High Street Haggling Discussion

Kayzie_2 · 4 March 2009 at 3:21PM

I went into PC World on Sunday to buy a Acer Laptop that was £464 5 days before that. The price had gone up to £499. I pointed this out to the manager and he said he couldn't help - if he reduced the price he would be disciplined.

Fortunately they where still £469 around the corner in Comet.

j-mummy · 5 March 2009 at 10:05PM

Storey Carpets CLAIMED to have a price match but I found it to be worthless. I had a written lower quote from Dallas Carpets for the same carpet. At first Storey didn't believe me, then asked to photocopy the quote and call back later (which I agreed to), they then tried to say it wasn't the same carpet (it was) and then said they couldn't match the price (despite huge posters in their window saying they would)

Guess what - I went back to Dallas Carpets and haven't even looked in Storey when I was carpeting the rest of our new house

Having said that I now always ask for a reduction and have been surprised at how many stores (local and national) that will reduce immediately almost as if they were waiting for the customer to ask. Makes me think I was being ripped off before.

underlay_guru · 6 March 2009 at 11:15AM

j-mummy wrote: »

Storey Carpets CLAIMED to have a price match but I found it to be worthless. I had a written lower quote from Dallas Carpets for the same carpet. At first Storey didn't believe me, then asked to photocopy the quote and call back later (which I agreed to), they then tried to say it wasn't the same carpet (it was) and then said they couldn't match the price (despite huge posters in their window saying they would)
quote]

Hi,

Speaking about Dallas Cpts and Storey Cpts, i'm guessing you are in the North East somewhere!!

Believe it or not: STOREY CARPETS and WALTER WALL CARPETS are owned by CARPETRIGHT...they bought the company lock stock and barrel about 2 years ago, made a load of staff redundant, and changed Storeys to a Carpetright-type showroom, rather than the trusted family company it was.

Regarding your price match: CarpetRight purposefully change the names of their products, simply to make it impossible for you to shop around for the same goods.

It works like thus: You see "SUPER TWIST" in Dallas Cpts and "MEGA TWIST" in Storeys. If you ask for a price match in Storeys, they will claim it is not the same product, although it is, but they have just changed the name to hide the cpt ranges true identity! The staff in multiple carpet retailers are well aware of 'other names' for products, hence would have been well aware the carpet from them was EXACTLY the same as the one from Dallas...

My advice? Dallas are, and always have been based in the North East. Storeys used to be a family firm but are now owned by Carpetright, which is based in Essex. Come to your own conclusions.

Also look out for underlay accessory prices from some of these multiple retailers: If you get them from an internet company such as www.carpet-underlay-shop.co.uk, you will save £££££'s on the shops inflated prices.

SkittyOnWailord · 6 March 2009 at 11:29AM

I haggled in a subway's once. I'd been eating there two or three times a week on a regular basis anyway and at one point when the guy rang up the food and told me the price asked 'Is that the best price you can offer me?" at which point he just stared at me for a few seconds, grinned and took the VAT off the price.

The big trick I've found is that you have to be comfortable with silence. You ask about a better deal and then you keep your mouth shut, let them fill the gap, and if you can make it sound like they'd really be doing you a favor that's good too, because it makes them more willing to help.

studiorex · 6 March 2009 at 11:55AM

Has anyone been this cheeky?

Complete a whole weeks shopping at one of the supermarkets, get it processed through the till and then ask for a discount. If the cashier says no, then say "ah well" and walk out - leaving your groceries there to be put back?

Surely no-one would ever dream of doing this?

SkittyOnWailord · 6 March 2009 at 12:30PM

That's not cheeky, nor is it haggling. That's just plain obnoxious rudeness in my view.

Sadly, I've seen it done, leaving the cashier to clean up the mess, and presumably leaving all the food taken from things like bread and roll-bins to be thrown out as you can't exactly put it back once it's been handled.

belfastgirl23 · 8 March 2009 at 5:36PM

Anyone ever tried haggling in HSamuels? I'm looking at getting my mum a watch for mothers day but I also need a watch myself - they're doing buy one get one half price on a lot of stuff but not watches, what are the odds on negotiating something?? Anyone tried this?

jenniewb · 8 March 2009 at 9:05PM

studiorex wrote: »

Has anyone been this cheeky?

Complete a whole weeks shopping at one of the supermarkets, get it processed through the till and then ask for a discount. If the cashier says no, then say "ah well" and walk out - leaving your groceries there to be put back?

Surely no-one would ever dream of doing this?

:eek: :eek: :eek:
I don't think cashiers can even give discounts! to get them to take anything off my grocery bill that costs more then £1 (things like washing powder that can be resold!) requires several members of staff, special codes and authorisation... its like asking them for 3 tickets...to Neptune.

I would think if someone does what your suggestiong/mentioning more then once, they are likely to have strong words with the manager and a warning from them- along the lines of "pay for it" its as bad as eating food in the supermarket then asking for a discount on the wrappers, before refusing to pay!

gottago · 1 May 2009 at 5:24PM

SkittyOnWailord wrote: »

I haggled in a subway's once. I'd been eating there two or three times a week on a regular basis anyway and at one point when the guy rang up the food and told me the price asked 'Is that the best price you can offer me?" at which point he just stared at me for a few seconds, grinned and took the VAT off the price.

The big trick I've found is that you have to be comfortable with silence. You ask about a better deal and then you keep your mouth shut, let them fill the gap, and if you can make it sound like they'd really be doing you a favor that's good too, because it makes them more willing to help.

Actually, I've never thought of doing that. I remember I read a sign in Pret a Manger that said that the eat-out prices are cheaper because they don't have to charge VAT whilst they do if you're eating in. Does this mean you can ask for VAT to be taken off at places like McDonald's, Burger King etc which only appear to offer one price? Or am I getting confused and they do actually have 2 prices?!

My first haggle was a few weeks back when I managed to get 10% off a pair of £10 sale shoes in Deichman for the tiniest mark. When I asked for it the woman actually got a shoe cleaning product out and desperately tried to get rid of the mark but to no avail! No exchange or refund, but at £8.99 it was totally worth it!

I don't think I've ever felt so dirty walking out of a shop!

Halfcat · 30 June 2009 at 3:00PM

Hi,
Not the sort of shop I normally frequent, but at 35 I was finally buying my first new sofa, and had been given some present money to top up savings.
Anyway. Managed to get 7.5% off (of 2.5K, apparently the maximum) then got 2 extra cussions for the price of 1 on top, so just over 8% in total.

My OH thought she could have got at least 10%. We made the mistake of it being the third visit to the shop, and talking to the same salesman, so he knew we were interested.

Sofas were a new range, and the price was not any cheaper in their"summer sale" (claiming 20% off)than it had been about 2 months ago.

Dont know if we did well or not.

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