How to Ask for (and Get) a Lower Price on Almost Anything

I am always surprised by the people who think bargaing for a better price for clothing, household items and electronics is tacky. If you could save money on the item you want by asking them to have it as the competitors price or lower, what is wrong with that? If you saw 5 or $10 in the street is it tacky to stoop down and pick it up or leave it for someone else who not embrassed to pick it up. When you have opportunities to keep that extra money in your pocket what's the problem. I bet if, one's paycheck was short $5 or more, how tacky would that be, on your part, to ask for it back. Just wondering

I worked at a bank, and it was frustrating dealing with people who would cite other sources and threaten to go to elsewhere for financing. Our manager would politely suggest perhaps they'd be happier there. Now, the few who did change are likely anything but happy, because our little bank kept their integrity and their financial solvency during the recent turmoil, while most of the banks the complainers were talking about had problems.

My husband works for a certain popular home improvement store. He said the management has just sent out messages on how to politely refuse people who come in expecting to haggle. Their prices are set, and can't be adjusted by anyone in the local stores and all you are going to do is give some poor, minimum wage employee a hard time for nothing.

You want to haggle, go to a garage sale or a flea market. You want the convenience and safety of a respected, stable institution or store, shut up and pay the piper.

As a store owner I do not mind if you ask for a better price. I gladly give you a better price on a item I want to get rid of. You will not get a better price on the good selling stuff.

I will never give you a discount if you ask me within ear shot of other customers because if I give you one I need to give them one.

I will never give you a discount when you tell me it is cheaper elsewhere because they may not have the color you want or size you want or whatever. Most hagglers are full of it anyway so .....

Should you get a discount it will be a final sale; no refunds, no exchanging. Might not be worth the few dollars you are saving.

If you are a loyal customer we will give a coupon for next purchase, no need to even ask. We like to take care of our regulars. A good relationship with your regulars is vital to your business.
If we see you once in a blue moon and then ask for a discount you will be disappointed unless, of course, you pick that item we really like to (get rid of) sell. You just are not as important to the survival of my business as my regulars are.

If you have a really nasty attitude about our prices we will probably refer to a cheaper competitor and have them deal with you. (We will be happy for 2 reasons; getting rid of you and saddling our dumb**s competitor with you)

I look at tight wads differently these days. You must respect money-- no cash- no purchase. Just wish I would have figured this out 15 years ago.

If anyone really wants to save money on clothing, home items, go to your local Goodwill store. I have purchased a designer dress with a long sleeve matching coat for $5.00. The original price was $175.00. There wasn't anything wrong with the dress or coat. I have bought china soup bowls for $0.99 each. There are terrific bargains at Goodwill. I live in an area that has 10 Goodwill stores so I make rounds of several when looking for something specific. I needed chairs for a dining table that a friend gave me. I found chairs that were still very sturdy for anywhere from $7.99 to $14.99. The chairs don't match each other or the table, but who cares? I also go to yard/garage sales. I found a brand new comforter for my twin bed at just $4.00. I love hanging photos of family, friends, companion animals, etc. Frames that would have cost $5+ were only $0.99. As for appliances, see if there is an appliance outlet store near you. When the sewer backed up into my basement and destroyed my 29 year old washer and 27 year old dryer, I did my research with Consumer Reports then went to a Sears appliance outlet. The store is huge and there are many washers, dryers, stoves, etc. I found the CR recommended top of the line Kenmore, front load washer $500.00 less than at a Sears retail store. The matching dryer was purchased for 50% off because I was buying a washer. Appliances at outlet stores are either floor models, one of a kind left over after a sale at the retail stores or ones that are returned by customers. My new washer & dryer were returns. The store manager explained that the store policy is not to give a reason that appliances are returned to a retail store. Instead they are sent to the appliance outlet store. I knew I could return both appliances if there was anything wrong with them. The only thing I could find wrong were a few scratches on both. These scratches were not deep enough to cause the appliances to rust. I bought these four years ago and that time have done many, many loads of laundry and haven't had any problems with either.

I've looked at a lot of price matching policies and a lot of places won't price match to online stores and if they do they'll add in the cost of shipping or something else that may potentially kill the deal.

