklight is a little silly.

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Gaambit
December 29, 2008 5:02 PM
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@darkjedi26: Yeah, cars, houses, anything at a flea market...I can understand trying to negotiate a better price. But in an established retail environment, where the prices are always dictated by a number of factors, that's a bit much.

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madanthony
December 29, 2008 3:55 PM
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I bet that someone who shops around and tracks the major deal forums (fatwallet, slickdeals, ect) can probably do as well or better as someone who haggles.

I'm thinking that haggling is going to work best if you are buying a display model or if you convince the salesperson to throw in some accessories or a warranty cheap/free - lots of stores judge salespeople by accessory or warranty sales, so they are willing to work with you if you buy those things.

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P.T.Wheatstraw
December 29, 2008 3:59 PM
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@madanthony: Correct. You can't really haggle over everyday models, but if you go in well-informed you can knock a few dollars off the price.

Examples include:
- buying floor models (which people have been fiddling with for a long time)
- buying returned goods (for some reason Best Buy often does not mark down used products)
- Buying \"lagging edge\" items when you know something new is around the corner (BB usually will put things on sale to make room for new inventory/technology, but not always).

Basically there are some items where the sales rep has some wiggle room, and some where they do not. If you know which items these are then you can try haggling.

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dvdchris
December 30, 2008 1:54 PM
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@P.T.Wheatstraw: I thought BestBuy stopped selling discounted returned items. They made a big deal out of it a couple years ago, saying all open box/returned stuff would be sold on eBay instead of in stores.
What was happening was people would buy a product, return it for a refund, 'losing' the manual/cables/whatever, and the item would be put on the sales floor at 10% off or more; then they would re-buy it and save. Supposedly this happened enough for it to make it into the trade magazines and electronic blogs.
This is about when they rolled out the 'identifying the 4 customer types' stuff.

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theblackdog
December 30, 2008 7:08 PM
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@dvdchris: I believe it was circuit city that stopped doing that. There's an Ebay business known as Trading_Circuit_Liquidation and their business is taking all the CC returned items, floor items, open box, etc, and putting them up on Ebay.

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FaustianSlip
December 30, 2008 3:23 AM
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@P.T.Wheatstraw: \"...for some reason Best Buy often does not mark down used products...\"

I'm sorry, but that's just not true. Any returned, used (i.e. open box) item that comes back and is suitable for resale is automatically marked down at least ten percent. It's built right into the POS system- you process the return at a register and the label prints out. I can see where some unscrupulous manager might try to leave the price the same, but if they're doing it, it's against policy.

Not that I'm pretending that ten percent is some mega deal or anything, but there are discounts on open boxed items. And if an item hangs around long enough, the price gets discounted further, at least at my store. You won't ever get it at cost or anything, but you can get a decent discount on some things.

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cynical_bastard
December 29, 2008 4:16 PM
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@P.T.Wheatstraw: This is true. Old floor models and returned items are a pain for salespeople and they only get harder to sell as time passes. They usually want to get rid of these items ASAP.

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econobiker
December 29, 2008 6:14 PM
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@cynical_bastard: Or items that have visual defects which do not affect the function.


Or items which are repairable and which you -KNOW-- you can repair at home for free or minimal cost.

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ssaoi
December 29, 2008 4:05 PM
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Don't like haggling? Don't haggle. That simple.


But seriously, if you are buying a car or a computer or TV, what is your time worth? I agree on small items, it can be ridiculous. But high priced items, I see friends leaving behind hundreds and thousands of $$$.


Unless you earn hundreds per hour, it's worth it to haggle AND research for the big ticket items.

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Traveshamockery
December 29, 2008 6:00 PM
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@ssaoi: I'd also point out that some people will say \"You spent two hours researching a deal just to save $10 on a movie? You could have worked those two hours and made $20!\" That's a complete fallacy. I wasn't working during that time, and the opportunity doesn't exist to work during that time.

