All I got to say is Haggle, im very close to my supervisors and dropping the price is part of my job. The company is always willing to drop the price, especially when is a big ticket. As far as warranty we do try to scare the customer into buying it, but it is worth it from time to time.

GotWhatYouNeed

(circuit city store director)

soooright

Personally I never go for extended warranties since most problems are generally handled by Manufacturer's warranty, which you're already paying for as part of the retail price.

tinshaker

I will make one comment about Best Buy and similar stores. Could they not train the monkey who says hello and goodbye to you to work a register instead. I'd rather have faster service than a greeting.

tinshaker

ZV3

Gofastmazda

Hello_Newman

jaymac

berribrand

Did you even read what I wrote ?

More than that; I've foolishly been reading the entire discussion. You seem to be trying to steer it towards a tangent, but I'm not going to let you. The "haggling" that most people are discussing here is not what you've described, but the low-balling BS that you're also against.

Look, the stores don't pre-price items on shelves with the assumption that everyone is the ignorant buyer that you seem to think is common. Someone who has to waste staff resources asking a lot of questions at the store is absolutely a dick for thinking they should get a discount on top of it. It makes no sense that a person who is an in-and-out shopper should be paying more when their overhead costs are so low.

What exactly do you think a sales floor is for ?

I never said you couldn't browse or ask questions or haggle. What I'm saying is that you need to put everything into the larger picture. There are costs associated with those services, and it is beyond the pale to suggest that the people who need the most help can expect to be paying the lowest prices.

But if sales floor reps are similarly empowered, where is the "mano-a-mano BS" in that ?

As I already noted, that is not a consumer-friendly way to adjust market forces. When you negotiate a personal deal, you create an additional burden on the business that is passed on to all customers. Furthermore, the customers cannot be individually informed on what the fair price is, making it more likely that businesses that allow haggling will systematically overcharge even further to account for the haggling. If that sounds like every car dealership you've ever heard of, I wouldn't be surprised.

Is shopping supposed to be more affirming on a personal level than I am aware of ?

You have that exactly backwards. It is the hagglers who are looking for an ego boost. The idea of commodity pricing is very impersonal, yet has been shown to be the greater economic advantage. That doesn't mean bankrupting a business, either, since reduced costs are a reasonable avenue to profitability. Employees are very expensive when you ask them to spend time being haggled out of money.

But ploy or not, I stand by MY statement that if the consumer pays a price they are willing to spend, and the store gets a price they are willing to accept, it sounds like everyone goes home happy. As I said before, the tag prices are being in part determined by haggling farther up the chain anyway so what's the harm in a little more ?

Please get just the most basic education in economics before you take that position. The dynamics are not as you describe. There is simply no way a consumer can be educated when every buy is a private negotiation. Neither does it benefit businesses to take time to negotiate prices with masses of people who have to go around to a number of businesses in order to find out who has the best deal. Observe the world a little more closely and you just might find that there is a great deal of "harm" in your view of "happy".

Computer_Chef

Pointblank87

x23

Over a year ago i went into Best Buy to look at buying a large DLP TV.

After a day or two of coming and going looking at which ones looked best i came upon the one i wanted. The Samsung 56" 1080P DLP.

Listed price was $1999.99. Luckily my friend who is a good haggler was there and said how bout we give you 2000 for the TV and extended 4 year warranty delivered. Knowing that the bulb will go out within 4 years guaranteed and they typically cost 250 bucks installed(warranty was 300) i figured i would end up good in this deal with the equivilent of a 50 dollar 4 year warranty if anything else broke. Luckily the woman went over and talked to her supervisor and they said yes to our astonishment.

Typically they are only going to haggle on big money($1500+)items though. You aren't going to be haggling down 60 dollar 360 games to 40 dollars.

arsenic0

The new 90 day price guarantees are a huge benefit to our customers, but also to the company as well. 90% of the time, when you haggle, our reply will be "Well, we guarantee our pricing for 90 days. If you find it at one of our competitors for cheaper, or our price is cheaper at any point, we'll match it." Saves you the time of driving all over the place trying to find the lowest price, and it allows us to call most "i'm gonna walk" bluffs.

philycheezblunt

dmbfan3333

That being said, don't expect us to completely bend over backwards, we will let you walk out empty handed. If you come across like you are entitled to a lower price and are unpleasant to deal with, we'll call your bluff.

