Kurt Geiger 25% off
BP 50p car wash
'Free' Cineworld ticketHaggling isn't just reserved for fly-swarmed 
foreign bazaars, it's alive and kicking on British high streets. You can get £100s off at stores such as John Lewis, B&Q and Debenhams.
This detailed sector-by-sector haggling guide includes top techniques and stock phrases to grease the wheels and clinch the deals.
In this guide
| Tweet | http://mse.me/haggle |
If you don't ask, you don't get
We British will banter and bull with the best if we're somewhere where snake charmers abide. Yet on home turf, we become complacent, lily-livered cowards, meekly accepting the first price we're given.
Over the years, Brits have accepted haggling's rude and impolite, when it's neither. This mass hypnosis has left the knowing few with big bargains, and big stores' profits intact.
While haggling cuts shops' profits, if you wouldn't buy from them at that price anyway, this way they still make a sale.
The law behind this
When you walk into a shop or phone a call centre, until money's changed hands, no contract's been struck. By law, no store has to accept your cash, even if you're paying the ticketed price.
Equally, you don't have to accept the ticket price. What counts is the bargain struck, so why not ask them to lower the price? After all...
What's the worst that can happen? They say "no".
A former member of staff at one big DIY store even once told Martin they'd been told if anyone asks for a discount, just to give them 10% off.
The top high street shops to haggle at
Haggling, in one form or another, is already a hugely successful technique in many of this site's guides, including Cheap Mobile Phones, Package Holidays and even Credit Cards. See the Top 10 Companies to haggle with for more.
Yet it works on the high street too. Our poll of over 2,544 people shows discounts come to those who ask. Big-name chains where hagglers revealed over 50% success rates included B&Q, John Lewis and Asda.
| The top 10 high street stores to haggle in | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail chain | Success rate (of those who tried) | Retail chain | Success rate (of those who tried) | ||
| 1. B&Q | 78% | 6. Tesco | 58% | ||
| 2. Currys/ PC World | 78% | 7. Wickes | 56% | ||
| 3. Homebase | 69% | 8. Sainsbury's | 54% | ||
| 4. John Lewis | 63% | 9. Debenhams | 53% | ||
| 5. Asda | 60% | 10. TK Maxx | 51% | ||
| 2,544 people were polled - only retailers recieiving at least 100 people who attempted to haggle included. Figures are rounded, but order is correct. Note it's likely supermarket haggling is on non-food, big tickets items, eg, electricals & garden furniture. Comet was No.1, but has now ceased trading. | |||||
While those are the triumphs, of the 40 big name stores in the poll, Boots was deemed least successful to haggle in, with 79% reporting failure. We found 72% failed in Apple stores - but that means 28% still managed to bag cheaper tech gear. See full results.
Some inspiration ...
Many MoneySavers swear by haggling. Please add your feedback to the High Street Haggling Successes forum discussion.
If you can club together with friends to get similar things at the same time you stand a better chance of successful haggling, as you have more clout through the bigger order. Myself and a few friends clubbed together to buy over £1200 of consoles at Game, and we saved around £600 by haggling.
I got a Panasonic DVD recorder which was £240 full price, on sale in Richer Sounds for £170. I found it for or £150 online, and so they price-matched and beat it by £10 to give a total cost of £140.
My wedding dress was £650 reduced to £500. I told the shop my budget was £300 (it was more). While wearing the dress (which will need taking in) I haggled the owner down to £300 on the basis I could pay in full there and then. It is perfect!
Do it with chutzpah!
Chutzpah's a powerful consumer weapon, especially when combined with talents not often evoked in the money world: seduction, a gentle patter and a twinkle in the eye. Aim for polite, firm, non-combative and maybe just a touch flirtatious.
Aggressive or forceful haggling's usually a mistake; it annoys the person you're dealing with, and your discount is at their discretion.
The top 20 haggling tips
Haggling can be daunting, even for hardened MoneySavers, yet there's nothing to be scared of. Here are some top tactics.