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dvdchris
December 30, 2008 2:08 PM
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@InfiniTrent: The opportunity cost is always there. Someone that works 40-50 hours a week has a limited amount of time to spend in other pursuits. You indeed could have
-listed dozens of old CDs/movies on Amazon for sale
-inventoried household items for insurance/charitable purposes
-washed/cleaned out the car
-cleaned house
-called relatives you haven't talked to in a while
or done any number of other things in those 2 hours, worth far more than $10.

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ssaoi
April 1, 2009 6:02 PM
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@dvdchris: Yeah, that may apply to the small items, but not to a new computer or car.

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ssaoi
December 29, 2008 6:32 PM
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@InfiniTrent: Awesome point. To take it further: How much money do you have to earn to spend $100? Personally I have to earn $150 before taxes. More when you figure sales tax.

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ludwigk
December 29, 2008 4:07 PM
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I'm really bad at haggling, and am uncomfortable doing it even when I am in a setting where it is common (i.e. it's probably customary in china town, but, er, yeah I still don't do it).

But fighting to get your pricematch/coupon/rebate when buying something, it's almost like haggling. The store wants you to pay one price, you want to pay the advertised price, sometimes you come out somewhere in between!

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DeleteThisAccount
December 29, 2008 4:10 PM
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@Applekid: You're right, that is pretty much what they did this holiday season. Finding help in the PC Home Office area was more impossible than usual.

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FatLynn
December 29, 2008 4:53 PM
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@AngrySicilian: I bought an open-box laptop at BB, and they didn't remove the display software before letting me take it home, so not only did I have to take it back three days later to have that done, but it wiped everything I'd installed or configured to that point.

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Radoman
December 29, 2008 4:22 PM
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In many countries you are considered somewhat mentally defective if you don't haggle. So, go out and ask for those deals. If you're embarrassed, you can always claim to be from Far Far Away.

The worst they can do is say no.

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2 replies
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Traveshamockery
December 29, 2008 6:00 PM
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@Radoman:

The worst they can do is say no.

Truer words were never spoken.
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madanthony
December 29, 2008 7:44 PM
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@InfiniTrent:

well, they might say no and then kick you in the nuts.

but they probably won't.

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kittenfoo
December 29, 2008 4:23 PM
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After a year in which my income has dwindled significantly while my expenses have done the opposite, I have found that, for me anyway, the key to coping is ruthlessly separating my wants from my needs.

It's amazing what you can get by without buying. My boyfriend likes the way I look without makeup better, so badda bing: no money spent there. The soda I always bought while out running errands? No more. Haggling may work for some people, but I'm definitely not the type to do it. So I take a very careful look at what I really need as opposed to what I want and can do without.

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DjDynasty
December 29, 2008 4:35 PM
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I haggle everything I can. I know that stores can typically offer 10% off without much issue with the situations. heck I got wal-mart to knock 10% off of a bike because none of the tags were ever marked correctly for the bike. I've also asked for percentage off of a carton of cigarettes. The hospital my mom is in and out of all the time, the cafeteria always gives me employee pricing on meals because I'm there very often. My mom won't eat some of the stuff on the menu for patient rooms, but like if they have clam chowder in the cafeteria, I'll get that for her.

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mac-phisto
December 29, 2008 4:39 PM
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i tried haggling with directv & got NOWHERE.

get this awesome deal to set up HD for an existing customer: pay us $99 for an HD box, additional $10/mo. AND sign a new 2-yr contract. not a very good deal considering new customers get a FREE HD+DVR (which is like $249).

i told the guy i would sign a contract or pay for the box, but not both. he wouldn't budge. i told him i was going to cancel my service. he said 'go ahead'. anyone have any ideas here?

