Bloody Hagglers!

[Ahbugger]

I've posted whinges before here about hagglers and eternal bargainers - I get that everyone likes a bargain and everybody wants to try their luck... fine! What I want to know though is: Since when did it become a 'right' to pay whatever you want in a shop rather than the ticket price?

Sorry to whinge again, I've just had a day of it and it wasn't even funny this time.

SC1: You're going to give me a case and a card with this camera aren't you?

Me: (knowing exactly what she wanted) Well C10 SD cards start from £8 and cases...

SC1: NO!!! You're going to give it to me. You have to do something or you're not doing your job right. You have to sell it to me.

Me: Well not to put too fine a point on it but you already want it so I don't need to persuade you to buy it. Even if you didn't want to buy it I'm afraid I still can't give free stock away because we're a shop.

SC1: Well I don't want it then.

My Mind: So WTF are you still doing in my shop then?

My Voice: So is there anything else I can help you with?

SC1: What? But I want it with a case and a card!

Cue tantrum and storming out.



SC2: I'm interested in this clearance washing machine. £200 off is pretty good for an {epicbrand}.

Me: Sure, just to warn you when we say clearance at {my-bastard-employer} that's not a code word for a deal it really is a stock clearance so it will be this one here you get.

SC2: What? You want me to buy a display model?

Me: I honestly don't mind what you buy, I just thought I'd mention it straight up since it affects some people's decision.

SC2: Well I'm not paying £340 for a display model!

Me: No problems, it's been replaced by this model here for £520...

SC2: Well I certainly won't be paying that. What can you do the clearance one for?

Me: It's £340.

SC2: Huh! No, it's clearance and you want me to have it so what is the price.

Me: I really don't mind what you have and the price is £340 - we've already taken £200 off to reflect that it's a display model and to be honest since there are no marks or scratches it's effectively brand new. It's not as if we actually run display washing machines while they're out.

SC2: I'm not paying it! I need to see your manager.

Cue tantrum and storming out.



next, after an hour of talking, measuring, checking and googling for SC3...


SC3: So... ?

Me: I'm sorry?

SC3: Well we always buy from here and we know the manager really well he always does something for us.

Me: I'm not sure I follow? Do you mean you're personal friends and you'd like him to lend you his discount card?

SC3: No we're only customers, but we're good ones and we've bought a lot today.

Me: Ah, well you have bought two items and I know it is a lot out of the housekeeping budget but you've selected our most modest fridge and cooker, you've taken our free delivery option, you don't want to pay to have us install them, you don't want a warranty and we're not charging to take the broken ones away for you. I'm afraid in all that you haven't given me much I can discount.

SC3: Bring me your manager, we know him really well and he'll help us out*stands up and looks around theatrically*

Me: *Turning to guy on the next desk* Excuse me Dave, this lady would like a word.

Cue tantrum and storming out.

It's not like our prices are bad in the first place, we match our prices to the competition for high end stuff and for budget stuff nobody can touch us. If you can find a ticket price close to ours I guarantee you don't get free dated delivery and free recycling of anything you don't want any more.

I don't understand where this idea has sprung up that it should be normal to see a price and refuse to pay it. They're not asking about bulk buying and they're not basing the request on a competitor being cheaper, they just feel entitled to free stuff. Do these people stomp around the supermarket asking 'What do I get with these eggs?' or 'I want some free butter with this bread!'

Rant over.

[LesserSouthernFroglet]

I bought a new laptop and a few other bits at Big Electronic Dealership recently. I didn't ask, but I did get off around $9 - $10 on each item. It's happened before, but it's usually for expensive multiple items (eg the time I bought all my high end kitchen appliances and an air con at one hit when I was renovating, I think the end price was something like 20% less than ticket price), all again without asking. I was very chuffed!

My exGF was great at the casual "so, how much can you do?" thing, but she accepted gracefully if the answer was no, or if the item was super discounted anyway.

I think there's a place for 'if you don't ask, you don't get' mentality, but if you're told no, get over it.

Here in Aus, we often pay way higher than the price items are available at in other countries - eg when the $Au was higher than the $US you could still buy things from the USA, pay to ship them to Aus, and still save a heap of bucks. I suspect a lot of our SCs demanding discounts are probably under the misapprehension that there's a mega-mark up on items because 'on the net they're cheap.' Fair enough, some items are marked up a lot, but others, our retailers pay hundreds more for, purely because of where we are. It sucks indeed.

[Shyla]

It's those consumer reporters. They tell everyone that you should haggle for everything and it will work and you'll save money. They don't give advice for when the workers say no because of course they'll say yes. Especially with the economy down, of course everyone will haggle because they're desperate to make a sale. Obviously they've never met a real business owner.

[EricKei]

You have to sell it to me.

"I will be more than happy to SELL you the items. I cannot, and will not, GIVE them to you for free."

[SongsOfDragons]

I had a really weird experience at the weekend of haggling - I was the haggler, and I was haggling UP.

My other half volunteers at an aviation museum in Southampton called Solent Sky. It's a large hangar that was built around this baby: Beachcomber. The rest of the hangar space is literally aircraft Tetris Poor buggers are not liked by the council so they're having to pull out all the stops to get people and money in. Housemate and I collect magnets from the places we visit so I scooped up a bunch of Solent Sky souvenirs, but boyfriend's colleague was trying to implement their deal, I think it was 25% off shop stuff they've got to get people to buy stuff...