*When asking for discounts, if you are buying just the TV by itself, no accessories, sound systems, protection plans, installation services, etc., we really have no reason to give you any kind of discount. Especially when you are buying a popular set. Why sell a TV 200 bucks less, when you can get someone to buy that same one at the tagged price?

*Buy open box. We don't have any desire to sell defective products, as it costs us more in the long run, with unhappy customer experiences. Employees will always buy open box. Most open boxes are returns, that were barely even used. If we get back a TV that was returned because there was a problem, we send it directly to our service center, or in some cases, right back to the manufacturer and we never see it again. A lot of times, you can get open box items below what the store actually bought the set for from the manufacturer.

*You can haggle on TVs, and home audio products. Don't try it on Computers. Most computers are sold at a -5% margin. At best, we might make 10%. And thats extremely rare. So when you ask for a 150 off a 1000 dollar laptop, you won't get anywhere.

*And remember: While we expect a little haggling, keep in mind that we live in a capitalist country, not pre-1989 East Germany: Our goal is to make profit, not break even. Otherwise, there would be no point to private business.

philycheezblunt

xune

If they catch you, say, "What's the problem? I downloaded it off your site! WWW.bestbuy.ru!" LOL

*for educational purposes only!

Gary_7vn

Out2gtcha

"Are the damn prices not printed on a card next to the product? If you know in advance you're not going to pay that price, you are absolutely a total dick for taking up the time of the staff."

Did you even read what I wrote ?

Excerpt from previous comment:

'You pre-suppose the customer in this scenario walks into it with the explicit intention of low balling the sales guy, which I would agree is in poor taste. But if one has never seen a particular item in person, and upon inspection the product fails to impress, I don't see why one should decide it's worth more than it is and buy it anyway just because a sales rep did his job and answered a customers questions about a product so they could make an informed choice of whether or not to buy it.'

What exactly do you think a sales floor is for ? As far as I knew it was so people could take a look at merchandise before they DECIDE if they want to buy it or not. You see an ad, come in and check out the merchandise, decide if you want to buy it.

I've only ever 'haggled' over electronics once, and it was largely by accident. I was shopping for computer components in a smallish privately owned computer store. The owner happened to be there and I asked him a question about some cases they were offering, and we got to talking. I mentioned I was building a complete PC, and he noticed I wasn't buying any kind of optical drive, he asked if I was planning to. I pointed to one particular model he was selling for $70 and said I was planning on getting the same model elsewhere for $50 (which I was). He said he'd sell it to me for the same (which I totally was not expecting), so I bought it there. True, that was a fairly low level item, but the principle is the same. All I did was let him know what I wanted, what I was willing to pay for it, and he decided he was willing to sell it at that price. True, this guy was the owner, so he had the authority to do that. But if sales floor reps are similarly empowered, where is the "mano-a-mano BS" in that ?

I dunno, maybe I am missing the point. Is shopping supposed to be more affirming on a personal level than I am aware of ? Should I be able to walk into a store, look at a price and feel a surge of self esteem when I look at the price tags because I know the store is riding the edge of bankrupcy so they can sell me, Joe-God-Emperor-Consumer, CE at a minimal mark up?

"I stand by my statement that this is just a ruse to get people in their store without any obligation to sell at a lower price."

Well good for you, I admire someone who stands by their word. And I don't disagree. It IS a ploy to get people in their stores (just like one day sales and mail-in rebate offers), and they aren't under any obligation to drop the price for you. So what ? As you yourself point out, you can always just leave if you're not willing to pay the posted price and the rep/store won't budge or you don't want to even ask if an accomodation can be made.

But ploy or not, I stand by MY statement that if the consumer pays a price they are willing to spend, and the store gets a price they are willing to accept, it sounds like everyone goes home happy. As I said before, the tag prices are being in part determined by haggling farther up the chain anyway so what's the harm in a little more ?

