In a recent post, a story about haggling generated several reader tips such as the following:
Ask for a price match. Miriam found that the office supply store Staples “didn’t quibble a bit” when asked to match a competitor’s price.
Ask for more than a match. Dan discovered that Best Buy would not only match a competitor’s price; they’ll beat it. After pointing out that an item was being offered on Amazon for 50 percent less than Best Buy’s price, the retailer went 10 percent lower than Amazon’s price.
Ask for a defect discount. Andy went to Bed Bath & Beyond to buy a painting, bringing with him the 20 percent off coupon the retailer frequently mails. After pointing out some minor flaws on the piece to the manager, he got another 20 percent off the initial retail price.
Ask for a quantity discount. Brad went to Office Max to buy 200 brochure holders that retailed for $3.35 each. Since he was buying such a large quantity, he asked the manager if he would sell them for $1.50 each. The manager said he could go to half off. When Brad handed the cashier his Office Max business partner card, the computer applied the corporate discount to the agreed upon lower price and he ended up getting the brochure holders for $1.35 each.
One more tip for haggling: be willing to walk away. I recently bought a tricycle for our two-year-old through an ad on Craigslist – a more common venue for haggling than a retail store, I realize. Before going to see it, I did some Internet research and found that I could buy the tricycle new for $45. The Craigslist seller was asking $30. I decided ahead of time that I would spend no more than $20. When I offered that amount, the seller declined. I thanked her for her time and turned to leave. She then quickly stopped me and accepted my offer.
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