Haggling - Do You Do It.

mikemac1

It's just business Orbion, nobody gets offended.
The electrical store has sales staff, that's their job.


If/when you get married Orbion you'll be haggling like a mad thing with your hotel.
That's the managers job too, they expect you to do it

MitchKoobski

Tried it a few times, succeeded mostly. Tried it in DID for a new TV and it worked. Wanted €550 and I only had €500 on me. Got a bit of a chat going about films and HD and so on and said I found it online for €500 but can't afford the delivery. He then revealed it was the last one they had in the shop if I was looking for it. Told him I had the €500 in my pocket if he'd let me take it today. Job done.

Used to work in Homebase and we had a furniture display mat. Scottish manager would do his best offer for you no problem, but don't try and aggressively haggle him.
Manager: "It says €400, but I can give it to you for €360 if you take it today."
Chancer: "Ah sure that thing is only worth €300."
Manager: "No, its brand new stock and we got too many in so I'm clearing some room. €360 is the best I can do but you'll have to take it today."
Chancer: "I'll give you €300. You'll have to take it."
Manager: "I think you'll find that I don't. I'm doing you a favour here. €360"
Chancer: "Ah thats robbery that is! I saw it in Woodies for €390 with a free cutlery set."
Manager: "Thats news to me. See that sticker that says 'Exclusive to Homebase'? Yeah, feck off and don't bull**** me."

ABajaninCork

Orbion wrote: »

I shop around for the best price that I can find in my budget and then if I am happy to pay that and I need it, I get it. I dont see why after all that I then have the right to expect to get it for less for no reason. Some people feel they are entitled to get something for nothing so if they want to waste everyones time being greedy, its up to them.

I shop for the best price too (doesn't everybody?). But there's nothing to stop me haggling for a better price if the item demands. In the end, it's the seller's right to say 'No'. Nobody's time is wasted, and I might still get the item for a good price or go elsewhere if I can get a better price. You might have money to waste. I most certainly do not.

Does that make me greedy?

SilverScreen

mikemac1 wrote: »

Shop assistants in Tesco have no power to haggle.

Sales staff in an electrical store do.
It might not be money off, could be a TV stand that was on display or a set of good headphones thrown in to improve the deal

The markup on electrical goods is usually tiny so getting a reduction on even an expensive TV is even pushing it. They're already priced at the minimum to sell. When they do throw in something free it's usually something they've got free off their suppliers.

campo

Orbion wrote: »

So if you go into an electrical store, you ignore all the marked prices and decide the price yourself? Where do you draw the line - over €20, over €50, over €100?? Where does this sense of entitlement come from?

The sense of entitlement for me is that it is my money and if shop wants it then haggle for it if not I will go to another shop that will.

Where does the store sense of entitlement for my money come from

Orbion

campo wrote: »

The sense of entitlement for me is that it is my money and if shop wants it then haggle for it if not I will go to another shop that will.

Where does the store sense of entitlement for my money come from

Like I said before, if a store offers a good quality product at a fair price, yes they are entitled to get that money for it. I think that a company that strays outside this by giving you one price and a customer after you another price for the same exact item is pretty much a joke. I dont know how consumer law even backs this up this system where the price depends on which member of staff you talk to.

SilverScreen

campo wrote: »

The sense of entitlement for me is that it is my money and if shop wants it then haggle for it if not I will go to another shop that will.

Where does the store sense of entitlement for my money come from

The shop sets the prices for a reason. To cover the cost of the products, to cover electricity and heat, to cover wages, to cover rent etc. They're entitled to receive the full asking price or accept or reject other offers if they wish. Depending on how much demand there is for the product, if you can't pay the full asking price then they will sell it to someone else who will.

pleasant Co.

A fair price to you, what you're willing to pay, isn't necessarily a fair price for me. If i want to see if i can get the price down to what i want to pay (and the shop still makes a profit they're happy with) then you shouldn't care as you were happy with the price you paid.

stimpson

Sorry but a shop isn't entitled to anything. Either they are competitive or they're not. I went out today to buy a cooker. Local gas shop wanted 789 for a particular cooker. I told him Power City have it for 699. They couldn't he says. Apparently he's not making €45 on it. I then told him I could get it up north for £539 ~€625. He starts telling me that Hotpoint won't cover the warranty as the chasis is different. I point out that not only is the model number the same, but the warranty sticker has both UK and Ireland phone numbers.