And I was all "Dude, there is a hole in your roof dripping rainwater on the bloody Spitfire. And it's less than a tenner in total. Charge me full price already!" XD

[barainga]

I cant remember how much the manager took off, but mom and I bought a TV, tv stand, stove, fridge, microwave, and dishwasher. Yeah, he was tripping to give us a discount. But then we actually bought a lot of stuff. I think like 20% off the total.

[Gimli]

Oh good grief, I loathe hagglers! I don't mean the ones who simply ask and accept that I truly can't discount anything. I mean the ones that Just. Don't. Freaking. Give. Up.

Look, dude, I already told you that in order to get a discount, you have to either be a loyalty program member and have earned a certificate or be spending a minimum of $500 on this sale. There is quite literally nothing else I can do for you for any reason. Period. NOTHING. As in I would get fired if I did. Yes, really. Oh, the MANAGER gives you a discount? That's odd because I'm the manager and I've never seen you before. Oh, you'll never shop here again without a discount? No problem, I'll just shred your order paperwork and return the item to the shelf. Have a great rest of the day.


Yes, I've had that conversation way too many times. And I see them again in 2 weeks or less.

[MoonCat]

This just gives more weight to my belief that people want things for free. Everything.

And I just love the ones who insist they're "buying a lot" when they're actually spending only a couple of hundred. People, "a lot" with appliances means 4 or more at one go!

[wolfie]

And I was all "Dude, there is a hole in your roof dripping rainwater on the bloody Spitfire.

Look on the bright side - the hole in the roof will lead to standing water on the hangar floor, and Mosquitoes love that.

[Insomnia]

Worse kind of hagglers are the people who come in about half an hour before closing at a KFC hands down! I don't know about other fast food places but back when I worked for a KFC when I was in high school we would get SCs EVERY night right before closing haggling over prices. I kid you not!

They would crane their necks looking at the display case seeing what was left over because by the last hour of the day the cooks shut down the fryers. I think it took like 20 to 30 minutes to cook a tray of chicken.

Anyways, the SCs would try the following...

"You don't have what I wanted so you need to give me a discount or give me what you got for free."

"How 'bout I pay a quarter for each piece left on that tray and you throw in some biscuits too."

"C'mon! I ain't paying full price for old chicken!" (chicken was good for an hour. Last tray always come up cooked on the last hour)

"Can't I have this for free since you'll be throwing it out soon?"

And the one excuse I like the best, "Sweety, you can go ahead and toss in a few extra pieces in since it's only going to get trashed okay?"

No no no no! I don't know about nowadays but at the old store I worked at, any leftovers (chicken, mash potatoes, biscuits, etc) got divided up between the employees and management. Trust me at a KFC we NEVER threw out chicken.

[42_42_42]

It's those consumer reporters. They tell everyone that you should haggle for everything and it will work and you'll save money. They don't give advice for when the workers say no because of course they'll say yes. Especially with the economy down, of course everyone will haggle because they're desperate to make a sale. Obviously they've never met a real business owner.

^^^^ THIS. ^^^^

I cannot tell you how many times over the last 5 or so years I've read this advice in magazine articles, online articles, blogs and heard it on various "news" reports. I have no idea where these advisers are shopping that are willing to give everyone a deal just for the asking. Actually, I think they're just making shit up. Now, I'll shop around for the best price and I may even go so far as to ask for a price match, but unless I'm buying a car or real estate or I'm at a flea market, I'm not going to haggle. All it does is annoy the salesperson/cashier and make me look like a greedy lout.

[Jester]

"You don't have what I wanted so you need to give me a discount or give me what you got for free."

We have different definitions of the word "need." You NEED to eat. I don't NEED to discount anything.

"How 'bout I pay a quarter for each piece left on that tray and you throw in some biscuits too."

How about you take those quarters, find some more, roll them up, and then shove them straight up your ass? Because despite your efforts, you are sure as hell are not fucking ME with them!

"C'mon! I ain't paying full price for old chicken!"

Okay. Don't. NEXT!

"Can't I have this for free since you'll be throwing it out soon?"

No. NEXT!

"Sweety, you can go ahead and toss in a few extra pieces in since it's only going to get trashed okay?"

I can. And you can blow me. But I get the distinct feeling neither of us are actually going to DO these things.

[cinema guy]

My other half volunteers at an aviation museum in Southampton called Solent Sky. It's a large hangar that was built around this baby: Beachcomber. The rest of the hangar space is literally aircraft Tetris Poor buggers are not liked by the council so they're having to pull out all the stops to get people and money in.

Now I want to go for a visit.

[SongsOfDragons]

Now I want to go for a visit.

Please do, if you're ever able. [/pimp]

[Mike Taylor]

I love it when they try haggling on UMRP items. UMRP (Unilateral Minimum Retail Price) is set by the vendor, whereas MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) has more flexibility. Even after explaining there's no wiggle room on UMRP pricing, they'll still try.

UMRP Examples: Apple iPads, Apple iPods, Nikon DSLRs, Sony NEX cameras, Samsung HDTVs, Electrolux appliances, game consoles

We get fined by the vendors if we violate UMRP and there's a real risk of an employee losing their job.