Haggling in Ireland today

Elba101

consultech wrote: »

Cracked up at that...

I did it by printing up a false invoice from a crowd in England and getting other stuff bundled in (including a Vogel wall bracket - which are top of the line and v expensive at about €400 RRP).

The key is go straight to a decision-maker, don't trade awkwardness with some teenager ringing the items up who has no experience or knowledge of how bulk/discount purchasing works, and don't care about you walking away. Small business owners who have complete and 100% say in everything are your best bet. They also feel the kick more if you're threatening to walk away from a potential sale, and you can exploit that.

Jaysus! The thought that went into that one...

orourkeda

I do good price

orourkeda

I must try it some time

junkyard

Trying to run a business in this country is a waste of time if this kind of attitude prevails, it's bad enough to have the revenue squeezing the life out of you, then the landlord and now the customer. Ffs why bother. Pretty soon there won't be any shops.

WhiskeyTangoFox

Always tried my arm when buy stuff in shops, clothes and
electrical stuff mostly. Nearly always got something off or rounded down. The other half is always embarrassed when I do it though.

Mint Sauce

alway on electrical goods, €100 off a €400 camera last year, plus camera bag thrown in for free

will always ask atleast for a price match compared to one of their rivals, sometimes you get lucky.

partyatmygaff

I always attempt to haggle on things on the buyandsell, adverts etc.

In shops not so much, maybe I ask for a small bit off a laptop etc.

If they do ok, if not fine aswell.

Shops/restaurants etc all got literally killed by their landlords and revenue etc, the last thing they need is the customers to kill off any profit they may make.
Sometimes if you come in before the wages are due to be paid (In small shops, not worth your time in a big shop) i.e. if you know the owner pays his staff on sundays go in late on saturday and you might just get a bargain if the owner needs to pay the staff. This of course only works in small shops.

consultech

junkyard wrote: »

Trying to run a business in this country is a waste of time if this kind of attitude prevails, it's bad enough to have the revenue squeezing the life out of you, then the landlord and now the customer. Ffs why bother. Pretty soon there won't be any shops.

WTF are you talking about? It's the same market conditions that exist in every other country. Retailers have just been taking the piss out of consumers for the last 15 years, not knowing how good they had it, when 90% weren't fit to run a business to begin with.

120_Minutes

I work in retail. I dont mind people asking for a discount......ONCE. if i can do it, i will. if i cant, i cant. stop pestering. the more you pester, the less chance you get a discount off me.

Had a guy in once, and from them time he opened his mouth to the time he handed over the cash it was "ahh you'll do it for this"

no i cant.


also, if the words eddie hobbs, recession or go on are mentioned during the transaction, you're paying full price.

gdael

Its also good if you have a browser in your phone. Shoe them the price on the internet and say its worth x amount more for me to buy it here today, but any higher and thats it - im ordering it off the net.

rubadub

gdael wrote: »

Haggle with taxi drivers.
Got one home last night that usually costs €30.
I just went up the rank offering €20 until someone who wasnt scared of the other drivers took me.

Tap on the first window and say "I have no money but will suck you off for a lift home", then go down the rank saying the same thing to all of them, then hop in the last one saying "none of them want to take me to XYZ for some reason" but with cash, then drive off waving to all the other drivers and they'll all think the driver took you up on the offer, hopefully they know him.

My trick was to get in a taxi and say "I only have €10 left and need to get to stillorgan, drop me as close as you can". The fare should have been €10 usually, but it made sure they went a short route, and if it ran over 10 they usually went the little extra distance free.

Horsefumbler wrote: »

Yeah over the years people have often asked if there is a discount for paying cash and i never got what they meant. Like what if your not paying cash how are you going to pay? with sheep, or some other form of barter

consultech wrote: »

Spectacular misunderstanding of how payments work. Retailers get charged a % on all credit card transactions. Paying in cash negates this. Hope this helps.

yes, and they are not allowed to blatantly charge customers extra for CC transactions. So this is a subtle breaking of that rule/law. It is also a form of blackmailing that some customers try, i.e. "reduce that price by 2% for cash or else I'm using my CC". Also with cash there is no paper trail so smaller shops might be more likely to take it, like tradesmen, if it is not on the books they can make the same profit from you but offer at a much lower cash price.