OddManOut

This store also sells regular iPods for $10-30 over the official Apple price and Wiis for $299 with no added software or accessories. They rip customers off so badly it's a wonder they're still in business.

multimoog

I have my eye on that new Altima 3.5 Coupe!

strider_mt2k

My emails are always polite but firm. And more often than not, the response is surprisingly generous, particularly if it's for a comment that's widely available on other sites. I'm loathe to initiate a stampede of haggling, but I will say that if a comment has something to do with Best Buy Customer Service, or Mac vs. PC, the Giz is basically willing to almost give them away for free!

Also, I find that if I begin with a compliment - nothing too fancy, just something along the lines of "I really enjoy reading Gizmodo," or "Hey, for someone with severe congenital scoliosis, you sure do dance awesome for a white boy," "or "If Adobe ever needed a spokesmodel for Photoshop, well, they could do a lot worse" - they're even more willing to show a little love at the register.

I swear, it works!

Your welcome!!!

frigg

Savvy shopper > haggler

kwicherbichin

@tyskkvinna: It does work at Lowes too. It may not on the particular items you were purchasing, but I have done it a few times on some appliances. I'd check another Lowe's, or ask for a different manager.

RokMartian

By that logic, stores couldn't ever have SALES or match prices unless they were overcharging as well.

Exactly right. Gary_7vn made the best point about that in asking for sale prices after the sale. I fully agree that that is not haggling as seemingly defined by most people around here. Just trying to beg for an arbitrary discount is a bad way to equalize market forces.

More to the question, no store owes you a sale, or is obligated to generate a personalized sales flyer on the spot. That is what this kind of haggling amounts to, and as such it generates costs simply get pushed down to the consumer. So everybody loses because you feel a need to get all primal with some retail guy.

I suppose I'd also be a dick if they showed me "everything" (or at least answered all the questions I had about a product I had never looked over in person before) and then had the audacity to NOT BUY IT when I decided it was overpriced.

Yes, you would. Are the damn prices not printed on a card next to the product? If you know in advance you're not going to pay that price, you are absolutely a total dick for taking up the time of the staff. It'd be different if you immediately asked for a discount, but instead you pull a reverse string-along. All you accomplish is an increased cost that, again, gets reflected in the price for everyone.

I just want to get the most I can for the money I worked pretty hard for

Then you need to stop going into stores and trying to buy items you can't afford. And I don't mean that in a "your broke ass" kind of way, but in a "balanced free market" kind of way. Like I said, it's a sucker's game for consumers to haggle a unique price. It'd be a totally different dynamic if there were a web site where people could post their wins, or if you did like Gary_7vn and referenced their own sales, or used a price match policy that many stores already have. But this mano-a-mano BS isn't good for anyone except the business. I stand by my statement that this is just a ruse to get people in their store without any obligation to sell at a lower price.

Computer_Chef

Just because you get $10 off that overpriced DVD player at best buy doesn't mean you had a successful 'kill', it just means you like confrontation when, in this case, they are easily avoidable.

The best fight is the fight won without fighting.

Gofastmazda

Just don't try to price match their instore prices to their online prices and then use the coupon, they won't go for it because their online prices are already marked down that 10% that they're willing to lose.

Why haggle, just search Google for Best Buy Printable Coupon and print one out. Plus, you can see which items you can get a discount on plain and simple on the coupon, rather than making yourself look like a fool in the iPod or video game department.

QquegChristian

I myself have experience the "haggling" phenomenon at Best Buy, although I did so by first letting them know I had found a lower price at another brick-and-mortar store; and then letting them know I'd go back to the other place and get them to dip below that unless the salesman gave me an addition $200 off. All told, I took a $2600 HDTV for $2000. Not too bad.

J.T.

I think that there is a place for haggling and there are places where you shouldnt. I have worked at BB selling TV's for over a year and a half now and I am willing to make a great deal with customers who trust that I am in fact informed and can reccommend the right product for them. I will make a package so that they never need to come back to the store (or go somewhere else) for something they needed in the first place. It's a give and take relationship and i often sell packages at awesome savings to customers who treat me with respect and appreciate my customer service.

