Are Irish people cr*p at haggling?

Yurt2 · 17-09-2020 4:02am #1

This has occurred to me that Irish people accept the sticker price on most things and almost never haggle even when there is a window to do so.

I've spent a lot of time in haggling cultures in adulthood (Asia) and it's become second nature to me I suppose.

I was purchasing a guitar as a present for a loved one in Ireland last year and from research, I had a fair idea the sticker price was bogus. I went to haggle and try to get some goodies thrown in on top of the purchase to sweeten the sale on my end; the guy was looking at me as if I had two heads.

My point is, do Irish people end up paying more for stuff by being retreating and reluctant to haggle?

joeguevara · 17-09-2020 4:13am

I hate when people incorrectly use the WOrd barter instead of haggle.

It’s all dependent on the situation. Wouldn’t dream of trying in a retail situation but definitely for cars etc.

I have found in other countries I visit, haggling is mainly in tourist areas. In Thailand for example the locals wouldn’t dream of haggling in a food market. My friends wife brought me to a market which was 95% locals. A US lady was trying to haggle down the price and my friends wife said to her, that this market wasn’t the same as the ones for Tourists and the price is the price.

I do remember as a young kid in dingle with my parents. They used to sing as part of a large Irish session group. About 15. The main guy who was from killorglin went in to a pub and said for you want music for the night. Fifty punts or free drink for the night’. Worst decision that publican ever made going for the free drink option.

Mehapoy · 17-09-2020 4:20am

Have you ever met an Irish farmer? Haggling is an art form in rural areas!

17-09-2020 4:23am

I am not good at haggling..

ILoveYourVibes · 17-09-2020 4:27am

The trick to anything is knowing the culture it exists in.

And the first trick to haggling ...is to convince someone it exists in their culture. Prepare them for the haggling.

Get to know whatever industry it is. And pretend you know more than you do when you are haggling.

Be realistic. How often does he sell guitars like this? ( answer probably not one a week so actually a good item to start with).

be VERY friendly and polite.

Make him invest time in the sale. Make him take the guitar down ..show you and talk to you ..maybe some other guitars too ..make him spend a good long time with you. The more time he invests the more he wants to make the sale. Like an hour.

Don't take the piss. Be flexible.

If it works and you buy. Make a good impression ...'Have you a business card i can take etc? or show my friends?'. Can i get your name so i can ask for you again if I come back?'

There you go ..you have life line to haggling now in future.

NB I SUCK AT HAGGLING I READ THE ABOVE FROM A SITE!

17-09-2020 4:32am

Yurt! wrote: »

This has occurred to me that Irish people accept the sticker price on most things and almost never haggle even when there is a window to do so.

I've spent a lot of time in haggling cultures in adulthood (Asia) and it's become second nature to me I suppose.

I was purchasing a guitar as a present for a loved one in Ireland last year and from research, I had a fair idea the sticker price was bogus. I went to haggle and try to get some goodies thrown in on top of the purchase to sweeten the sale on my end; the guy was looking at me as if I had two heads.

My point is, do Irish people end up paying more for stuff by being retreating and reluctant to haggle?

Where are you from? Because you tried to haggle and you failed. Sounds like the salesman was good at it.

Yurt2 · 17-09-2020 4:41am

Deleted User wrote: »

Where are you from? Because you tried to haggle and you failed. Sounds like the salesman was good at it.

I actually got 50 quid off the tag price and some high-quality guitar cables and other guitar goodies thrown in gratis. Still, the sales guy was reluctant to dance at first.

Peregrinus · 17-09-2020 4:42am

Yurt! wrote: »

This has occurred to me that Irish people accept the sticker price on most things and almost never haggle even when there is a window to do so.

I've spent a lot of time in haggling cultures in adulthood (Asia) and it's become second nature to me I suppose.

I was purchasing a guitar as a present for a loved one in Ireland last year and from research, I had a fair idea the sticker price was bogus. I went to haggle and try to get some goodies thrown in on top of the purchase to sweeten the sale on my end; the guy was looking at me as if I had two heads.

