COMMENT
How To Haggle - And Save A Fortune!

By Cliff D'Arcy
March 11, 2005

I love to haggle, but my wife hates to be around me when I'm in full flow!

Perhaps this is a North v South thing: I'm from in the North-East, where haggling is considered perfectly acceptable (even required) behaviour. However, my wife - a born and bred Home Counties girl - is too embarrassed to haggle, and therefore usually ends up paying full price.

Take our recent visit to John Lewis, which we visited to buy a kitchen table and four chairs. The table we liked was scratched in a few places and slightly damaged. Of course,  I didn't care, because this damage would be covered by a tablecloth. I called the floor manager over, pointed out the flaws, and offered to take it off him for a generous £100 (RRP: £195).

After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, we settled on £125 (he offered £25 off; I refused and offered £100; he said, "we don't normally do this sort of thing at John Lewis"; I replied, "You may not, but I do" and asked for £85 off). As I see it, my wife (who had crept away to a discreet distance during this horse-trading) and I left with the table and £70 (the saving), rather than just the table, which is a win in my book!

Anyway, here are a dozen top tips on the art of haggling:

1. Don't be afraid to ASK!

One of my mother's favourite wise sayings is, "Them that don't ask, don't get". If you don't ask for a discount, you certainly won't get one. Start the ball rolling by making the salesperson a low, even pathetic, offer. So long as you're arguing over the price, a discount's in the offing - just remember to reach agreement at some point down the line. Remember, the ticket price is for wimps, and the price is never fixed!

2. Cash works best

The sight of cash does strange things to some people, especially small retailers (being a reference to the size of the business, not the owner's height!). Most businesses live by two measures: turnover and profit, so they want to take your money off you today. Cash in hand is the best method of payment available, which means that it produces the best reductions. Wave your notes about like a hypnotist and watch them do the trick!

3. Get your timing right

Asking for discounts during a sale often works wonders, because the full price has already gone out of the window and hence can be reduced yet further. Haggling also works well when shops are quiet, because yours might be the only "action" happening – and desperation may have set in!

Also, being "anti-seasonal" works well – buying goods at the "wrong" time of year can yield big discounts, which I call the "Christmas Cards in January" effect! What's more, the end of the month or financial year gifts you salespeople who are desperate to hit their targets. Any decent salesperson worth his/her salt will cut the profit margin to secure a last-minute deal. Buying last year's car model at the end of February or August is a classic example of this "rush for sales, not profit".

4. Pick the right person

Bartering is a game, so you need to find someone who understands the rules. This is why it doesn't work well with a junior assistant or the Saturday girl. I find that the assistant manager or floor supervisor is a good person to pick on in large or chain stores. With small shops, ask for the owner or manager, because s/he's the guy or gal who wants to do the deal today.

5. Be nice to the seller

We all prefer to deal with nice, friendly, polite people, which is why salespeople are always so incredibly charming. Listen to the person you're dealing with, ask questions, and make it clear that you're keen to buy if the price is right. Some people find it easier to ask for a discount after they've built a rapport with the salesperson.

6. Look for "money off" marks

Very few goods – especially those on display – are in perfect, pristine condition. Scratches, marks, dents, stains, blemishes or flaws are worth money to you, because they mean price reductions! Point out that they [the retailer] can hardly sell it to anyone else in that condition, can they?

7. Play shops off against each other

I call this the "tell them what's happening next door" trick, as in, "Oh, you're charging £425, are you? Only I saw it for £350 next door/down the road/on your website. How about we call it £325 for cash, eh?" This technique works really well with car dealers, who hate to lose a customer to their rival down the road! One girl I met got her car for almost half-price after her dad played off four local dealers against each other! I particularly like getting shops to match Internet-only prices, which combines the convenience of shopping on the high street with the Web's keen price tags!

8. The barter's in the banter

When I'm haggling, I seem to become a different character – a bit like a chirpy Cockney geezer. Even my way of speaking changes; I start to sound like Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses! "Go orn, I could get it fifty quid cheaper at Comet/down the road/online. 'Ow much to take it orf your 'ands today, guv?" Practise learning the language of selling and closing deals and you'll be a more confident haggler!

9. Avoid interest-free credit

Interest-free credit (store deals of 0% finance) may sound sweet, but it's the enemy of the haggler. Stores pay finance companies for the privilege of providing interest-free credit and "buy now, pay later" deals. Sometimes, it can gobble up more than 4% of the price of the goods. Therefore, I ignore 0% finance offers and ask for a discount, because "I'm saving you money by not taking the finance/paying by credit card, aren't I? So, what's the cash price?"

10. "It's out of stock"

If something's out of stock, then the price is irrelevant, because you can't buy there and then. It's a bit like the old joke about potatoes:

Man: "I'd like five kilos of potatoes."
Shopkeeper: "They're £3 a kilo."
Man: "How much? I'll go next door, thanks all the same."

Man (next door): "Five kilos of potatoes, please."
Second shopkeeper: "They're 50p a kilo, but we've sold out."

Man (back in the first shop): "The bloke next door only charges 50p a kilo, but he's out of stock."
First shopkeeper: "Yeah, I charge only 50p a kilo when I'm out of stock, too. That'll be £15, please!"

If something is out of stock, you're probably better off going elsewhere. However, if the retailer offers to order one for you today, ask for a discount if it arrives by a certain date – and an even bigger discount if it turns up late!

11. Look for "end of line" discounts

If the only model left in the shop is the one on display, you're in luck. Display models tend to lie around gathering dust for a while, which means that they're not usually in the best nick. This can easily mean a substantial markdown (say, a third off), if you play your cards right. It's even better when a particular line is being discontinued and replaced with a newer model. This is a licence to make ridiculously low offers, because "everything must go" and the shop wants the space to display newer items!

12. Try to get add-ons thrown in for free

If a shop has been stingy with money off, try getting more extras for your dosh instead. For example, ask for free delivery, or additional extras, such as free mud flaps, floor mats and a full tank of petrol when buying a car. Try saying, "And, of course, you'll throw in [xxx] free, won't you?" Even a free set of batteries is better than nothing!

I hope that you enjoyed these tips; there are a few more in Never Pay The Price You See! Happy haggling - and remember that the group that haggles more than any other is made up of ... millionaires!

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