On the flipside I have also asked people to leave because they were being obnoxious about getting a deal on something because they are cheap. Depending on the place you shop changes how the customer can act and still get a good deal. If you are at BB where I have no personal incentive to make a sale why would I reward you for being a dick? I often walk customers who treat me like shit then ask them for a deal and give them directions to the nearest commission place so they can get asspumped and go through an unpleasant haggle.

Now if you are in a commission place to begin with there is a little bit more room to play hardball with the salesmen, because there is plenty of incentive to make that sale a customer can get away with more than they ever could at BB.

Polite people with common sense generally get the best deals from me.

timinater

zanzibarlegend

"They only reason they could knock off 15% is if they have overcharging the customer built into their pricing scheme. Just do yourself, and everyone else, a favor by going to some place that charges a fair price to begin with."

By that logic, stores couldn't ever have SALES or match prices unless they were overcharging as well. I mean, how do you define "overcharging" ? 30%? 40%? 50%? 5%? 10%? profit margin ??? Maybe they just think about it like this....

'Our normal profit margin is 30% of the tag price. If a customer wants something, but thinks the price is too high and doesn't buy it, we make 0%. If we give them a 15% discount and they buy it we make 15% (of the original price). 15% > 0%. We'll take what we can get...to a point...'

"...you, as a customer, are indeed being a dick if you're wasting the time of the staff to show you "everything" and then expecting a big discount on top of it."

I suppose I'd also be a dick if they showed me "everything" (or at least answered all the questions I had about a product I had never looked over in person before) and then had the audacity to NOT BUY IT when I decided it was overpriced. Tell me, if I wish to avoid 'dick' status am I obligated to buy something on the Third question ? Second ? First ? or just by walking in the door ? You pre-suppose the customer in this scenario walks into it with the explicit intention of low balling the sales guy, which I would agree is in poor taste. But if one has never seen a particular item in person, and upon inspection the product fails to impress, I don't see why one should decide it's worth more than it is and buy it anyway just because a sales rep did his job and answered a customers questions about a product so they could make an informed choice of whether or not to buy it. By offering to pay a lower price you give the store an extra chance to SELL YOU SOMETHING, which they want very much to do. Or they can politely decline in about 5 seconds...where's the harm ?

Besides, I wouldn't ASK (or even suggest, as was done in my earlier example) for a discount if I already EXPECTED one. I'd buy the item, then 8itch when they charged me full price.

Then again, if they're really on the ball the sales associate might take the cue that price is the problem and suggest a cheaper model...or a different brand...ie do their job...

"If you really want to show them your savvy as a consumer..."

AH! I get it, that's where we differ. I'm not out to show them anything. I just want to get the most I can for the money I worked pretty hard for...and I'm not too particular who sells it to me, or if someone else gets a better or worse deal than I do.

But, even if you can't respect my opinion, I can respect yours. I'll agree, haggling's not for everyone.

But by way of a final thought I would assert that you can be sure stores like BestBuy and Circuit City haggle with manufacturers and wholesalers when THEY buy THEIR stock. Why shouldn't I ? I'm just one more link in the chain of capitalism...

Cheers!

OddManOut

That's not haggling, that's just not getting ripped off by hyperglobalmegacorp.

Gary_7vn

Gary_7vn

Gary_7vn

It's a hunter / gatherer mentality. Your gatherers just want to pay the sticker price ... with no danger of confrontation. Your hunters enjoy scouting out and negotiating the best price. Kill or be killed.

FLskydiver

I have been haggling for years. It works. And nothing embarrassing about it, do you really care if the sales associate thinks you are poor or cheap?

Gary_7vn

Why do people think haggling at electronics stores is ok, but the grocery store isn't? The bill comes for a dinner out, do these same 'hagglers' say 'I'll give you $50 for this $100 meal'? Of course not. So why does this mentality from back in the day still exist in some people?

Gofastmazda

Brian Lam

Get real, quit giving excuses to your cheapness. This same mentality is what gave rise to the early iPhone adopters who bitched about the $200 price drop and wanted a refund. Either it's worth the money or it's not.