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Traveshamockery
December 29, 2008 6:03 PM
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@mac-phisto: DirecTV is always a YMMV. I managed to get them to \"match\" Dish Network's 1 cent Cinemax for a year offer with the following:

$10 statement credit per month for 6 months
6 Months free Showtime
6 Months free Starz
3 Months free HBO
3 Months free Cinemax

All just for asking! 15 minutes of work for $60 and hundreds of free movies!

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Islandkiwi
December 29, 2008 4:58 PM
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@mac-phisto: Talk to cancellation department...if that doesn't work, cancel. They'll call back and give you a good deal.


I switched from Dish to Directv and got an awesome deal (for AAA members). Dish wouldn't give me a better deal. One week after signing up for Directv, they called me and promised to give me everything Directv offered, and they'd pay my cancellation fees.


I told them they'd missed their opportunity to negotiate with me, and maybe I'd talk to them in two years time.

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FatLynn
December 29, 2008 4:56 PM
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@mac-phisto: Call back and talk to a different guy? I think you want to get to someone in the retentions department.

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Anonymous
December 29, 2008 4:42 PM
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If you hate to ask for a better price, then don't. Nobody will force you into a negotiation.

For those of us who know that we can get a better price, just by asking, it's worth the 10 minutes it takes to get the salesmen to divulge that they can push 1 button and give us 20% off. Chances are you are coming at negotiating a price based on the idea that it's a confrontation with the salesmen... it works much better if you build a quick friendship and they feel as good about giving you the discount as you feel about getting it. Taking the time to be cool with someone can make all the difference. It saves me hundreds on my big ticket purchases.. but at the same time you have to know when to just shut up and pay for your crappy waffle maker. Keep the negotiating to big-ticket items.

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Anonymous
December 29, 2008 4:43 PM
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I'm a best buy employee and I'm in a position where I'm able to \"haggle\". It's not uncommon for me to know our cost of a product and how much I would be allowed to take off without getting yelled at by a manager. But, on the other end of things, if you scratch my back I'll scratch yours. Don't blow off my Geek Squad Black Tie Protection Plan, don't tell me you've got a friend who can do our Geek Squad Services. I'm already losing money on the laptop, so no you can't have another $50 off.

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Traveshamockery
December 29, 2008 6:05 PM
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@BenjaminNemo: It totally ruins the point of getting a discount if you force someone to buy unnecessary add-ons in exchange.

I understand there's no margin in computers, and I adjust my haggling expectations accordingly...but claiming people should reward a $50 discount with the purchase of a $200 service plan is just silly.

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shadax
December 29, 2008 4:43 PM
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I just haggled the hell out of a new Yaris. Got $2300 off a $15k car, they're really desperate. I'd say it took a few extra hours emailing dealers....at the most. Worth the time? You bet! I wouldn't be asking for a discount on some blank CDs for $4.99 at Fry's though. The amount of time you spend has to make sense to you.

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krispykrink
December 29, 2008 4:47 PM
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Haggling doesn't work. Period.

Tried it the day after Christmas at the local Sears. I always need dress shirts for work, so I grabbed 10 at Sears, all the same price. Asked if they could knock off $5 and make the total an even flat price with no change since I was buying 10 at once. They took them from me and laughed as they put them back on the display shelf.

Same thing at Best Buy when I was going to buy a few items. I asked if they could knock off about .89 cents (you can tell, I hate change) to make the total an even bill balance. I was met with a flat NO!

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Traveshamockery
December 29, 2008 6:10 PM
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@krispykrink: Haggling...ur doin it wrong.

Haggling works just fine. Claiming it doesn't work because you didn't pull it off in two random circumstances AT THE POINT OF SALE is illogical.

Here's your flaw: retailers only haggle to make the sale. If a car dealer feels like you're emotionally attached to a car, they know you'll buy it regardless of price. You've already made the purchase in your mind.

Since you had already walked up to the register to buy the clothes at sears, and the items at BB, they have you. They knew you would buy them regardless of whether the discount happened or not. Asking offhand at that point for a discount will be met with a firm \"NO\".

