Bargaining in shops
Author
Discussion

jamoor

Original Poster:

14,506 posts

233 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
Anyone else do this?

Is this a really pikey thing to do?

I sometimes ask "is that the best you can do" in places where I am fairly certain some discount can be taken, usually car dealers, parts suppliers and usually end up with at least 10%.

Today I went to buy a spark plug for a lawnmower, I happened to be driving past a mower shop so thought I would pop in, showed the guy mine and said I wanted one of them, I know they retail for around £3 or so, this guy demanded a ridiculous £5.50, when asked "is that the best you can do" he told me that's a good price and said he will do it for £6.50 (obviously not the cleverest of shopkeepers), he seemed to get really offended/pissed off, acted as though I had pissed all over his kids Chrismas presents on Christmas Eve!


dave_s13

13,956 posts

287 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
If your haggling over something that costs less than a tenner and you know you can get it somewhere else for less, then go somewhere else...you pikey.

Simply put; for purchases under a few hundred quid that are in the right ballpark then haggling is on a par with wrestling bread from a pigeon.

sniff diesel

13,124 posts

230 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
It's a shame my local Lucas shop closed down, could get NGK plgs for £1 each.

mouk786

1,263 posts

215 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
depends on the shop and product really.

SS HSV

9,646 posts

276 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
sniff diesel said:
It's a shame my local Lucas shop closed down, could get NGK plgs for £1 each.
Spot the irony wink

jamoor

Original Poster:

14,506 posts

233 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
SS HSV said:
sniff diesel said:
It's a shame my local Lucas shop closed down, could get NGK plgs for £1 each.
Spot the irony wink
To be fair eBay seems to have replaced it. (which is where I bought it from in the end)

Funk

26,974 posts

227 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
I did it with a BMW dealer getting audio parts. They gave me a brilliant price so I've put loads of others their way too - they've been very grateful which is good. They're nice chaps.

Always worth asking - what's the worst they can say? 'No.'

Jer_1974

1,609 posts

211 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
I do it quite a lot. Last week I was buying some shirts and liked two that I tried on. I walked out the changing rooms and asked the shop assistant how much discount for two. I got 20% off which worked out at £20.
If you don't ask you don't get. I do it a lot with my business and save loads so try it on in shops all the time.
But then I am from Scotland.

jamoor

Original Poster:

14,506 posts

233 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
Funk said:
I did it with a BMW dealer getting audio parts. They gave me a brilliant price so I've put loads of others their way too - they've been very grateful which is good. They're nice chaps.

Always worth asking - what's the worst they can say? 'No.'
Yeah, try Soper of Lincoln, they usually knock the VAT off.

jas xjr

11,309 posts

257 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
had a guy in my shop today , he wanted a 1:18 scale of an ac cobra.it was on for £50 .he asked me what the best i could do was.he asked nicely i let him have it for £40. no problem there ,we were both happy. i do the same myself. i think the key is to judge whether or not there is a suitable margin in the item.my advice is go for it

Funk

26,974 posts

227 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
I think it's also how you ask. The wrong attitude will not do you any favours as a customer.

Shay HTFC

3,588 posts

207 months

Tuesday 31st March 2009
quotequote all
I always want to do it, but never know where is right?
Surely trying to haggle at a high street store is pointless for random cheap stuff?

I would have thought it would be easier to get the odd discount at independent stores.

I don't know why I am asking a question, then sharing what I think is right, then not actually doing it, but ah well.

So yeah, what sort of shops do you ask for discounts in?

Regards,
Tight wad

jas xjr

11,309 posts

257 months

Wednesday 1st April 2009
quotequote all
i have asked for and received discounts in comet ,pc world , ofice world etc. but as others have said ,be polite , they can only say no.

Dargie

637 posts

200 months

Wednesday 1st April 2009
quotequote all
It must be just me who has the old fashioned idea that you go into a shop look at something then decide if you want to buy it or not, at the price that is on it?

When are people going to learn thar shops are there to make money, of course the shopkeeper in the OP looked pcensoredd off, would the OP try to get a discount in KFC or McDonalds? Of course not, so why try and screw the honest independant shopkeeper? I prefer to spend my money in small, locally owned shops and if it costs me a little more, then so be it, but i know the next time i go in they'll be happy to serve me and if i've got a question they'll try and help me out. Unlike the usual gimp you get in a national company who doesn't have a clue what he's speaking about!

jamoor

Original Poster:

14,506 posts

233 months

Wednesday 1st April 2009
quotequote all
Dargie said:
It must be just me who has the old fashioned idea that you go into a shop look at something then decide if you want to buy it or not, at the price that is on it?

When are people going to learn thar shops are there to make money, of course the shopkeeper in the OP looked pcensoredd off, would the OP try to get a discount in KFC or McDonalds? Of course not, so why try and screw the honest independant shopkeeper? I prefer to spend my money in small, locally owned shops and if it costs me a little more, then so be it, but i know the next time i go in they'll be happy to serve me and if i've got a question they'll try and help me out. Unlike the usual gimp you get in a national company who doesn't have a clue what he's speaking about!
I think KFC and McDonalds it's a given that their prices are completely inflexible (computer says no) same with supermarkets (computer says no)

I would do it if I ever bought anything close to full price in high street electronics shops but I never buy from there at full whack anyway.

I have done it on mobile phones before when buying a payg phone. The tip is always take the extra insurance and then haggling works easier.

Then go home, ring up the insurance company and cancel your policy, cheque usually arrives within a few weeks. Result!

Also it wasnt really a little more, it was significantly more! It was 83% more, or if you exclude the postage, a whopping 266% more!