Oh, and to the guy who think he got a deal because he paid full list and got a monster cable HDMI cable for free? Yeah, you got a 'deal', on a cable that has a cost of about $10 but lists for $100. Great job!

Gofastmazda

And you, as a customer, are indeed being a dick if you're wasting the time of the staff to show you "everything" and then expecting a big discount on top of it. That is especially true if the product is clearly priced in advance.

Face it, the only reason BB and CC and any other box store is letting the word out about this "unofficial" policy is because they don't want to lower their prices but they still want to get you in their door. 99% of the time they won't do jack for anyone, and fielding the "can I get a discount?" question is handled as deftly as pushing extended warranties. If you really want to show them your savvy as a consumer, you won't fall for it and just let them sit empty like a ghost town until they have shelf prices that match the slowing economy.

Computer_Chef

chrishw

Wait a minute.....there already is one!

lionelbob

Haggling is not that big of a deal depending on how you do it. If you aren't a jerk about it, it doesn't hurt to ask. Even though I have no authority to change prices at work, I don't mind it if someone asks as long as they aren't jerks about it. Also, sometimes just the way people ask the question you can tell that they are just being cheap. In the end, a place that has commission is bound to give you at least some discount because a smaller commission is better than no commission. They are just going to do as much as they can to not let people around know that you are cutting someone a deal. The only haggling I would do on a TV, though, would be to try to get the retailer to at least come close to the price on Amazon.

ceilingFANBOY

SalesDude: ...with this button here. Any other questions?

Customer: No, that's pretty much it.

SD: So, shall I ring one up for you ?

Customer: Well I really appreciate you showin' me everything, it's a nice unit but it's just not quite worth that price to me. If you could knock 15% off the tag I'd go for it.

SD option1: I think I can accomodate you on that...
SD Option2: 10% is the best I can do.
SD Option3: Thanks anyway sir, but our prices are non-negotiable.

See ? No one has to behave like a dick, but the customer can still get what they want at a price they can afford, and the salesdude can still get his commission.

Gotta give to get, you know ?

OddManOut

That goes for big ticket items too. The last two cars I bought, I emailed the local dealers for their price. I did the research, I already knew what the fair price was. The few who wanted me to come in and do the whole scumbaggy "let me talk to my manager" bullshit dance got dropped, the ones who wanted to be upfront about their best price got the sale. It's faster, easier and cheaper for everyone involved.

superbad

All_Thumbs

tketch

fezir

strobefx

Daimyo Nintendo

Though it does get annoying hearing people say "what's the best you can get me?" like it's a garage sale or something. Maybe it just bothers me because these are people who don't take the time to find great places like newegg, or even to check prices on amazon like I've done.

rcast1986

I am a sales associate at HH Gregg and I will tell you this. I will give you the best deal I can while making money for myself and a decent margin for the company. If you but accessories, multiple tv's or service plans, the deal gets better. Commission sales people will give you better deals cause we get volume commission as well as margin commission. We dont sell, we dont eat. I will also cut prices to get your business because we care about you and not selling for the sake of selling. Commission sales people are more educated because if you return it, money out of pocket. If you want real deals, smart associates and feel like you were not screwed, go to an electronics store that has commissioned sales people.

stuntman_james

thegoofus2

Try to turn it round nicely to something about Best Buy's prices already being highly competitive or some such. You might actually have the customer stick around, then.

aelfin

rclAlaric

shenanigans61

but seriously people. i check out the shit at best buy first, make sure i want it, then i search online for the best price.

MrBlahBlah

Isaac

Mike918

avidgator

GundamSLR

GundamSLR

Good point. Why do people assume that quantity means a bigger discount. How about getting one of these douchebags to walk (no, swagger more accurately) into Denny's and say, "We're thinking about some food here. What kind of deal ya gonna give me if I feed the wife and kids too?"

CafeRacer1200

I want to know what I'll be paying when I walk into a store and, more importantly, I want the store not to be dicking everyone around by overpricing in anticipation of a possible haggle. Anyone who thinks they get a deal when haggling is buying into a flawed pricing model. Everyone is much better off if you never walk into that kind of store. Let them lower their price if they want to move their merchandise.

Computer_Chef

It's not about being lazy at all. In fact in order to haggle, you typically have to know what you are talking about.

