Six sales tricks to grab you a bargain

Whether shopping for Christmas gifts, checking out the Black Friday Sales or treating yourself to a bargain like a brand new bike, the price tag on show is only the opening bid it is not set in tablets of stone and a small fortune can be saved each year with a few tricks up your sleeve.

Act like red riding hood, but have the wolf within

Although a confident exterior can work, so can the opposite. There’s nothing that let’s the salesperson’s guard down more than believing they have a customer who is ill-prepared. Their efforts will be focused on selling you the product and after spending time nurturing your enthusiasm to extract your cash, they won’t let your last minute doubt prevent a sale. Remain unconvinced, but leave them thinking your credit card is at hand and you are willing to part with your money IF they offer a deal you cannot refuse.

But underneath that soft and pleasant exterior lies the cunning wolf who is anything but ill-prepared. You would have done your homework; knowing precisely where else you could buy the product; how much for; taking into account any discount codes and price promises from competing stores and decided what you are prepared to pay. Not only that you would have planned your strategy and decided when to drop in the bargain busting information gathered to gain you the better deal. Of course, you need to be prepared to haggle.

Tuesdays are the new Saturdays

If work allows, pop out for half an hour on a Tuesday morning where tumbleweed rather than shoppers can be seen rolling through the shopping outlets. There is nothing like the lack of ringing tills to encourage a salesperson to reduce their profit margin.

Give yourself some wiggle room

First port of call to get better value is seniority, but not the boss – this gives you two bites of the cherry to bag a bargain. Befriend the number two, working your charm on them, if all attempts fail then ask to speak to the head honcho.

To warranty or not to warranty?

It would be funny if not true. A salesperson bestows the virtues of a product persuading you to buy, however, in the next breath they are casting doubt in your mind by offering you an extended warranty to protect your purchase when it breaks down – often a pricey addition. The choice to buy one is yours, however the Sales of Goods Act sometimes covers products outside of the standard warranty. Recently by quoting the Act to a major retailer I got a £350 part replaced free of charge 18 months outside the one year guarantee.

Go all Gloria Gaynor on them

As the song goes – ‘Go, walk out the door, you’re not welcome anymore.’ If the salesperson doesn’t offer you the deal you want, smile politely, thanking them for their time and head for the exit – on many occasions you will be called back before the door shuts behind you.

Batteries not included

The added extras on products add up. If they won’t budge on price any further, get them to add additional extras for free – be it batteries; a USB stick; or when buying a car: a tank of fuel and car mats.

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