If I know I am talking with the owner , I will almost always get a lower price.


I even ask for a discount when paying for health care.
MO

Anything over $100 is negotiable.

I agree on haggling used products, cars, recreational vehicles, etc. but haggling at a retail store is kind of weird and most of the stores out there will laugh at you if you think you can get different than what the tag says. I worked for Home Depot for 6 years and we had all kinds of people come in and try to haggle prices on things, especially the appliances like washers and dryers or fridges. It never worked, the prices is the price is the price. The only time we would allow a little room of play is if we had a display model that was discontinued that we were trying to get sold or something that was dinged or scratched.

This is where the mark up conversation comes into play. Alot of retailers like Home Depot dont have hardly any mark up in big expensive items like a washer or a fridge. Thats not where they make their profits. I remember pulling up some of the mark up numbers on some of the $1000 applinces we had. The company would make somewhere around $40-$50 on a $1000 fridge. No room to haggle there. Home Depot and other retail stores alike make all there money on small inexpensive items. There was way more mark up on a pvc fitting than a fridge. A 1/2" pvc coupling that was sold for .15 cents was bought by home depot for .02 cents.

So if your arguement is that items with high mark up are the items that need to be haggled, then you need to start haggling every pencil, pen, or toilet paper roll you buy from wally world or every bottle of water you buy at the gas station because those are the items that truely have a big mark up. And over time you will end up saving yourself more money haggling these small cost items with huge mark ups than you will haggling that one ring in the jewlery store down $200.

Why is almost every gas station turning into a snack and food store with donuts, beer, can drinks, and a fresh sandwich? They make more money off of these items than they do the fuel because of the mark up.

I always haggle at McDonalds

If you can get something down in price by 15-20%, they are still making money and your saving. I wouldnt want someone to always sell at cost, but knowing what markup typically is, I know they can reduce the price some. I know every car or truck I have ever bought was with the dealer paying my initial taxes.

Ok, Ok,
I get it all,
HOWEVER

How about the established prices of Carports ?

Been running around in circles for over two months on this one.

Even cash dosent count, Hell dont they pay a Credit count charge ?

That is alway my final resort , use my rewards card , I will get
something out of the deal eventually.

Mo

Get prices from several places and go back and forth and use those prices to get the other dealer down some, You will know when you have hit bottom when neither will go any lower.

Waterlogged,

Almost a price fix on these, all prices start the same, have been to several differant distributors and at least two differant manufators

Sounds like the Manufacturer is setting the prices for the dealers.

I'll try to negotiate retail stuff sometimes, usually on books and some electronics/computer equipment. I look up the price at amazon.com on my phone and ask a manager if they want to meet that price. If they do, I still have to pay tax but I get it today. If they don't, I don't pay tax but have to wait a couple of days. I make it clear either way is fine with me, it depends on whether they want to sell it for that price or not. Usually they don't.

some of you guys are down right cocky about how good you are at haggling.

I know a few sales managers who have probably laughed when you walked out the door with your "discounted" items. They know you are coming. They deal with you everyday.