Also, register folks don't have the ability to make unilateral pricing decisions in most cases. You need to speak with someone from the department, preferably a supervisor, and secure the discount before you get to the register.

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DeleteThisAccount
December 29, 2008 5:34 PM
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@krispykrink: I think you are going about haggling the wrong way. This isn't the age of cash and avoiding change in your pocket. Ask for a percent off. That's how registers work at Sears and Bestbuy (both companies which I actually have register experience). Generally you can knock off up to 10% without having to call God for an approval/override code.

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quail
December 29, 2008 4:55 PM
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If haggling becomes customary, then you'll see all of the retail prices become inflated. Then you'll just haggle yourself down to the price that you probably would have paid without haggling. Car dealers play this game. At one time it was customary for them to carry 3 different pricing books and they'd show the customer different ones depending on how the initial encounter went. By the end the business made sure that they made money and the customer went home with a frustrating experience.

I hate haggling.

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shepd
December 30, 2008 12:24 AM
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@quail:

Exactly. To see exactly where this leads, speak to someone from Asia. They will explain to you that if you see a pair of pants for $40 in a store, it really means it's $20 for foreigners, and $10 for locals. Or, if you pay full price, you'll probably get all sorts of free junk thrown in because the store owner feels sorta bad.

Really, this is where extreme haggling leads. And the discrimination part will just as easily happen here as it does there.

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FaustianSlip
December 30, 2008 3:33 AM
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@shepd: Having been to China a number of times and lived in Asia for two years, this is completely accurate. You can barely buy a bottle of soda in China without haggling over it. It's ridiculous- and while it can be fun the first little while, it gets more than a little irritating to find yourself bargaining for every last thing on offer.

And the discrimination is well-known and institutionalized- I could absolutely see that happening here, were haggling to become the predominant method of purchase.

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DeleteThisAccount
December 29, 2008 5:36 PM
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@quail: Nah, the rule of averages takes care of that for us. There will always be people out there willing to pay an inflated (list, msrp, etc) price. Those people allow me to get the discounts. I'm sure the store is still making money off me when I buy stuff on clearance.

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JollyJumjuck
December 29, 2008 4:57 PM
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I did manage to haggle at Best Buy last Christmas. Bought a Halo edition Xbox (it didn't come with Halo 3, which I pointed out to the clerk how foolish that was). He promptly threw in the game, and an extra controller, if I purchased the Product Service Plan. Normally I don't go for the PSP, but it worked out about $50 cheaper than if I had bought the game and controller separately. So the store got something out of it to be sure, but I saved $50 overall so I was happy enough.

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JollyJumjuck
December 29, 2008 4:58 PM
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Whoops, meant to say Xbox 360. And the nice surprise was that the Halo edition had the Falcon chipset, so no RROD a year later!

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jpdanzig
December 29, 2008 8:47 PM
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Has it been a year since you bought it? Good luck wit dat...


@JollyJumjuck:

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Saboth
December 29, 2008 5:02 PM
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Heh I tried this a few weeks ago. Perhaps I don't have the knack for it. Went into a furniture store, and they had an entertainment unit for $600. So I asked the guy...\"any kind of sales or deals I can get in for this?\" \"No sir...perhaps in January\". \"Hmm...no 'promotions'...nothing I can use?\" \"I'm afraid not sir\". \"Ok, let's say I wanted to buy this unit right now. What is the best price I can expect to pay on it?\" \"$600 sir\". \"Ummm...ok...well....we will think about it...I guess...\"

Go different unit somewhere else, but they didn't seem to want to haggle at all. Only reason we got it there was they had 0% financing for a year, which I guess saves me like $150 in financing.

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Mr-Mr
December 29, 2008 5:24 PM
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I'm getting a bit sick and tired of the media blaming the crappy state of retail on shoppers. Most B&M retailers didn't do so hot this Christmas. But, whose fault is that? Not the customers. Amazon did great, because it offered the best prices. I got All the James Bond movies on Blu-ray for around $10 each. Try that at Best Buy or Circuit City and see what they tell you.