Quackles wrote: »

I know someone who ordered in a chipper and then haggled the price when the food was handed to him.. got it half off :eek: That's a bit tight, though...

I have heard a proposed idea of ordering a pizza, then when it arrives say it was not ordered, but I'll offer €10 for it. Doubt it would work though.

mikemac

junkyard wrote: »

Trying to run a business in this country is a waste of time if this kind of attitude prevails, it's bad enough to have the revenue squeezing the life out of you, then the landlord and now the customer. Ffs why bother. Pretty soon there won't be any shops.

A business owner haggles with their suppliers. If they don't get discounts they might get credit for 30 days. And they certainly get bulk discounts!
Now that's for stock worth thousands, if you can't deal with a customer doing a bit of haggling you shouldn't be in business.

If you simply can't give a discount then tell the customer, they might walk out the door though

mikemac

rubadub wrote: »

I have heard a proposed idea of ordering a pizza, then when it arrives say it was not ordered, but I'll offer €10 for it. Doubt it would work though.

The person delivering it has no power to give discounts. If they go back with less money the owner will reckon they're skimming a few euro off every pizza.

Try this idea and you'll get yourself black-listed from all the local takeaways

orourkeda

junkyard wrote: »

Trying to run a business in this country is a waste of time if this kind of attitude prevails, it's bad enough to have the revenue squeezing the life out of you, then the landlord and now the customer. Ffs why bother. Pretty soon there won't be any shops.

I'll run your business. Just give me a job.

junkyard

orourkeda wrote: »

I'll run your business. Just give me a job.

I shut mine, why don't you set up one? That is if you think it's viable? I know I don't anymore, not in Ireland anyway.

Joey the lips

junkyard wrote: »

I shut mine, why don't you set up one? That is if you think it's viable? I know I don't anymore, not in Ireland anyway.

Now there is the real reason you hate haggleing i think.


Geting customers in your door and looking at your goods is only half the work. You then need to convince the customer that they are buying the right goods for the right job at the right price and customer service is paramount.

If you cannot haggle you have lost the game. Your inability to haggle will prevent you dealing with your customers on a personel level and getting the best deals from your suppliers.

There is many companies that dont haggle. Arnots and brownthomas. They spend massive amounts of money convincing you that there brand is not worthy of haggleing. other brands like dunnes stores and penneys employ workers to stack shelves and help the customer. They do not employ workers to haggle because there margins are to low.

If you truly want to haggle go into a small shop that supplys good quality. Like "Best" or "Burton" you catch my drift. Good clothes reasonable,

One of the best haggles I ever had was actually in unique.. Why? Because the managers in that were family and knew where the money was coming from.

Any person that says a customer is wrong to haggle is not worthy of that customer. Simple!

Gummy Panda

Joey the lips wrote: »

Any person that says a customer is wrong to haggle is not worthy of that customer. Simple!

Problem is people try to haggle discounts off everything without researching what they has a better chance of a discount.

I've heard of people haggling for a discount on one of the retailers loss leaders.

Like wise, people haggling for discounts on games consoles. The profit margins are so low on them, there is no point in haggling for a discount. Now if you were buying the console with a lot of third party accessories, you haggle for a discount on the accessories as they have massive mark up.

Joey the lips

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Problem is people try to haggle discounts off everything without researching what they has a better chance of a discount.

I've heard of people haggling for a discount on one of the retailers loss leaders.

Like wise, people haggling for discounts on games consoles. The profit margins are so low on them, there is no point in haggling for a discount. Now if you were buying the console with a lot of third party accessories, you haggle for a discount on the accessories as they have massive mark up.

Rule no.1 for being a customer: I dont care i just want more money off!

Customer does not know the shops policy or strategy. They just dont care and why should day. I always haggle regardless of what I am told and if a shop locally does the same product I will haggle with them both.

Granted I am not going to spend an hour haggleing over the difference in a price of a box of conrflakes but I will make sure not to buy them in the dearer shop and tell the owner why.


dont stop haggleing. Its your money and hard earned:

http://suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/haggling-how-tos/

Gummy Panda

Joey the lips wrote: »

Rule no.1 for being a customer: I dont care i just want more money off!

