My friends call me tight
because if I'm buying something expensive, I feel no shame in asking for a 'discount for cash'.

The last two televisions, various electrical gadgets, etc, I've either managed to get a discount, or the shop has thrown in a freebie. If they're not willing to offer anything at all, I walk away. My view is that I'm paying my hard earned money for something they have a pretty good mark up on, so they can afford to grant a bit of leeway. If they won't, somewhere else will.

My best result wasn't even for me. My friend had a bingo win and decided to treat her family to a plasma TV. Off to Comet we went, me dragged along to 'see if you can work your magic for me'. Cheeky bugger is usually the first to slag me off for getting a discount, but when it could be helping her .. that's different! She did a bit of dithering and eventually settled on the one her husband had picked after some (read: many many hours) internet research. We get the salesman and I do my usual 'discount for cash' routine. After a bit of haggling with the assistant manager, I've secured £150 off. Result! We get to the till, and the usual crap about the extended warranty starts. At this point, my friend is standing there, with a wodge of cash clutched in her hand, waiting to pay the agreed price. I spotted an opportunity for a freebie.

"See that wodge of cash?" I asked the bloke. "Don't you think it's reasonable to expect something worth that much to last longer than one year? If we really need this extended warranty, then frankly the TV must be rubbish. Destined to break down one day after the year is up. When you think about it mate, that's a disgrace. Oh, by the way, John Lewis have the same model and I reckon I could get them to match this price. With a free five year guarantee."

I stopped talking and watched the cogs whirring in his head. He obviously believed I could get John Lewis to match the reduced price. He knew they were offering the free 5 year guarantee. He could see from my face that I was quite prepared to drag my friend out of the shop, with her cash still clutched in her hot little hand. He crumpled slightly, swallowed with a little gulp, and caved in.

"Okay, we'll throw in the warranty as well," he muttered, looking like a man who'd just shredded a winning lottery ticket. They had the cheek to ask for an extra £25 delivery charge, but we had planned ahead. My friend wasn't driving her car, she had her husband's van. The TV fitted rather nicely in the back, secured with a bit of bungee cord.

We went back to hers with our prize and her hubby was thrilled at the bargain. My friend's reaction? "Well, it was a bit of a red face when you started haggling with the guy," she stated. I was absolutely blazing mad, ffs that was the only reason I went with her! I stormed out and went home. She did phone me later to apologise.

It hasn't put me off and I've got various discounts/freebies for friends and relatives who are thankfully a little more grateful. Always chance your arm, you never know your luck.
(TheWeeWitch hasn't been here much recently .., Fri 24 Oct 2008, 16:14, 16 replies)

As that bald guy
From daytime TV... Dom I think his name is... Little cockney fella...

Well he says anything.. ANYTHING can be haggled. Kudos to u.

On a side note, can you try haggling with play to get a Seinfeld Complete Box Set cheaper for me?
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Fri 24 Oct 2008, 16:17, closed)

I'd love to help
but I find internet shopping shall we say, not conducive to haggling ... barstewards!
(TheWeeWitch hasn't been here much recently .., Fri 24 Oct 2008, 16:21, closed)

If you dont ask you dont get.
A lot of brits are embarassed to barter. But go to Morroco and its expected! Seriously you take people down from 10euros to 2euros for stuff. They like your euros better than their dirhams! :)
(Miggyman, Fri 24 Oct 2008, 16:25, closed)

same in the east
Thailand, Malaysia etc. Been round there a lot. The haggling becomes annoying after a while and starts to make me think they're all theiving fuckers which is mostly not what they are. I do feel like quite often saying "listen, youre arguing with me about an amount of money that represents about 0.00000001% of my current pocket change. Tell me a fair fucking price and stop trying to steal from me".
( I have run out of coke is a little sweaty, Fri 24 Oct 2008, 16:32, closed)

Top notch!
Mr Bob and I have bought a few really good pictures in cash before, and got between 5% and 10% off, or got the framed version for the price of the unframed. If it's a specialist store (i.e. electrical/art/instruments etc), it's always worth asking. It doesn't work in a supermarket though...I got back from Marrakesh, and automatically did the "how much? THat's far too much!" when getting in some groceries at Sainsburys...
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Fri 24 Oct 2008, 16:27, closed)

That's brilliant, Bob
I'd love to have seen the till monkey's face when you said it!
(TheWeeWitch hasn't been here much recently .., Fri 24 Oct 2008, 16:36, closed)

Best technique...
... taught to me by my wily first Sales Director:

Go into electrical shops, and insist they talk you through all the extension cables, before buying one for £5/£10. Make sure it lasts at least 10/15 minutes, while they're missing out on other customers (remember it's individual commission)

Then as you've chosen one, at length, mutter "while I'm here, I was thinking about replacing the fridge/TV". They will fall over themselves to discount and get you to buy something proper.

Have used it. Works.
( prince-igor si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses, Fri 24 Oct 2008, 16:56, closed)

Sale of goods act...
Means that extended warranties are essentially worthless. The Act specifies that goods must work for 'a reasonable period', and for electronic goods precedent suggests that's about 5 years.
Never, ever buy extended warranties - they're pointless.
(davywavy, Fri 24 Oct 2008, 17:07, closed)

I never do
partly as I'm well aware of how much profit the shops make on these things .... and I won't give them a penny I don't have to!
(TheWeeWitch hasn't been here much recently .., Fri 24 Oct 2008, 17:56, closed)

or buy from John Lewis
where they are free and will price match, or go to Richer Sounds, where they are reasonably priced (10% of purchase price for 5 year warranty).
( I_Was_Mordred, Fri 24 Oct 2008, 18:01, closed)

Or
don't pay any money as he just said, because it's already covered under law anyway.
(Hippo_of_Doom, Sun 26 Oct 2008, 19:58, closed)

I'm no good at this
but my girlfriend is aces and has saved us £££s on all the stuff we need for the new house...
( I_Was_Mordred, Fri 24 Oct 2008, 18:02, closed)

The weird thing is...
..that if people asked me for a discount for cash, I'd invite them to go swivel. Cash means counting it, checking for fakes, having it in the shop until you bank up and then having to walk to the bloody bank with it- in other words several times the hassle of a plastic transaction. OK if the person you are speaking to owns the shop but the taxation incurred is of no concern to me.

I would however discount proportionally to money spent.
(Leonard Hatred briefly did some work on, Fri 24 Oct 2008, 18:06, closed)

I generally don't wander around with
great wodges of cash - I usually use the Switch card, which I believe has a lower transaction cost than a credit card, but I did once go to the bank and get actual hard cash after the guy got snippy about putting a card through.
(TheWeeWitch hasn't been here much recently .., Fri 24 Oct 2008, 18:23, closed)

Hah!
What's the difference between a Scot and a coconut?

You'll get a drink out of a coconut.

Quite frankly Scots do not deserve their tightwad reputation. I have personally witnessed Scots trying to buy a chair a drink.

Nothing wrong with being canny with the cash.

/tips hat
(Que?, Sat 25 Oct 2008, 0:13, closed)

I wish I was like you
I'm too shy to argue about money.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 28 Oct 2008, 10:16, closed)