would you haggle

WindSock · 08-11-2009 05:09AM

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Okay the trick is dont go into the butchers and ask for say sirloin steak, what you do is if you want the sirloin steak you say can i get 5 euro worth of sirloin steak and have the 5 euro in your hand as if thats all the money you have, they will weight it and usually it will come to 6.50-7.00 they will usually give it to you for the fiver instead of cutting it up, if you want mince meat or a stir fry in the butchers then you really hit the jackpot as usually they wont just keep taking the meat out until it gets to the said 5 euro, with mince and stirfry i usually get 2 euro free:D.
For the takeaways well i only do that when im drunk at night, id go into the takeaway and say the chips cost 2.50 id say can i get 1 euro worth of chips, most of the time they will give me the regular portion but it doesnt work in every chip shop, i usually have to try 3 before i hit the jackpot:P.
Now there you go words of wisdom from the master of haggling.

/looks for 'Stingiest thing you've seen stingy people do' thread...

stovelid · 08-11-2009 12:10PM

No, never.

The staff often can't reduce the price so its a waste of time and energy.

Plus if somebody ahead of me was arguing for ten minutes at the checkout over a fiver, I'd probably set their coat on fire.

KC JONES · 08-11-2009 12:49PM

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Okay the trick is dont go into the butchers and ask for say sirloin steak, what you do is if you want the sirloin steak you say can i get 5 euro worth of sirloin steak and have the 5 euro in your hand as if thats all the money you have, they will weight it and usually it will come to 6.50-7.00 they will usually give it to you for the fiver instead of cutting it up, if you want mince meat or a stir fry in the butchers then you really hit the jackpot as usually they wont just keep taking the meat out until it gets to the said 5 euro, with mince and stirfry i usually get 2 euro free:D.
For the takeaways well i only do that when im drunk at night, id go into the takeaway and say the chips cost 2.50 id say can i get 1 euro worth of chips, most of the time they will give me the regular portion but it doesnt work in every chip shop, i usually have to try 3 before i hit the jackpot:P.
Now there you go words of wisdom from the master of haggling.

Once after a film I went to the nearest chipper where i did not like their chips and just asked for a sausage. He threw in a portion of chips, I think he thought I did not have the money for the chips!

Abi · 08-11-2009 01:09PM

stovelid wrote: »

No, never.

The staff often can't reduce the price so its a waste of time and energy.

I agree.

Plus if somebody ahead of me was arguing for ten minutes at the checkout over a fiver, I'd probably set their coat on fire.

*Actual laughter tears*

I love it!

My name is URL · 08-11-2009 01:13PM

ScienceNerd wrote: »

No, makes life difficult for the people working in shops who have absolutley no authority to give you anything off of it

By that same reasoning you should never complain about things or ask for a refund, sure the lowly shop workers don't have any way to deal with that either :rolleyes:

KC JONES · 08-11-2009 01:25PM

My name is URL wrote: »

By that same reasoning you should never complain about things or ask for a refund, sure the lowly shop workers don't have any way to deal with that either :rolleyes:

agreed i have worked in a clothing shop too and any such requests I could put to my senior manager. I never felt hassled by it and suggest anyone who does is in the wrong job

CuLT · 08-11-2009 02:19PM

KC JONES wrote: »

agreed i have worked in a clothing shop too and any such requests I could put to my senior manager. I never felt hassled by it and suggest anyone who does is in the wrong job

I'm not sure there are many people manning the frontline in retail jobs that are thinking "this is exactly where I want to be in life." You can see it in their faces.

Whenever I'm buying something from some miserable/sullen looking shop attendant I go out of my way to be polite and throw them a smile. Sometimes they brighten up a bit, sometimes not. I've worked in jobs like that, and one decent, human being of a customer can set you in a good mood for the next while.

KC JONES · 08-11-2009 02:44PM

I've worked in jobs like that, and one decent, human being of a customer can set you in a good mood for the next while.

I remember one man who i asked could I help said he needed to see my manager by added I am sure you would be very well able to help. Very pleasant.

As against that do you ever get the Saturday afternoon crowd with drink on board trying to be smart make fun of the assistant?

if i were to haggle I would be respectful to the frontline staff and happy to speak to the manager so do not see it would cause them hassle

Captain Havoc · 08-11-2009 02:53PM

I sell furniture, on our regular lines we can't do nout with the prices but on the clearance items we usually mark an extra €100 on items to haggle, or give a discount for buying more than one item etc....... (we can't deviate from the prices in the computer) We'll never take the extra €100 but the customer does feel good when they've haggled €100 x each item out of us, even when they don't try

KC JONES · 08-11-2009 02:58PM

jerseyeire wrote: »

I sell furniture, on our regular lines we can't do nout with the prices but on the clearance items we usually mark an extra €100 on items to haggle, or give a discount for buying more than one item etc....... (we can't deviate from the prices in the computer) We'll never take the extra €100 but the customer does feel good when they've haggled €100 x each item out of us, even when they don't try

Isn't that illegal?

Joey the lips · 08-11-2009 03:01PM

Always haggle if the chance presents. Example I would not haggle for a sliced pan or a tee shirt in dunnes stores but if i am in a clothes shop and the manager is serving why not.

Furnature

Computers

TV'S

Cars

Why not

Actually had a good laugh with my butcher the other day and got a lovely pce of turkey for a fiver down from 7 by my maths I am a third better off.

Captain Havoc · 08-11-2009 03:16PM

KC JONES wrote: »

Isn't that illegal?