The beginner's haggle
Get them to chuck something in
Often customer service assistants say they're not allowed to give discounts. If you're new to haggling, an easy start point is asking them to throw something in on top. Whether it's free cables with TVs, polish with shoes or a router for broadband, if you need an add-on, try not to pay extra for it.
To prove no ask's too cheeky, one MoneySaver persuaded an electricals shop sales assistant to throw in a £60 George Foreman grill with a £500 laptop.
Look for already discounted items
If the price is already reduced - in a sale, manager's clearance or online promotion - there's often more flexibility. The boundaries have already been flexed, so the psychological loss for the salesperson is reduced as they've already given up the idea of getting full price.
Towards the end of a sale is a golden haggling opportunity, as shops are keen to reclaim their display space for new stock. It's worth pointing this out in a friendly way. For a detailed example, read Martin's Discount Haggle tale.
The Discount Haggle - Martin's story
John Lewis's ‘never knowingly undersold' price promise is effectively an open invitation to haggle. But many people just walk in, get what they want, pay the set price, then leave.
I once spotted a small wooden bathroom cabinet, original price £80, on sale for £40. It was both the last one left, and the last sale item in the entire department. My suspicion was if they didn't sell it that day, they'd chuck it out.
Spotting someone who looked like a manager walking past, I asked if I could have the cabinet for a discount. He was open to it straight away: “How much?” In that moment, you know the haggle's on – now it's just a question of price.
The preamble was important: I wanted him to know I understood why he should discount it. So smiling, I said, “Well I'm sure you want to reclaim your display case, and I'm willing to remove this for you. So why don't I just give you a tenner and get it out of here?”
He tried to suggest £20 – already 50% off! And half-heartedly at that. “Go on, a tenner and I'll just get it out of here." Five minutes later I was out the door with my £80 bathroom cabinet for £10.
- Martin
Buy in bulk
Discounts are often available for bulk-buying. This may mean stocking up for a year, buying combinations of products, or even going with a gang of mates who want to buy something similar.
The advantage you have is you're going to hand over a lot more business, and you may secure a reduction because of it.
Seniority, yes. Head honcho, no
If you're haggling face-to-face, an assistant manager or supervisor is a good person to bargain with. They have more discretion than most of the shop staff, understand the retail game a bit better and are used to pleasing customers. Go to the very top, though, and the person will be short of time, and not bothered about one small sale.
Pretend you want a warranty
Sales staff have weekly, monthly or quarterly targets on the amount of warranties they can sell. Reaching this target's often crucial to them, so it gives consumers a real bargaining tool on products they're likely to flog warranties with.
The best bit is you're free to change your mind within 45 days of purchasing under The Supply of Extended Warranties on Domestic Electrical Goods Order 2005, so buy the knocked-down item then cancel the policy for a full refund. (This applies to both service agreements and insurance products).
One MoneySaver got a Sony LCD TV reduced to £750 from £1000. See the Cheap & Free Warranties guide.
Don't fill the silence
As negotiations come to a close, a classic salesman technique is staying silent. They want you to accept the price just to fill the awkward silence. Make them fill it with a cheaper offer!
Flaws mean discounts
If you're shopping in person, look for the tiniest of dents or scratches in electrical appliances and marks on clothing. This makes them more difficult to flog. Clothing can be cleaned and your new fridge'll soon be knackered anyway. One MoneySaver even talked 20% off a dog-eared book in Waterstone's.
It's worth noting that even if you buy something knowing it has a fault, you still retain your consumer rights if something else goes wrong. For example, if you buy a washing machine with a small dent and it goes on the fritz a week later, you can still get a refund. For a full explanation, see Martin's blog: Shop staff quoted nonsense rights at me.
Independent stores are great places to haggle
Negotiating in independent retailers, where you can speak directly to the owner, is a better bet than a chain, as there's more leeway.
This is because in owner/retailer shops, the owner has complete discretion, so a smile and a hint that you'll become a regular shopper can work wonders.
Better still, become a regular. Somewhere you give your custom to frequently is likely to look after you. Put all your business through them, provided they'll price-match the best deals you can get elsewhere.
