In today’s economic climate, in which salespeople are more eager than ever to make a deal to move some merchandise, it’s foolish to not negotiate. Asking for a discount takes but a moment, and what’s the worst that could happen?
A recent Cheapskate Blog post featured a Q&A with the blogger behind The Daily Asker. The blog tracked the successes and failures (mostly successes) of simply asking for at least one discount or freebie every day for a year. The gist: It works.
Now a Time magazine story reaches the same conclusion:
In this recession, if you’re not bargaining for everything everywhere, you’re needlessly draining your wallet. According to the consulting firm America’s Research Group, in October, 56% of consumers said they had recently tried to negotiate at retail outlets other than car dealerships. Of those hagglers, 50% got deals. When the company repeated the survey in May, 72% of consumers said they had tried to haggle, and a stunning 80% were successful.