Great Best Places To Haggle Hunt

The_Dutch_Way

I went on the last day of Double sale day to DFS Trafford Park, offered to take 3 seater + 2 + 1 all in for £1500 cash but they refused to even consider the discount I requested (which was only £120.00)
There loss, my Gain, I went across the road to Land of Leather and got as above in leather for £1400.00 with 12 Months credit !!!

Lorraine_Turner

Edna_Bucket wrote:

Do businesses really care that much about that concept (or threat) in 2006? To be frank, I would have thought most companies would be pleased to see the back of the "hagglers" - why spend time arguing with you when they can devote time on others who will pay the marked price?

As a general point, I still can't see an overwhelming weight of genuine haggling going on here.

What some people seem to have also omitted is the time cost of all this. I'm particularly thinking about the hotel thread above by Lorraine Turner (no offence - but if I ran a hotel would I really want you back if you put me through all that?)

Is your time free or worthless then? Mine isn't - neither are my phone calls.

Perhaps some people ought to cost out how much time they spend on these sorts of exercises and then see if they have actually saved or spent more money.

Good points by wensleydale - whenever these discussions arise at MSE there are always a worrying number of people who seem unable to see the line between getting a good deal and dishonesty.

Hi Edna

Yes of course, if a person usually earns, say, £10 an hour, and it takes them 3 hours to get a discount of £10 off something, that would indeed be a false economy. However, I think you'll find that most of the moneysavers on this site have more intelligence than that, and I assure you I have. The point of people like me pinning retailers and hotel companies down to giving greater discounts is that many organisations have had it too good for too long. In the UK we've always been reticent about haggling and that kind of thing, and I for one applaud Martin's attempts to persuade us to behave otherwise, like many people from other nations. For example, the Arabs, Indians and Spanish are masters of the art. I do agree with you about being dishonest – I draw the line there – but we do live in a "Rip Off Britain" where companies charge us much more for items that they sell cheaper in Europe, America, and other parts of the world. Of course retailers need to make a profit, but it's not necessary to be over-protective towards them. They won't give a discount if it will genuinely interfere with their profit margins.

I've been looking at your previous posts on this thread and am wondering what message you're trying to convey to the rest of us. Are you trying to tell us that we're not succeeding at haggling, that it's not possible to haggle and that we should leave it alone? Do you disapprove of haggling? Or if you do believe it's okay and possible to haggle successfully, then I for one would like to hear about some of your own successful haggling experiences.

priceyman

Alex Johnson is right to point out the less than honest policy John Lewis follow. My son bought a flat screen tv from the Cheadle store before Christmas- £795. Crampton and Moore in Sheffield (home of another JL store) were selling the same tv at £619. They have a shop, prices are displayed, and goods can be collected as per a normal high street trader. Would they price match? No... The reason? One of their "price checkers" had been into the store three weeks previously and had obtained a discount for cash on one of the marked prices! JL had been matching with Crampton & Moore for the last 6 months. My guess? They were losing too much money price matching against this outlet so found a "reason" to exclude them from their price matching policy. I know there is a 5 year guarantee with a JL tv which is why we all want to buy from them, but I would rather them tell us we are paying for the guarantee, the returns policy, etc.. than persist with this fiction that they price match and the guarantees are all "free". He also tried to price match against a further two stores which,again,apparently satisfied the criteria but which were both declined for no other reason than "they are on our list of stores we cannot price match against". Surely this list should be made available to the public? And why is it not mentioned anywhere in their terms and conditions? It would be a simple matter to update their website with the info. How about "never knowingly undersold-but only when it suits."

saintstan

OK, here's the 10/4 (!)

In John Lewis' there's an ex-display fridge freezer & an ex-display hob (expensive). The F/F is about £799 reduced to £699 and eventually down to £399. The hob is £699 then £499 now £399.
Now I know they've been on the floor for a good few weeks maybe even since xmas.

So my question is, what's the best haggling strategy.

I recall having a discussion with a S/A once about ex-display stock and how it's 100% profit for the store as the stock is written off as soon as it goes on display. But the guy said that was nonsense.

I've never really had any great luck with haggling and usually end up buying the stuff anyway.

I really want this gear, but want it cheaper still.