Customer does not know the shops policy or strategy. They just dont care and why should day. I always haggle regardless of what I am told and if a shop locally does the same product I will haggle with them both.

Granted I am not going to spend an hour haggleing over the difference in a price of a box of conrflakes but I will make sure not to buy them in the dearer shop and tell the owner why.

I don't think you get my point. Fair enough shopping around for a cheaper deal but haggling on something that has already had the ass discounted out of it is a waste of time.

Why would i discount a product i have priced competitive and make minimum profit on (in hopes that they buy an attaching accessory)? I would be insane to undercut myself on that in hopes that you return to do the same again.

That blog you linked says pretty much the same. Do your research and be reasonable.

grundie

Some deals I got through haggling.

€50 off a fancy SW radio in the Sony Store as it was the last one and the sales assistant couldn't figure out how to get in back in the box.

€300 off our weekly rent when the recession hit.

€70 off a Gaggia espresso machine.

And the best one...

£3,000 off a new Ford Focus and two years fully comp insurance for paying cash. I just went in and said I've got £9,000 in cash to buy a car, what's the best you can do. I actually fanned the notes at them to get their attention, and it worked.

I won't haggle for small things though. I seen a guy in Maplins at the weekend trying to haggle over a €4.00 component. The sales guy looked totally bewildered.

KilOit

My old man works in the markets and by god can he haggle, he has no shame in haggling in any shop and it generally works he has gotten massive deals on items, my mom hates it and generally does a runner when he goes to purchase.

Haggeling is a skill that can't be taught you either got it or you don't, unfortunately it wasn't passed down to me.

Joey the lips

Gummy Panda wrote: »

I don't think you get my point. Fair enough shopping around for a cheaper deal but haggling on something that has already had the ass discounted out of it is a waste of time.

Why would i discount a product i have priced competitive and make minimum profit on (in hopes that they buy an attaching accessory)? I would be insane to undercut myself on that in hopes that you return to do the same again.

That blog you linked says pretty much the same. Do your research and be reasonable.

Your customer knows nothing about your business plan and despite any discount you offer never believes in the loss making notion. It has been proved in survey after survey.

But I see things totally different than you. If you have 100 customers and 10 haggle. Its better to give those 10 the extra discount than forgo the sale.

No matter how low i have ever went every sale is worth a pint. I dont ever accept that a price is at its lowest and i would not insult a customer and expect them to,

But to sum all up. haggleing and getting nothing only makes you more experienced so you never loose

Joey the lips

KilOit wrote: »

My old man works in the markets and by god can he haggle, he has no shame in haggling in any shop and it generally works he has gotten massive deals on items, my mom hates it and generally does a runner when he goes to purchase.

Haggeling is a skill that can't be taught you either got it or you don't, unfortunately it wasn't passed down to me.

+1 practice makes perfect, Never be ashamed its your money and it does not come easy!

pickarooney

I'm the worst salesman for this. I always give discounts for even the tamest request. I often offer a discount even when the customer hasn't asked for one; I find it very hard to argue that what I see is worth the sales price. Then I have to go 'haggle' with my boss about how tough it was to make the sale.

Professey Chin

Im a terrible haggler.My attempts usually go something like
Sales Person:"That items €200 but I can give you it for €170"
Me:"Ill give you €220"
Sales Person:"But im selling it to you for €170"
Me:"€300!!"

Whiskey Devil

Haggling is a complete pain in the bollocks. Annoying f*ckers.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

rubadub wrote: »

yes, and they are not allowed to blatantly charge customers extra for CC transactions. So this is a subtle breaking of that rule/law. It is also a form of blackmailing that some customers try, i.e. "reduce that price by 2% for cash or else I'm using my CC". Also with cash there is no paper trail so smaller shops might be more likely to take it, like tradesmen, if it is not on the books they can make the same profit from you but offer at a much lower cash price.

The cost may be already passed onto the customer as the item may be at a higher price. You know?

I wouldn't consider it blackmail either, getting something cheaper by paying cash is quite popular in some industeries. In general retail, like supermarkets and clothes shops you won't find it at all I guess.