My point is, do Irish people end up paying more for stuff by being retreating and reluctant to haggle?

Not necessarily, no. In markets where haggling is customary the initial asking price includes a margin to be haggled away. The vendor knows what margin he wants on the product. If we did more haggling, sticker prices would be higher.

Which is why your haggling was unsuccessful; the vendor didn't have a margin built in for haggling. What you thought was haggling he though was just time-wasting.

Effects · 17-09-2020 4:49am

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Make him invest time in the sale. Make him take the guitar down ..show you and talk to you ..maybe some other guitars too ..make him spend a good long time with you. The more time he invests the more he wants to make the sale. Like an hour.

Nah. Just buy it online for cheaper.

whisky_galore · 17-09-2020 8:48am

Mehapoy wrote: »

Have you ever met an Irish farmer? Haggling is an art form in rural areas!

Some of the older ones are so mean they'll fight over €1, even if the price is something like €5. Then hang around for an age to yak about the weather or the good old days and fcuk off without buying anything.

Or "will you take this for it?" and present a fist of brown coins and small change, pretending it's all they have.

Younger farmers tend not to be tyre kickers and time wasters. They might ask to round down, a small discount or take it at asking price but if they enquire they usually end up buying.

elbyrneo · 17-09-2020 8:56am

I'm brilliant at haggling, have a technique that might resonate with others.

I start off by asking how much something is and i then ask my wife to come over, and then i pop away meekly and a few minutes later I pop back and lo and behold the price has reduced significantly and the vendor looks terribly downbeat and a shell of the man he was before.

Snails pace · 17-09-2020 9:10am

Being good at haggling is useful but holding your nerve and not panicking when your not sure how the deal goes is every bit as important.

ThewhiteJesus · 17-09-2020 9:11am

I prefer the term dickering myself !

Captain Havoc · 17-09-2020 9:21am

I used to sell furniture years ago. People were always trying to haggle, but we could almost always only sell by the sticker price. What really used to annoy me was people telling me that I didn't want the sale. In my own business, I am definitely open to haggling.

Pintman Paddy Losty · 17-09-2020 9:25am

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.

mariaalice · 17-09-2020 9:38am

We are not in the same league as some cultures where bargaining is a way of life, it was common in Ireland especially in farming.

I bargain for somethings, I would never pay full price for a Christmas tree for example.

My mother always bargained for things like shoes, but she would be buying a couple of pairs of school shoes for us. It was common in rural shops that if someone purchased say a pair of jeans they got a t-shirt thrown in with it that sort of thing.

Ireland has changed though.

Dravokivich · 17-09-2020 9:40am

Personally, I'm not so much bad at haggling, I'm just not bothered with it. I'd rather know what the price is going in, and deal with that. If the price is superficially high, I'd be less inclined to look at whatever it is, let alone buy.

WacoKid · 17-09-2020 9:40am

I always haggle for TV's, fridges, carpets, sofas, cars, etc. Never for bread or milk though!

hardybuck · 17-09-2020 9:47am

Regularly haggle myself on all sorts of things - clothes (if buying expensive items), electric goods, furniture, sports goods, professional services, homeware.

I reckon I'd save a four figure sum in most years, this year I've saved definitely a six figure sum as I was buying and doing up a property.

Doesn't always go well, I walked away from a purchase the other day on an item that I think had a 100% margin built into it. The seller offered me 5% off, wouldn't budge from it, so I politely declined and left it there.

I think the Irish are getting better at it, but the British don't do it at all. Was on a holiday tour with some Brits a few years ago and they couldn't fathom haggling over price - perhaps it has something to do with the prevalence of chain stores over there.

mariaalice · 17-09-2020 9:48am

whisky_galore wrote: »

Some of the older ones are so mean they'll fight over €1, even if the price is something like €5. Then hang around for an age to yak about the weather or the good old days and fcuk off without buying anything.

Or "will you take this for it?" and present a fist of brown coins and small change, pretending it's all they have.

