Help me with phrases for bartering

i managed to get out of debt and over the last couple of yrs managed to get bits of jobs done around the house.

I had a fitted bedroom put in for my dd last yr and i was v pleased. I've now asked the company to come again to quote my room. I am sure i'll get them to do the job as they did a spot on job last time but i dont want them thinking 'well we can charge her what we like cos she's used us before'.

I'm quite sure i'll be shocked when he gives the quote but what can i say to try and get a few quid off. If they say £1500, i spose i can say 'crikey that's a lot more than i was thinking' but apart from that i'm stumped.

cmon guys, every penny counts for me. help me out. thanks
«1

Comments

  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 49,295 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Name Dropper
    They may give you a reasonable price straight off as they know you are likely to pick them; my double glazing company just did!

    Otherwise:

    Although I would be happy to use you again, that price is way above my budget.

    I was impressed with the quality of your work and will use you again provided the cost is reasonable.

    That price isn't one that I could agree to at the moment.

    The price would need to be lower for me to confirm a booking now.

    I am prepared to commit today if the price is right.

    I'm sorry that at that price I won't be able to go with you.

    your having a laugh!

    Seriously, I would rather you gave me your lowest price now, rather than we go through a charade of haggling.

    ....and don't forget the best is to say nothing at all. Let them fill an embarrasing silence.
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on the housing, mortgages & student money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
  • Eagle_1
    Eagle_1 Posts: 8,484 Forumite
    asp746 wrote: »
    If they say £1500, i spose i can say 'crikey that's a lot more than i was thinking' but apart from that i'm stumped.

    You then say " but as I am a returning customer I will get a 10 % discount on that price "

    Be prepared to say no if they seem as they arent gonna give discount(at that stage), if they think the are gonna lose a sale chances are if they can give a discount they will, thats if they genuinely think you will go elsewhere.

    My hubby bought lino a few week back, he got £6 knocked off. Most people would pay the price they ask, but he thinks sod it try for a discount :D
  • moo2moo
    moo2moo Posts: 4,694 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Thank you, but compared to the other quotations I've had that seems a little high.

    xy and z are offering free installation / a 25 % discount etc. I'll be giving them a call.

    I'm afraid I've allocated £1200 to this project.

    Surely you can do better then that?

    Do you have a cash price?

    Is it gold plated? (usually makes em laugh!)
    Saving for a Spinning Wheel and other random splurges : £183.50
  • robpw2
    robpw2 Posts: 14,044 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    I have seen it online for less

    I ll give you a clue it started with a 7 But i want to use you as i trust you

    make some freudian slips so if they say its 1200 say so your saying thats 900 well if thats the case ill book you straught away


    My biggest tip is watch dont get done get dom it wil be on bbc i player hes like god when it comes to haggling


    He helped a lady haggle her way for a 1700 wheelchair to 850 and they threw in spare batteries crutch holder and cover all optional (chargeble) extras

    so be cheeky . Be cheeky .

    start As low as possible


    Slimming world start 28/01/2012 starting weight 21st 2.5lb current weight 17st 9-total loss 3st 7.5lb
    Slimmer of the month February , March ,April
  • When they give you a price make sure to spit in their face and point towards the front door!

    Alternatively, make it clear to them that they are one of a number of companies you are looking at.
  • "I'm sorry, that's more than we've budgetted for, I don't think we could afford that - is there anything you can do about the price?"

    ok, the game is this - the last person to mention a price looses. Your budget is in your head, don't tell them. It's up to them to 'barter down' until they reach it.. kinda like a dutch auction.

    We recently got quoted for blinds.. during the sales pitter patter, we mentioned we'd been given the money for the blinds as a present. We told him a price bellow what we could afford, so he'd have room to move. He quoted far more than we were prepared to pay and we just told him to find a better price. 2 minutes later the quote was 90 quid less and we had a deal.
  • Timmne
    Timmne Posts: 2,555 Forumite
    I think the word you're looking for is 'haggling' - bartering is where you'd pay them by offering your skill or trade instead of payment (which is illegal BTW!)

    Offer them cash (to save on the VAT), if they accept then you can blackmail them when they've done the job and say you'll offer them 50% of the quote otherwise you'll report them for VAT evasion....
  • Timmne
    Timmne Posts: 2,555 Forumite
    Also, there's a phrase in buying houses that's something like "if you're not embarrassed by your first offer, it's too high" - you should bear this in mind!
  • asp746
    asp746 Posts: 419 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    thanks everyone - seems humour is the best bet. I do have a rough idea of what i'm prepared to pay bearing in mind what i paid last time but....this job is bigger and is going to be expensive regardless.

    hopefully, they'll come in with a figure near what i'm prepared/expecting to pay. I'll let you know how i get on.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 252.8K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.2K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 597.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.5K Life & Family
  • 256.1K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.