Johnny Chimpo

eric89

nizzy1115

all fkin hell breaks loose.

bigpolla

I'm a computer sup so I'll talk about my own department. I'm sure that people in camera's will not be willing to throw in the memory car on that Fancy $99 Kodak of yours. I only really ever mark down the price when doing computer packages. If you come in and want the 299 e-machine that is on sale, and your already saving $150 I'm defiantly not going to knock any more off. Also if you come in with an attitude, thinking that since I work retail (while I'm going to school for my bachelors) that I'm a idiot. I'm a giz reader, I know my shit. Being nice, friendly and polite are the best thing you can do to get that 5-10% discount. Listen to what i have to say, my suggestions, and if you still don't want to get geek squad or a service plan that is totally fine. But blindly refusing and ignoring everything i say, whilst yelling about everything doesn't get you anywhere.

flynboarder07

The best has to be the people who say 'well I saw this online for cheaper...match it!'

If you want the online shopping experience (can't see it, don't get to talk to anyone, etc. etc.) BUY IT ONLINE.

Having a retail store costs money. Why are people such cheapskates?

Gofastmazda

herbaltea

omegams

omegams

Lantesh

tehronin

tehronin

i used to work annually during the holidays at my local Best Buy for a few extra bucks as a Merch supervisor.

therefore, i'm telling you with direct experience with daily inventory pricing knowledge, to shut up and quit lying. specifically, with lines like "we lose money on computers". the only time Best Buy sells under actual cost is with holiday "door busters" from major name brands.

desktop computers have a slim margin, but they are never sold "under cost".

oakie

why should you care? you're "not on commission", remember? you'll still make your $7.14/hr at the end of the day. besides, the name "Best Buy" has already set off on the failboat considering their prices and service aren't.

lose the tough guy persona, buttercup. it doesnt work when you earn minimum wage and live with your mom.

oakie

Altanader

RadioMatthew

GvegasGeekSquad

Boo to the frickin' ya? Oh boy you people crack me up.

Gofastmazda

Would a good tactic to find a subject that you both like, make "friends", and then just ask straight up "Can I get a discount on this?", or something more sneaky like "Is this the lowest possible price?"

Chamellion

jabber

I do give alot of discounts wherever I can, if your a nice customer, didnt treat me like I was serving you, but treated me like I was helping you, ill show you some love at the register and you dont even need to ask.

if on the other hand your an A hole to me, seing as how I run the store in the store I have way more power than you and I can be a way bier A-hole. The owner is the same way when he is here, he has kicked people out of the store because they were talking to me like I was their servant, he told this one guy that he would only sell him this one board for retail which was $650 rather than our discounted price of $450 because he was complaining about the price and screaming about it like a maniac.

point is, be respectful of your salespeople dont treat them like servants, treat them like equals. they might end up wanting to give you a discount but dont have the authority, once you see your on friendly terms ask him,

t-man152

Take it or leave it. Believe it or not, life lives on for both the customer and the clerk.

Syrus28

Help me here what exactly is that supposed to mean? A retail chain having retail prices! My God! The Horror!

Having grown up with Best Buy (born and raised in the TC where they are headquartered) - I have not once paid the labeled price on any product purchased from them that was over 200 bucks. Not in the 80s (our families first CD player and color TVs), the 90s (countless items), or this century (recently bought a new stove and fridge). This has always been the case. At least around here.

regexp

crazy0000

Would you rather loose the sale when they go buy it some place cheaper? I think not.

mikecoscia

tehronin

We were in no way obligated to haggle with customers, especially ones with a bad attitude.

Syrus28

derailed45

tehronin

Mandatory_Field

gadgetchic

You're haggling to save money, right? Well the salesperson is selling it to make money. The both don't fit together very well when people are literally trying to shave 20 or 30% off the price like its a garage sale. I truly don't care if you buy it at another store.

@ Mingdaking
If customer's aren't obligated to be nice, why should the salesperson? It goes both ways my friend. I would much rather loose a sell than selling to a person like you.

Now if the customer is nice, I would be more than willing to "haggle" with them because it was a nice experience.