Counter-seasonal products
Companies are more amenable to haggling at slower times of year, when fewer customers are after their wares. Do the exact opposite of what firms expect you to do: go for cameras with special Christmassy packaging in January; lawnmowers when it's snowing; electric heaters in July.
It's one of the reasons November and December are the perfect months to buy home insurance and car insurance. Insurers aren't busy, they want business, you're giving them business: expect a discount. See the Great Counter Seasonality Hunt for more info.
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Try to find out their month or year end
Towards the end of a firm's financial year or monthly target, retailers and sales people are often much more willing to haggle. At this point, it's the volume rather than profit that really counts so they're willing to turn margins into a sliver, just to make sales. This is also the time when head office sends down special deals and sweeteners.
If in doubt when their financial month/year end is, assume it's the calendar month and the tax year. As a general rule, the end of Saturday is fortuitous and the last Saturday of the month is the hottest date in the haggling calendar.
For more info on this, read the Great best time to haggle hunt, where we asked MoneySavers working in sales to share their tips.
Don't commit to financing
Don't talk about your payment method until it's necessary. Sellers prefer debit cards to credit cards. If they're offering interest-free finance, this is already equivalent to a 5%+ reduction, so request a discount for using a debit card.
If they have their own financing options, it may be worth suggesting you're interested, without committing, as there's often good commission on finance. They'll be more disposed to give a bigger discount, though don't actually use their financing options: they're generally expensive.
Look for obsolete stock
Watch out for obsolete products, such as old DVD players and cameras, usurped by newer models. If its the last one left, offer to 'help them clear their shelves for restocking'.
Don't try when stores are jammed
Try not to haggle when a shop is crammed with other customers. The last thing salespeople are interested in is reducing their margins when they can see lots of people willing to buy. Go during times of shopping serenity, such as midweek mid-mornings.
Don't settle unnecessarily
In Martin's year out before university, he had a job selling caravan awnings. As a salesman, he had full discretion to drop the price. Yet he was instructed to routinely tell customers he had to check with the manager beyond a certain level.
This both put a break in the negotiations and, if they weren't going well for Martin, allowed him to return and say "sorry, it's not possible, I can only drop it so far", without looking like the bad guy.
Often customers were fooled into settling at that point. Remember, even if the salesperson is telling the truth and does need the manager's permission, make them go back to the manager with an offer, or get them to bring the manager to you.
Set a target price
Use shopping comparison websites to set a target price before you shop. Shopbots are special shopping robots that search the net to find the cheapest CDs, books, games or owt else. As different shopbots are better at different things, our MegaShopBot tool auto-searches the top for each category.
Know your market
Before diving in, do some haggling reconnaissance work, just as a professional negotiator would. This site's a mine of useful information on all manner of products, from laptops to lipgloss. Search to discover what offers are on, then use them as a bargaining tool.
Say you're buying a camera and you unearth that Canon recently gave £50 cashback on your desired model. This could well mean the price is negotiable.
Don't be afraid to walk away
If you're nearly ready to buy, then start to use true sales negotiation language. Let them know the exact conditions they must meet in order to close the sale. But don't be afraid to walk away if they won't give you what you want – you can always try elsewhere.
Use our stock haggling phrases
Bartering can feel unnatural to us stiff-upper-lipped Brits. If you feel shy, try one of these MoneySavers' top bargaining gambits. Thanks to all those who suggested them.
"Hmm... I'm considering this engagement ring, it looks nice."
Never ever walk in and announce: "My girlfriend adores this ring, it's the only one left in town and she'll dump me if I don't get it." The salesperson will think: KER-CHING!
Even if you absolutely love it, keep a poker face until you've shaken on it.
"I'd like to take this home today."
Though let them know you're seriously interested in doing business there and then – at the right price. You're more likely to score a deal if they know you're in a position to buy.
See a full list of phrases to help grease the wheels.
The same thing can be said in many ways. Find the phrase you're most comfortable with and then use the rest to bolster your negotiation.
"What's the best deal you can do on this?"
"What's your range of flexibility on this price?"
"I'd love to buy this, but my wife'll go bonkers if I pay that."
"I like this mountain bike, but it's too pricey."