DO'Carlo/Wex wrote: »

I'm trying to flog a bike at the moment.
Bought it for E315 last year. Cheekily looking for E300 for it. O.N.O. obviously. But to try & make the sale (at WHATEVER the nearest offer is as I'm still focken waiting for one!), I'm throwing-in a free sturdy, still in packet bike lock AND a set of unopened bike lights.
If you want to sell, you've got to be prepared to make the offer attractive.
Trying to flog a DvD-Recorder too. Bought in May 2008, I never got around to using it. Still sealed in box. Cost me E469 iirc. Am selling it for E470 (again, as above O.N.O.) BUT I'm throwing in The Snapper. And maybe Shameless Series One Discs 2 & 3 cos 1 is gone missing!
This is not a plug btw.

I stayed in D4-Hotel there back in May iirc for E47. It was a Sunday Night too. Does that count as a bargain as i told Reception that it made no odds to me whether I stayed there or went back out to Days' Hotel in Parkwest for E48.

You are selling something 1 euro more than what it cost you one year ago and you wonder why nobody is buying it...? Don't expect to sell anything second hand, hardly used or not, for close to the price you bought it, can you not see what the problem is? Try selling that dvd recorder for 300 and the bike for 150, see if you get any offers... It's harder to get people to part with their cash. Your items are not worth even nearly as much as they did when you bought them.

Anyway, link me the bike, I might be interested

Darksaga87

I used to work in electrical retail store, hagglers were the vain of my day!
But I used to love some of the chancers.
The trick to haggling is to not be cheaky or rude. Threatening a minimum wage sales guy that your about to walk out of the store is not the way to go.

One incident:
sale: laptop,bag,mouse,antivirus, office. cost approx - €700

"you can throw the bag in for nothing yeah?"
"sure ok"
"seeing as your doing that, ill have the antivirus for 20 and the mouse is free OK?"
"NO. ive done what i can, i can knock a couple of euro off the total but that will be it"
"X down the street will give me a far better deal."
"ok go to them."

Customer walks out looking back at me to call her back. Another nice lady walks over to me.

"If that sale is still on offer would i be able to get it? I need insurance too."

"no problem. heres the antivirus at half price, and 10% off the laptop. would you like me to set it up for you?"

"thank you very much, heres a couple of quid for your troubles!"

I was much more happier to take money off it for the other person as she was nicer and non assuming.
The other Bint returned later that day to buy everything at full price.

I laughed...

mathie

msg11 wrote: »

Can anyone who is a haggler while buying there shopping please phek off annoying me while I am doing the Reduced to clear.

The computer tells me what to reduce, It is impossible for me to just knock a Euro off it. If

1. The price is lower than a euro

2. Its not on the computer

3. If your waving it around in my face

Computer says 'No'.

mathie

Darksaga87 wrote: »

I used to work in electrical retail store, hagglers were the vain of my day!

Coincidentally malapropisms are the bane of my day.

consultech

grundie wrote: »

£3,000 off a new Ford Focus and two years fully comp insurance for paying cash. I just went in and said I've got £9,000 in cash to buy a car, what's the best you can do. I actually fanned the notes at them to get their attention, and it worked.

Not true.

Lollipops23

i hate when people try to haggle where i work. I don't have to authority to take discounts off for no reason, and the price is the price, end of. I wouldn't try to haggle in a shop (unless it was something like a TV or car or something). Can't imagine somewhere like Topshop or Miss Selfridge doing it.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

consultech wrote: »

Not true.

His whole post is bullsh!t... 9K for a new focus plus 2 years fully comp insurance? lol... there's something wrong somewhere.

Noffles

if I'm going for electrical goods I'll try an haggle... there's a recession on for God's sake!!

Sofiztikated

I like haggling, both in work and in shops.

But if one more c*nt says, "In these recessionary times..." or "In the current economic climate..." they can go and fap.

Haggle, get the best price for the goods and services you are receiving, but don't use these terms. Guarenteed to annoy the sales person and you'll get less of a reduction that what you would IF you haggled properly.

Joey the lips

Just incase I never said it. Haggleing is no reason to be rude or insulting. If either part turns to being rude, insulting they deserve nothing.

Haggleing should be seen as banther. Its a long day these days. any conversation should be welcomed.

AnonoBoy

I thought haggling was what you did when you brought an ugly bird home after a drunken night in a club.

Sofiztikated

No, thats making do.