No it's not. I would love to see someone complain about me giving them €100 off. In a shop if something is mistakingly priced incorrectly shops don't have to sell it at that price, in fact shops don't have to sell anything they don't want to (but that'd be dumb), the price is an invitation to treat, people are intitled to haggled and the shop keeper is intitled to tell someone to piss off.

Manic Moran · 08-11-2009 04:23PM

Interestingly, haggling is almost unheard of in the US with one glaring exception. Cars. If you don't haggle over a car, you're considered daft.

I'm not a fan of haggling. I prefer people be upfront about what they are looking for. Shopping around here is not a pleasant experience, the locals are far too pushy about trying to make you buy things, and you have no idea what they'll part with something for. The buyer has the upper hand (it's worth what the buyer will pay for it), but my time is more valuable than the haggling process is worth. So I don't buy much off the local economy.

NTM

KC JONES · 08-11-2009 06:37PM

jerseyeire wrote: »

No it's not. I would love to see someone complain about me giving them €100 off.

you are not really giving €100 off if you put it on to take it off which is what i understood you to say

In a shop if something is mistakingly priced incorrectly shops don't have to sell it at that price,

I know that

in fact shops don't have to sell anything they don't want to (but that'd be dumb), the price is an invitation to treat,

knew that too

and the shop keeper is intitled to tell someone to piss off.

But he is not entitled to break the law which i am sure that putting on money to allow it to be seen to be reduced is to my knowledge illegal though I am not sure. Must check with consumer folk

Sarn · 08-11-2009 06:39PM

I've done it when buying display items or items out of their original packaging as well as car insurance and it's worked every time so far.

All they have to do is say no.

AlmightyCushion · 09-11-2009 12:23AM

CuLT wrote: »

Whenever I'm buying something from some miserable/sullen looking shop attendant I go out of my way to be polite and throw them a smile. Sometimes they brighten up a bit, sometimes not. I've worked in jobs like that, and one decent, human being of a customer can set you in a good mood for the next while.

It's so true. People who are nice/polite/whatever like that can turn a crap day where nothing is going right into a pretty good one. It's people like you that stop me going postal at times.

thebman · 09-11-2009 02:04AM

KC JONES wrote: »

But he is not entitled to break the law which i am sure that putting on money to allow it to be seen to be reduced is to my knowledge illegal though I am not sure. Must check with consumer folk

He can charge you the hundred euro if you want to make you feel better that he isn't breaking any laws :P

Realistically it might be breaking a law but how the hell would you get caught for it?

irish_goat · 09-11-2009 02:15AM

To everyone saying shop assistants don't have the authority to sanction a discount, a lot of high street shops they offer student discount which the shop assistant simply deducts by pushing a button. If a shop offers students discounts you might as well chance it and ask for it, it's no hassle for the worker unless their manager happens to be watching.

viztopia · 09-11-2009 09:49AM

my brother is getting married next month and is building a house. he hagglesforeverything and has gotten massive reductions of buildrs goods and prices. he has also got the hotel down a lot in price.

SLUSK · 09-11-2009 09:59AM

Stop buying stuff. Mooch of your parents like I do.

LEIN · 09-11-2009 10:04AM

SLUSK wrote: »

Stop buying stuff. Mooch of your parents like I do.

Thats all well well and good when your young but when you grow up and have your own family, things aren't that simple.

Dacelonid · 09-11-2009 10:13AM

Had to visit a consultant recently. The f*cker wanted to charge me €180 for a 5 minute consultation (because I wasn't returning for another consultation, if I was it would have only been €120). I said "Not a chance mate. I'm not working I can't afford that", so he only charged me €100 in the end.

I would normally haggle in some places, chance me arm type of thing, but I would never have thought of doing it in a consultants office. I can tell you I won't think twice before I do it again.

SLUSK · 09-11-2009 10:16AM

Dacelonid wrote: »

Had to visit a consultant recently. The f*cker wanted to charge me €180 for a 5 minute consultation (because I wasn't returning for another consultation, if I was it would have only been €120). I said "Not a chance mate. I'm not working I can't afford that", so he only charged me €100 in the end.

I would normally haggle in some places, chance me arm type of thing, but I would never have thought of doing it in a consultants office. I can tell you I won't think twice before I do it again.

What was he consulting you about?

john-joe · 09-11-2009 10:54AM

SLUSK wrote: »

What was he consulting you about?

How to haggle.....

Burning Eclipse · 09-11-2009 11:43AM

Yup, I'm going to be buying a guitar in the next few weeks. It'l be cheaper online, but I'll buy in an bricks and mortar store... hopefully get a tuner and at least a pack of elixirs thrown in! Maybe get it set-up if it's not in perfect shape.

Had a lecturer in UL, great guy. He was fairly affluent (I'd imagine), went to Smurfit, well spoken etc... And he would always haggle if spending over €100 on an item. He told us that he was buying a fridge and wouldn't pay more than 90% of asking price in any shop and expected a microwave for free. And he got it!

You just have to talk to the right person. I've worked in shops, Atlantic Homecare springs to mind. People asked me about discounts, obviously I never had authority, but my floor manager did.

Lecturer was 'Selling and Sales Management' by the way, and the guy really knows his stuff.

KC JONES · 09-11-2009 02:28PM

thebman wrote: »

He can charge you the hundred euro if you want to make you feel better that he isn't breaking any laws :P

The consumer people say it is misleading info and possibly a breach of the consumer law

Realistically it might be breaking a law but how the hell would you get caught for it?

If a complaint was made to consumer ass. they may possibly have power to investigate. I have worked in retail and saw it happening but had no power to do anything about it but i am very suspicious when i see claims like €100 off etc. I would be looking for €200 off ...

would you haggle

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