Can You Haggle?

We do it for houses, cars, and even airline tickets. Some call it negotiation, others call it "being cheap." But does the art of haggling, or "negotiating" for lower prices on other consumer goods and services really work? Here are some excerpts from a New York Post article that commented on a personal finance study:

"According to a new study by Consumer Reports, the ancient art of haggling is a lot more useful these days than most people realize, and can lead to bargains in surprising places.
The magazine surveyed 2,167 Americans and found that up to two-thirds of people have had success in getting lower prices by negotiating for products."

And what are consumers getting discounts on these days?

"Consumer Reports also found that people could get lower prices on cellphone plans, jewelry, appliances, electronics and collectibles if they showed they were willing to walk away.
Furniture had the most successful rate of negotiations, with some 94 percent of people who haggled for things like beds and couches saying they got a lower price..."

Looks as if you can get some discounts on goods that are quite popular! However, although the opportunity exists, many people refrain from taking such a discount on goods because they fear looking cheap or foolish in front of the salesman. (I don't understand this, however). The article closes with some good tips on how to do a better job "closing the deal" on price negotiation:

* Work with the salesman - don't issue "take-it-or-leave-it" ultimatums.
* Be discreet, and refrain from telling everyone in the store about the deal you are trying to get.
* Make sure you are talking to a person with the power to negotiate.
* Try to make an offer at a time when a seller wants to unload a product, such as when it has been sitting around unsold for months.

The article even talks about how haggling is "not allowed" in big chain retailers, but I don't see why this is true. Just because a retailer has "Circuit City" written on the outside of their building doesn't mean that prices are final--especially if there is no sale prices on the particular item you seek.

I encourage you to give it the old college try when you walk into the store next time to purchase a "big-ticket" item, especially electronics and furniture. Speak with confidence. Show your interest (if you are indeed interested) and use a line like "How much will you take for this...?" Who knows, you'd be surprised what discounts you can get. I know I'll be trying it in the future.