Help.

Ta.

sportbeth

Safestore or any storage unit place. Safestore had a price beating promise to match and reduce any price within 5 mile radius, big yellow storage over the road had the same one. We went between the two stores a couple of times and got a unit from £1500 to £960 for 8 months storage.

Vision Express, went in to get an eye test in the new year when everyone else was doing BOGOF deals on frames, salesman was happy to haggle and we got the second pair of designer frames with lenses for £35. They should have been £100 +

amateur_saver

saintstan wrote:

OK, here's the 10/4 (!)

In John Lewis' there's an ex-display fridge freezer & an ex-display hob (expensive). The F/F is about £799 reduced to £699 and eventually down to £399. The hob is £699 then £499 now £399.
Now I know they've been on the floor for a good few weeks maybe even since xmas.

So my question is, what's the best haggling strategy.

I recall having a discussion with a S/A once about ex-display stock and how it's 100% profit for the store as the stock is written off as soon as it goes on display. But the guy said that was nonsense.

I've never really had any great luck with haggling and usually end up buying the stuff anyway.

I really want this gear, but want it cheaper still.

Help.

Ta.

Why don't you start at a price which is below the maximum you are willing to pay. You do have to be prepared to walk away. Perhaps offer cash ?

I would have thought they might give you both for £750 ? Maybe better ? You could haggle for free delivery too, unless you have a van to pick it up yourself.

Be nice, don't get angry. Just try and appeal to their better nature.

A_S x

sburge23

11 months into my 12 month contract i went into my local Phones4u and enquired about a free new phone & cheaper contract. What they offered me was quite good with another network,but i said i'd think about it & come back. Of course they couldnt have that so the chap asked why i was convinced i said i wasnt out of my contract yet so couldnt do it then,he offered me £20.
I accepted it & they arranged for my PAC number to be sent from Vodafone so i could keep my same number with O2. Of course i received the normal call from their customer services within a few days. They offered me the same deal but £3.50 cheaper per month. So i went back to Phones4U to give phone back & they offered me £60 cash,as couldnt knock anymore money off of contract(but works out £5cheaper from original per month). i said i still wasnt happy as all the hassle of having to post phone back to Vodafone & coming back to the store,blah,blah. He offered me £80 in a cheque, which was recieved yester about 10days after purchase.
overall new free phone, cheaper contract, £100 in hand!
:j

trevored

Hi a few years ago I went with my daughter to Powerhouse as she wanted to purchase a new fridge/freezer. She saw the ideal one for £299 but a large sign was displayed stating "trade in your old fridge/freezer and get £100 off!" Well my daughter didn't have a trade-in so I asked if she could have it for £199, they said no it had to be the full price.

So I asked what they did with the old one's they collected, "Oh we throw them in the skip". So I made the point that someone who puts them to the trouble of collecting an old fridge/reezer, loading it onto a van, man-handles it into a skip then has to dispose of it under EU regs. gets a £100 off, but some one who makes it easy for them gets charged an extra £100 for a new one?

There followed a lengthy discussion between us & the saleswoman, then between her & her supervisor, then between the two of them and the store manager then a phone call by the manager (I assume to head office) where eventually it was agreed that we could buy the item for £199. It took about 20mins but saved us £100!

The point I'm making is don't take for granted any price you see it's always worth a try.

rozeepozee

whoops- see below! (Why can't you delete an entry if you've duplicated it?)

rozeepozee

Edna_Bucket wrote:

As a general point, I still can't see an overwhelming weight of genuine haggling going on here.

What some people seem to have also omitted is the time cost of all this. I'm particularly thinking about the hotel thread above by Lorraine Turner (no offence - but if I ran a hotel would I really want you back if you put me through all that?)

Is your time free or worthless then? Mine isn't - neither are my phone calls.

Perhaps some people ought to cost out how much time they spend on these sorts of exercises and then see if they have actually saved or spent more money.

I thought Lorraine's comments were really useful. I've done something similar and saved hundreds on my holidays. I'd rather spend a little time haggling and save some cash than spend the time earning the extra cash at work. It's something of a sport for me, but I can see it wouldn't be everyone's bag, my boyfriend certainly can never be arsed but luckily for him I do it for the both if us :j