What do you negotiate for?

[HoleInTheRoof]

We've all heard the expression "Everything is negotiable", but how many of us really practice this?

I consider myself a good negotiator. I've had training and experience in the trade do to my sales career. But outside of purchasing a car or other big ticket items, I don't neccessarily practice it or use these skills to their full advantage.

I bring this up because I recently had an interesting (to me, anyway) conversation with some acquaintences about negotiating. Someone stated that you can negotiate for pretty much anything, and gave an example of how they just went to Dillards recently and told the sales associate he'd give him $50 for $65 shoes. Another said she went into Home Depot, filled up a cart, then told the manager she could get the same items for X less at Lowes. She said that the manager stated he would call Lowes to confirm the prices, but when she said "Listen, I have a lot of items in my cart, and I don't have a lot of time. If you're going to call Lowes, I'll just save us both time and go there directly." Appearantly she got the discounts. A third person said his dad used to haggle with the produce people at the super market and get fruits and vegies at reduced prices.

I know that negotiating isn't as big a part of our culture as it is other countries. I've never really thought to negotiate prices in regular retail stores.

I have read numerous times about several of you negotiating down the price of Sunday Ticket, and I plan to do that this year.

How many of you do this? And what things do you normally negotiate for?

 

[Yeagermeister]

I can't say and keep with the family friendly theme of the board.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I do it when I can and it usually works. You have to pick and choose your battles. Going to the grocery store or a restaurant you are stuck paying the asking price. But for things like car repairs, appliances or moderate to higher prices items I absolutely do some talking.

In 1985 as a young man I remember wanting to buy a new TV and VCR. After agreeing to purchase a TV I told the salesman I needed a VCR but would only get one if I got a deal on it. They knocked off $50 off the already on sale price of the VCR I wanted. Then I told them I wanted a discount for paying cash. They knocked off another $50 for that. From that point on I never looked at the price of anything and thought that it was etched in stone.

Another example, I plan to purchase fireworks for the family before the 4th of July. This purchse will only be $40 maybe $50 bucks at most. But do you think I will pay full price for the things I want? Oh heck no.

 

[CliffnDallas]

I flip a coin to see if I'm going to read your posts. Does that count?

 

[Joe Realist]

Vacation rentals, furniture, appliances, car repairs, hotels stays, childcare, to name a few

 

[Big Dakota]

I can't say and keep with the family friendly theme of the board.

If you're like me it consists of dinner, dancing, jewelry, etc...

 

[Cowboy Brian]

My friends once haggled $1 items down to .92 cents citing misadvertising because of sales tax at mcdonalds lol

 

[Bob Sacamano]

What's with all the life story questions?

 

[Hostile]

Jobs. I bid for jobs for my crews all the time and negotiate payments and deals where I pay them and still make money without even breaking a sweat myself. Of course, I also sometimes decide I want to work with my crew and I pay myself a higher %.

 

[Hoofbite]

bbgun must not have seen this thread yet.

 

[theogt]

Lots of negotiation in my profession. In my personal life, I try to avoid negotiation altogether.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

bbgun must not have seen this thread yet.

bbgun negotiation.

Escort chick, we'll call her, "Sandy": "200 dollars"

bbgun: "50"

Sandy: "200"

bbgun: "100"

Sandy: "200"

bbgun: "125"

Sandy: "200"

bbgun: *sweat beading down his face* "Ok, final offer, 150"

Sandy: "200"

bbgun: "Ok, 175"

Sandy: "200"

bbgun: "200"

 

[Joe Realist]

bbgun negotiation.

Escort chick, we'll call her, "Sandy": "200 dollars"

bbgun: "50"

Sandy: "200"

bbgun: "100"

Sandy: "200"

bbgun: "125"

Sandy: "200"

bbgun: *sweat beading down his face* "Ok, final offer, 150"

Sandy: "200"

bbgun: "Ok, 175"

Sandy: "200"

bbgun: "200"

Meet Sandy:

 

[SaltwaterServr]

Ask for too much, and you'll get nothing. I had a client looking at a $750K house price reduced and listed at $695K. Appraised at $825K or $835K. Landscaping alone was worth $109K, we had copies of the receipts.

Sellers say the furniture stays with full price $695K offer. We offer less, cash deal, and the deal is accepted. Goes to title.

My client, the consummate ***, then says he won't close unless the owner throws in the furniture. Owner wasn't really all that keen on moving the stuff half way across the United States, so he allowed it.

Then my buyer waits a day, threatens again for a custom made desk that was outlined in the MLS sheet as an exemption for the furniture/full price clause. The owner of the house personally picked out the mahogany logs that built the desk. He's really not happy about it, but we're a week out from closing. Capitulates for the desk.

My buyers want to go and look at the house again, with the inlaws, so they can pick out what they can next ask for. They choose the dishes and window treatments. I advise them that we've reached a tipping point. They disagree.

