How to bag a bargain in the winter sales
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Many of us are polishing the plastic to take on the winter sales. Here are some vital tips to emerge victorious with quality goods at the very best price the whole year round.
Confronted with any sort of authority figure, many of us retreat to blithering subservience. With a staff member and a printed price tag — is there wiggle room? Sure, the retailers are already saving you money — aren’t they? Well, this is a wasted opportunity. Haggling costs absolutely nothing. All the seller can say is “No”. That’s the worst possible outcome. Haggling is not rude, it’s not impolite, and delivered with grace, you won’t compromise anyone. Some stores have leeway for up to 10% off if requested by a customer. If you don’t ask — well, you don’t get. Try “Is that the best you can do? or "Could you do it for €40?" or "This is what I have to spend”. If you know they are being undercut by another store for that exact item, bring it up without being sulky (don’t lie, it’s easily checked with a short scroll online).
Independent retailers clearing the floor for new stock may be more malleable, but don’t harass anyone with irrational demands (a raised voice, or turn-on-the-heel tantrums). You don’t know their margins. Don’t expect younger, untrained staff brought in for the seasonal sales to know everything. Be patient. Have them enquire of a senior member of staff. Online, you can use the chatbox to haggle too — try it. Ask for a discount code, a bundle, a coupon or a percentage saving.
Ask for a little something extra with a big buy or a discount for multiple items bought on the same day. I’ve ventured this blag for extra goodies tagged onto a shy request for a discount when picking up more than one product in-store and had regular success. Sometimes, discounted accessories won’t suit you — request something else at that price point. Dial up the charm. Smile, give them time to decide.
You’ll certainly remember an outright, stone-faced rudeness from the vendor, and that can inform your next shopping outing. For example, when buying a laptop for several hundred euros, what about a cheap case, cables, a mouse or extended warranty? Tailoring and sweetening the deal makes everyone feel good.
If they don’t have the authority to help you (a common dodge), ask if they could ask their supervisor. Accept a solid “no” if it’s given, and don’t ask for the chief manager — that’s Karen territory. If you’ve soured at this point, leave the deal there and move on. Chances are, you’ll probably resent the exchange and carry it with you like a splinter into the New Year. All sorts of haggling are best deployed at the end of the sales on clearance items, as retailers are anxious to set up their new season stock. With furniture, see if they will deliver for free. Consider everything as negotiable (it is).
Stock left out on the floor for any length of time will pick up tiny dings and scratches. They are often imperceptible except on close inspection in areas that cannot be seen. A mark on the rear of a fabric sofa, a chip to a violently expensive steel enamelled coffee maker, a vacuum cleaner with a damaged box. Display stock can be a treasure trove for the discerning sales shopper. It’s crucial that all warranties are in place with something imperfect, and with electronics damage can spell a collision or drop, so watch out.
The piece should have no working faults and your consumer rights remain unchanged. Store policy does not trump your consumer rights in most cases. You can still bring something back if it stops working within the warranty period or turns out to be not fit for purpose.
Remember this fun little abbreviation on your statutory rights: SAD FART. That stands for Satisfactory quality, As Described, Fit for purpose, and lasting a Reasonable length of Time. Your deal is with the retailer. Within warranty, it’s their problem to replace the piece or return something faulty to the manufacturer, not you. Extended warranties can be pricey. Keep in mind you have up to 14 days after purchase to cancel them and get a refund, even if it was thrown in for free with the product.
Price-matching is commonplace retail jousting between retailers, so you should go into any terrestrial store or online shop knowing the best price available for that particular item (including online). Ensure you have the exact item in a particular colour (there will be a universal product code). There may be a reason you want to buy from a particular retailer, so even where they don’t market price-matching, bring it up with the name of the outlet they are competing with. Keep in mind that a local, independent retailer will not be able to offer the same discounts as a major high street chain. Be reasonable.
Location and follow-up service are often worth more to many shoppers, who will stick loyally to a retailer they know and have a rapport with for keeping up with electronics and home furnishings. Try price comparison before leaving home, even during the flux of the sales. Shopmania.ie. for instance, itemises and compares offers and promotions, prices, specifications, ratings and reviews for millions of products from hundreds of local and international online stores. Leave a comment on your experience for other users to evaluate a store before they buy, shopmania.ie. Kelkoo.ie and Pricespy.ie offers similar tools. Bookmark pages and set up alerts to refresh falling or rising prices.
The price history feature on shopping comparison sites is especially useful to turn up the practice of increasing a price for 30 days before the sales start and then reducing it to a discounted price. Tricky, strategic, but completely legal. Retailers can sell their goods for whatever price they like, but they cannot claim it to be a discount unless it is. All the information should be on the price tag on the shop floor or online if you’re buying remotely.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) states: "When selling goods at a sale price, businesses must display the ‘prior price’. This should be the lowest price the goods were on sale for in the 30 days prior to the sale. For example, if a laptop is advertised as ‘was €700, now €500’, then it must not have been available for less than €700 in the 30 days before the sale started.” If you are happy with a properly discounted sales price, be wary of theatrically walking away as a form of cute manipulation. The sales are a busy period, staff are exhausted. They will more than likely give an eye roll and carry on as you float out the door humiliated and defeated.
If you buy products or services online, over the phone or on your doorstep, you have a cooling-off period where you can change your mind and get a refund. This is generally 14 days, but there are policies from say sellers of some mattresses, that can extend to as much as 90 days for a no-questions-asked return. There may be a re-stocking or pick-up charge.
Sales or not, read over those T&Cs keeping in mind that your consumer rights, that SAD FART is exactly the same for all goods. When buying from the shop floor, it’s important to know that being fickle is not always an acceptable reason for a return. “If you buy in person from a shop, you are not always entitled to a refund or exchange if you change your mind. It is up to each business to decide if they offer change-of-mind returns or cancellations.
Businesses may also have a different returns policy during sales so you should check the returns policy before you buy,” according to the CCPC. Ikea offers 365 returns even on non-custom pieces un-packaged and assembled once you keep your receipt. With sale items, hang onto the packaging, don’t just shred it as you open the item. The receipt is the most useful form of proof that you, individually, bought this product for a repair, replacement, price reduction or full refund. Your credit/debit card may carry enough evidential proof for a return too.
- See ccpc.ie