John at FindFinancialFreedom suggests that it doesn’t hurt to ask for a discount when you’re making a purchase.
Most of us would balk at the suggestion of trying to haggle on the price of something (“it’s just not the British way to do business!”), but he’s right – there’s no harm in asking. Personally, I’d only have the guts to do it on large purchases, such as cars, household appliances and houses.
The biggest discount I’ve managed to get? Probably around £4,000 on my house (about 2.5% of the asking price), although to be fair I’m probably flattering myself with that – sellers are usually expecting the buyers to haggle the price down a little.
But I’m interested in hearing your stories on the occasions you’ve managed to negotiate a discount. How much did you manage to save, just by asking? I’d also like to know if you’ve managed to haggle the price down on something that you wouldn’t normally think of haggling for, and whether you find it possible to haggle “on the high street”.
John suggests that haggling can be done pretty much anywhere, but you’re more likely to succeed if you’re talking to someone in authority, rather than an average member of staff (talk to the organ grinder, not the monkey!).
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
