Do you ask for a discount?

Boz

A price is what people think they can get.
I sometimes wonder if the price varies according to people's perceived wealth?

In my very early trading days I also did Antique Fairs. I had an oil painting for sale at £20. After dragging it around a few fairs …no one bought it.
Packing for the next fair in a big Mansion, I looked again at my painting and decided it was far too cheap… raised the price to £120… it sold straight away!
Sometimes snobbery sells!

I haggle with everything I can, I'd do it in Asda if they'd play.
I come from a family of hagglers and it's always been normal to me.

A price is what people think they can get.
I sometimes wonder if the price varies according to people's perceived wealth?

I used to run a (small) B&B and my prices were clearly set out on my website. I would occasionally discount for a stay of several nights, although that rarely happened as I was not in a tourist area. I remember vividly one couple from rural Cornwall who would not accept my price, they kept pushing for a cheaper rate. This was for a one night stay for a funeral, during the winter. Of course they wanted early check in and late check out as well! After I had said no quite firmly, she apologised and said everyone does it in Cornwall for out of season rooms and the owners are happy just to get the room filled. Actually it was the opposite for me as we lived near Birmingham with lots of exhibitions (NEC) and concert venues nearby, so winter was my busiest time!

I don’t normally haggle in this country but I’m a prime haggler in a souk; my kids have walked away in embarrassment several times, and my friend’s husband left me on my own in the Abu Dhabi gold souk 😂

TV shows are misleading, I do haggle and use comparison sites for many things, many shops have have centralized pricing so it's not possible.

Moth62

As someone who has made crafts to sell in the past, I would suggest that you are usually getting a bargain anyway, as very few crafters sell their goods at the true price, if you were to take into account the number of hours they take to make.

I agree with this most crafters loose money so I think it’s insulting to haggle. Big businesses are fair game in my mind though!

I think it depends if you're a bit snobby or not.
The market stallholders took it all in good fun and were jokey with us,and where they asked were happy to do a bit of a bargain,as they knew the girls would probably spend a bit more overall.

On holiday with my GS and GD's, the girls were the ones doing the haggling in the local market(british seaside holiday)- i wanted a bag which had been marked down by a fiver (last one) and there was a matching purse available,the girls got that down by a fiver as well for me!- also they spent a happy couple of hours at shoe& perfume stalls haggling them down as well for their own stuff!

I was taught while studying Law (O level, nothing fancy!) that a price ticket is technically an 'invitation to treat' which amounts to an 'invitation' to buy at that price but it's not necessary a price fixed in stone. I wouldn't dream of haggling for handmade or charity shop goods, and supermarkets will laugh at you, unless something is not up to standard and I've often been offered a discount for eg broken packaging.
We have haggled over car and caravan purchases when paying cash, as there's less admin for the seller than purchases needing in-house finance.
And - car insurance and mobile phone packages are notorious for quoting a much higher price, then doing an immediate climb-down when challenged!

Although now a semi-retired book seller, I still sell on a couple of online book sites. I have been a professional dealer for over 46 years. When I was at a book fair people often haggled and would often get a small deal… depending on how nicely they asked etc. However people never seem to understand that traders like myself have to pay often large stall fees ( London Fairs ran into £100s, £1000s for really top end fairs) . Petrol, parking, travel, and overnight accommodation often. Nowadays most sales are done online where there are still huge overheads… monthly fees to the site, commissions and admin fees up to 20% per item sold taken by the site also! Not to mention al, the work done to describe condition, etc, properly, photograph the book, research, etc etc!
So when you next consider asking for a discount please bear in mind that we already lose loads of monies per book we sell before any further loss we might occur by providing the customer with a discount!
I recently had a book on sale for £145.00. That meant that when I sell it I get back around £115. Customer wanted it for £100… I would still lose the site commissions and fees which meant I might get around £80 …for £145 book that cost me £95 to buy in the first place! This customer was insistent and eventually raised his price to £110! I said no and he was quite polite about it all
What always gets me are the customers who ask for ‘flexibility’ …I offer them a reasonable discount … and ask them to reply either way… but most rarely do… I find that so rude! I have done them a courtesy of working out what I can afford to lose and offering a discount… and they don’t even bother to reply!
We are all ( almost all there are some big players of course) small traders ekeing out a living for the love of our jobs… and we are treated as nobody worth replying to!
Please bear that all the above in mind when next asking for a discount.
I am not referring to ebay btw, where they do have an ‘ ONO’ service. I presume that is written into the original price by the seller.

