Is there a knack to haggling?!

Captain Slow IRL

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, but I couldn't find one more appropiate!

Anyway, as the title asks - is there a knack to haggling?! I'm not very good at it and was looking for some tips to put into practise.

To start the ball rolling, I was once told to let the seller reveal their lowest price before you make an offer (I guess so you don't offend them with your first offer and have them tell you to f*ck off!)

taidghbaby

ignorance (not the literal meaning) is always a good ploy!

Havermeyer

Yes. Shopping in Turkey.

Photi

10 for this? You must be mad!

genericgoon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3LL338aGA

Captain Slow IRL

Photi wrote: »

10 for this? You must be mad!

I'm not cheeky enough to do that - the missus would though!

@Goon - that's me down to a t!:D

Ruu_Old

"Ah shure Shop X is selling them for 20 euro less than you're asking!" :eek:

Pen1987

Same way theres a knack to selling, theres a knack to haggling. Unfortunately the seller has to be in a postion powerful enough to haggle in the first place, which is usually the problem.

beautiation

Oooh, we had a lecture on this in uni last year, let's see what I can remember:

Sounds obvious, but start outrageously low. People are a lot more likely to respond positively to a reasonable request if it's preceded by an unreasonable one that they rejected (Called the door-in-the-face technique)

If you can physically pick up the object before you start to haggle the seller will subconsciously begin to think of the object as yours and will give you a better price. (Or they might think you're trying to nick it and cut your hand off, who knows?)

Leaving a bit of time between haggles usually works out in the buyer's favour. So if you're in a shop, make an offer then browse for a bit before coming back to try again.

Use quite precise figures when haggling (say 18.50 instead of 20 quid for example) it gives the impression you have a firm idea of what you're willing to pay and won't be fooled.

Pigwidgeon

i always offer at least half the price first, start way below what the most your willing to pay is, more chance of getting that or even lower!

Larianne

Also, smile, be polite and try and have a laugh with them. It helps to have no shame!

You should PM Sarge for tips on haggling, he is the haggling king!

genericgoon

Also, I find a gun(or if you're on a budget, a knife) makes haggling so much easier. :P

Voodu Child

I find introducing yourself as 'stabby' and bearing an insane grin during the bargaining often helps.

flanum

when the seller rejects your first offer and suggests a higher price.. pretend you are not interested then and he wont be long lowering the price.

ArphaRima

www.howtohaggle.com

OR...Go to Asia. Watch and learn.

hussey

Wear a balaclava and run in shouting .. I've got plenty of goods for free this way

Overheal

Is there a knack to haggling

so thats why they call them knackers... "ïll give you me boike if you marry me sistur"

jesus_thats_gre

You have to enjoy it tbh. Nothing I like better than having a sales man break into his commission in order to get a sale.

Andrewf20

When the seller names a price mention that another person is selling the same at a more competitive price. This is good for cars and the like.

"Your price aint bad, but I was looking at a 320i in Kells with leather, and your man was happy to take 800 less than yours."

Find every little thing wrong with the item. If its a car look for less obvious things like the threads are low on the back so they will need replacing, the tax is up in a month etc.

SimpleSam06

beautiation wrote: »

Oooh, we had a lecture on this in uni last year

Never take haggling tips from an institution, would be my advice. Start too low and they'll laugh you out of it, or at worst get pissed off. Handling the goods gives you a psychological advantage? In my experience you need to justify price drops, however spuriously. Point out blemishes in the finish, go for display models, say your delivery was delayed and this has cost you money, anything and everything.

The art is to do it without insulting anyone, proper haggling makes the seller feel like they are the canniest businessmen in the country for giving you a discount - any tinker can go in and start bawling for a discount, and they often do, this distinguishes the amateur haggler.

Vitally important, there is no point in haggling with someone who doesn't have the authority to haggle - don't waste your time going in to Dunnes and wrestling with the cashier, they are literally unable to help. And of course there is always the old faithful, I saw this one down in the competition for a tenner less. I would tend to avoid that though as it gets peoples back up and it has an instant rebuttal (well take your arse down there and buy it so, rather than wasting my time).

