I had a review on this subject, but I guess it *got lost a few weeks ago when MS went down. So I guess I’ll try to recreate it.*
The art of bargaining is just that, a very specialized art. It is the art of getting the most and paying the least. Most people here in the US are embarrassed to even try! I’m not!
It’s something very hard to do here in the USA. Most stores set a price, and that’s it. They will not budge.
But, there are still some places you can use this art. For instance, when purchasing a car. Never pay the price that’s on the sticker. The mark up is always way more than the dealer expects to get from the purchaser. I myself saved thousands of dollars when I purchased my car. I practically laughed when the salesman told me the price. I offered a few thousand less, he bargained with me a bit, back and forth, and I still wound up saving a couple of thousand off the sticker price and I got an upgraded stereo and floor mats thrown in as well.
Another place you can really bargain here in the US is at flea markets/swap shops, or whatever you want to call these big outdoor places that sell new and used items. You know the overhead is next to nothing and the prices are way out of line and the sellers expect you to bargain with them. If an item has an asking price of$10.00. make an offer of$5.00.the seller will then say’no’, so you start to walk away and 9 out of 10 times the seller will counter offer with$8.00, so you counter back with$6.00 and you both settle on$7.00. Everyone is happy. You saved$3.00 and the seller made his sale.
You can also try your hand at bargaining at smaller local shops in your neighborhood. I went in to purchase a pair of slacks marked at about$25.00, they had a missing button, a simple missing 10¢ button. I offered$10.00 and wound up paying$15.00. A savings of$10.00 due to a missing 10¢ button.
Most of the bigger department stores will not bargain with you at all. Their price is set.period.
But at flea markets, car dealerships and smaller shops it’s really quite easy.
Another way to use your bargaining skills is when you’re buying an appliance. If there is a scratch or dent, don’t pay full price! Offer the salesperson a lesser price and if the salesperson says’no’, ask for the store manager. The store manager would rather bargain with you for a lesser price than have that scratched washing machine sit in the store unsold.
One other place that comes to mind is the supermarket/grocery store. Dented cans sit on the shelves unsold. Make an offer. A little dent(provided the can is not punctured) will not hurt the contents. And most of the time you’ll get a discount.
As I said, most people feel embarrassed to bargain, but it’s not hard to do. Prices on most items are marked up so much, that a little bargaining will still make the shop or seller a profit and save you money. And remember, if you save$10.00 on one item, let the seller know you just may use that money to purchase another item from him.
So, happy bargain hunting. The money you save may just buy you that computer upgrade you need! =)