Younger farmers tend not to be tyre kickers and time wasters. They might ask to round down, a small discount or take it at asking price but if they enquire they usually end up buying.

Hagling like that should be seen as a good thing and a part of the fabric of rural life it make life interesting, its a connection a chance for a chat.

I was in a market town in north Cork( not on its last legs type of place its looked prosperous ) when on our holiday, went in to a bakery cafe for a coffee. There were three aul lad having a coffee at the next table talking about farm payments.

The cafe had replaced the pub?

it's brilliant that rural life carries on.

Mister Vain · 17-09-2020 9:48am

Dravokivich wrote: »

Personally, I'm not so much bad at haggling, I'm just not bothered with it.

Same here, I just couldn't be arsed. I think the Irish in general at fairly good at haggling though. My father is great at it and haggles for everything.

breezy1985 · 17-09-2020 9:49am

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I used to sell furniture years ago. People were always trying to haggle, but we could almost always only sell by the sticker price. What really used to annoy me was people telling me that I didn't want the sale. In my own business, I am definitely open to haggling.

I worked somewhere similar in the past and the pricing was cost+bill+wages so if we gave in to hagglers the shop would have closed due to lack of funds as there was no premiums put on the price and no one was making a ball of money out of the place.

I think places that expect hagglers just up the price and let the hagglers haggle down to the price it was intended to be anyway

mariaalice · 17-09-2020 9:52am

breezy1985 wrote: »

I worked somewhere similar in the past and the pricing was cost+bill+wages so if we gave in to hagglers the shop would have closed due to lack of funds as there was no premiums put on the price and no one was making a ball of money out of the place.

I think places that expect hagglers just up the price and let the hagglers haggle down to the price it was intended to be anyway

Sale people are on a commission in 99% of those type or retail situations that is where the haggling comes in.

whisky_galore · 17-09-2020 10:04am

mariaalice wrote: »

Hagling like that should be seen as a good thing and a part of the fabric of rural life it make life interesting, its a connection a chance for a chat.

I was in a market town in north Cork( not on its last legs type of place its looked prosperous ) when on our holiday, went in to a bakery cafe for a coffee. There were three aul lad having a coffee at the next table talking about farm payments.

The cafe had replaced the pub?

it's brilliant that rural life carries on.

I find it tiresome, just want to sell, not waste time having a pointless chat. I should be charging for this chat as they get more out of it than I do.

breezy1985 · 17-09-2020 10:07am

mariaalice wrote: »

Sale people are on a commission in 99% of those type or retail situations that is where the haggling comes in.

My experience was in a small family run business so it would be a different set up to the retail stores. It was about 5 staff and the boss all just getting a wage and no commission.

In terms of haggling I would take the type of store into account and would usually have no issue with handing over whatever the asking price is when dealing with small shops and wouldn't be looking for deals

joeguevara · 17-09-2020 10:08am

breezy1985 wrote: »

I worked somewhere similar in the past and the pricing was cost+bill+wages so if we gave in to hagglers the shop would have closed due to lack of funds as there was no premiums put on the price and no one was making a ball of money out of the place.

I think places that expect hagglers just up the price and let the hagglers haggle down to the price it was intended to be anyway

Cost+bills+wages, was there no addition for profit? If not, what were the owners doing it for?

pickarooney · 17-09-2020 10:11am

mariaalice wrote: »

Sale people are on a commission in 99% of those type or retail situations that is where the haggling comes in.

So you want me to waste my time arguing with you so
you can take away the commission I should be earning dealing with you ? GTFO

Hyperbollix · 17-09-2020 10:17am

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.

completedit · 17-09-2020 10:23am

Too much stress.

Seamai · 17-09-2020 10:37am

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.

breezy1985 · 17-09-2020 10:39am

joeguevara wrote: »

Cost+bills+wages, was there no addition for profit? If not, what were the owners doing it for?

The owner took a set wage. If there ever was a little profit there was always something needed fixing or replacing in the shop.

And before anyone jumps in he drove aCorolla and lived in a working class estate in the city so it was no mega wage he was taking

Are Irish people cr*p at haggling?

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