Getting money off in shops

How many of you go into Currys or a shop like that and try to get them to take the price down a bit?

I recently started working in an oil depot and when someone calls me I am free to charge them near enough whatever I feel like. This has made me realise that I will ALWAYS call around a couple of people for quotes to get the best price on anything I can, never again will I pay the quoted price for my car/house insurance.

But when it comes to going into a shop what can we get away with?

I always try in places like Comet and Currys. They rarely move on price but I've often managed to get a few freebies thrown in.

Recently, I brought a new Dyson for my daughter. Went through the 'what's your best price' routine and ended up getting a couple of extras for her Dyson and a mini Dyson for my little granddaughter.

I can tell you for sure that it is 'unofficial' policy in some jewellers shops such as Watches of Switzerland to negotiate with customers (particularly on the expensive brands) !

I won't divulge my source but please be assured that it is pretty near the top !!

Is it not true that if a price ends with 97p (ie £9.97) it is end of line and the retailer wants shot to clear shelf space for new lines?

I often, to mrs h's embarrasment, ask for deals and it sometimes works. Usually we get extras like a camera we bought a while back, manager threw in a pac of Kodak photo paper and some blank DVD's.

Then again last week I took an iron back to Robert Dyas which had packed up, it was sod's law that the receipt was only a couple of days past the 12 month guarantee. I very nicely asked the manager if he could offer me a discount if I bought a replacement from his shop there and then? Would not budge = sale lost = idiot manager.

.....

 

Then again last week I took an iron back to Robert Dyas which had packed up, it was sod's law that the receipt was only a couple of days past the 12 month guarantee. I very nicely asked the manager if he could offer me a discount if I bought a replacement from his shop there and then? Would not budge = sale lost = idiot manager.

Try again, love. I think you'll find that EU regulations state that electrical goods should last a 'reasonable time' - and I think that's generally accepted to be 2 years.

ask for forces discount

A couple of months ago I bought 2 computer chairs fom Comet. I aked for a reduction if I paid cash, but was politely told 'no'. However I was offered a cheaper chair free for Mrs C plus the 2 full price. (saved me nearly £50)

Ask for a 3% discount on expensive items and remind them that it will cost them 4% in charges if you pay with a Credit Card rather than cash. You never know.

ask for forces discount

That's ok if you have proof of being in the forces. (I came out of the Navy 30 years ago so it would be hard. ;-)

Only an idiot pays RRP on anything these days.

I love haggling and if I don't get the discount/perks I'm after I take my ££ elsewhere until I do get it.

Probably unethical but fun was when a certain group of people came into our business we upped the asking

price straight away. We knew that these peoples first question would be "Is that your best price ?" after being

told the price.

We then made a show of haggling and then usually got the price that we would have asked for at the start so

both parties were happy :lol:

Please bear in mind that in our then business and most of our competitors, prices were not displayed, people

had to ask.

10% off in any jewelery store is standard.

I haggle all the time on the price of "larger" purchases. A couple of days ago I called at the Post Office with the view to purchase some foreign currency but I felt the rate wasn't good enough compared to the tourist rate offered by the Nat West. I then called in at the Co-Op travel agents (who i've booked the holiday with) and their rate was far worse, but after telling her the Nat West rate, she offered me the staff rate which saved me £30.

You've got to have a cheek to get on in this world.

I got 10p off a box of chicken in town.

I always try in places like Comet and Currys. They rarely move on price but I've often managed to get a few freebies thrown in.

 

Recently, I brought a new Dyson for my daughter. Went through the 'what's your best price' routine and ended up getting a couple of extras for her Dyson and a mini Dyson for my little granddaughter.

I am sure there are laws against that

I am sure there are laws against that

Yep and I'm planning on sending her up a chimney later this week

I've sold a few bits on ebay and a couple times buyers (both times outside the UK) have sent me messages trying to negotiated the P+P costs down after they've won the items. Needless to say I politely told them both to **** off. Haggling is one thing, but ahggling after the deal is sealed is ****ing cheeky.

Yep and I'm planning on sending her up a chimney later this week

i hope thats not an innuendo !!!!!

I haggle all the time on the price of "larger" purchases. A couple of days ago I called at the Post Office with the view to purchase some foreign currency but I felt the rate wasn't good enough compared to the tourist rate offered by the Nat West. I then called in at the Co-Op travel agents (who i've booked the holiday with) and their rate was far worse, but after telling her the Nat West rate, she offered me the staff rate which saved me £30.

