# Do you find the idea of bargaining/haggling objectionable? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 24, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756 "2015-01-24T15:17:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/61 "2015-01-26T00:45:56Z")
> [@vomit\_comet](#): > > If you place an ad on craigslist and don’t want to haggle put “PRICE IS FIRM” in the ad. I would disagree with this. (grabbed yours because it was near the end of the thread) I would expect a price listed to be the actual price unless it was stated that it was negotiable, such as $400 OBO or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/62 "2015-01-26T02:16:48Z")
Depends what I’m buying. For a house, a degree of haggling is sometimes necessary, as the value of a house is almost impossible to objectively fix, and indeed the asking price may simply be unreasonable. For most other things, I really would prefer the seller just state their best price. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/63 "2015-01-26T02:32:17Z")
it is right to expect horse trading when you’re selling a horse. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/64 "2015-01-26T02:49:50Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > True. Except, when the salesman is paid on commission, he has an interest similar to that of an owner. Yes, but again that just makes things worse. Since they’re not \*really \*the owner, but a hired hand, they inevitably pile on the bullshit as a commissioned salesman. Ever see _Glengarry Glen Ross_? That is pretty much the gospel for every commissioned salesperson. This is one reason I have never bought a new car. I also know enough about cars to not be afraid to buy one a couple years old. ---
**Author:** ![Tuxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@Tuxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuxie)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/65 "2015-01-26T03:35:27Z")
I’m surprised so many people don’t like haggling. You have the potential for getting something for less than what was originally paid! But I guess it falls under personal interaction lost on some; reading body language, bluffing, etc. Someone could say the price is ‘firm’, you could pay their price, then later find out you were massively ripped off. People haggle, particularly on Craigslist, because they have every incentive to do so. The standard technique I have is to contact a seller, particularly if I’m buying a large/bulky item, then lowball them for a % of their original asking price when I get there. At this point, I have a vehicle/people/equipment to take whatever bulky eyesore off their hands. Many people are so grateful to get rid of the item they’re willing to sell it for a bit less. If not, I’ll try to be as persistent as possible, stalling them with the hopes they will get impatient and relent. Sure the seller can be irate and tell me to fuck off, but at the end of the day I’ve wasted more of their time by depriving them someone who could buy it for more. When selling items on Craigslist, I’ll over-value the price on them because I expect people to use the same strategy. Though with selling, if I’m willing to lower the price, the buyer has to meet some condition; buy the item AND another item I’m trying to get rid of at a reduced, but still decent price, barter for the difference in price, etc. Several times some stuff I would have had to take to the dump ended up making me a bit of extra coin simply by being thrown in with another item for a ‘discount’ on the buyer’s part. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/66 "2015-01-26T03:53:21Z")
I think the poll should have been multiple choice. I answered “No, it can be a pain in the ass but I’ve gotten good deals” because I have. But despite my decades in Thailand, I tend to be a rather poor bargainer, and I really would rather just pay one price like in the department stores and get over it. ---
**Author:** ![Hayden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/91b2a8/32.png) [@Hayden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hayden)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/67 "2015-01-26T04:08:06Z")
I love to negotiate and get bargains when appropriate; I perceive haggling as being different. I won’t sit there and go back and forth like a child (although something like an expensive car purchase sometimes isn’t as simple). One particular example is craigslist. Most sellers have no idea how to negotiate, or in some cases, maybe they just need the money. Regardless, a bit of negotiation can do wonders. People don’t believe the crazy deals I get on everything. You never know if you don’t try!! ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/68 "2015-01-26T05:37:13Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I’m living in china right now, just can’t get used to the haggling thing. > > In any kind of market, and even some shops in shopping malls, nothing has a price on it. > When you ask the price, the salesman pauses for a few seconds, then his/her eyes bulge (as though actually seeing dollar signs over your head) before saying a price perhaps 10 times what is reasonable. > And you have to walk away, and be called back several times to get a price anywhere near what the locals pay. This gets particularly annoying when you change your mind and decide you don’t really want the item at all, and then the salesman is chasing you right down the street, thinking you’re playing hardball. > > . What about the new WalMart stores in China? Can Chinese deal with stores that have real prices and no haggling? Also haggling like you describe would seem very slow. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/69 "2015-01-26T07:08:59Z")
I voted “reject your options” as the situation isn’t binary - I wouldn’t haggle in a brick&mortar store with posted prices, but I love, love, loooove haggling in those times where it’s either culturally or situationally OK - so, buying something in a sook, or car shopping, or at a flea market. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/70 "2015-01-26T07:48:20Z")
I live in a tourist destination where haggling is not the cultural norm. Still I see tourists attempting to negotiate a lower price in situations that are entirely inappropriate. No. We do not haggle over the price of a meal at Burger King. A Whopper costs $X. That’s the price. If you don’t want to pay the price then no Whopper for you. The bus is a fixed price. And a damn good deal at that price as things go on this island. Trying to pay less when your ride is over is not amusing or normal. The driver is likely to call the police. No haggling for gas, groceries, or taxi fare either. The price is fixed. Deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/71 "2015-01-26T08:13:00Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > What about the new WalMart stores in China? Can Chinese deal with stores that have real prices and no haggling? > > Also haggling like you describe would seem very slow. Yes, to clarify there are plenty of places where the prices are fixed, and displayed. My local wal-mart is indeed like that, but pretty much all supermarkets, convenience stores and restaurants\* are the same. And yes, the kind of haggling I described is very slow, and that’s probably my main gripe. I usually just don’t have time for it. I think for the salesmen here, it’s the most fun thing about the job; it’s where they get to display their skill. So they don’t _want_ to adjust to selling to people who want to cut to the chase (or indeed, skip the whole dialogue altogether). - And it’s almost unheard of to tip. Heck, if you need to pay a 69.90 bill and you give the person 70 and walk away, they’ll chase after you to give you the 0.10 ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/72 "2015-01-26T09:03:42Z")