Horsefumbler

consultech wrote: »

Um, kudos on the ignorance/racism there too. It would be easier to take your opinion seriously if you weren't so blatantly sheltered/ignorant as to other cultures and practices.

Excuse me? Thats both offensive and presumptuous. I don't think it's racist to call someone of the arabic persuasion and an arab is it? And I don't have any predjudices against any group of people but I'm not going to deny the fact that a certain race or ethnic group might be more annoying than another or try to sugar coat in anyway just to sound PC. And calling someone who's tight jewish is not a phrase that i made up personally but I think i can still use it.

As others in the thread have said and I would agree haggling is not a bad thing and I do it myself on certain things where it be worth it. Obviously though there is a line between being a good haggler and just being tight and we all know it.

mathie

Horsefumbler wrote: »

Excuse me? Thats both offensive and presumptuous. I don't think it's racist to call someone of the arabic persuasion and an arab is it? And I don't have any predjudices against any group of people but I'm not going to deny the fact that a certain race or ethnic group might be more annoying than another or try to sugar coat in anyway just to sound PC. And calling someone who's tight jewish is not a phrase that i made up personally but I think i can still use it.
As others in the thread have said and I would agree haggling is not a bad thing and I do it myself on certain things where it be worth it. Obviously though there is a line between being a good haggler and just being tight and we all know it.

So even though I didn't make up the word 'n*gger' then I can still use it?

Grand so!
Damn those naggers.

grundie

consultech wrote: »

Not true.

Yes true.

I pay cash for pretty much everything I can. The only exceptions being flights and stuff bought on-line, obviously.

NabyLadistheman

I mis-red the thread title & thought it said Hugging in Ireland today! seems more interesting anyway!

grundie

Jackson Better Marijuana wrote: »

His whole post is bullsh!t... 9K for a new focus plus 2 years fully comp insurance? lol... there's something wrong somewhere.

I'm so so happy you find it amusing, but that particular deal isn't as crazy as you may think. Please allow me to explain....

At the time I purchased the car, the list price was £12,499 (STG!). I was purchasing a forecourt model just as the 2004 facelift was being launched.

The dealer had marked it down to £10,999 and included a 1 year free insurance deal. Looking at it that way it was easy for me to get the car for £9,000. It was inevitable that the dealer would have had to reduce the price anyway as it was an old model that was sitting in the open.

I also had 6 years NCD so getting an extra year added to the free insurance deal was no challenge.

So it may sound like a super crazy amazing deal, but it wasn't really. Just look at some of the big car supermarkets in the UK, they offer much better deals as a matter of routine.

And yes, I did flash the cash. The dealer wouldn't accept it though so had to go and deposit the cash in to their bank account directly as they had no means to handle large sums of cash like that.

tallaght01

My oul lad is the worst for it.

You know how some people haggle because they can't afford the full price or whatever. Well, my dad haggles.....OUT OF FCUCKING CURIOSITY!

He just wants to see how much he COULD get off.

So, we'll be passing an electrical shop and I'll pop in to buy, say, a new plug. I'll go up to the checkout to pay for it, and he'll have gone missing. Then I'd find him over talking to the shop manager (who he's asked for SPECIFICALLY) looking at a 50" plasma.

He'll hammer the guy til he knocks about a grand off the price, while the guy is getting increasingly agitated.

Then he'll see me and be all "Ah there ya are. Well, gotta go lads. You've got some nice TVs there". He does it everywhere, from Easons to the lucky lucky men.

Honestly, I dread goin chrimbo shopping with him every year :P

rubadub

mikemac wrote: »

The person delivering it has no power to give discounts. If they go back with less money the owner will reckon they're skimming a few euro off every pizza.

Try this idea and you'll get yourself black-listed from all the local takeaways

I said I doubt it would work. You do not know every pizza companies policy, the further reasoning/theory was the delivery guy would ring back to HQ asking to recheck the address, and they would give that address again then the delivery man would say well it must be wrong, but the guy is offering a fiver for it -and then perhaps somebody "in power" can give a discount. But I doubt it would work and you would be blacklisted as said, I would say they have all had some chancer try it at some stage and would not want to get a name as falling for it.

Gummy Panda wrote: »

I don't think you get my point. Fair enough shopping around for a cheaper deal but haggling on something that has already had the ass discounted out of it is a waste of time.

