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Help on engagement ring costs

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Ok, following on from my post earlier today.

My OH and I are now pricing rings, I would like to email the online companies asking for their best price on whichever ring I like.

My OH believes the price stated on website is the actual price.

I am being silly to think we can negotiate down the price?
Forty and fabulous, well that's what my cards say....
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Comments

  • johannalf88
    johannalf88 Posts: 2,827 Forumite
    You can negotiate - H2B did on mine! It is probably easier to ask for more for less. For example my diamond is 10% bigger, so meant to be around 20% more, but H2B said he would only pay 10% more. This was a different situation (he put in the order then they couldn't fulfil it), but it shows that they can be flexible.
    :T
  • LEJC
    LEJC Posts: 9,618 Forumite
    Check with some of the casback sites like quidco or topcash...online retailers will sometime hook up with them and offer discounts of typically 5-10%
    frugal October...£41.82 of £40 food shopping spend for the 2 of us!

    2017 toiletries challenge 179 out 145 in ...£18.64 spend
  • USM
    USM Posts: 317 Forumite
    You may have more luck in person at places such as Hatton Garden or Birmingham's similar area.

    I recently bought an engagement ring in Hatton Garden and within an hour of walking in the door had bought their starting price down by £2,500 so haggling really does exist.
  • zoeisababe
    zoeisababe Posts: 319 Forumite
    blinking heck USM! WELL DONE!

    wanna shop for mine?! LOL
    :jMarried on 12.12.12 to the best man alive! - FACT!:j
  • rach27184
    rach27184 Posts: 42 Forumite
    My h2b haggled! Got £100 off - nowhere near as good as USM!!! Wow!!! Go for it!!!
    :j:j Getting married 28th July 2012 :j:j
  • 74jax
    74jax Posts: 7,930 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    OH's feelings are that if we ask for their 'best price' then we have to buy it at whatever price they come back with.

    I was trying to explain they will have a profit margin and if they are willing to reduce they will, we don't have to take what they come back with, but he really didn't feel comfortable doing this. At all.

    He said I could if I wanted, but doing all the negotitaions over the cost of my engagement ring, isn't really how I had planned looking for a ring.

    So, we have submitted 2 ring ideas to Samara James and they are getting back to him with costs and he is deciding from the that whether to go ahead or not. So fingers crossed.
    Forty and fabulous, well that's what my cards say....
  • LEJC
    LEJC Posts: 9,618 Forumite
    We are probably all too British with our attitudes to haggling and asking for the best price...and its probably not how you imagined buying a ring but my thought is "if you dont ask you dont get..."and as long as you arn't offended when the retailer says theres no further movement on price then thats fine...look on it that if you can save 10% on every £300 spent then thats a bottle of champagne to celebrate with....
    frugal October...£41.82 of £40 food shopping spend for the 2 of us!

    2017 toiletries challenge 179 out 145 in ...£18.64 spend
  • 74jax
    74jax Posts: 7,930 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    LEJC wrote: »
    We are probably all too British with our attitudes to haggling and asking for the best price...and its probably not how you imagined buying a ring but my thought is "if you dont ask you dont get..."and as long as you arn't offended when the retailer says theres no further movement on price then thats fine...look on it that if you can save 10% on every £300 spent then thats a bottle of champagne to celebrate with....

    I agree with that principle too, but I was an estate agents for 10 years and a banking advisor for 2 years, definately have more of a 'sales drive' in me than he has :rotfl:
    Forty and fabulous, well that's what my cards say....
  • Idiophreak
    Idiophreak Posts: 12,024 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I'd also recommend going to a place with a bunch of jewellers to play off against each other. I went to the jewellery quarter in Brum to get my wedding ring...

    First place I went to, £400
    Next place, £360
    Next place, £350
    Next place, £340
    Next place, £310
    Last place £280

    That was 6 jewellers, there are 400 there to choose from, so I can't imagine how little I could have gotten the thing for if I'd been prepared to go round every one.

    I also didn't exactly have to play "hardball" or anything. I walked in, said "I want your best price for X, Y and Z, please" - and waited for the number. Most asked what the best price I'd had so far was...

    The last place offered £300 originally and I got him down a little, offering to pay up front, there and then...It's really nothing to be scared of.

    In contrast, when I bought the OH's engagement ring from Tiffany, I asked about negotiation and was told flat out that they don't do it, end of. So it definitely depends where you shop :)
  • USM
    USM Posts: 317 Forumite
    Identical experience with Tiffany - I politely excused myself and never looked back.

    People buy them though and it just shows the power of brand advertising. A colleague of mine bought his fiance's ring from Tiffany and paid more than I did but ended up with a smaller stone of lesser quality - crazy but well done to Tiffany for a successful marketing business!
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