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Are Irish people cr*p at haggling?

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24

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    #32
    breezy1985
    Registered Users Posts: 24,441 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    Hyperbollix wrote: »
    I like a haggle for items that everyone understands are up for a haggle over, ie when buying something second hand online, especially cars. Have been to a few countries where haggling is king and at first it was off putting up began to enjoy it.

    Wouldn't bother with haggling in retail in Ireland even for items like a big tv. I just get the best price for the model I want and go with that. I checked out a laptop in Harvey Norman a few years back and after getting the sales pitch from the young fella on the floor, I said I'd buy it if there was a 10% discount on the sticker price. He looked at me like a was speaking Japanese and more or less said there's no discounts, buy it or don't. So I didn't.

    It used happen working in nightclubs too where fellas think they can haggle 3 for 2 on shots or whatever. Most staff these days like your man above have no say in price and all they can do is press a button on a till and would be sacked for charging anything other than the price the till says. The money and the stock need to add up to what the till says and there is no wriggle room


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    #33
    freshpopcorn
    Registered Users Posts: 30,221 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    I suppose it depends on the situation.
    People will probably do it for a car or maybe a large electrical item and at a car boot sale.
    However some of the hagglers I know ask discounts in places like Hestons or Tesco and the sales assistant doesn’t what to do.
    Then the haggler gets offended when the sales assistant can’t give a discount.


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    #34
    gmisk
    Registered Users Posts: 31,869 ✭✭✭✭gmisk


    I would say I am pretty good at it especially when it comes to service providers like gas, electricity, tv etc always push a hard bargain (politely) and get a good deal.
    Always haggle on white goods as well, but do my research before hand.

    In general though Irish people are abysmal at haggling


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    #35
    breezy1985
    Registered Users Posts: 24,441 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    gmisk wrote: »
    I would say I am pretty good at it especially when it comes to service providers like gas, electricity, tv etc always push a hard bargain (politely) and get a good deal.
    Always haggle on white goods as well, but do my research before hand.

    In general though Irish people are abysmal at haggling

    When it comes to bills shopping around and playing them off each other a bit can be well worth it


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    #36
    Seamai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,250 ✭✭✭Seamai


    I worked for a wholesale company for years where we had a tiered discount structure, everyone got something without even asking.
    Customers spending more or paying up front rather than on account would get a bit more if they asked but what used to really annoy me were those who even after getting discount would turn around and say when the bill came to something like €532, "you'll take €500?" If it was me dealing with them I'd point out their discount on the invoice and was usually met with "shur 'twas worth trying", though I had a few colleagues who couldn't say no.


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    #37
    Church on Tuesday
    Registered Users Posts: 3,858 ✭✭✭Church on Tuesday


    I offer a lower price and then take things from there, do a lot of buying and selling on Adverts but you will get some chancers.


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    #38
    chuky_r_law
    Registered Users Posts: 705 ✭✭✭chuky_r_law


    i find when haggling the best thing is to wait for the other person to say their price. even if i'm selling something i always put the price at more than i actually want for it. if i get that price, well, even better! but if you are dealing with someone who is going to haggle then wait to see what they offer first. then haggle your way up.



    if the shoe is on the other foot i always ask if they can do any better on the price. once they say their reduced price i would use that as the starting point. sometimes you can get a better deal. but generally that is what i find...whoever names their price first has lost


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    #39
    Greyfox
    Registered Users Posts: 3,723 ✭✭✭Greyfox


    I never haggle in Ireland, it feels wrong and unless it's clear there's room for this I find it rude. I worked in retail before and i hated people who tried to haggle.


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    #40
    freshpopcorn
    Registered Users Posts: 30,221 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    Greyfox wrote: »
    I never haggle in Ireland, it feels wrong and unless it's clear there's room for this I find it rude. I worked in retail before and i hated people who tried to haggle.

    ‘’Is that the best price you can do?’’


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    #41
    Uncle Pierre
    Registered Users Posts: 1,462 ✭✭✭Uncle Pierre


    Have a look at adverts.ie and you'll see some real stupid haggling going on.

    I was watching an item recently that I didn't really want but was keeping an eye on out of interest. Seller had first listed it at €80 and over time had dropped the asking price, first to 70, then to 65, and then to 62.

    Then somebody made an offer of €60.

    Seller: Come up to €62 and we have a deal. I've already dropped the price from €80.
    Other person: No. €60 is the best I can do.

    To me, that's just stupid.


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    #42
    hardybuck
    Registered Users Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭hardybuck


    Greyfox wrote: »
    I never haggle in Ireland, it feels wrong and unless it's clear there's room for this I find it rude. I worked in retail before and i hated people who tried to haggle.

    The price on an item is an 'invitation to treat', i.e. inviting the consumer to make an offer for the price that's displayed.


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    #43
    joeguevara
    Registered Users Posts: 8,024 ✭✭✭joeguevara


    hardybuck wrote: »
    The price on an item is an 'invitation to treat', i.e. inviting the consumer to make an offer for the price that's displayed.

