Bargain your way through a great deal! Instead of paying the full price, why not ask politely if there’s any discount on the table? “Anything is up for negotiation,” says consumer finance expert Andrea Woroch. “The nicer and kinder you are, and polite, the more opportunities you’ll have to get what you’re asking for,” she adds.
Worst-case scenario: they say no. Best-case scenario: you go home with money still left in your wallet! Read on to find out 11 unexpected things you can always negotiate for a better price.
Mortgage rates
What bigger purchase can you have throughout your life if not a house? That’s why, if you can save some money in the process of buying your dream house, why not take the chance? Don’t buy the first place you set your eyes on. Compare rates first. “Borrowers should shop their business around to many banks/lenders to see what rates are available,” says Ade Labinjo, mortgage broker and co-founder of Burrowly. “Then use the rates obtained to pit the banks against each other for the purpose of either matching or driving down the rates they were quoted.”
More than that, don’t accept the initial quote rate offered by the bank. Negotiate until you obtain a better price, because banks usually save the best for last. Speaking of homes, read also 10 Unexpected Things That Decrease Your Property Value.
Flea markets, farmers markets, garage sales
At flea markets, farmers’ markets, and garage sales the prices are usually set by the sellers. If you play the bargaining game right, you might end your day with a really good deal. Also, see if you can get a discount by buying in bulk or large quantities. See also 8 Pantry And Freezer Items You Can’t Go Wrong Buying In Bulk.
Hotel rooms
Hotels don’t want to have empty rooms so a little bit of negotiation when it comes to booking your hotel room won’t hurt. In fact, it can really help your budget. “Hotels have to pay a commission to booking websites and pass on some of that as a benefit to the user,” says Saurabh Jindal, founder of Talk Travel.
In addition, “hotels have rooms allocated to various booking platforms and may give you a better option which has not yet been sold.” “It’s always easy to ask for those add-ons for free,” Woroch says. “These things are not big expenses to the hotels,” she added. “More and more hotels are charging à la carte fees for different services, so trying to negotiate those for free is always a good idea.” Doesn’t hurt to ask, does it?
Shipping and delivery fees
If you opt for online purchases or buying large items that require home delivery, free shipping is “an easy thing for them to throw in,” Woroch says. “Oftentimes [free delivery] is a good bargaining chip” when it comes to negotiating the final cost of a large purchase.
When Woroch does her online shopping, if the ordered items don’t meet the minimum for free shipping, she still tries to obtain it somehow. “I call and I say I order with you guys a lot,” she says. She then pushes for a “one-time courtesy” to waive the shipping fee.” In most cases, retailers agree, especially if you explain to them that you’re not able to pick up the item yourself, don’t have any stores in your area, a car, or have a small child at home that you cannot leave unsupervised.
Memberships
You always have to pay some extra fees if you want a membership somewhere, from a renewal fee to a startup fee, or a maintenance fee. Ask if some of the fees can be eliminated or threaten to cancel and go somewhere else. “You’re the customer and they want your business,” Woroch says. Everyone wants to keep making money and not lose any clients, including you. “If I was a good customer, they were more than happy to reverse those fees for me,” says Woroch.
Find out 12 Products That May Cost You More In The Future
Cable and cell phone bill
Cable and phone providers usually hang on to their customers, so, if you’re one of them, it might be time for a small chit chat regarding renewals. “If you’re signing up or looking to renew, sometimes you can get a lower rate by telling a rep what the competitor is offering and saying it works better with your budget,” says Ramhold. Many cable companies have promotional prices for your first year, but make sure you call right before the price increases for your second year. The competitors will surely ambush you with better prices for new customers and you can take advantage of that to get a better deal with your current provider.
Insurance rates
Just like cable companies, there’s a lot of competition among insurance companies to find new customers and hold on to them (and their money, of course). “Use your customer loyalty to your advantage and try to talk to the right person on the phone,” says Kelan Kline a personal finance expert. “Tell them the service you are receiving is not good enough for the price.” You might receive a discount to stay with them.
See also 13 Lies Professionals Are Always Telling Clients.
Car rental upgrades
Next time you book a rental car, don’t go for the expensive models. Opt for a cheaper car instead, for example, the economy model, and try to get an upgrade at the sign-in desk. “What I usually do is book the cheapest car option,” says Woroch. She usually goes to carrentals.com to compare prices and find the best deal.
“When I get to the rental counter, that’s when the negotiations start,” she says. “They’ll try to sell me on an upgrade.” The more cars sitting in the lot, the higher chances to get a better car for the economy price. Check out also 7 Car Dealer Tricks Used at End-of-Year Sales.
Jewelry
“You should know that the markup on diamond jewelry is anywhere from 50 to 200 percent and more,” says Chhavi Agarwal, a personal finance expert at Mrs. Daaku Studio. There is always room for bargaining. According to Agarwal’s recommendation, come up with a counteroffer. You’ll see they are usually quite willing to make adjustments to the bill. If they refuse to lower the price, try to negotiate the labor charges.
Real estate agent fees
Generally, for every piece of real estate you sell, your real estate agent receives a percentage of the sale price from you. The standard commission is 6 percent, but it can vary depending on certain factors.
“Shop around when it comes to real estate agents,” Woroch says. “If you’re choosing between a couple of agents, see if one will offer a lower fee.” But don’t disregard the quality of services in your attempt to find the lowest fee. An agent charging only 4.5 percent, for instance, may not have the experience, influence, or client base of an agent charging 6 percent. “Obviously you want to understand the value of someone’s services,” she adds. See also 20 Surprising Ways to Cut Costs On Every Aspect of Your Home.
Returned items
When it comes to getting lower prices for items returned to the store, there’s only one solution: negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. Generally, returned items that have been used or have a ding already have a discount but there’s nothing wrong with asking for another one. Stores want to get rid of them anyway since they’re no longer appealing to most customers. If there’s something you saw on the internet, even better. “That person might not be getting many offers,” Woroch says.
Speaking of stores, here are 10 Things You ‘re Never Going to See Again in Malls after Coronavirus.
