MoneySaving Poll: Can you haggle on the high street?

A question about : MoneySaving Poll: Can you haggle on the high street?

Poll started 26 August 2014

Can you haggle on the high street?

Please let us know how you got on, and only vote for shops you've tried to haggle in. Click as many stores as you like.

Vote in this week's poll

Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below. To see the results from last time, click here.

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.

Thanks!

This Forum Tip was included in MoneySavingExpert's weekly email
Don't miss out on new deals, loopholes, and vouchers
FAQs
Privacy Policy
Past Emails
Unsubscribe

Best answers:

• Generally I would say no, not in stores that have a head office.
  They would need to ring head office and only then offer a discount if you are buying vast quantities of the product.
• If there is ever the slightest flaw in anything, damaged packaging, opened items, to the more obvious with parts missing, I would always try and haggle; you have nothing to lose, and nearly every shop I've tried with an even vaguely damaged item, I've had at least 10%, sometimes 50% off. To be honest I rarely try with 'perfect' items, unless they offer free credit and I offer cash, then I do, and again usually succeed.
  If you don't ask, you don't get!
• I've never known people first hand have luck in supermarkets (bar the clearance gun people if it's lowering time), same in boots etc. I've heard people ask and the sales people never have any authority to give a discount. Managers never seem to when called. I'm not saying it can't happen, but I don't think it's that common. Never heard it from people I trust.
  Furniture, PCs and other big items yes.
• I have tried several times to ask for a discount in Zara for faulty items, skirt missing a button, suede jacket badly marked, but each time it was refused. So, I'm really curious as to how people managed to obtain a discount.
  I managed to get discounts in Cotswolds, and also a suit shop (can't remember the name), I know that if you are spending a fair amount and you offer to pay in cash the sales person can usually give you 10% discount, I used to work in a store (Heals) and this was the normal policy.
• We saw a table in a local furniture shop, only one end of range. It was reduced from Ј400 to Ј200. It had some scratch marks so we negotiated it down to Ј100.
• Aren't these poll results somewhat flawed as it is rather subjective to each person to determine 'big / small' discount. Would have been far more quantifiable to define something like 'Discount 50% or above / Discount under 50%'