The poor sales during this year's holiday season is the fault of the retailers' greed. They're used to screwing their customers by manipulating prices in ways that don't make you want to shop in their stores anymore. Online retailers do it too. But, shopping online has the advantage of not having to deal with spending gas, time, and dealing with rude customers and store employees. Above all, you can do your price comparison right on the spot. The greatest advantage B&M retailers have had over the years in the shoppers' inability to compare prices on the spot. That's going away though. With more and more phones being able to handle web browsers, shoppers can find the best deal anytime, anywhere.

Retailers, if you're singing the blues this year, tough.

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mac-phisto
December 29, 2008 6:48 PM
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@Mr-Mr: 100% agree. & bonus points for ragging on the b.s. $30 price point for blu-rays. ok, i understand if you want to charge $30 for iron man on blu-ray. but $30 for spartacus?!? the movie's almost 50 years old. get real.

i did not see the deals that should be going along with \"the worst retail sales in 3 decades\". if it's really that bad, i should see prices close to cost - not the usual markup with a piddly 10% discount.

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TheKingBoar
December 30, 2008 6:22 AM
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@mac-phisto: Even hot movies like that are cheap on Amazon. I got Iron Man for $10 bucks on Amazon (actually used it as my cheap add on for free shipping.

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DeleteThisAccount
December 29, 2008 5:28 PM
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@FatLynn: Archie is a bitch, it uninstalls everything installed every few minutes :/ I hope you got at least 10% off for buying the display. I don't work for BBY but I have to work there as a 3rd party vendor.

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YeaYuh
December 29, 2008 5:46 PM
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I recently haggled at H.H.Gregg for a surrond sound system. They had it listed for $750 but I found it on Amazon for $620 (free delivery). I was able to get $650 for it at the store which allowed me to take it right away. Which was also a good bargain since the box was so big that I wouldn't of wanted it sitting on my front porch all day so I would have had to take a couple of hours off from work to sign for the package which totally makes up for the price difference.

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Rectilinear Propagation
December 29, 2008 5:47 PM
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Oh lordy, the people over at customerssuck.com are going to HATE this.

I don't blame them. How many stores are going to give the employees at the bottom of the ladder the power to change the price of the product? How much do you want to bet that the employees who do change the prices of products in retail stores get in trouble for it later?

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econobiker
December 29, 2008 6:23 PM
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@Rectilinear Propagation: I guess a key component of haggling is to haggle with someone who has the authority to change the price.


Why do you think the auto dealers put the salesman/woman inbetween the customer and the real finance guy who has pricing approval...

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bishophicks
December 29, 2008 5:53 PM
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I haggle when I buy cars and houses and I hate it. I always think I'm getting the short end of the stick. Over the past 16 years, I've bought only two houses and 3 cars. I'd rather live in my current house until I'm dead and drive my 9 year old car until the wheels come off - I hate haggling that much.


When buying other things, I check out a variety of retailers and make my decision based on price, reputation and shipping charges (if any). I'd rather spend a few extra bucks and get something from a retailer I trust than go with the lowest price from some retailer I've never heard of.

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charlah
December 29, 2008 5:54 PM
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This is one of the reasons why working in retail sucks so badly. Your typical wage earner doesn't get paid enough to have to deal with people looking to haggle.

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The_IT_Crone
December 29, 2008 6:00 PM
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Here's the main reason why haggling won't work in most places in the US: the person you are talking to either doesn't have the authority or the concern to haggle with you.

In other countries you are generally dealing with the manager or someone with authority or a vested interest in moving units. But some kid in a blue workshirt isn't going to have the authority or the care to drop the price of an iPod for you. Especially since it would mean them getting in trouble.

Sure you can ask for a manager, but that's probably not going to do you much good anyway. They have higher-ups to answer to, too.