I think a lot of retailers had it too easy for too long. Ripoff Ireland is alive and well.

galwayjohn89

stimpson wrote: »

Sorry but a shop isn't entitled to anything. Either they are competitive or they're not. I went out today to buy a cooker. Local gas shop wanted 789 for a particular cooker. I told him Power City have it for 699. They couldn't he says. Apparently he's not making €45 on it. I then told him I could get it up north for £539 ~€625. He starts telling me that Hotpoint won't cover the warranty as the chasis is different. I point out that not only is the model number the same, but the warranty sticker has both UK and Ireland phone numbers.

I think a lot of retailers had it too easy for too long. Ripoff Ireland is alive and well.

I'm guessing you don't understand bulk buying or the huge difference in price of doing business in the UK v Ireland.

Orbion

stimpson wrote: »

Sorry but a shop isn't entitled to anything. Either they are competitive or they're not. I went out today to buy a cooker. Local gas shop wanted 789 for a particular cooker. I told him Power City have it for 699. They couldn't he says. Apparently he's not making €45 on it. I then told him I could get it up north for £539 ~€625. He starts telling me that Hotpoint won't cover the warranty as the chasis is different. I point out that not only is the model number the same, but the warranty sticker has both UK and Ireland phone numbers.

I think a lot of retailers had it too easy for too long. Ripoff Ireland is alive and well.

What was your expectation of this whole conversation? That a local shop can match bigger shops for price. There could be completely different cost prices for this item for both stores depending on buying power. Obviously, you had shopped around for the best price and found the cheapest was up north, so why didnt you go up there and buy it. Why compare two different stores and label one a rip off and still go in to this store and tell this guy what he should be selling his stock at.

stimpson

The local shop is part of a chain I'm sure they can get bulk discounts. I didn't expect him to match the sterling price, but he could have made an attempt. Instead he tried to insult my intelligence.

And I didn't tell him what price to sell his stock at. I just told him what I could get it for and gave him a chance to make a sale.

pleasant Co.

Orbion wrote: »

Why compare two different stores and label one a rip off and still go in to this store and tell this guy what he should be selling his stock at.

At a guess, the person didn't appreciate being lied to by the rip off store about the warranty/chassis. I don't see where the poster told the seller how much they should be charging, what i do read is the poster telling the seller what their competitors charge for the same item, giving them a chance to make a sale.

Maybe its a different perspective in our interpretation of the post due to my being a consumer and you being a retailer?

Edit: didn't see the poster's response til now, replying from a phone is slow

Orbion

pleasant Co. wrote: »

At a guess, the person didn't appreciate being lied to by the rip off store about the warranty/chassis. I don't see where the poster told the seller how much they should be charging, what i do read is the poster telling the seller what they're competitors charge for the same item, giving them a chance to make a sale.

Maybe its a different perspective in our interpretation of the post due to my being a consumer and you being a retailer?

Edit: didn't see the poster's response til now, replying from a phone is slow

I work in retail but obviosly I am a consumer too so I can see both sides of this. I can see how people want the best price by shopping around as thats what I do myself. With so many gimmicks and sales, its almost impossible to match every shop for every price. Maybe the competitor is selling an item as a loss leader or a cost + vat item, so if you cant match them you are then labelled with the rip off tag. Maybe I am more retail wired so I cant get this concept being fair or reasonable.

goz83

I haggle when there is room to haggle. I see the following as haggling opportunities:

* Shopping in a market.
* Buying from a private seller, especially when buying a car.
* Buying more than one of the same item, depending on price.
* When spending several hundred euro and there is a €50 discreptency, get it knocked off.

noodler

stimpson wrote: »

Ripoff Ireland is alive and well.

Oh no!

The thread had been going so well!

stimpson

noodler wrote: »

Oh no!