Syrus28

Frank9

now to go get my two dollar discount on burnout: paradise...

canfezplay

hmphargh

I mean you can buy a TV or Laptop for $3000. To not get the best possible deal is not the smartest thing in regards to your money.

To those who think CONSUMERS owe dealears anything including just 'buying' without asking questions can go ahead and do that. I for one think companies need to do something to deserve my money and my respect. You don't deserve a tip, you work for it and it will come. In fact if you do think you deserve it and have an attitude you will get a fat $0.00 from me.

LJKelley

I really do not like how this whole discount thing has become.

Jamaces

shenanigans61

Roflcopter_Down: Wants you to follow HIM!

FuzzysFriedChicken

/Rant.

I do wish people would be more polite in their haggling. Occasionally I go to BB with an advert in hand from elsewhere and try to be polite about it. "So is this the same item as this ad? Because I looked it up and that seems like what would be good for me, and it looks like these are the same thing." They've been more than happy to work with me.

tyskkvinna

chueychihuahua

>I work for Best Buy, and if you haggle price with me I'll tell you real quick, "This is >Best Buy, not Best Barter".

If you told me that, I would do one of two things:

1. Speak to your manager, thus making you look like a dick for not engaging in a policy this article states Best Buy apparently supports.
or
2. Walk away and buy my item somewhere else for cheaper, thus costing your store a sale.

Boo to the frickin' ya.

legacye

ZV3

tehronin

shenanigans61

Hiphopopotamus

shenanigans61

Why would you pay full price when you know you can get a 10-15% discount by asking nicely? I'm really into stereo equipment, and I've shopped for high-end audio stuff for some of my clients. My clients pay me to take them to the store and negotiate a deal for them. Why on earth would you ever pay full sticker for high-end audio equipment? Those prices are inflated by about 30-40%.

Somehow, your logic of "if you can't afford the MSRP, buy something cheaper" doesn't seem to click with me. If I can have a 5-star product for $70, why would I pay $70 for a 3 or 4-star product? Doesn't make any sense to me. I know that haggling has allowed me to buy much nicer things than I would normally be able to afford. I got my 24" Dell monitor 3.5 years ago for $550 by haggling with the sales rep. Picked up a brand new Macbook Pro for $350 off sticker by haggling with the sales rep.

"Haggling" doesn't mean being rude and demanding a lower price. For me, it's always been a matter of becoming friends with the salesperson, finding a topic (not necessarily related to the sale or the item) that we're both interested in, chatting them up, and then asking for a discount. Works 75% of the time, and if it doesn't work, I'll try a different store or come back on a different day and work over another sales rep.

Eric1285

Look, if you don't like the price posted, buy something else, buy it someplace else, but trying to wear down the salesperson is just cheesy. You probably are the same people who ask if they can get out of their 2 year cell phone contract when text messaging rates go up.

I don't understand the 'let's make a deal!' strategy. I do my shopping beforehand, I know what I want, and I buy it from the place that has the best price. It's apparent from reading these posts that people who want to haggle are lazy and uninformed and want something for nothing.

Do your homework, people! And let the salespeople be.

Gofastmazda

Usually NO extended warranty, geek squad services, or accessories meant no discount.

japanesegorila85

TheRealGiacomo

The point is, don't be a dick about it. Don't lie about competitors' prices (I once had a guy try to tell me that Fry's had a Bestbuy house brand cable for cheaper... Fry's doesn't carry Bestbuy brands). Don't assume that they want to make a deal (we didn't get commission). Don't expect them to do much for you unless you are getting services and accessories (I'm already selling you this laptop for less than my store paid for it and you want me to give you a bigger discount????).

japanesegorila85

Eric1285

suburbancowboy

All you have to do is ask in a nice way after lining up a purchase. Last year I bought from Circuit City: I got a 52" XBR2, a Polk speaker set, and installation on my system. Also got a PS3.

All told I probably saved about $700 in everything.

Additionally, if the price on an item drops (which they tend to do more online than in the stores), just ask at customer service and they tend to refund the difference -- happened to me after the PS3 price drop.

jizaref1

Mingdaking

MrSmoofy