"Price is the most important factor for me."
"I like this, but it's above my budget, can you do it for £60?"
"Come on, you can do better than that!" (In a cheeky voice!)
"Oh go on, do it for £90."
"I'm a poor mature student/ pensioner/ unemployed/ nurse/ teacher." (Though don't lie!)
"Oh, I've only got £160 left until pay day. If you do it for £160 with free delivery, I could take it today."
Get sale prices when sales have finished
If it was on sale, but that's ended, you know they're willing to accept that price. Plus if a kitchen company offered you 10% off as long as you bought before 20 October, changes are that price will be available after the offer too.
Be friendly, but firm
You're more likely to get a result if the staff member empathises with you.
If you're polite, charming and treat the whole process with humour, you'll get further. The trick's to work with what you've got, as this story from Martin shows.
Work with what you've got - Martin's story
When I first started dating the now Mrs MoneySavingExpert, we were in John Lewis's lighting department. As it was a new relationship, I was still on my best 'trying to impress' behaviour.
Knowing which lamp I needed and that it was already discounted, I asked if the sales assistant would throw in some spare halogen bulbs for it. He said no, at which point Mrs MSE nipped off to grab some bulbs for her own place.
I then went back to the sales man (who thankfully didn't recognise me) and with an embarrassed smile, told the truth, something akin to, "I really need you to throw in the bulbs. I've already boasted that I'm a good haggler, and I'm going to look a fool in front of my new girlfriend. Can you help?"
Once we were in the queue, he walked up to us, took both our bulbs, and said "OK, I said I'll throw them in, let me take those too," giving us both sets for free!
So it'd worked a treat on both scores. I had an impressed girlfriend saying "wow, I never knew you could do that!" and more than a tenner of free bulbs to boot.
- Martin
Ask for the sun and you may just get the moon
Remember, do it with humour, do it with style and there's no price or suggestion too outrageous. You can haggle virtually anywhere for anything.
And if you're wondering why there are 21 tips, for you, we chucked in one extra!
Play them off against each other
To really up the haggling, don't target sellers in isolation. Try to play off a number against each other. This has two advantages: it gives you a solid foundation and it prods sellers' competitive instincts in your favour, as they want to prove they're better than the opposition.
Get web prices on the high street
Many high-street retailers will price-match internet prices when pushed. To find the cheapest e-tailer, use a shopping comparison site – we’ve a handy tool at www.megashopbot.com that compares their best results.
Print the results and see if the shop will match the price. If you're feeling naughty, keep your thumb over the delivery cost.
If you can't go online, you can compare prices wherever you are, via mobile handsets. Both Kelkoo and Pricerunner offer mobile comparisons. There's a full how-to in the Internet Shopping guide.
Price-beater promises
Official price-beater deals, whether for goods or services, where companies say "find it cheaper elsewhere and we'll beat the price", are in general, a bit disingenuous.
They give customers a false sense of security, as many people assume a store doing that must be competitive. Yet in truth, who buys something then checks the price elsewhere afterwards?
In reality, these deals actually let a retailer offer any price it likes, and the worst case scenario is it'll have to reduce its price to give it the same margins as a competitor.
To turn the tables, realise these are an open invitation to haggle and one of the fastest ways to slash prices by £100s, with no argument. Don't feel you need to buy the product in the more expensive store to get the discount – just tell them about the cheaper deal, taking an internet print-out, catalogue, or even price note from the other seller.
The following do it as official policy. Some even promise to refund you the difference plus more on top, meaning you're quids in.
| Price-beater policies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Retailer |
What'll it take off? |
Who'll it match ? |
How to claim |
| Richer Sounds | The difference, plus £5 to £100 (full info) | High street and web | Ask in-store |
| John Lewis | The difference (full info) | High street shops only | Fill in online form |
| PC World | The difference, plus 10% | High street within 30 mile radius, plus johnlewis.co.uk, argos.co.uk, staples.co.uk and tesco.com | Ask in-store |
| Currys | The difference, plus 10% | High street within 30 mile radius, plus johnlewis.co.uk, argos.co.uk, staples.co.uk and tesco.com | Ask in-store or call
08445 61 62 63 |
| Mothercare | The difference, plus 20% (full info) |
High street and online |
Call
0844 875 5133 |
The top service companies to haggle with
Big savings are available on phones, mobiles, TV, broadband, car insurance and more, as well as at high street retailers.