 

You've got to have a cheek to get on in this world.

Thats what it is like at my place, if someone doesn't know the price I can just charge whatever, if however they have phoned another company I am allowed to match whatever they tell me the quote was. Some customers just by saying they have phoned somewhere else first can easily get £20-30 off a £250 order. It really opened my eyes to that extra margin that I have paid on some things just by accepting that the price is the price.

I ALWAYS get 10% off in Tesco.

I get 20% off of my electric a year

Not haggling as such but the various voucher code websites are pretty good.

I recently bought a c.£500 camera from Dixons online and just before hitting the 'buy' button I googled "dixons voucher code" and up popped a 10% discount code which worked a treat when I entered it in the appropriate box. The code was 'Dixons7' btw so not very cryptic - they're obviously happy for people to get these codes if they can be arsed to do a quick search.

I bought a tesco's finest topside joint, cooked it and all the trimmings and then tried carving the joint and you could've soled your shoes with it. No-one could eat it and the dinner was ruined. I scraped all the sliced meat and what was left into a tub and took it back to the store with the packaging. I recieved an instant refund for the meat and a few weeks later a letter of apology and a £20 voucher.

I had a mate that used to work on the meat counter at Sainsburys, every BBQ he used to drop and consequently 'reduce' a load of meat, sausages for 10p and burgers for 10p, steaks etc for a couple of quid.

Used to be brilliant.

We didn't do it too often though, so he didn't get found out, and always a couple of us that bought the stuff seperately.

Just remembered about the Apple store 3 weeks ago.

My sis was visiting and we went into the Apple store to play with the computers. When she decided that hse 'had to have one' I called my brother to see if his daughter (Uni) was about so she could get us the student discount, no joy as she was away.

Went back in the store and asked if I could have a discount for being LG, only if I had proof we were told. The only ID I had was a driver's licence and my Unison card, which were not sufficient. I then proceeded to show them a photo on my phone of me with some clients from work at St Mary's and that clinched it..k'ching.

I bought a tesco's finest topside joint, cooked it and all the trimmings and then tried carving the joint and you could've soled your shoes with it. No-one could eat it and the dinner was ruined. I scraped all the sliced meat and what was left into a tub and took it back to the store with the packaging. I recieved an instant refund for the meat and a few weeks later a letter of apology and a £20 voucher.

We give refunds for virtually anything, some bloke came in with half a bottle of Beaujolais, wanted a refund because he didn't like the taste, "no problem sir" my manager said. The letter was a nice touch, but it doesn't take away from the fact Tesco is a massive horrible corporation.

I have tried not to like them but Tesco do some great 'Deals' using their vouchers, we just bought forty quids worth for £50 two days ago, bargain.

I have tried not to like them but Tesco do some great 'Deals' using their vouchers, we just bought forty quids worth for £50 two days ago, bargain.

Erm... bargain?

Erm... bargain?

Yep Ponty, bargain. They be worth 4 times their face value in Tesco Deals.

As long as you would be buying the item anyway of course, it is a massive saving. For example, we use them when looking for hotels, if we were to stay soewhere costing £200, it has cost us just £50. I may be thiick Ponty but I ain't stupid.

You can buy them on E-Bay.

Red n White, do you ever see people 'Wombling' in the car parks? I used to do it fervently much to mrs h's embarrasment.

Red n White, do you ever see people 'Wombling' in the car parks? I used to do it fervently much to mrs h's embarrasment.

A ) What's Wombling?

B) We don't have a car park, we're a little store, so no I haven't

Yep Ponty, bargain. They be worth 4 times their face value in Tesco Deals.

 

As long as you would be buying the item anyway of course, it is a massive saving. For example, we use them when looking for hotels, if we were to stay soewhere costing £200, it has cost us just £50. I may be thiick Ponty but I ain't stupid.

 

You can buy them on E-Bay.

 

Red n White, do you ever see people 'Wombling' in the car parks? I used to do it fervently much to mrs h's embarrasment.

Forty quid's worth for fifty quid doesn't sound like a bargain. It must be the way you've phrased it.

A ) What's Wombling?

