Haggling - yay or nay? (1 Viewer)

[Jerry Twig]

So I am re-evaluating in middle-age - accept market value or haggle? If you see a second hand record you really want but it is 20% over-valued, do you buy it, leave it, or haggle?

If you haggle, is it principled or pragmatic? Have you mellowed over time or is it a time-honoured tradition?

 

[rettucs]

its more nuanced than that. For services (such as getting jobs done in the gaff), always haggle.

For goods, my tendancy to haggle relates to how much I want whatever it is. If I really want it and I think there's a chance I won't get it, I'll pay up. Otherwise yeah, haggle away.

 

[egg_]

If it's on adverts.ie, always haggle

 

[pete]

Obligatory

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[JohnnyRaz]

informal selling of secondhand stuff = always haggle.
formal dealings with someone selling big ticket/composite thing = ask question about reducing cost/deals etc - almost always will get something.
tradesmen = depends, but mostly as point above

 

[ann post]

It's the most unatural thing in the world for me to enter a haggling situation. I hate it. I don't think i represent the masses here though.

 

[Cormcolash]

Yes I'm here for the argument

 

[Jerry Twig]

It's the most unatural thing in the world for me to enter a haggling situation. I hate it. I don't think i represent the masses here though.

I get that, now. For the first time I saw that the guy needed the sale and I had the upper hand, and felt bad about it. He has rent to pay on the shop, it's his livelihood etc. But when he started whining about it I thought "well get fucked, you're working in the grey market, what do you want? "

 

[ann post]

But when he started whining about it I thought "well get fucked, you're working in the grey market, what do you want? "

Money, probably.

I was selling a car once and had people texting me their offers for a few days. The price was written right there in the ad like what planet are people on was my feeling.

 

[seanc]

I hate haggling, but sometimes it needs to be done.

I just bought this, display model plus some other random bits for £25:

Petzl Vertex Vent: Black | UK Rigging

The VERTEX VENT helmet is very comfortable, thanks to its six-point textile suspension and CENTERFIT and FLIP&FIT systems.

ukrigging.net

I could have haggled, but the fiver I might have saved is not worth the hassle. As a Vietnamese tour guide told me when I was buying clothes in Hoi An, if you're happy with the price, then grand, don't think too much.

Re records, which is what was originally mentioned. A friend had to recently deal with his deceased brothers stuff. He estimated the record collection to be worth about £70,000. There was some mad rare valuable stuff in there, but he couldn't dedicate his life to curating the sale of that. Sold it in batches to discerning buyers. I think he got £25-30k in the end.

TL;DR: Basically, what is your time worth to you?

 

[Jerry Twig]

Money, probably.

I was selling a car once and had people texting me their offers for a few days. The price was written right there in the ad like what planet are people on was my feeling.

well yes, but what I mean was he can either accept the offer or say no, not accept it and complain about it. It’s a second hand shop.

with your car, you either say ONO or fixed price. there’s no excuse if you were clear in the add that you are not open to offers, but if you didn’t make that clear then I’d say that‘s on you.

 

[ernesto]

Don't haggle with good tradesmen. The price rarely goes down. Often it goes up

 

[Deadmanposting]

Anything second hand is up for haggling
The seller doesn't know the true value of that thing anymore than you do

You decide what it is worth to you and try and get it at that price
They are stuck with a thing they don't want, at a price they're not sure about and the ballache of selling it to wankers online
You're offering cash and a magical ballache cure.


With tradesmen, all I'll ever do is ask "Can you do any better for cash?"
But often I'll pay them more. Like round it up when the job is done.
Job costs €1,760? They're getting €1,800 for a good job. It's a mark of respect.
You're establishing a relationship, and you very likely will want that person back. Keep the good ones onside.

 

[seanc]

Plus 1 on that.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Anything second hand is up for haggling
The seller doesn't know the true value of that thing anymore than you do

You decide what it is worth to you and try and get it at that price
They are stuck with a thing they don't want, at a price they're not sure about and the ballache of selling it to wankers online
You're offering cash and a magical ballache cure.


With tradesmen, all I'll ever do is ask "Can you do any better for cash?"
But often I'll pay them more. Like round it up when the job is done.
Job costs €1,760? They're getting €1,800 for a good job. It's a mark of respect.
You're establishing a relationship, and you very likely will want that person back. Keep the good ones onside.

Agree on the second hand haggling, but if you only tip 2% to tradesman you're a tightarse !!

 

[Deadmanposting]

Agree on the second hand haggling, but if you only tip 2% to tradesman you're a tightarse !!

I didn't know there was a set amount!

I'd usually add price of a pint times two, times size of crew
Two pints per man
Maybe I am tight

 

[ann post]

with your car, you either say ONO or fixed price

What if I just said the price.

 

[Jerry Twig]

What if I just said the price.

Then in its on you. You need to specify fixed price, no offers.

 

[ann post]

Then in its on you. You need to specify fixed price, no offers.

I don't agree with this at all - I've stated the price, if someone doesn't want to pay the price i don't have to entertain or make allowances for del boy. Nobody haggles in tesco, amazon, sainsburys and they dont specify either.

 

[Jerry Twig]

I don't agree with this at all - I've stated the price, if someone doesn't want to pay the price i don't have to entertain or make allowances for del boy. Nobody haggles in tesco, amazon, sainsburys and they dont specify either.

Because those are new items, taxed as such etc. Second hand = black market. Your job to be clear whether or not you’re open to offers.