I love a haggle not on everything but I pick my moments. I love doing it with the lookie lookie guys abroad.

I don't haggle for anything except car insurance. Sometimes I get it for less than the previous year.

ViceVersa

I don't, but I'm married to a man who will haggle over almost anything!

So am I but I think they’re getting to know him!

No I don't haggle,embarrasing

I live in a country where it would be considered the height of bad manners to ask for a discount. Wares are clearly marked with a price and that is that.

If you buy an extraordinarily quantity of a thing, a discount might be offered and then you would obviously accept it.

By comparing prices in different shops or DIY stores, you can often find a lower price for whatever you want than if you just buy or order it from the first supplier you think of.

In the correct circumstance you should ask for a better price.

It depends what it is and where it is being sold. I always shop around for tyres, starting with the garage I want to do the job. I get a price, then phone round, then go back to the first one where they will always match the best price. I always ask in flea markets as they will give 10% as they ask 10% more than they want! I do get fed up with Vinted, though. Often people will "bundle" several items and ask for deal which essentially means you are giving away at least one item. Others will offer a silly price for a very reasonably priced item, so I no longer decline, I just ignore. If they want it they will pay the asking price. I always research when selling so the item is affordable with the insurance and postage. What does annoy me most is those that receive the item, then leave it to Vinted to pay in 5 days, rather than accepting on the app so payment can be authorised straight away.

I won’t as for a discount anywhere . Far too embarrassing. On holiday in Mexico we saw some little shot glasses in a tourist supermarket. Husband wouldn’t buy them and insisted on haggling in the market down the road for them . He successfully bought them in the market … for the same price as in the supermarket 😂.

If buying online and the seller states ono, then I'll try to get the price down a bit but otherwise no. My bil haggle on lots of purchases - buying 3 shirts, a couple of pairs of shoes, 2 or more electrical items, etc., and usually gets. He wasn't happy when his Internet provider wouldn't reduce his bills when he asked but they contacted me and gave me my reduced price package for another year without having to ask.

Cossy

RosiesMawagain

Why should you?
A price is a price..
You don’t haggle over your shopping at the check out do you?
Or perhaps you do.
I would be similarly mortified in your GDs’ place.

Why??

I always say, with a wry smile, is that your best price, or if I’m buying two of something, for instance 2 electrical goods, say fridge and hairdryer (haha)

Also, always ask for a “price match”

Oh yes, I'd always ask for a discount if I was buying electrical goods for a new kitchen, many online sites tell you to send them a list for a better price.

Pleasebenice

I am surprised at how little you are willing to haggle. Yes pick where you do it and would not do it for handmade goods or charity shops (who would do that?). If you listen to Martin Lewis he suggests that it is always worth asking. The price is not always the price! Don’t be greedy or rude but give it a go.

I once bought two pairs of shoes in the sale from a shoe shop on Oxford Street and they gave me a discount as soon as I asked for it. My children were mortified! However our au pair was also with us and was very impressed, she never realised you could do this.

RosiesMawagain

Why should you?
A price is a price..
You don’t haggle over your shopping at the check out do you?
Or perhaps you do.
I would be similarly mortified in your GDs’ place.

Why??

I always say, with a wry smile, is that your best price, or if I’m buying two of something, for instance 2 electrical goods, say fridge and hairdryer (haha)

Also, always ask for a “price match”

Blimey MayBee. My cousin asked about a discount in Bainbridges - the then JL store in Newcastle (I believe the first department store in the World!) on some Ercol furniture in the late ‘60’s and was asked to leave, after the ‘never knowingly undersold’ motto was pointed out!

My partner used to work in sales and he always used to ask first a discount. He once got a two for the price of one deal at John Lewis.