In mature industries companies grow by tempting customers from other firms, not by grabbing customers new to that market (eg, almost everyone has a mobile). Retaining custom is key. If your firm won't offer a hot deal:
Tell it you'll leave and switch unless it gives you a better deal.
Do this, and you're usually put through to the disconnections department. It's often known internally as 'customer retentions', as its job is to keep you, and it has far more deal-making discretion.
If you're worried it'll call your bluff and cut you off, an easy get-out clause is to say: "I'll call back after confirming with the wife/ boyfriend/ son/ dog/ parrot." Though if you don't get the deal you want, consider ditching and switching.
From a poll of the top companies to haggle with, big-name companies where hagglers revealed over 75% success rates included AA Breakdown, Sky and Virgin Media. For a full guide to how to negotiate with call centres, see the Haggle with Sky, AA & more guide.
Sector-by-sector quick tips
Different retail and service sectors call for different strategies. Below, you'll find some top tips, with links through to specific discussions and guides for more information.
Electricals
The price is massively negotiable on electricals. with the right tactic you can slash £100s off the price. Always ask for free delivery and extra kit thrown in: scart leads, cables, batteries.
Sales staff have warranty sale targets so the customer really is king if you're buying a product that could be flogged with a long warranty.
The best bit's you're legally free to change your mind within 45 days of purchasing the warranty, so cancel for a full refund.
Likely stores: Richer Sounds, PC World and Currys will all price-match. PC World is famous for slashing the price if you buy an extended warranty (then cancel).
Discuss/add your successes: Electricals Haggling
Mobile phone contracts
If you're nearing your contract end, the network will be frantic to keep you. Try to match your free minutes and texts exactly to what you use. If you under or overuse, you're overpaying.
The mobile phone market changes quickly, so first use comparison sites, so you know what to aim for when haggling. Then ask your existing network to match it and upgrade your phone.
Even with ultra-high usage, bills shouldn't be much more than £30/mth, though most should pay much less.
Full info: Mobile Phone Haggling & Cheapest Mobiles
Clothes shops
The classic clothes haggle is to ask for a discount because it's marked or there's a button missing. One MoneySaver bagged £20 off a pair of trousers "just because the belt was missing, but the belt looked like it was worth about £2".
Many shops offer a 10% discount when you sign up for a store card - ask, with a smile, if you can get the same discount without signing up for one.
Likely stores: Almost all shops will knock 10% or 20% off the price if there's a fault. But it doesn't even have to be damaged; shop assistants often give you 10% just for asking. This can work in Debenhams, Office, New Look, Warehouse, Ted Baker, Levis and Warehouse, and more.
Haggle online: Fashion e-tailer Pretaportobello lets you haggle online for clothing. Just look for items with the haggle logo and enter your offer to get an instant decision. As you can make as many offers as you like, you've nothing to lose by slowly increasing your bid by £1 each time.
You don't have to enter your card details before bidding, so are not commited to buying, even if it accepts your offer. If you get a bargain, please let us know.
Discuss/add your successes: Clothes Haggling
Car & home insurance
Haggling is good, but is often beaten by comparisons & cashback. Our record car insurance result is just 96p for a year's cover. With home insurance, it's getting PAID £67.50 to buy the policy.
Full info: Cheap Car Insurance & Home Insurance
Cycles
The trick to haggling on bikes is to look for models that are about to be relaunched with new designs - shops will be desperate to shift the old versions.
It's worth looking for flaws - most bikes will have a tiny bit of cosmetic damage if you look hard enough. And don't leave without a few extras thrown in, eg, mudguards and/ or lights.
Likely stores: Halfords often crops up as a hagglable store and often matches online prices. Independent bike shops have been known to give a free service if you buy something and will often discount discontinued models.