Why would i discount a product i have priced competitive and make minimum profit on (in hopes that they buy an attaching accessory)?

Because many times the "discounted" item is not really discounted at all. I knew a guy who worked in a furniture shop and there was constantly a sale on. Go to tescos and many advertised offers are pathetic. Many idiots just fall for this and buy apparent bargains. Many seemingly discounted items could be reduced much further so many people will ask.

they are not allowed to blatantly charge customers extra for CC transactions. So this is a subtle breaking of that rule/law. It is also a form of blackmailing that some customers try, i.e. "reduce that price by 2% for cash or else I'm using my CC".

Jackson Better Marijuana wrote: »

The cost may be already passed onto the customer as the item may be at a higher price. You know?

Yes, the CC cost is already passed on, the guys pricing items will probably take worst case scenario and slap 2% or whatever on every price in case every single person pays by CC -thats exactly what I am getting at, it is all sort of undercover, since they cannot openly charge the CC everybody must pay it. Therefore they can afford to give reductions to cash payers, its a roundabout way of legally having a CC charge, while not calling it such. It is sort of like pizza places claiming to have "free delivery", but having a "walk in discount", the "walk in discount" IS the delivery charge!

Jackson Better Marijuana wrote: »

I wouldn't consider it blackmail either, getting something cheaper by paying cash is quite popular in some industeries. In general retail, like supermarkets and clothes shops you won't find it at all I guess.

The form of blackmailing I meant was when you ask for a cash discount, then if they refuse to give one you say "grand, I am paying by CC so". This is sort of coercing them to give a discount since if you pay by CC they get less profit. I did just say a form of blackmail, I have no better way to describe it. It is a subtle way of doing it, waving cash in their face and then pocketing it and taking out the CC. Best done on a owner since many salesmen do not give a damn about the business they work for, all they care about is their commission and they probably get no benefit from these shady CC deals.

I know a guy in the building trade and he got his house done up which costed a fortune. He reckoned he saved 10k in all. He knew a lot of the guys involved and asked for price first and then cash price. He also would withdraw only 2k per day max from the bank, any more is supposed to arouse suspicions with the taxman.

laoisboy

amacachi wrote: »

Ya should've let them. Even in the "Celtic Tiger" days there were massive savings to be had. One person I know got 200 euro off a TV which was marked down already from 1400 to 1100, he just asked for a "cash discount". Harvey Norman's is a classic example "Oh it's on sale, the price is locked in the computer." Total bull****.

do you mean the same harveys who are on the radio shouting to come in and haggle???

Keogg

brummytom wrote: »

My mom does it with more expensive things (electronics, expensive clothes etc.).

Just saying "Is that the best price you can do?" politely normally does the trick. The person behind the counter will either say "I can knock of £20/10% for you?" or "Yes".

If you don't ask, you don't get

I've not had much haggling experience, but my mam does the same thing, like when she was buying my guitar, we went to the shop and guitar and amp wouldve been about 580 quid or something, got it for 450:cool::cool:
shes awesome

Paddy Samurai

My son asked for a Collector Comic figure for xmas.Figure was €180.00 in one shop ,was priced at €140.00 in another shop. Asked guy in shop to sell it to me for €120.00.....Deal done, np saved €20.00 just by asking.(should have asked for 40.oo off....lol).I wonder how many people miss the opportunity to save themselves some money by been embarrassed to ask, they can only say no.

I getting into the habit now of haggling on prices,hav'nt tried it in tesco yet!.

Did check it out online with post,currency conversion it was working out about €90.00-€100.00.But did not want to take the risk with post,it been for xmas.Would normally buy on line.

Jenroche

I tried it yesterday. Was buying a dress and noticed a thread pulled in it. Tiny thing down by the hem, unnoticable when it's on. Pointed it out to the cashier and asked for a discount. Got 10% off. Result!

Jen ;->

Piste

A few weeks ago I was trying on a dress and noticed a tiny, tiny tear in it. Now the dress was on sale but I still couldn't quite afford it unless it were 10 quid cheaper, so I asked the manager if she could take anything off for the tiny tear, expecting maybe a fiver to be taken off but she took off the tenner! Happy Days.