I hate you Dr. Phil...

[Dreamstalker]

Fiance emailed the office, told him we had been looking at other cheaper apartments in the area, and asked if he could help us. The manager halved the increase.

The thing with the "we found X cheaper" approach with housing or utilities is that you should plan on being willing to go through with a switch if the entity says no. Our cableco is awful (insane rates, service quality seems to depend on the phase of the moon), but they're a monopoly here so we can't use that approach unless we were ready to move closer to Boston proper where we do have a choice.

[Geek King]

The thing with the "we found X cheaper" approach with housing or utilities is that you should plan on being willing to go through with a switch if the entity says no. Our cableco is awful (insane rates, service quality seems to depend on the phase of the moon), but they're a monopoly here so we can't use that approach unless we were ready to move closer to Boston proper where we do have a choice.

You could always go satellite for other than your internet, maybe. I can't currently because the apartment company won't let me run the line for it, but I have done so at other places. Depending on your internet needs, you could drop that for either DSL, or a wireless cell modem. That option depends on how you use your internet, and if a good deal on cellular data contracts is available in your area. Gaming doesn't work well for me on less than a cable modem, so I'm kind of stuck right now, myself.

[Mr.Customer]

You can and should haggle, but there is a time and place for it and an excepted method. Unfortunately shows like Dr. Phil give all the wrong information, and should instead explain how and when to negotiate.

For instance a carpet cleaning service. Darn rights you should ask for a quote and compare it with the competition. Any business getting service done, from carpet cleaning to painting to repairs, would have to get at least 2 or 3 quotes from different places before approving the work, and a household should run the same. It isn't rude, a company should be glad that you gave them a chance to offer a competitive price instead of just accepting the first offer from the other company.

Also many companies tack on extra charges (connection fees, inspection fees, fuel surcharges) that are meant for suckers, and often these can be negotiated and waived. Famously is the connection fee for cell phones and cable and such companies.

Women should particularly negotiate because many businesses will charge women extra fees. Case in point my brother's wife tried to rent a moving van for 3 days, they only had 2 days avaiable and swore up and down they were fully booked. My brother phoned without telling them his wife had called and he reserved a van for 3 days at half the cost. The point being that some unscruplous businesses over charge women and they shouldn't put up with it.

Damaged good are often discounted by a store and find their ways to clearance bins etc, so why not ask for a discount, the store often faces a restocking fee to return damaged goods, reopened packages, etc and the discount they are willing to offer is often less then what they loose when an item becomes unsalable.

Even companies that have a monopoly on a service will offer discounts. Yes your cable company has a monopoly on it's cabble service, but it has different tiers or packages available, and they may be willing to barter to give you a better package to get more money, if you have basic service for example they might be willing to give you X months of the higher tier free for you to sample, or wave the cost of the cable box if you upgrade, this is especially if they offer additional services where there is competition. for example our cable company has a virtual monopoly, but it also offers the internet and phone, which it does have alot of competition.

[Project_Mars]

Yeah, at my job we don't even really do discounts on damaged goods most of the time. No, talking to the manager won't help much. Most damaged goods still sell at full price, the most prominent example i have of this is Ink Cartridges, where if we see one open, we'll take the package out, see if it's been opened, and if it hasn't, tape it up and put it back out, and they'll usually still sell. If it's in an unsellable state, i think the company still gets a good deal sending it back, so afaik, there's no incentive to offer a discount on a damaged product. (Obvious Exclusion: We'll sell our old display TVs as is at a discount that will increase the longer the TVs are there. People will, without complaining any, buy a 120hz 40' TV that has been on non-stop for a year and comes with no remote at $650 as opposed to $800.)

Now the competitive service does make a bit more sense, but i get the feeling that some places would probably call your bluff and just tell you to go with them then.

Also: Why is Dr. Phil still on the air?

[infinitemonkies]

Here's one I use occasionally at the hotel, usually when we're almost full:

Would-be guest asks for a discount, I ask them to convince me of ONE reason why they deserve a lower rate than all the guests who are paying full price.

Sometimes they do, sometimes I stand my ground on the quoted rate. I had a guy last weekend who thought about it for a moment and said "please?" I shrugged and nodded and gave him a discount.



As a customer, I look at it like this: There's the product/service, there's the price. I'm a rational adult capable of making my own decisions. If I find the price agreeable, I buy it, if not I look elsewhere. I don't bitch, whine, or haggle. I don't change my mind later and return it, and if I see it at a lower price elsewhere or it goes on sale later, I sure as fuck don't go back to the store and demand a retroactive discount. I just shrug it off and accept I could have shopped around more.
But then, I'm dangerously crazy that way.


Also: Why is Dr. Phil still breathing air?

[Plaidman]

Has nothing to do with Dr. Phil, but I hate Oprah. I use to have alot of respect for her, with everything she does. I should have known that she was a liar and a fraud.

Her special on NF was just a bunch of lifes, urban myths and out of control bullshit that she was passing off as FACT.


No, we are NOT the elephant Diesase! That is completly different disease!

No, it is NOT 100 percant chance of passing it off to our children!

Yes, There is a minor cure, but it's only in New York and Oregon. (OHSU!) but it's very, very, very, very, very expesnive and time consumming. Even then, the tumors can grow back, not the "They are completly uncurable" she was saying.

The people she had on that show were extreme cases, not normal cases. She was just treating us like a circus freaks that should be locked up and never leave.


God I hated that episode. I was hoping she shed light, because people listen to her. I fear that she just further the freak label some of us have.

[Andara Bledin]

Dr Phil is a douche bag.

And a scary man who tried to market mood-altering drugs as diet pills... after he had failed to get to use them for their intended purpose.

I believe the question is "who the heck is organised enough to get rid of all their coupons as soon as they expire?"

My mom went through her coupon book before her weekly shopping trip and noted things that would expire prior to her next trip and tossed everything that had done so since the last.

^-.-^

[Mr.Customer]

Now the competitive service does make a bit more sense, but i get the feeling that some places would probably call your bluff and just tell you to go with them then.

Not a bluff if you actually take the time to see what the competition is charging. Most businesses are aware of what their competitor's rates and services are. If they aren't willing to match those services then they often are willing to explain why they charge more for them.

And there is often a good reason Why they charge more and the others are so cheap. You get what you pay for

[draftermatt]

The other day a customer asked me what the price was on (80) 2x6's.

I told him I'd have to look at the current price, but it would be that multiplied by 80.

Him "Oh, there's no discount on buying in bulk"
Me "You could talk to a manager, but I've never seen one given"
(Side note, 80 is a tiny order, we've sold 400 boards in one sitting before, sometimes more than that).

Him "Oh, ok, is there a military discount"
Me "Yes, 10% off with valid military ID"
Him "Thanks, where's the concrete?"
Me "Aisle 20, if you see any ripped bags let me know, I can sell them to you at a discount"

He didn't seem to like me mentioning that, lol.