Inspired in part by this op-ed, wherein the author puts used goods up for sale on Craiglist and is appalled by the “aggressive” and “ethically gray area” behavior of would-be buyers who offer him less than he listed the items for. In the end he is so disgusted, he lets them go for free for anyone who wants to stop buy and pick them up.
Now, I know that his attitude is not unique. I remember a clerk at an outlet of a national chain that was holding a going-out-of-business sale, who acted as though she was personally insulted when I tried to bargain on a marked-down but still expensive item. I don’t particularly enjoy “haggling” (especially at the car dealer), but I expect it when buying or selling used stuff and can get a kick out of scoring something at a bargain price.
Inspired in part by this op-ed, wherein the author puts used goods up for sale on Craiglist and is appalled by the “aggressive” and “ethically gray area” behavior of would-be buyers who offer him less than he listed the items for. In the end he is so disgusted by his “adversaries” that he puts the stuff out on the sidewalk for anyone to take away for free.
Now, I know that his attitude is not unique. I remember a clerk at an outlet of a national chain that was holding a going-out-of-business sale, who acted as though she was personally insulted when I tried to bargain on a marked-down but still expensive item. I don’t particularly enjoy “haggling” (especially at the car dealer), but I expect it when buying or selling used stuff and can get a kick out of scoring something at a bargain price.
Your thoughts?
Note: I was able to read the entire op-ed after initially finding it on a Google search. If you can’t, maybe you could offer the WSJ half of what it usually charges to read a full article…
I don’t haggle as a buyer and I do not participate in haggling as a seller. If I’m buying a car and the price isn’t “right”, I walk out. Of course the salesperson follows me to the door talking about maybe he can do better, but I just go to the next dealership.
Though, yesterday, I surprised myself. After 30 minutes in a store getting good help, I was ready to go. But, the small USB charger was not in the bag. I thought it was included. I asked if they would just throw it in for no extra charge and they did.
($100 purchase and the USB charger MIGHT have been worth $2)
I don’t like to haggle and I certainly won’t insist on this. If someone offers me a lower price, I consider all factors and may or may not agree to it, but I work on the simple rule that the strongest negotiating position is when you’re walking away.
“Don’t want to pay my price? Thanks for your offer and goodbye.”
I couldn’t imagine haggling with a store clerk! It’s not their stuff, they don’t have the right to set its price. They are just the people working the checkout. Like haggling with a teenager over the price of his parents’ house.
I’ll occasionally “haggle” in a sense that I’ll say “I can’t pay $30 for that dresser, even tho it’s a fine price. But if you can’t sell it and want to drop the price let me know!”
So like, I’m the world’s least-aggressive haggler.
Hate haggling, but it depends on the situation or location. It is expected in some countries, and I’ll play the game.
I also expect it on craigslist (I’ve bought and sold things there.) Unless someone says “price is firm” or some such, I’ll politely inquire if there’s any wiggle room on the price, if it’s something expensive. It’s common to see “OBO” (or best offer) after the price and certainly that’s because the seller has priced the item a little over what he expects to get. If I sell something, that’s what I have done and what I expect. If I’m firm on the price I will say so clearly and will ignore anyone who tries to haggle.
Last time I bought a brand new vehicle at a dealership (20 years ago!) I went into Dealership A and was very clear I didn’t want to play the price-negotiating game. Mainly because I suck at that. I told the sales guy straight up I wanted his best price and reasonable terms on the loan. But he persisted in being pushy and vague on price and terms, so I went down the block to Dealership B, quickly negotiated a deal I was happy with, and drove off in my new truck. That evening, the sales guy from Dealership A called me saying he had a great offer for me on the truck I’d looked at. I took great pleasure in telling him, too late, I bought one from your less-pushy competitor down the street.
I sold a few things in craigslist at very fair prices - like $60 for a good air conditioner - and it was reeeeeeediculous how craigslist assholes thought they could offer $25 because it “wasn’t as good as a new one.” I learned that dealing with most craigslist buyers is simply a waste of my time, so I’m more likely to recycle or throw stuff out. If it is a choice between a 40 minute trip to the dump and fielding a bunch of lookie-loos, hagglers and no-shows, I now see my time as far more valuable than the price I’ll get for most things.
I still buy stuff from craigslist once in a while, and I don’t bargain. I see it as doing my part for the golden rule. I will of course still bargain if buying a car, going to foreign markets, etc.
Not usually a hagler but last year I bought my girlfriend a car. Asking price was 3,900. I offered 1,500 to start. I got it for 2,200. 5 min hagling paid off.
I work in a consignment shop. We don’t own the items. On top of that, we fund a charity. Yet every day, customers want to haggle with us. They are haggling with a charity, asking if they can prevent some money from reaching the children we help.
Yeah, haggling really bothers me, in principle. Why not just be honest with one another?
It’s cultural, and I had to learn it for some occasions. There have been surprises- I couldn’t afford a gym membership in the late 70s and had apologized for wasting their time and was leaving- and got a year for a vastly reduced rate. (I’d no idea they were hungry for customers, and no idea that technique was classic ;))
Husband is a great haggler and bargain finder. Problem is, who needs 16 oil cans? Multiples of various hand tools, even if Made in USA?
We don’t sell much on Craigslist, but even if you say price is firm, folk will offer lower. I only take cash, too, and specify that as well. There are actually FaceBook groups I like better- local, no spam, and you often know the seller at least by sight. Haggling happens there too, but not from me.
I hate it. When I’ve sold cars on Craigslist I’m straight with it. Here’s the price, and if you don’t like it you’ll just be wasting everyone’s time if you come look at it with no intention of paying that price. I make it very clear that I’m giving a good deal from the start and that I hate to be haggled with. Sure, I could set the price up higher and let you haggle it down to where I ended up anyway, but I don’t want to play your games just to make you feel better about yourself. Here’s the price, take it or leave it.
Honestly, I hate dealing with people on Craigslist in particular though. I once had a deal negotiated with a lady for a cell phone that I was selling. I drove to a place between the two of us to make the deal, and she showed up with a freaking toothbrush to trade me for it. She had no cash, nor any intention of buying my phone, she had an electric toothbrush that she valued at the amount of cash we agreed upon. I’ve also given away stuff for free on the site and even that was a challenge because people are idiots. I had some large items (ping pong table, glass display case like you’d find in a jewelry store, etc.) and had hurt my neck, so I was giving them away contingent on them bringing the labor to move the items up and out of my basement. Dude shows up with his tiny girlfriend and is yelling at her because she can’t lift the items. They claimed on the phone to have been professional movers at one point. I had to take my bum neck and help the bum out by carrying my own gifts to him out and loading them on his truck. I hate haggling, and many of the people that Craigslist has led me to interact with. I have had good experiences too, but the bad ones are often just ridiculous.
I don’t mind haggling, and it’s nearly a religion for my spouse. I do the car buying, as she hates car salesmen, but she has no compunction about asking retailers for a mark-down on an expensive item. Not surprisingly, most of them will go along with it. She once asked about a torchier lamp (which we still have) that was marked at $800 (!), tried to haggle, but they would only come down 10%. We came back to the store four months later and the lamp was still there, marked down to $600. She offered the manager $400 for it and he took it.
My dad hated bargaining so much that he just paid the price the car dealer first quoted.:smack:
I don’t like it either, but I don’t object to it in situations where it’s expected–car dealerships, Mexican artisan markets, yard sales, etc. I’m just not very good at it.