High Street Haggling Discussion

dougmonkey · 2 February 2012 at 11:49AM

Hi,

I am looking to get a new TV and have found the one i want in Richer Sounds. The trouble is that it is exclusive to them and not available anywhere else. What is the likelihood of haggling them down on price as it is an exclusive? It is an LG LED TV and not sure what kind of diacount I could ask for.

thanks in advance

cptncanary · 6 February 2012 at 10:54AM

dougmonkey wrote: »

Hi,

I am looking to get a new TV and have found the one i want in Richer Sounds. The trouble is that it is exclusive to them and not available anywhere else. What is the likelihood of haggling them down on price as it is an exclusive? It is an LG LED TV and not sure what kind of diacount I could ask for.

thanks in advance

I'd follow Martin's tips, and go in nice and friendly, and at the end of the deal, ask them what their best price would be. It might help, if your'e interested in the 5 year warranty, and any other pieces of kit.

Richieboy_3 · 22 February 2012 at 7:05PM

I am trying to get a good deal on a new I Pod 32GB Touch does anyone know how I can get the price down from the £220ish being asked? and where to go to get this.

tactac · 22 February 2012 at 8:00PM

Certainly haggle with them, if at first you do not succeed, try and try again. I contacted them regarding their service and price rise. Initially they did not want to know. Telling them how long I had been a customer, the not so great broadband and TiVo services I said i was not paying hte planned increse

Eventually they did agree to credit to me the years value of the planned increase so certainly do not take no for an answer !:T

schuey87 · 26 April 2012 at 6:08PM

I am going to be needing an engagement ring soon, and being from Birmingham plan on going to the jewellery quarter. Can people reccomend what kind of discounts you can generally get when haggling over diamond rings at the jewellery quarter, I'm sure you can get 15-20% easily, how high can you go with good bartering skills. I want to get a good deal so that I get the most ring for my money. Anyone reccomend any good tips for haggling there?

Syman · 27 April 2012 at 10:27AM

Other than just chancing your arm on a price, I would say do some homework on the type of ring you are looking for so that you can haggle for a realistic discount.
And, be prepared to walk away if you cant get the price you want

midnight_express · 27 April 2012 at 11:32AM

How romantic

Idiophreak · 27 April 2012 at 11:39AM

midnight_express wrote: »

How romantic

Yes, there's nothing quite so romantic as wasting money...:doh:

OP, I got about 50% off the first price I was quoted for my wedding ring in the jewellery quarter, by going to a few different places and playing them off against each other.

Do plenty of research before you go (look on Blue Nile etc for internet prices) and go there with a set budget and specification in mind. Then go into each jeweller, find what you're after, ask for their best price and use that as the starting point for negotiation.

Don't be ashamed of haggling, when you've got so many places in such close proximity, it's to be expected!

citizen_cane · 6 May 2012 at 6:02PM

I'm speaking from the other side of the counter. Here are some points you should know if you are considering a haggle:

1. No matter what the baldy guy on the telly says, no store owes you a discount.

2. In today's tough trading times, margin is everything. Sales people are targeted on profit, not turnover. You have to give the sales person a good reason to knock money off, as you are taking money straight out of their pocket.

3. With the internet, everyone knows the price of everything. So shops cannot risk scaring people out of the door by looking too expensive. "What's your best price?" - believe it or not, shops know what they should be charging, so their "best price" will be the one on the ticket, sir.

4. Worth repeating: you are not owed money off just because you want it.

5. Do not get angry and "demand to see the manager" if you are told 'no discount' (see: Point 1). The sales person will alert them to the fact that you are being awkward, and the manager is also targeted on margin. They may agree to a discount just to shut you up and get you out of the shop. Nobody likes a whinger. Don't be that guy.

Lame reasons we hear for getting a discount (and yes, we will be laughing at you in the staffroom later):

"£xxx.xx? Well, I've only brought (deduct £20 from price), will you do it for that?" - Well if you can't afford it sir, we do have a cheaper model. Or, come back with more money. See also "I didn't want to spend that much".

"What's your best price for cash?" - Discount for cash? Really? Do I look like I've come to tarmac your drive and stick the notes in my back pocket whilst tapping my nose? We hate cash. We have to schlep to the bank to get change, and count it all up at the end of the day. So no - we'd much rather you paid the full price, by card.

"Do you do price matching?" - How about telling me what it is you are buying, before trying to negotiate?

"Do you do student / teacher / police / etc discount?" - No, because why would we discriminate against other professions? How would you like it if you were charged more than the person next to you, just because they happened to have a different job to you?