I think bargaining is fine for big purchases. If an airline wants to haggle the price of fifty airliners down from $12.4 billion to $11.7 billion, such negotiation is fine. But if someone wants to haggle over a $5.99 T-shirt, that’s kind of annoying…I say that kind of hypocritically since I occasionally bargain like that. ---
**Author:** ![HowSoonIsThen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/73 "2015-01-26T10:16:09Z")
Not a fan of haggling. If I were in a country where it’s the norm I’d deal with it, but I try to avoid it. I’ve done it before, but I prefer fixed prices. My most hated form of haggling is when people just ask “what’s the best price you can give me?” What they’re saying is “I want it cheaper, but I don’t even want to go to the effort of thinking of a lower price. You to do it for me”. I’ve always been tempted to give them a higher price. Because they didn’t specify they wanted the best price _for them_. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/74 "2015-01-26T11:25:17Z")
There is ALWAYS some wiggle room for haggling even in established stores with prices marked if one is making a large enough purchase. I worked once at a small retail store and if someone wished to make a VERY large purchase, we could indeed give them a better deal simply by giving them an employee discount. But then the store manager and owner was right there. I’ve heard of a big time Hollywood celebrity (Maybe Barbara Streisdand) that goes into a major department store after hours to do her Christmas shopping where she walks around with a store manager and she does some haggling. And often a salesperson can give a discount by telling a customer of an “unadvertised” sale or thank them for that coupon which they forgot at home. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/75 "2015-01-26T11:29:01Z")
Is it “haggling” when I tell a customer rep of an online retailer that I want a lower price because I can find it at another site cheaper and can prove it? I got an item for Christmas from Amazon nearly 50% off when I did this just last year. I also, when I bought my last Honda Oddyssey van, I had 3 Honda auto dealerships bargaining for my business since I walked in with 3 offers on paper and phone numbers of salespeople and I got the best price. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/76 "2015-01-26T12:25:38Z")
I never used to bother but now that I can stand there discussing the price with the salesperson while googling prices elsewhere on my smart phone I do. Recently I bought a new fridge. While the guy was looking up the best price he could do I found it for $80 less than the marked price at another shop. As sson as I told him he offered $100 off. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/77 "2015-01-26T12:56:47Z")
> [@HowSoonIsThen](#): > > I’ve always been tempted to give them a higher price. When I sold my house I was in no hurry. I emphatically told my real estate agent (who sucked) that my asking price was non-negotiable. The very first family interested in the house made her an offer and she called me with the offer. I was specifically trying to avoid this sort of time wasting, but she was an idiot. So i came back with a higher counter offer just so she would get my point. She told the people and they had a fit. I eventually found someone happy to pay my asking price, but the entire experience was enlightening. ---
**Author:** ![HowSoonIsThen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/78 "2015-01-26T12:58:29Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I never used to bother but now that I can stand there discussing the price with the salesperson while googling prices elsewhere on my smart phone I do. Recently I bought a new fridge. While the guy was looking up the best price he could do I found it for $80 less than the marked price at another shop. As sson as I told him he offered $100 off. Ever had anyone get mad at you? I know a few shop owners who refuse to deal with customers who do that. ---
**Author:** ![justanothermike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@justanothermike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justanothermike)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/79 "2015-01-26T13:55:21Z")
> [@Tuxie](#): > > I’m surprised so many people don’t like haggling. You have the potential for getting something for less than what was originally paid! But I guess it falls under personal interaction lost on some; reading body language, bluffing, etc. > > Someone could say the price is ‘firm’, you could pay their price, then later find out you were massively ripped off. People haggle, particularly on Craigslist, because they have every incentive to do so. The standard technique I have is to contact a seller, particularly if I’m buying a large/bulky item, then lowball them for a % of their original asking price when I get there. At this point, I have a vehicle/people/equipment to take whatever bulky eyesore off their hands. Many people are so grateful to get rid of the item they’re willing to sell it for a bit less. If not, I’ll try to be as persistent as possible, stalling them with the hopes they will get impatient and relent. Sure the seller can be irate and tell me to fuck off, but at the end of the day I’ve wasted more of their time by depriving them someone who could buy it for more. > > When selling items on Craigslist, I’ll over-value the price on them because I expect people to use the same strategy. Though with selling, if I’m willing to lower the price, the buyer has to meet some condition; buy the item AND another item I’m trying to get rid of at a reduced, but still decent price, barter for the difference in price, etc. Several times some stuff I would have had to take to the dump ended up making me a bit of extra coin simply by being thrown in with another item for a ‘discount’ on the buyer’s part. This is the reason I hate haggling. It seems that some have the “screw or be screwed” mentality and are only out to get theirs. I always aim for fair and reasonable. Let this post be a lesson though for sellers, one that I learned. Never tie your deal or day up for any one person. Take charge of the deal. First person to put the asking price, in cash, in my hand, has the deal. If you try to take my day up just to lowball me thinking you’ll put it to me, I’m likely to give that item away to someone else for free before I sell it to you. I don’t like people trying to punk me when I offer something reasonably to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756/80 "2015-01-26T14:49:47Z")
> [@HowSoonIsThen](#): > > Ever had anyone get mad at you? I know a few shop owners who refuse to deal with customers who do that. That would seem to be their loss… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-the-idea-of-bargaining-haggling-objectionable/710756.md?page=5)