    Try that in Centra for a litre of milk. It is completely dependent on the item and the way it is advertised. The deckchair case explains it quite well. Forget the name.


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    #44
    rapul
    Registered Users Posts: 1,038 ✭✭✭rapul


    Was in Turkey in 05 and 07 I think, but haggling was great craic over there, you were already a millionaire from the exchange rate but you could talk everyone down, just shows you how cheaply made everything was I guess, but definitely was a way life over back then from what I could see


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    #45
    joeguevara
    Registered Users Posts: 8,024 ✭✭✭joeguevara


    rapul wrote: »
    Was in Turkey in 05 and 07 I think, but haggling was great craic over there, you were already a millionaire from the exchange rate but you could talk everyone down, just shows you how cheaply made everything was I guess, but definitely was a way life over back then from what I could see

    You were haggling for tourist tat and knock off clothes. Its not a way of life only in the tourist resorts for tourists.


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    #46
    kowloon
    Registered Users Posts: 13,304 ✭✭✭✭kowloon


    I suck at haggling, but I'm fine with auctions.

    hqdefault.jpg


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    #47
    anheneti
    Registered Users Posts: 183 ✭✭anheneti


    Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »
    I buy most things for work on credit and do my haggling after the fact. You're in a much stronger position to knock some money off after the goods have arrived and are in your possession.

    There's enough people desperate for business out there that you can just move supplier if they don't like it.
    As a supplier to the construction industry I’d never deal with you again, we have prices agreed before anything is given on credit


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    #48
    hardybuck
    Registered Users Posts: 5,162 ✭✭✭hardybuck


    joeguevara wrote: »
    Try that in Centra for a litre of milk. It is completely dependent on the item and the way it is advertised. The deckchair case explains it quite well. Forget the name.

    Ah but we're talking about sensible stuff here. You're going from one extreme (not haggling over anything) to another.


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    #49
    pgj2015
    Registered Users Posts: 8,950 ✭✭✭pgj2015


    Uncle Pierre wrote: »
    Have a look at adverts.ie and you'll see some real stupid haggling going on.

    I was watching an item recently that I didn't really want but was keeping an eye on out of interest. Seller had first listed it at €80 and over time had dropped the asking price, first to 70, then to 65, and then to 62.

    Then somebody made an offer of €60.

    Seller: Come up to €62 and we have a deal. I've already dropped the price from €80.
    Other person: No. €60 is the best I can do.

    To me, that's just stupid.



    I bought something for 25 euro on adverts lately, second hand in perfect condition, brand new online was 90 euro. someone offered 24 euro.

    I was selling a pine door once on it for 30 euro(sold it for 30), I saw a better one for 10 euro on adverts and some chancer offered 5 euro. I would chop it up for firewood before i would have sold it for 5 euro.

    A lot of the time it is people who have loads of money who are the miserable hagglers.


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    #50
    CrankyHaus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭CrankyHaus


    IME haggling for consumer goods is usually a byproduct of a flawed market.

    Someone buying tourist tat in Turkey has no idea what the stuff is worth and no easy access to other prices for it elsewhere, so they engage in a negotiation on price with the seller, who's taking advantage of their ignorance by starting with a ridiculously high price. Half the time the buyer's not even completely sober.

    Someone buying a verified and reviewed item in Ireland like a TV can compare prices between sellers online and go for what's best. There's less room for haggling because the seller will need to have the item reasonably priced to get people in the door in the first place.

    The idea that beating some lucky lucky man down from €20 a pair of knock off sunglasses to 2 for €10 is a vital skill we all need is ridiculous.

    Haggling B2B, personal utilities/insurance/finance, cars, houses and more bespoke products or services is a different story obviously.


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    #51
    joeguevara
    Registered Users Posts: 8,024 ✭✭✭joeguevara


    hardybuck wrote: »
    Ah but we're talking about sensible stuff here. You're going from one extreme (not haggling over anything) to another.

    The milk was just a quip. I was just saying that invitation to treat is not uniform.


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    #52
    pgj2015
    Registered Users Posts: 8,950 ✭✭✭pgj2015


    Seamai wrote: »
    I could be wrong but I've always seen it more of a country than a city thing. I know a few who do it and they are all come from well off farming backgrounds, they're also quite tight in other ways and I think that might be one of the reasons that many here don't do it. Meanness has always been seen as a major flaw in Ireland and asking for a discount could be seen as an extension of this.



    You are wrong because I had three men in their 60's from one of the richest areas of Dublin offer me 10 euro for something that was 20 euro. I told them the price was 20 euro and they reluctantly paid me that sum. These guys were without doubt millionaires. on the other hand i find people from the inner city in Dublin or from places like tallaght and crumlin to be great tippers and generous with their money.