Owner is furious when I call him back in the office. Owner's wife says **** them, just give them whatever they want. My buyers are in the office when I make the call on the speaker phone, as they've demanded for each of these new "required" items.

Day before closing, my buyers AGAIN come back and sit down in the office. They want the lawn care equipment. I call the owners and they are very calm about it. They say they'll call back in a half hour, get with my buyers. Buyers in the office, we take the call.

Owner asks, are the buyers there? Yeah, they acknowledge over the phone. Owner asks if they are not going to closing because of the lawn equipment. They say they absolutely will not go to closing unless they get the lawn equipment. The conversation goes on for 5 or 10 minutes between the owners and the buyers. I should mention my real estate broker is also in the room, and we're recording the conversation.

Finally, the owners get what they want. Their attorney, the owner's brother here in San Antonio, comes on and says that if they don't close they'll be in breach, which I've already warned them about.

They lost their earnest money. $5K. The lawsuit ended up costing my buyers a ton of cash. They had to pay every single dollar's worth of a $750K mortgage for 9 months while the house sat vacant including upkeep and maintenance costs. That doesn't even take into consideration the attorney costs my buyer had to take or the time both of them had to take out for missing work.

I had tons of documentation on the deal, all subpoenaed. I got lucky and wasn't named. The buyers ended up with another house I found for them, then tried to sue my broker after we closed. My broker filed a counter suit seeking the commission we should have gotten from the first house.

Negotiate? Of course, sensibly. Karma and the Fates are vindictive. If you're negotiating to take advantage of someone, well you get what you get whether it be in Home Depot or in real estate.

Don't be an *** and do it in a restaurant. You're just hassling people then. They'll bring it back on you in a hurry.

 

[rkell87]

Ask for too much, and you'll get nothing. I had a client looking at a $750K house price reduced and listed at $695K. Appraised at $825K or $835K. Landscaping alone was worth $109K, we had copies of the receipts.

Sellers say the furniture stays with full price $695K offer. We offer less, cash deal, and the deal is accepted. Goes to title.

My client, the consummate ***, then says he won't close unless the owner throws in the furniture. Owner wasn't really all that keen on moving the stuff half way across the United States, so he allowed it.

Then my buyer waits a day, threatens again for a custom made desk that was outlined in the MLS sheet as an exemption for the furniture/full price clause. The owner of the house personally picked out the mahogany logs that built the desk. He's really not happy about it, but we're a week out from closing. Capitulates for the desk.

My buyers want to go and look at the house again, with the inlaws, so they can pick out what they can next ask for. They choose the dishes and window treatments. I advise them that we've reached a tipping point. They disagree.

Owner is furious when I call him back in the office. Owner's wife says **** them, just give them whatever they want. My buyers are in the office when I make the call on the speaker phone, as they've demanded for each of these new "required" items.

Day before closing, my buyers AGAIN come back and sit down in the office. They want the lawn care equipment. I call the owners and they are very calm about it. They say they'll call back in a half hour, get with my buyers. Buyers in the office, we take the call.

Owner asks, are the buyers there? Yeah, they acknowledge over the phone. Owner asks if they are not going to closing because of the lawn equipment. They say they absolutely will not go to closing unless they get the lawn equipment. The conversation goes on for 5 or 10 minutes between the owners and the buyers. I should mention my real estate broker is also in the room, and we're recording the conversation.

Finally, the owners get what they want. Their attorney, the owner's brother here in San Antonio, comes on and says that if they don't close they'll be in breach, which I've already warned them about.

They lost their earnest money. $5K. The lawsuit ended up costing my buyers a ton of cash. They had to pay every single dollar's worth of a $750K mortgage for 9 months while the house sat vacant including upkeep and maintenance costs. That doesn't even take into consideration the attorney costs my buyer had to take or the time both of them had to take out for missing work.

I had tons of documentation on the deal, all subpoenaed. I got lucky and wasn't named. The buyers ended up with another house I found for them, then tried to sue my broker after we closed. My broker filed a counter suit seeking the commission we should have gotten from the first house.

Negotiate? Of course, sensibly. Karma and the Fates are vindictive. If you're negotiating to take advantage of someone, well you get what you get whether it be in Home Depot or in real estate.

Don't be an *** and do it in a restaurant. You're just hassling people then. They'll bring it back on you in a hurry.

thanks for that. if your in a corporate restaurant you can get anything you want for free all you have to do is be a complete ***, make a scene, and make enough fuss over it...if you still dont get it you can email corporate and they will for sure give your meal for free or at least another one for free, but you will get your server in trouble/fired in the process.

it really sucks when people do this cause they never tip based on the original bill(not that a person that would do this would anyway).

on topic though i have never really negotiated anything in the states other than the price of a car i bought, but in mexico i did quite a bit. i got a price of 150 for 1 hour jet ski rental and one parasailing to 60 for the jet ski and 2 parasailing, it was great fun and felt like a got a deal.