Even if haggling started to work, then retailers would simply raise prices to compensate.

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humphrmi
December 29, 2008 6:26 PM
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The US (and also maybe the \"Western\" nations) are amazingly haggle-free compared to some other countries in the east, where haggling is considered mandatory.

In fact, if you don't haggle in some places in Turkey, it's considered an insult (to the seller). And I'm not talking the bazaars, even malls and high end shops. The stated price is just a placeholder while the store owner goes to get you some tea. Then, you sit down and start talking, and the price goes down. The longer you sit and talk, the lower the price goes. Sometimes, you don't even have to say \"no\" to a price... just nodding and sipping your tea will get you a lower price.

I think its because those cultures value the social aspect of retail sales; the sitting and chatting is important to them and the price lowering is just the mechanism that keeps the social aspect moving.

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jessi5000
December 29, 2008 6:28 PM
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I wouldn't think haggling at chain stores with someone who isn't a manager or for something that isn't a big ticket item would be too successful. At the wages retail workers are being paid, I can't imagine they would care if you buy a sweater from their store or the next.

That being said, on occasion I've found minor flaws in things I wanted to buy at Target and I've always been offered 10% off immediately. I don't think they'd do it for something without some sort of flaw, but if you want something that has a little dent in it etc. it won't hurt to ask.

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VigilanteKitteh
December 30, 2008 4:40 PM
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@jessi5000: That 's the only time I've ever haggled. I saw a great pair of 30$ jeans at Winners, but the zipper was stuck. I talked to the csr, and she said that I could get them for 16$. SWEET!
BTW, the zipper was easy to fix...I just cut off the tag that was jamming it.

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econobiker
December 29, 2008 6:32 PM
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Best receiving end haggle ever was when I worked at a grocery store back in the dark ages before the upc scanners were widely adopted. The canned goods area was notorious for not updating or having the pricing labels on the smaller cans.


I am working a huge busy express lane on a summer Saturday and it was evil to try and stop to get a price check from the manager. An older lady has a very small can of a vegetable something without pricing. I ask her if she saw the price, she said no, I said it is probably 99cents, she said how about 59cents, I said 79cents, she said sold- in about the same amount of time it took you to read it.


The point of the story was that it didn't matter if the can should have been $1.99- it was worth more to me to clear her order quickly versus incuring her wrath and the wrath of the other customers waiting by stopping for price check, etc, etc, etc.


Find out what the sales person needs to get a deal...

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orlo
December 29, 2008 9:56 PM
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@econobiker: My local stores would make everyone wait 10min for a price check or phone their corporate offices before they would do something sensible to help a customer.

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humphrmi
December 29, 2008 6:41 PM
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@econobiker: LOL that's a great story. And besides saving a lot of time for everyone, you had fun, and I bet she had a great story to tell.

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Techguy1138
December 29, 2008 7:03 PM
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If I see an opening to haggle I do. Normally big box retailers don't haggle much. The exception is on returns and floor models.

If you have a problem with haggling think of it as an unknown discount. Ask for a fixed percentage off. Some store managers are also less wary about giving you %15 off instead of selling you that blender for $13,45. You may not be able to traditionally haggle, but there enough promotions and discounts in the computers to help get you a better price.

I found out my local convience store has a 10% employee discount from my company.

I frequently work with the guys at a car rental place to either get the shop rate for a car rental, an upgrade for free, employee discounts or AAA. They will help me and get the best rate.

At my local grocery store, Ralphs, they have out of season and near expiration food that you can try and get either a discount on one, or buy out all of them and try and get more off.

Many stores will work you a break on pricing if you buy a whole case, Gelsons, is one such store.

Buying near a holiday can work you a break. I was shopping for Chrismas cards on the 23rd and asked for a discount on some fancy envelope seals. I was given 10% off the whole order.

It also helps to be a regular customer. If people know you will come back they don't mind working you a discount.