Auto finance rate of 10.5%? I would like to know when this happened. I bought a car in March 2010 and my bank was offering me 2.99%. I went with manufacturer financing at 0.9% financing over 3 years which turns out to be less than $300 for the life of the loan. I didn't even have to do any negotiating. I did my research, went there and they gave it to me. My friend bought a car some months later and he said his finance rate was about 4.5%. At 10.75% I would just pay cash for the car.

I work in retail and I understand trying to save some money but there are always coupons around, yet it seems like every person that checks out "forgot" their coupon, yet when offered an opportunity to be sent coupons each month most people will refuse(this usually jogs their memory that they had a coupon somewhere). Damage discounts are ok, but many people are greedy thinking they will be the only person that will purchase it (with a mark or a dead battery) and demand 50% or more off. There are also many checks for excessive discounts, whether for individual items, or even how many coupons are being used by a cashier. These can lead to disciplinary actions yet the consumers don't acknowledge that company policy and keeping a job in this economy means more than letting them save a dollar.

I agree with "iheartlaley": as a former retail manager, consumers have gone beyond willing to "bargain" and now just act like they're entitled to whatever they want, whenever they want. Sure, negotiate the price off a high-margin item, or a damaged/clearance one... but come on cheapskates, pay the $3 for that pair of socks. I'm self employed, and make almost no livable income at the moment, but even I won't stoop that low to haggle over every little thing. it's ridiculous when you see the soccer moms pull in up their 2011 Mercedes and complain for a 53 cent price difference.

I save 30 percent by buying previous rentals on fleet cars.All the bugs and recalls have been taken care of and you get the car just like showroom condition except with 20,000 miles on it.The cars year is still current but at a huge savings.30% plus the 60 months of interest your not paying. Make it a GM and get the rest of there 100,000 mile power train warrenty for free.

I wish we had more smaller stores like they do in places like europe and foreign countries
most people selling things are doing them for a living and they are more willing to bargin and give you a deal plus its usually outside which is way better than being in a mall all day

The price is the price is the price. If you have to haggle to get it, you can't afford it. I am so sick of the inflated sense of entitlement consumers have these days.

it was great to get that wonderful advise from that smuck voncia davis.

Try that in my store.......... I'll tell you to go next door (and get their cheaply made products), LOL. You want quality, you stay in my store. Of course my customers already know this.

I used to haggle over prices when I was younger. Then I (and I obviously still do) owned a store for myself. That's when I realized that people's kids get fed on prices that are paid.

Sure a manager might lower the price, but if everybody does it, soon upper management will have to let people go. Less profit means that the store has to cut back somewhere. A company isn't like the USA that just prints more money.

If you want it, pay for it. If another store is less, then go there and buy it. Don't look and act like a pennypinching skinflint (cheapskate).

Has anyone tried the Frucall phone Nr? It has an error message... It would be nice if the writer would check the phone nrs and texts before publishing them.

Im in sales (travel) and honestly I have people trying these same techniques every day. I am all for a good deal but there is a point when it is a waste of time and you no longer want the sale, I then refer them to keep looking. Im not spending an hour of my life to make 5 bucks.

......Power To The People Who Know How Corporate America Overprices EveryThing & That Means Negotiation Without Hesitation...& That My Friend Is Saving Smart & Living Well...Seniors Know It Better Than Any Of Us...

This just doesn't work in small town USA. Believe me, I've tried several times!

"Beautiful Oak" assumes that whenver someone buys a new car, they are "taking it up the rear". Not so. I got a deal on my 2010 chevy malibu, brand new, for just under $14,600 because I was able to combine discounts from AAA and loyalty rewards. As a result, I paid less for a brand-new car than I would have paid for an older, used version of the car. And I pre-shopped the financing, so I got that at less than 4% as well. As far as paying cash - most folks don't have $12-$16K in cash waiting around to make a purchase and that's seems to be about the rate for a "good used car".

People just don't haggle for 15% to 20% off these days, some people will try to low-ball and get 50% to 70% off blemish items. Now that's real haggling!