Is there anything you won't haggle over?

I can identify with this. I tend to haggle and price match over almost everything - particularly any costs that are recurring because those are the most damaging in the long term. It doesn't hurt to ask or to try except that the service provider may be less inclined to offer their best service if they feel they are dealing with a cheap client. That's the only drawback I can think of.

I've saved a literal fortune price matching and negotiating discounts since I started aggressively saving money over 8 years ago now.

As a one time owner of retail, I can say that hagglers are extremely annoying and I would have no problem telling them to get lost as I have. The fact is that prices are set in order to pay all bills, employees and then try to make a little profit. Haggles could not care less whether your business is around tomorrow or not, so businesses should not care what the haggles wants to pay, get lost.

I wouldn't expect 90% of the people to understand this as working for the man is a hell of a lot different then running a business with a 5 digit overhead.

Binder Dundat,
You are bound for bankruptcy. The same fate is expecting you just like HMV, Blockbuster and many other greedy, arrogant idiots who believed they would be in business forever. With this kind of attitude and rip off prices and big profits for many. No regard whatsoever for the client, the ones who help you pay the bills and make profits, remember?
If I knew what business you are in, I would never set foot in it or deal with people like you.
Absolutely shameful. Haggling is part of the freemarket. If you tell us to get lost, you are going to fail big time. Wait and see what's in store for you.

Chris - I actually built up that business and sold it for a hefty profit- thanks for coming out with your small willy swinging.

Try walking into any upscale mall and haggle, they wont. Haggling is left for the flea markets and road side business. If you had an inkling of a clue what it actually costs to run a business even a small one you would of never opened your trap.

Of course as a consumer and not a business person I don't actually care to understand your position, when you have a business with an overhead of $75,000+/month, then come out and talk to me about haggling in the free market. Prices are set for what the market bears and needs for a business to survive.

I somewhat agree with Binder but his way of expressing his point in the blog shows who he is as a person. No middle ground in his beliefs.
Nowadays, you can even negotiate a speeding ticket. If your Dentist suggested that your child required braces but that the cost was simply too onerous, some professionals will make exceptions and lower the cost, to a select few, based on needs. That's compassion. However, you can't expect 20-30% of the population to always ask for a break. It would get annoying indeed. Imagine going to the supermarket and having people negotiate the sticker price all the time. While I realize there is a difference from purchasing weekly bare necessities vs. a pair of shoes every 6 months, the premise is still the same. Binder is to set his prices to make a liviing and offer specials from time to time to attract new business. That should be good enough.

Binder is obviously a dirty paki or indian. They are always acting so arrogant and think they are better. Brown people are the dirtiest when it comes to business.

peter WOW do you realise we were all the same at one point my god i feel sorry for you.go hang your head in SHAME!

I can't believe in 2011 peter would make a comment like that. WOW! I am amazed to think that there are people that backward and ignorant still out there. Guess you were a HItler fan? Idiot!

What the binder dundats of the world fail to realise is that half a loaf is better than none.

Simply put, if he's not the only game in town, perhaps he is better off making a little profit on something he might sell me than to make no profit at all because I bought it somewhere else..

Two stories:

1. 3 weeks ago I bought a new car. The best price I could find was in Ontario (I'm in Quebec). I went to the nearest dealer of the marque and asked only that he come close (realising that I'd have to travel to Toronto and drive back). They told me to get lost. I then went to the next closest dealer who met the price - he will make his hold-back in addition to whatever profit was left and will have liquidated a unit.

The original dealer has one more unit to sell and one fewer potential client to sell it to.

2. In the early '90s I made an offer on a new home - the builder told me he was willing to wait up to 18 months to sell and I then offered him the NPV of his price based on the day's interest rates and his target date . . . he refused. I bought a home of greater value for slightly less and he came by my new place every few months to tell me how somehow I had missed an opportunity.

It took him 3 years to sell that house and he accepted an offer $10K below what he might have had previously - and he had to carry the cost and pay taxes though the entire period.

I think binder dundat is nuts and it's good that he sold his business, in todays world with his attitude he wouldn't survive. Yerallnuts is closer to the truth in todays marketplace , I've been in sales and self employed for over 25 years and in todays enviroment with the internet,shopping in the U.S. with the dollar above par and most people only a short drive to the border, telling any customer to get lost is crazy,counter productive and just plain stupid!! People are better educated about items prices and where they can find better deals. It's a customers job to buy your product at the lowest price they can, it's your job as the retailer to sell your product for the highest price you can , don't get mad at the customer if they are better then you. I find if a customer offers you too low a price I find by being courteous and explaining that as much as you would like to , you just can't do that price. Most customers will understand and by remaining polite you and the customer can and usually do negotiate a price satisfactory to both. lets face it, it's better in the customers home than your shop.

I can see both sides of this debate. I work in automotive sales have been for over 6 years. Haggling on big ticket items its just expected by almost everyone. Of course sometimes I have ot explain to ppl when they come see a car of mine I reduced to below cost that I simply cant drop it anymore and I even offer ot show them my invoice/cost price and they generally accept it. However its all REALLY about how the client percieves the deal. You have 1 client who keeps wanting a lower & lower price and you come close they buy it and take it home they still think they paid too much and are unhappy with the deal. Then you have 1 customer who comes in pays full price but feels it was the best deal in the world they are happy as ever and bound to come back again and again.
However on day to day items haggling really is not helpful. Nobody in Walmart or any other big store cares if you want to pay less; go try to find it for less is what I have been told. And generally I have not unless I have proof with an advertisement then they price match it. Otherwise they say the price is the price and many ppl accept it and buy there stuff and move on. As a consumer I like ot get the best deal on stuff but I also know when retail is retail and if I dont need it or cant afford it I just dont get it. Currently I have discussing home renovations with 2 large renovation companies and neither is really willing to budge becasue they know they dont have too. If you want the job done right and on time and on budget you dont call in the handyman and pay him less because he will ultimately screw up. Anyways thats my little rant on the subject