The thread had been going so well!

LOL. If you're happy to pay 25% over the odds more power to you.

stimpson

Went looking at other cookers this weekend. Decided on a Cannon one:

Armagh Electrical: £599 = €694
Power City €899.95
Local shop......€949

35% more expensive....

I should point out too that Armagh Electrical do free delivery to Dublin. Power City want an extra €30. It's anyone's guess what the friendly local shop want.

scudzilla

i did email Direct Holidays and offer them 600Euro for 2 return flights to Zakynthos, they're selling them for 820/pair.

I explained that i thought 600Euro was a fair price but they were having none of it

deeaunty

In places like power city I always ask what their best price is......they've always knocked money off.

dudara

I think the main issue here is understanding the difference between "realistic haggling" and "chancer haggling". Some people have no idea of the intrinsic worth of a product, or the business of running a business, and they will make laughable, lowball offers. Other people have done their homework, know the room for maneuver and will get a result.

P. Breathnach

dudara wrote: »

I think the main issue here is understanding the difference between "realistic haggling" and "chancer haggling". Some people have no idea of the intrinsic worth of a product, or the business of running a business, and they will make laughable, lowball offers. Other people have done their homework, know the room for maneuver and will get a result.

Indeed. Sometimes the "homework" is very easy.

A small illustration. In a market, Herself and I came across a trader selling pashminas: €12 for 1; €20 for 2. Herself picked out 1 that she liked, and didn't really want another. I offered €10, which the trader was happy to accept. [I could probably have gone lower, but didn't feel like making the effort.]

The key information available to me is that he could make a profit at €8, or he would not be offering the second one at that price.

rubadub

stimpson wrote: »

I think a lot of retailers had it too easy for too long. Ripoff Ireland is alive and well.

People are always quick to shoot what could be just the messenger, i.e. it could be the manufacturers having it easy for too long.

dudara wrote: »

Some people have no idea of the intrinsic worth of a product, or the business of running a business, and they will make laughable, lowball offers.

People might also be unaware of the manufacturers set price.

I remember telling a friend that I guy I know got a bike, he was saying he could have got it cheaper as his friend is a distributor/agent and can get it "at cost". But we got it much cheaper than he ever could, the wholesale prices and RRP prices were far higher here.

Vojera

Not really. Depends on what it is. I'm getting married in 5 weeks so there've been a few negotiations along the way, but not for everything. For example, the hairdresser costs X amount. If I don't like the prices I go to someone else, not try to talk her down. But since my partner and I both bought our wedding dresses in the same shop we got stuff thrown in for free (e.g. jacket, hair piece) rather than money off. In the hotel because we could guarantee so many guests would book rooms we got some things upgraded. Blanket haggling does no good, I don't think, and I also think you're more likely to get extras thrown in than money taken off.

As an aside, in secondary school I used to work in a local furniture shop for a ridiculously scabby guy (e.g. when I asked for more money after working there for ages, he agreed but cut my hours at the same time so he was writing the cheque for the same amount-and didn't give the hours to anyone else, just left the other employees to pick up the slack), and whenever new stock came in he always got me to write the stickers as I had the nicest handwriting. He would get out his calculator, work out how much of a margin he wanted to make on the item and then would say "throw another £5 or £10 on that, it'll make people think they're getting a bargain when you knock it off for them".

Corruptedmorals

stimpson wrote: »

Went looking at other cookers this weekend. Decided on a Cannon one:

Armagh Electrical: £599 = €694
Power City €899.95
Local shop......€949

35% more expensive....

I should point out too that Armagh Electrical do free delivery to Dublin. Power City want an extra €30. It's anyone's guess what the friendly local shop want.

There is reasoning accounting for at least a good bit of the difference. The staff in the Armagh shop are on a lot less money for one, the shop has lower rent and bills- heat, light etc. As for the difference between the two Irish shops, Power City can bulk buy and pass most of that saving on, the local shop does not have that kind of purchasing power at all. It's the same reason why Coke is €1.20 in Dunnes and €1.70 in a corner shop.