I find it much more worth it to haggle on small items. I buy small things all the time. For big ticket items I find a price to pay and stick to it.

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datruesurfer
December 29, 2008 7:33 PM
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@antimir: Exactly. the POS system at just about every major retailer uses a system where if you try to mark the price down by more then a certain percentage, the register prompts for a manager login. As soon as the manager types in his login and password, the transaction is logged under his/her name and sent up to corporate. I highly doubt that a manager is going to risk their job over a $100 discount on a TV

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RedmondDesomma
December 29, 2008 7:41 PM
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I find haggling stressful, but certainly worth it on big ticket items that have a lot of markup. As long as they still make a decent profit, there's room to negotiate. Best deal I got was on furniture - at the end of the month & I didn't need financing. I decided what I wanted, told the (commissioned) salesperson a story they were willing to play along with that also gave them deniability in case anyone else wanted a deal.

The story: I was interested in buying but frustrated that I didn't buy it the month before when my 'friend' got a great price during a sale. Named the specific price it came to during a sale (couldn't quite remember when, you know, maybe it was a different branch, too bad I missed it.) Low and behold, after checking the computer, there was still one set that had been reserved as sale stock but not yet sold. Just like that, 40% off the list price. Once I had a price it was easy to negotiate free delivery, free assembly, and a bunch of free random parts.

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terrytaillard
December 29, 2008 10:36 PM
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Haggling with retailers is not uncommon in other countries. Your chances of haggling successfully have always been better with local independent store so this will be interesting to see how well it works.

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hoffmeister_hoff
December 30, 2008 12:20 AM
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What next? People start demanding that McDonald's cut it's Dollar menu to 75 cents? and threaten to go elsewhere if their demands are not met?

I don't work in retail, but I can see this picking up steam and getting really bad.

I hope retailers draw the line and stop this foolishess.

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hoffmeister_hoff
December 30, 2008 12:27 AM
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We'll also have to listen to blowhards who will brag/lie that they bought a pair of $600 Ferragamo shoes for 99 cents with free lifetime shines and a $1000 Hugo Boss suit at Nordstrom with free tailoring for $1.79 due to their astute negotiating skills and their inside knowledge.

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Aidan Roche
December 30, 2008 1:53 AM
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I wouldn't mind people haggling if they accepted \"the prices are set\" as a reply. Store level employees at Best Buy, FutureShop, The Source, Staples and such are specifically told not to give discounts for no reason. When you tell them this they want you to \"ask your manager\" about it, when really your manager is a bigger hard ass about \"not a chance of any discount\" than you are.

At Staples where I work people try and buy the demo models of things to get an extra $50 off when we still have stuff boxed up. Which is pretty ridiculous. Yeah, we'll lose $50 on this sale, waste our time setting up another demo when we could be doing something else, then lose $50 on THAT demo later when we sell it as well.

It's gotten to the point where I say, \"they're at the front of the store and they need to remain there due to store policy. You're welcome to ask them yourselves if you want.\" I know my manager will say no, I've said no and I don't consider it my duty to try and try to persuade my boss to give you a discount. You want a few bucks off you work for it.

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Anonymous
December 30, 2008 4:57 AM
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I disagree withthte notion that it is ok to haggle. I worked in retail for years and couldn't believe the atitudes people gave me when I refused to change a price simply because they felt they deserved it. As another poster said, if you need to get a lower price, maybe you don't actually need that electric seat warmer. Remember that person in the store is at best making a little over minium wage and doesn't really care if you get little Jimmys present v. losing their job. It makes me sick to see people all the time complaining about a salesperson who wouldn't give them a lower price and how they want that salesperson to get fired. Also I'm sure most people who say they did get a deal by haggling are embelishing their stories to come across as a bad a$$. Or maybe they're being taken by clever salespeople who know that the item you just got a great, can't beat deal on is going to be marked down the next day to an even lower price. I've done this myself knowing full well that if you'd waited a day you would've gotten a better deal, but NO, you just had to try and be a big man.As they used to say, If you have to ask how much, you CAN'T afford it. Show some common sense and stop keeping the salesman from helping me when I have a question because you really need that new pencil sharpener for a $1 less.