Discuss/add your successes: Cycle Haggling
Package holidays
Tour operators make holidays while travel agents sell them so many big tour operators' holidays are sold by multiple agents. If you're booking one, once you've found a specific deal, try calling up different agents to see if they can beat the price. You could save up to 10% more.
Using this technique it's possible to shave the cost on package tours from Thomas Cook, First Choice, Virgin and more.
Full info: Cheap Package Holidays
eBay
Some sellers say they'll consider ‘best offers'. This is where you propose a figure, then they mull it over and tell you if it's a goer. Yet, because sellers often sell the same item repeatedly, especially electricals, there's a loophole to see which prices they've already accepted, and lower your best offer accordingly.
If you see a seller who accepts best offers, click to view the seller's other items. On the next page, select 'completed items', to see the items that seller already sold. Look at the items that say best offer by it, and, bingo: you can see the lowest price they've accepted.
Full info: eBay Buying Tricks
Furniture
Stores will often discount clearance or display stock, especially if it takes up a lot of space. They are also willing to cut the price of flawed merchandise. Always ask for free delivery on bulky items.
If you're buying several large items at once, such as a bed, mattress and chest of drawers, always try to blag a discount for multiple purchases.
Likely stores: John Lewis is notoriously flexible with prices. Many people have blagged 20% discounts, simply by asking. A friendly chat with the shop assistants works wonders. Plus people've said it gives away things like free cushions if there's a mistake with your order.
Ikea often gives 30% off damaged stock - better than the average 10% or 20% offered by other shops.
One cheeky MoneySaver saved £284 on a three-piece suite at Harvey's. When the salesman suggested the furniture might be cheaper on Boxing Day, she said "Why wait till Boxing Day,if you want to make a sale, let's do the deal now!"
Discuss/add your successes: Furniture Haggling
Gyms
Gyms want you to think their prices are fixed. They're not. The gym sector is fiercely competitive, and as most gyms employ a commission-driven sales team to sign you up, this makes it a prime candidate for haggling.
If you go for a gym tour and they won't agree to a deal that day, go home without signing up. The phone often rings a few days later with an amazing new offer.
Read our current gym offers and use them as a negotiating tool.
Likely chains: MoneySavers say Fitness First is the most hagglable gym. Virgin Active can also be flexible.
LA Fitness usually won't lower the price but will throw in freebies such as towels and padlocks.
Further info: Cheap Gym Deals
Jewellery
There are some terrific deals to be had at jewellery shops. As for engagement ring haggling, this isn't stingy; much better to put the extra towards your future than into Mr Goldsmith's pockets.
Likely stores: One MoneySaver claiming to be an ex-Ernest Jones worker, reports sales assistants are free to discount anything over £300 by 10%. Another MoneySaver got 10% off a £500 watch in Goldsmiths by saying they would "go away and think about it".
The UK has two world-famous jewellery districts: Hatton Garden in London and Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. These are full of hyper-competitive specialist merchants, who haggle and haggle hard.
Discuss/add your successes: Jewellery Haggling
Cars
The classic haggle. First arm yourself with the web's cheapest prices, then try to make dealerships compete for your custom. Hint that you're interested in their pricey finance deals.
Likely stores: Ever met a car salesperson who didn't like to haggle? One MoneySaver emailed all Vauxhall dealers in his area, looking for a Vauxhall Vivaro van. He got a great response and then emailed the cheapest quote to all the other dealers, asking them to beat it, eventually saving £2,500.
Discuss/add your successes: Car Haggling
Opticians
High Street opticians charge huge mark-ups on specs, so there's often room for manoeuvre. You don't have to buy your glasses from the place where you had your eye test, so play opticians off against each other, mentioning that you saw them £100 cheaper down the road.
It's also worth asking for a free eye test on top or at the very least some free lens cleaner. (Also see the Cheap Glasses guide.)
Likely stores: One MoneySaver who works in an opticians says you should expect a minimum 20% discount as standard when buying glasses. Some have said Boots is routinely allowed to give 10% for people who ask.
Discuss/add your successes: Opticians Haggling
| Tweet | http://mse.me/haggle |
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