Digging round in the bins and trolleys for receipts where the purchasers hasn't had the points added to their club card, then taking that receipt to the customer services area and getting the points put on yours. Legally dubious (gaining monies by deception) and risky (only use receipts for cash rather than card transactions in case it was a stolen/cloned card). Tesco et al. frown on it, but cant do anything about it. The Police wont get involved as all you have to say is that it was from a friend you said you could have the points on your card.

Forty quid's worth for fifty quid doesn't sound like a bargain. It must be the way you've phrased it.

He's talking about Clubcard vouchers. They send you vouchers based on the amount of points you've accumulated. A £2.50 voucher is worth £2.50 if you use it to buy your shopping. However if you use it on clubcard deals £2.50 is worth £10. So by buying someone else's £40 worth of vouchers for £50, he can get something worth £200.

Digging round in the bins and trolleys for receipts where the purchasers hasn't had the points added to their club card, then taking that receipt to the customer services area and getting the points put on yours. Legally dubious (gaining monies by deception) and risky (only use receipts for cash rather than card transactions in case it was a stolen/cloned card). Tesco et al. frown on it, but cant do anything about it. The Police wont get involved as all you have to say is that it was from a friend you said you could have the points on your card.

Don't think so then, although my mate did get sacked for using the same receipt 26 times to get a load of points.

We do have pikeys who cut the chains on the bins to steal all the waste food, but I never seen anyone rummaging through the bins for receipts. Not that I'd know anyway if it was their receipt or not, I wouldn't care anyway I doubt.

Not that I'd know anyway if it was their receipt or not, I wouldn't care anyway I doubt.

Actually you, as the employee that adds the points to the card, has a duty of care to the customer data - no matter if the customer dropper or binned the receipt. As you know I guess, when you add the points to a card, it also stores the purchases on that receipt number against the card. This is helpful when doing online shopping as items you previously bought in store now show up. So by adding someone elses points to your card, you also have the benefit of seeing their purchases too.

There was a HUGE thread about this and how it could be used to defraud someone on one of the money saving websites that I read for some reason.

This is going back to the eighties, so not sure whether it would work today, but a mad Aunt came to visit and went to the old Tyrell and Green and bought loads. The cashier rang it up and asked her for x amount, to which she the made a cash offer. The cashier was taken aback and ********.....long story short manager came out and she got a discount, for nothing more than asking

I think there's a misconception that shops will give discounts for cash because, otherwise, they have to pay charges to banks / credit card companies if cards are used.

I used to own a shop many years ago and, believe me, banks charged me just as much for banking cash!

Actually you, as the employee that adds the points to the card, has a duty of care to the customer data - no matter if the customer dropper or binned the receipt. As you know I guess, when you add the points to a card, it also stores the purchases on that receipt number against the card. This is helpful when doing online shopping as items you previously bought in store now show up. So by adding someone elses points to your card, you also have the benefit of seeing their purchases too.

 

There was a HUGE thread about this and how it could be used to defraud someone on one of the money saving websites that I read for some reason.

Most people don't want their receipts anyway. If somebody comes in with a receipt and asks me to put their points on I'm not going to refuse because it doesn't look like the sort of person to buy that stuff. I don't think seeing someone else's purchases can defraud someone, you are in a small way defrauding Tesco but Tesco won't lose money because of it. If people were so worried then they'd keep their receipt, or get their points put on in store.

ask for forces discount

i get decent discount, 40% off at Crown Golf courses, BOGOF at some cinemas and Pizza places etc

Probably unethical but fun was when a certain group of people came into our business we upped the asking

price straight away. We knew that these peoples first question would be "Is that your best price ?" after being

told the price.

 

We then made a show of haggling and then usually got the price that we would have asked for at the start so

both parties were happy :lol:

 

Please bear in mind that in our then business and most of our competitors, prices were not displayed, people

had to ask.

Pikeys by any chance ?

i jsut got a garmin 5 golf sat for £245 off american golf on their website, when its quoted at £329. handy having a brother who has worked out how to crack their price match promise code

I always check the net for vouchers et al if im shopping on-line.

Found a voucher for free Asda delivery that saved 4 quid that paid for my ben and jerrys ice cream the other day.

I would also have no qualms about hagaling in shops.

i get decent discount, 40% off at Crown Golf courses, BOGOF at some cinemas and Pizza places etc

Fire service?

i jsut got a garmin 5 golf sat for £245 off american golf on their website, when its quoted at £329. handy having a brother who has worked out how to crack their price match promise code

Sorry how are you spelling that? (Private joke and no I'm not being serious)

Always helps to have comparisons of prices on the web as a bargaining tool. Ive often done that when I want to try before I buy but dont want to pay high street prices.