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9900dude
December 30, 2008 5:10 AM
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I got BB to give me 7% off of a 37\" LG HDTV two days before Christmas... brought the price down with tax to almost the sale price of the TV ($699).

Yes, they will bend if you ask a manager nicely. I still got my RZ points and the 18 month financing to boot.

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TheKingBoar
December 30, 2008 6:31 AM
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I normally don't haggle for several reasons. I don't like it, and most retail places have the prices set, and I won't harass minimum wage workers for 3 dollars.

With that said though, I decided to try this out at Fred Meyer's the other day. I spotted a collectors edition of Oblivion on the shelf, with a price tag for 60 bucks (PC version). Since this game has been sitting on the shelf for two years, I thought that was a bit much, even though it was the collectors edition. I asked the clerk, and while he said he couldn't discount it, he'd ring it up and check. Turns out it wasn't in the system any more, and he gave it to me for free. Yeah its old, but its an awesome game.

I think with haggling, it helps when the product is old, and in some retail situations, taking up floor or shelf space for over 2 years.

Oh, and Fred Meyer's? Cuddos on the service. I normally don't shop for electronics at your store, but that service certainly made a difference.

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jp7570
December 30, 2008 6:39 AM
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I have successfully received discounts for both online and in-person purchases. The secret is to be realistic in the discount you are requesting. For instance, most stores are now matching online prices, when most of them would never have before. Typically, this results in a 20% to 30% discount. The most I have been able to get was a 40% discount off a name-brand component that was already on sale.


My experience is that this is a lot less painful than haggling over a car price. If you generally ask a manager in a nice way, they will try to comply (if they can). I haven't tried this at any of the national big-box retailers yet, just regional chains and locally-owned stores.

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joy-mari
December 30, 2008 8:04 AM
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I don't haggle often. But when I do it's because the item I want has a defect in it: this has happened twice with sale items' zippers. I got a much better price for the items -- two different stores, too.

I even once haggled over the cost of the breakfast at a 4-star hotel but that was an unusual situation. The price is R150 but they brought it down to R80 and then R50. I told them I'll pay R60 and we were all happy. I didn't have the full breakfast, btw.

It helps to be pleasant. Don't be bossy and don't expect preferential treatment.

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johnfrombrooklyn
December 30, 2008 2:53 PM
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If you want a better deal from Best Buy but don't want to act like you're in the Arab bazaar, ask someone if they have a return or an open box that would be priced lower. These products still have full warranties. And often the dude will give you a discount anyway on the newer item.

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Ratty
December 30, 2008 8:47 PM
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Haggling saved me $150 on a recent purchase. Consider the original price was $400 CAD, and it was worth it. I'd do it again if necessary.


It was a Speedlite 430EX II--and I said I didn't like the price so I'd buy it online. They matched (in Canadian dollars) a U.S. price amount from Adorama. It ended up being cheaper than I could have got it online. Maybe a price match isn't haggling enough, but Future Shop doesn't have a price match guarantee, and especially not one that goes against the currency like that. O Canada!

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Corporate-Shill
December 31, 2008 12:08 AM
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There is an appropriate time and place. Unfortunately most people lack a sense of decorum and feel they are entitled to haggling just about everything.


When to haggle? When prices are NOT clearly posted, Close-outs, last of a kind, when your purchasing volume clearly exceeds the norm by a large margin.


When NOT to haggle. Normal products with clearly posted prices or your purchasing volume is typical of others.

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ninjatoddler
December 31, 2008 4:53 AM
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I tried haggling with the Mac Mall \"sales clerks\" but they won't budge.

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