Tips on How to Haggle?

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#731462 12-Dec-2012 15:48

ubergeeknz:

100% would only give me a discounted price if I paid cash, or it was +3%. If I'd been paying the ticket price, different story.

I have the complete opposite experience and I buy quite a few gadgets.

eg, most recently , I recently negotiated to buy a Nikon D600 with lens from HN for $3500 - at the time, this was the cheapest price from an official supplier by around $400. Then, paid by CC. Before then, I negotiated a great discount off a Samsung 40" led tv from JB Hifi, paid by CC no worries.

The best place to buy is Noel Leeming - -you can get the discount (usually I'd expect 20% minimum otherwise I walk), the credit card reward points, and flybuys.

Kyanar

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#731479 12-Dec-2012 16:36

surfisup1000:
timmmay: Credit card charges a 2-4% commission.

The only store I've used that charges a CC commission is PB Tech.

It is the exception rather than the norm.

Irrelevant. The RETAILER is charged 2-4% of the transaction price in fees.

mattwnz

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#731494 12-Dec-2012 16:51

surfisup1000:
I'd disagree somewhat. I negotiate a price up front (without mentioning I'm paying by CC), then pay with my CC at the checkout. Never been an issue. The people I deal with never asked if I'm paying cash or CC.

I have done that too with several of the Ozzie retailers operating in NZ, even though I did ask for the cash price. The checkout person however asked how I wanted to pay, so just gave them my credit card.

mrphil

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#731497 12-Dec-2012 16:54

Zeon: In China the guy selling pens started at $20 and went to $2 for the knock off mont blanc pens as we were about to get on the train.

and he was still making money hahaha

Elpie

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#731499 12-Dec-2012 16:57

My tips - know your product and what prices are being offered before you walk into the shop.

In first-world countries like NZ, Australia, US, Canada, & UK for example, I usually ask, "is this the best price you can give me?" followed by, "is there a discount for cash?"

Sometimes here retailers can't drop a price so then I ask if they will deliver free (if I need delivery) or if they can sweeten the deal by including something else. My TV, for example, wasn't able to be discounted. However, I got it with free delivery, an HDMi cable thrown in, and 70% off the cabinet. Since I was buying each of those anyway, it was a win.

Finally, be prepared to walk away and miss out on buying that item in that store. Sometimes, even in NZ, sales people will run after you and make the deal. Often, if you imply you can buy it cheaper elsewhere this just raises an issue of why you didn't go there in the first place.

I never buy anything except food, booze and fuel, at listed price. Just be polite and reasonable and don't try to back a retailer into a corner. Every sale is made up of a willing seller and a willing buyer. If both parties are happy at the end of it then its a win.

jfanning

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#731515 12-Dec-2012 17:15

timmmay: Credit card charges a 2-4% commission.

Can you provide more details of this?

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Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).

mattwnz

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#731518 12-Dec-2012 17:26

jfanning:
timmmay: Credit card charges a 2-4% commission.

Can you provide more details of this?

You will probably find it in the banks merchant agreement, which you may find on a banks website.

nate

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#731519 12-Dec-2012 17:29

mattwnz:
jfanning:
timmmay: Credit card charges a 2-4% commission.

Can you provide more details of this?

You will probably find it in the banks merchant agreement, which you may find on a banks website.

It does vary, based on your relationship with your bank manager and the volume ($) you are putting through.

Different cards (Visa&Mastercard, Amex, Diners) can all have different rates as well.

ajobbins

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#731527 12-Dec-2012 17:48

I've had pretty good success with buying consumer electronics buy doing some reserach online and finding the best price, then going in store and saying. I can get this elsewhere for $x, what is the best you can do.

Sometimes they can beat it and are usually pretty happy to do so to make the sale. Sometimes they will match or be slightly more, but it's worth it to get the goods there and then. Sometimes (the minority) they said said, sorry, we just can't go that low, and suggest you buy elsewhere - and I'll happily walk out the door at the point.

I recently purchased a washing machine, dryer and fridge from Harvey Norman. I negotiated a good price on all of them (well under sticker) and a reduced delivery fee. After we negotiated on price I asked to put it on Interest Free. They said they could only do 12 months interest free on those (cash prices), and it doesn't cost them anything. They have to pay when you do the big interest free deals. I was happy with that (Expecting to be told to bugger off), and 12 months is plenty anyway.

A few days later I saw a TV I liked at Costco for $869.00. HN had the same one for $999. I went in and said I had purchased a bunch of other stuff and could they match the Costco price. That way I could have got them to delivery it at the same time as everything else. They showed me the computer and $869 was about $30 below their buy price so they said no. Had I paid sticker on the other items, they might have done it for me.

I've generally found if you are are genuine and polite, and don't waste too much of their time, they are pretty co-operative at going as low as they can.

In the case of the stuff I did buy from HN, I went in knowing exactly what I wanted, what they were worth and what I wanted to pay for them. They were pretty happy to negotiate with me. They probably made bugger all on it, but I was in and out in about 10 mins so was a nice easy sale from the lady who dealt with me, who could then get back to selling something else to someone else.

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Wade

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#731529 12-Dec-2012 17:55

The trick is to understand the cost base, no point starting negotiation below cost as resellers need to make money. Start by offering the lowest semi realistic figure and slowly work up from there if you have to.

ajobbins

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#731538 12-Dec-2012 18:14

My parents bought a new house this year. They were looking for some time, but the advice they got from both their lawyer and accountant was offer 40% of the asking price first offer (Yes - less than half), and go from there.

They thought that was awfully low, but it's only a starting point, and it worked out well for them in the end.

With houses, people often have an idea in their own mind of what a house is worth to them (sentimental value and all that), or they are overly optimistic. Offering a stupidly low figure at first can help to burst that bubble and bring them down to earth.

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DravidDavid

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#731551 12-Dec-2012 19:10

I was looking for cable tidy in stores. Couldn't find it anywhere, but Bond+Bond who had it in store for 35 dollars. Even though I knew where it was, I asked one of the sales people if they had any cable tidy.

The sales person took me to where it was and handed me one. I looked at the product briefly and then stared at him with a blank look, then back at the product and toward him again. My dad calls this the silent treatment. After about 10 seconds, the sales person was doing all the work for me.

I managed to get him down from $35.00 to $20.00 with a micro-fiber cloth thrown in.

Turned from a rip off in to a steal, considering Harvey Norman sell a similar cloth for almost the same price as the cable tidy!
I think the trick is to let them think they know what you are thinking. Make sure you look as if you're about to walk away.

My father has walked in to hardware stores and bought power tools knocked down $300 odd dollars with this technique alone, no questions asked.

mattwnz

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#731564 12-Dec-2012 19:29

DravidDavid: .

My local HN were selling a whole lot of cable tidies for about $6 each. You can also pick them up on deal extreme for around that too.

mattgreen

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#731682 12-Dec-2012 23:32

As far as I've learned there are three key things to know when negotiating on anything..

1. Be educated - know what a fair price is for the item, and know what a bargain is
2. Be in a position to walk away - if you are desperate for the object you have already lost
3. The person to name the first price often wins - Set a low starting point and you have a better chance they will negotiate towards your original price. This is known as the anchor effect. Well worth a read of this if you're going to buy anything expensive - http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4302.html

DravidDavid

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#731744 13-Dec-2012 07:52

mattwnz:
DravidDavid: .

My local HN were selling a whole lot of cable tidies for about $6 each. You can also pick them up on deal extreme for around that too.

Darn. Everywhere I've looked, it has been 20 dollars plus. How many meters do you get for $6.00?

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