Sorry how are you spelling that? (Private joke and no I'm not being serious)

lol!

Is it not true that if a price ends with 97p (ie £9.97) it is end of line and the retailer wants shot to clear shelf space for new lines?

 

I often, to mrs h's embarrasment, ask for deals and it sometimes works. Usually we get extras like a camera we bought a while back, manager threw in a pac of Kodak photo paper and some blank DVD's.

 

Then again last week I took an iron back to Robert Dyas which had packed up, it was sod's law that the receipt was only a couple of days past the 12 month guarantee. I very nicely asked the manager if he could offer me a discount if I bought a replacement from his shop there and then? Would not budge = sale lost = idiot manager.

Ah, you've spotted a pattern there hamster. I can't speak for Currys or Dixons nowadays, but I do remember from when I was worked for Comet in various areas of sales and management. It's been some time, but I'll try to remember how the pricing policy goes. It's all based in the 90-99p change area. If the price ended in...

93p - the item had been sold and returned by the customer and was now being re-sold.

94p - discontinued product.

97p - about to be discontinued. No more being ordered by HQ.

98p - very discontinued product - what the hell is this doing in a Comet store after all these years..!

99p - current product.

All the other prices, 90p, 91p, 92p, 95p and 96p, were either never used or were for special exclusive offers with a particular manufacturer. If a customer pointed to a product priced with one of the 93, 94, 97, 98p endings, the salesman could quickly move on the amount of discount could be given out. It meant that a real deal could be setup between the salesman and the customer. As a manager, one of my perks was to have advance knowledge of when products were about to be discontinued. As you'll appreciate, often products are superseeded just to revamp the range, and occasionally the incoming product is no better, or maybe even slightly worse than the outgoing product. It was in my power to offer huge discounts [60% off the price], and I'd put it around to friends and relatives to see if they wanted some of the good products that were about to be discontinued. Then I'd put one or two in a corner with, reserved - do not touch, on them, and wait.

BTW, a manager has no requirement to sell any product to any customer at any price. But he/she won't last long if he/she carries on like that.

Another BTW, I believe Comet still use the same system, but they may have added to it since my time of 10 years ago.

Pikeys by any chance ?

No Indians and Israelies although the very worst person was a man from the UK.

I gave him and his group approx 45% discount from our normal summer price

and he still moaned that we were 2 Pounds ( equivalent ) more than the place

across the road.

I asked him what he would say if his boss in the UK said he had to take a 45%

pay cut but instead of saying what most would say, "get stuffed" he said he would

quite happily accept it. This was in 2002.

I told him that he better go across the road then. We had a Qualmark 4 star rated Motel

and the place across the road was so down market they didn't bother to get rated

BTW, a manager has no requirement to sell any product to any customer at any price. But he/she won't last long if he/she carries on like that.

It's known as an Invitation To Treat.

No Indians and Israelies although the very worst person was a man from the UK.

I gave him and his group approx 45% discount from our normal summer price

and he still moaned that we were 2 Pounds ( equivalent ) more than the place

across the road.

 

I asked him what he would say if his boss in the UK said he had to take a 45%

pay cut but instead of saying what most would say, "get stuffed" he said he would

quite happily accept it. This was in 2002.

 

I told him that he better go across the road then. We had a Qualmark 4 star rated Motel

and the place across the road was so down market they didn't bother to get rated

The only one I can remember, off the top of my head, was of a pensioner who asked for me, after my salesman couldn't satisfy her requirements for a discount. It was a fairly new and current product, so there was little room for movement, if any. After berating the salesman once more - a good, well meaning and well informed salesman too, she turned on me. I took one run through of her annoying poor pensioner piffle [yeah... poor, judging by the genuine fur and jewellery], and when she decided to ask what I was going to do about it, I unclipped my tie, and started to unbutton my shirt. In a fright, he asked me what I was doing. I said, I'm going to give you the shirt off my back... Thankfully, she left. Stolen from the comic master, John Cleese/Basil Fawlty [Mrs Richards, episode], that line.

It's known as an Invitation To Treat.

Cheers Al, I'd forgotten that.