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    #53
    joeguevara
    Registered Users Posts: 8,024 ✭✭✭joeguevara


    pgj2015 wrote: »
    You are wrong because I had three men in their 60's from one of the richest areas of Dublin offer me 10 euro for something that was 20 euro. I told them the price was 20 euro and they reluctantly paid me that sum. These guys were without doubt millionaires. on the other hand i find people from the inner city in Dublin or from places like tallaght and crumlin to be great tippers and generous with their money.

    "Ah hayor.....da workin class are da salt of de earth and d'ose bleeding poshies up in dalkie are da worst and scabby."


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    #54
    pgj2015
    Registered Users Posts: 8,950 ✭✭✭pgj2015


    joeguevara wrote: »
    "Ah hayor.....da workin class are da salt of de earth and d'ose bleeding poshies up in dalkie are da worst and scabby."



    I know. some rich people are sound and generous but I would prefer to see a salt of the earth dub than a rich person from Dublin.


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    #55
    joeguevara
    Registered Users Posts: 8,024 ✭✭✭joeguevara


    pgj2015 wrote: »
    I know. some rich people are sound and generous but I would prefer to see a salt of the earth dub than a rich person from Dublin.

    Is it McCains or Beshoff chip on your shoulder there. Your generalisations and stereotypes are trite.


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    #56
    Uncle Pierre
    Registered Users Posts: 1,462 ✭✭✭Uncle Pierre


    pgj2015 wrote: »
    I bought something for 25 euro on adverts lately, second hand in perfect condition, brand new online was 90 euro. someone offered 24 euro.

    I was selling a pine door once on it for 30 euro(sold it for 30), I saw a better one for 10 euro on adverts and some chancer offered 5 euro. I would chop it up for firewood before i would have sold it for 5 euro.

    A lot of the time it is people who have loads of money who are the miserable hagglers.

    I listed some stuff there for free recently. All pretty low value stuff that we decided to get rid of during our lockdown clean-up, and that I wasn't bothered getting into the haggling stuff over.

    For some of it, I'd accept a request, and then get a private message: 'will you deliver?'

    No, I most certainly will not deliver, when you're getting the damn thing for free in the first place! Least you could do is make an effort to come and collect it!


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    #57
    pgj2015
    Registered Users Posts: 8,950 ✭✭✭pgj2015


    joeguevara wrote: »
    Is it McCains or Beshoff chip on your shoulder there. Your generalisations and stereotypes are trite.



    It is from experience, I deal with all kinds running my business and im impartial really as im neither a dub from a so called poorer area or from a rich area in Dublin. a rich dub will give a 1 euro tip and think they are great for doing so, a dub from the inner city or a poorer area will give a 10 euro tip on a service that is 10 euro and think its normal.


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    #58
    CrankyHaus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭CrankyHaus


    Uncle Pierre wrote: »
    I listed some stuff there for free recently. All pretty low value stuff that we decided to get rid of during our lockdown clean-up, and that I wasn't bothered getting into the haggling stuff over.

    For some of it, I'd accept a request, and then get a private message: 'will you deliver?'

    No, I most certainly will not deliver, when you're getting the damn thing for free in the first place! Least you could do is make an effort to come and collect it!

    If you can, just go Charity Shop at that price point. Less hassle with dodgy types if giving away. Far better prices if buying. I was looking at old xbxox 360 games recently. Absolute dreamers online. Picked up a game trilogy for €1 in the charity shop.
    Same goes for budget second hand furniture.


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    #59
    breezy1985
    Registered Users Posts: 24,441 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    pgj2015 wrote: »
    I know. some rich people are sound and generous but I would prefer to see a salt of the earth dub than a rich person from Dublin.

    All just west Brits at the end of the day ; )


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    #60
    pgj2015
    Registered Users Posts: 8,950 ✭✭✭pgj2015


    CrankyHaus wrote: »
    If you can, just go Charity Shop at that price point. Less hassle with dodgy types if giving away. Far better prices if buying. I was looking at old xbxox 360 games recently. Absolute dreamers online. Picked up a game trilogy for €1 in the charity shop.
    Same goes for budget second hand furniture.



    The free stuff on adverts is gone within seconds, scroungers who will sell it on themselves, good idea on the charity shop. My dad gave away something for free once on a site like adverts, i just knew from looking at the guy that he was going to sell it on the scammer, he was letting on that it was for his daughter.


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    #61
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,613 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    Would always haggle for big ticket items and things like insurance. Bought new windows last year for 8,500 and the salesman wasnt willing to offer any discount whatsoever saying 'thats the price'. I walked away from the deal and 24 hours later he's on the phone offering 250 off, we agreed on 300 and I went ahead. It was only a small discount relative to the full price but I think with big ticket items the vendor should sweeten the deal. Same with buying a car, it should come with a full tank of petrol for good luck.

    With Adverts if I put in an offer Im always willing for the vendor to throw me a counter offer and we will meet half way. If they dont counter offer and accept the first offer then great. But I wouldnt lose a deal over 5 or 10 euro like some people do. There is haggling and then there is just being a plain tightarse.


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