Also works at trade merchants (not screwfix) and a few other places.

jamoor

Original Poster:

14,506 posts

233 months

Wednesday 1st April 2009
quotequote all
Funk said:
I think it's also how you ask. The wrong attitude will not do you any favours as a customer.
Hmm, how do you go about asking? (is there anything wrong with my technique?)



Edited by jamoor on Wednesday 1st April 00:22

Dargie

637 posts

200 months

Wednesday 1st April 2009
quotequote all
jamoor said:
Dargie said:
It must be just me who has the old fashioned idea that you go into a shop look at something then decide if you want to buy it or not, at the price that is on it?

When are people going to learn thar shops are there to make money, of course the shopkeeper in the OP looked pcensoredd off, would the OP try to get a discount in KFC or McDonalds? Of course not, so why try and screw the honest independant shopkeeper? I prefer to spend my money in small, locally owned shops and if it costs me a little more, then so be it, but i know the next time i go in they'll be happy to serve me and if i've got a question they'll try and help me out. Unlike the usual gimp you get in a national company who doesn't have a clue what he's speaking about!
I think KFC and McDonalds it's a given that their prices are completely inflexible (computer says no) same with supermarkets (computer says no)

I would do it if I ever bought anything close to full price in high street electronics shops but I never buy from there at full whack anyway.

I have done it on mobile phones before when buying a payg phone. The tip is always take the extra insurance and then haggling works easier.

Then go home, ring up the insurance company and cancel your policy, cheque usually arrives within a few weeks. Result!

Also it wasnt really a little more, it was significantly more! It was 83% more, or if you exclude the postage, a whopping 266% more!

Also works at trade merchants (not screwfix) and a few other places.
You see that is your problem! You are confusing percentage with actual money value. If things are so bad that you have to question do i spend £3 or £6 then i suggest you sell the PC you are working from, dump your Broadband provider and sell your car!

Just out of curiosity, do you drive all over town to find the cheapest petrol/diesel?

jamoor

Original Poster:

14,506 posts

233 months

Wednesday 1st April 2009
quotequote all
Dargie said:
jamoor said:
Dargie said:
It must be just me who has the old fashioned idea that you go into a shop look at something then decide if you want to buy it or not, at the price that is on it?

When are people going to learn thar shops are there to make money, of course the shopkeeper in the OP looked pcensoredd off, would the OP try to get a discount in KFC or McDonalds? Of course not, so why try and screw the honest independant shopkeeper? I prefer to spend my money in small, locally owned shops and if it costs me a little more, then so be it, but i know the next time i go in they'll be happy to serve me and if i've got a question they'll try and help me out. Unlike the usual gimp you get in a national company who doesn't have a clue what he's speaking about!
I think KFC and McDonalds it's a given that their prices are completely inflexible (computer says no) same with supermarkets (computer says no)

I would do it if I ever bought anything close to full price in high street electronics shops but I never buy from there at full whack anyway.

I have done it on mobile phones before when buying a payg phone. The tip is always take the extra insurance and then haggling works easier.

Then go home, ring up the insurance company and cancel your policy, cheque usually arrives within a few weeks. Result!

Also it wasnt really a little more, it was significantly more! It was 83% more, or if you exclude the postage, a whopping 266% more!

Also works at trade merchants (not screwfix) and a few other places.
You see that is your problem! You are confusing percentage with actual money value. If things are so bad that you have to question do i spend £3 or £6 then i suggest you sell the PC you are working from, dump your Broadband provider and sell your car!

Just out of curiosity, do you drive all over town to find the cheapest petrol/diesel?
No, that's what petrolprices.com is for!

Things aren't bad, I just prefer the extra £3 in my pocket than anyone elses.

Orb the Impaler

1,881 posts

208 months

Wednesday 1st April 2009
quotequote all
Currys and similar will haggle.
Car tyre places will also beat the best quote. I've just got my new tyres down an extra 80 quid each *so far* for the sake of a call. (The only places that do not honour the price pledge are place like Kwik Fit - they won't budge).
Most car parts places (for example GSF) will give you "trade price" and then some to get your business.

Funk

26,974 posts

227 months

Wednesday 1st April 2009
quotequote all
jamoor said:
Funk said:
I think it's also how you ask. The wrong attitude will not do you any favours as a customer.
Hmm, how do you go about asking? (is there anything wrong with my technique?)



Edited by jamoor on Wednesday 1st April 00:22
Nothing special. Just be polite, don't expect it, don't act peeved if they say no. It's their product to sell, after all.

It's often worth asking for extra bits rather than a discount sometimes. When I got my G1, I got an 8Gb memory card chucked in as well as the 2Gb one it came with, I got a spare screen protector too. That was in a T-Mobile shop.

When I bought my laptop (I found a decent HP one in PC World that I liked) I got £100 off the price of the laptop, a free laptop bag (nothing special, just an 'Antler' one) a free Logitech cordless travel mouse (one with a slot in the back that shuts off the battery when you insert the dongle). When I bought my amplifier I got a £300 discount and some reasonable cables thrown in for free too. When I bought my Canon DSLR, I got £50 off it and a 2GB Ultra SD card and a LowePro case chucked in.

The bottom line is that if you're talking to the right person (ie. the one who can make such decisions) and you're polite and make it clear you're not mucking about (ie. you are going to purchase) then you can always ask, the worst you can get is a 'no'. smile

Weirdly I would feel uncomfortable haggling in restaurants though.

ETA: forgot to add that PC World also chucked in a spindle of 50 blank CDRs too which I needed at the time! Also it's worth showing genuine gratitude to the person that just did you a deal. And yes, it does mean I'm likely to go back to those places when I want to purchase more things..

Edited by Funk on Wednesday 1st April 00:51