Top 5 Surprising Items You Can And Should Negotiate
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DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - Few people buy a car or a home without negotiating the price. A little haggling is practically expected.
However, Rachel Croson, Dean of the College of Business at University of Texas Arlington, said there are many other items one can successfully negotiate on the price.
"For most high-ticket items you can get 10-percent off for just asking," she said.
In some cases, she said you may be able to haggle for even more. The key is knowing what items and how to ask.
"If you walk in and say, 'Give me 10-percent or I'm leaving,' then it's an uncomfortable conversation," Croson said, "So you want to make a promise not a threat. Say, 'If you give me 10-percent off, I'll buy it now.'"
Here's our Top 5 list of surprising items you should negotiate.
Cable TV - Cable companies reel you in with that initial promotion that's good for a half year, betting that you will forget about it in six months. The key is to call when the initial promotion is up, and ask if you qualify for a new one.
Also save flyers from competitors, and ask your current provider if it can match the offer. If that doesn't work, talk to someone in the disconnect department. Those agents try to retain customers and usually have a little more flexibility on the costs.
Dry Cleaning – It may not seem like the typical high-ticket item that lends itself to negotiation, but customer loyalty is paramount to business success in this competitive industry. Ask your local dry cleaner about any coupons that you might not have seen. For something as simple as returning your coat hangers, some will cut you a discount to ensure your loyalty.
Tires - You could easily save a couple hundred dollars on a set of new tires by doing a little comparison shopping online and negotiating the price of the tires themselves. You can also ask the tire shop to throw in the mounting and balancing of the tires for free. It's also worth asking to have the tire disposal fee waived as well.
Mattresses – Prices on most furniture items are negotiable because of the large price tag. However, mattresses are unique because mattress manufactures set a minimum price that stores are allowed to sell them for. If a store seems willing to negotiate on the price, then you know that mattress is overpriced. By comparison shopping online, you often can figure out what the lowest possible price a store can sell the mattress for.
Wine - With a high markup, there's usually a bit of flexibility in the pricing, especially if you buy it by the case. You will likely have more success negotiating the price at a specialty wine store than you would at a large-chain grocery store.
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