"I always got a discount at your competitor, when I shopped there". Yes, and now they're out of business. Makes you think, eh?

"I've seen it cheaper on the internet". Yes, but you don't want to buy it on the internet, do you? Because, if you did, you'd be at home, enjoying the one you'd bought on the internet; instead of which you're here - in my shop. Do you really want to waste the petrol / parking / bus fare by going home empty-handed?

So think on, next time you're out shopping. Nobody stays in business for long if they are selling too cheap, or charging too much. You're not owed anything, but you might get a discount if there's a really good reason - and you are pleasant about it.

jenniewb · 6 May 2012 at 6:48PM

citizen_cane wrote: »

I'm speaking from the other side of the counter. Here are some points you should know if you are considering a haggle:

1. No matter what the baldy guy on the telly says, no store owes you a discount.

2. In today's tough trading times, margin is everything. Sales people are targeted on profit, not turnover. You have to give the sales person a good reason to knock money off, as you are taking money straight out of their pocket.

3. With the internet, everyone knows the price of everything. So shops cannot risk scaring people out of the door by looking too expensive. "What's your best price?" - believe it or not, shops know what they should be charging, so their "best price" will be the one on the ticket, sir.

4. Worth repeating: you are not owed money off just because you want it.

5. Do not get angry and "demand to see the manager" if you are told 'no discount' (see: Point 1). The sales person will alert them to the fact that you are being awkward, and the manager is also targeted on margin. They may agree to a discount just to shut you up and get you out of the shop. Nobody likes a whinger. Don't be that guy.

Lame reasons we hear for getting a discount (and yes, we will be laughing at you in the staffroom later):

"£xxx.xx? Well, I've only brought (deduct £20 from price), will you do it for that?" - Well if you can't afford it sir, we do have a cheaper model. Or, come back with more money. See also "I didn't want to spend that much".

"What's your best price for cash?" - Discount for cash? Really? Do I look like I've come to tarmac your drive and stick the notes in my back pocket whilst tapping my nose? We hate cash. We have to schlep to the bank to get change, and count it all up at the end of the day. So no - we'd much rather you paid the full price, by card.

"Do you do price matching?" - How about telling me what it is you are buying, before trying to negotiate?

"Do you do student / teacher / police / etc discount?" - No, because why would we discriminate against other professions? How would you like it if you were charged more than the person next to you, just because they happened to have a different job to you?

"I always got a discount at your competitor, when I shopped there". Yes, and now they're out of business. Makes you think, eh?

"I've seen it cheaper on the internet". Yes, but you don't want to buy it on the internet, do you? Because, if you did, you'd be at home, enjoying the one you'd bought on the internet; instead of which you're here - in my shop. Do you really want to waste the petrol / parking / bus fare by going home empty-handed?

So think on, next time you're out shopping. Nobody stays in business for long if they are selling too cheap, or charging too much. You're not owed anything, but you might get a discount if there's a really good reason - and you are pleasant about it.

I can see where your coming from, I can, but your post just illustrates the exact reason many people want to haggle or get one over on the stores and brands that sell to us.

Whar your expressing I think comes from a lot of "can I have a discount can I have a disount can I..." which is probably constantly requested to you on a daily basis from a store assistant/managers point of view. But your answers come across as somewhere between arrogant and patronising, it builds a 'the and us' mentality and people (customers) feel put out and as if they have to go into battle.

What you have to remember is, just like you, your customers are real people with real bills and real money problems. What you also have to remember is unlike you, they have not had the same ongoing "can I have a discount can I have a discount can I..." as you have had so they are not aware of some of the basic and funamental responses you have given. Yes they are obvious to you but to some they are not and those people may well have never tried to ask for a discount before or worse, its worked elsewhere for them despite making no sense to you.

I would have thought with the sheer volume and number of people in the UK, some of which are not as technically savvy or use forums such as this, you'd have some degree of understanding or just not making assumptions and judgements on these people. No its not right/fair or even logical, but it is whats happening and you need to realise and accept that just because you know these things, just because you think they are dead simple conclusions to come to, it doesn't mean everyone else is in the same position.

I can't help thinking that if you change your attitude, you may even find you stop dreading these people as they approach you to "demand" their discount.

And if it helps, I have been in similar situations as I used to work in front-line retail in a well know fashion store, we had them all (in terms of discounts) even those asking if they could use our discount (not when its limited to £xxx per season, uniform included.) Its about looking at people differently and accepting its the nature of the job.

High Street Haggling Discussion

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free