Try this the next time you are in a shop and talking to the owner / manager... "Whats your best price on that?" You might be surprised at the instant reductions you get, no further haggling required.

voodoo_child wrote: »

I find introducing yourself as 'stabby' and bearing an insane grin during the bargaining often helps.

rofl

Aurora Borealis

The ability to look like you're about to walk away, convincingly.

GhostInTheRuins

I am absolutely rubbish at haggling, the best I do is "whats your best price?" I've trying to improve lately though.

My brother works in an electrical shop (fridges, tvs, ovens etc) and he says that absolutely everything in the place can be discounted. All he needs to do is check the buying cost and make sure they make 15% profit, everything else can be taken off

beautiation

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

Never take haggling tips from an institution, would be my advice.

But they had graphs man, graphs!

Starting extremely low does work really well though, we tried it out at a car boot sale and you'd be amazed at how many sellers seemed to have a quota of times to say no before giving in. Some did laugh at us at first but still ended up giving us bargains when we stuck to our tactic. It's all confidence you see. But it's probably only really effective for goods without fixed prices, I doubt it'd be much use in a store. But I agree with ya about the handling the goods bit, the whole class was giving it :rolleyes: at that point. Like your tips too

Scawgeen

Ruu wrote: »

"Ah shure Shop X is selling them for 20 euro less than you're asking!" :eek:

Seller - ''Well f**K off back down there and buy it if it's that cheap and bring me up as many as you can carry at that price''

or

Seller - ''Did I send for you ? ''

pickarooney

I find, depending on the context, pretending you really want it but literally cannot pay more than X can work, if the seller believes you. Pretending you don't want the item is a bit transparent. Buying several items at once is also a fairly sure way of getting a discount (and often a load of crap you don't actually want).

SimpleSam06

beautiation wrote: »

Starting extremely low does work really well though, we tried it out at a car boot sale and you'd be amazed at how many sellers seemed to have a quota of times to say no before giving in.

Yes, but thats the kind of people who don't know the value of what they are selling anyway, and more importantly don't really care. In almost any other situation starting too low won't get you where you want to be.

pickarooney wrote:

Buying several items at once is also a fairly sure way of getting a discount (and often a load of crap you don't actually want).

Doesn't spending more money sort of defeat the purpose of the discount from haggling?

beautiation

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

Yes, but thats the kind of people who don't know the value of what they are selling anyway, and more importantly don't really care. In almost any other situation starting too low won't get you where you want to be.

Well, I disagree. Shall we haggle about it? I propose that I am 93% right, and you 7%. What's your offer? :pac:

SimpleSam06

beautiation wrote: »

Well, I disagree. Shall we haggle about it? I propose that I am 93% right, and you 7%. What's your offer? :pac:

Heheheh, oh yes, that Hollywood 25-50, 35-45 lets agree on 40 stuff doesn't work either.

Alright heres a hypothetical: You see a hat for €50, its a damn nice hat. So there you are in the hat shop with the girl behind the till. How do you play it?

pickarooney

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

Doesn't spending more money sort of defeat the purpose of the discount from haggling?

Some people haggle purely for the cheap thrill of getting a discount. The same as some people make idiots of themselves at January sales buying knocked-down tat for the shopping rush. And some people genuinely want more than one 'I love Thailand, udnerage monkey sex FTW' t-shirt.

unnameduser

OP, get yourself down to a car boot sale or market and have a good look around!!

ntlbell

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, but I couldn't find one more appropiate!

Anyway, as the title asks - is there a knack to haggling?! I'm not very good at it and was looking for some tips to put into practise.

To start the ball rolling, I was once told to let the seller reveal their lowest price before you make an offer (I guess so you don't offend them with your first offer and have them tell you to f*ck off!)

Having a big pair of baps helps