The art of haggling is making a comeback

Herb Weisbaum • Profile • E-mail

Haggle over the price? Are you kidding? I couldn’t do that, I’d feel foolish.

Does this sound like you? If you want to save money, you’d better get over it. The old art of haggling is making a comeback.

And in this economy many companies, big and small, are willing to negotiate to make the sale.

"It works so well," says Lisa Lee Freeman, editor in chief of Shop Smart magazine. "It doesn't work every time, but my philosophy is: If you don't ask, you don't get. And when you get, you can save hundreds of dollars."

Freeman gave me this personal example. When shopping for shoes, she told the salesperson she would buy three pairs if she could get a 15 percent discount. Not only did she get the deal on the shoes, but the salesperson gave her 15 percent off the blouse she was buying.

Most people don’t think twice about bargaining for a car or house, but you can do the same thing with other products and services. Consumer Reports says hagglers are often successful. A survey conducted by Consumer Reports found that more than 90 percent of those who tried to negotiate a better deal on furniture, electronics, appliances, even medical bills – say they got one.

“People think there is little wiggle room when it comes to things like medical and cable television bills,” notes Consumer Reports senior editor Tod Marks. “But if you’re willing to risk rejection, the rewards can pay off handsomely.”

John Hoag of Seattle can testify to that. Hoag thought his cable bill was too high. So he called the company and told the customer service agent he wouldn’t pay that much any longer. She immediately agreed to lower his bill by $40 a month for the next year. That one phone called saved him almost $500.

"It was easy, real easy,” he says. “In fact, there wasn't even any haggling. It was just a discussion.”

Lots of people are doing it
I can’t believe how many people in my office have negotiated price breaks recently. One co-worker called his cell phone company and said he was paying too much. He didn’t threaten to cancel, just asked what could be done. In just a few minutes, they cut his bill by $25 a month.

Be a successful haggler Don’t be shy. Consumer Reports says you aren’t forcing merchants to negotiate. “If they give you a bargain, it's because they can afford it,” the magazine says.  Keep it pleasant. You’ll get more with a smile than tough talk. A reader who identifies himself as a specialty retailer recently posted a comment about haggling. “Rude, abrasive customers with unrealistic expectations can find the door,” he says. “If you are funny, sincere, nice, maybe even applying a little logic to the transaction (like what can you do for me if I make a large purchase?) that will usually crack this haggling Grinch.”

Another colleague got a sweet deal on a garment bag and he wasn’t even trying to negotiate. Rich was in a downtown Seattle luggage store. He found a bag he liked but the $100 was more than he wanted to pay, so he headed toward the door. The salesman said, “What about $50?” Rich responded, “How about $45?” And to his surprise, the salesman said, “Done.”

It works at chain stores
I think a lot of us, and I include myself in this group, feel uncomfortable or self-conscious trying to negotiate a better deal at a department or appliance store. And yet, it’s done all the time.

My friend Brian saved a ton of money on a new washer and dryer from Best Buy. He found the models he wanted but felt the price was too high. Brian found the appliance manager and asked him if he could do anything.

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