Skip to main content

How to negotiate a better deal when shopping online


Most people think that they can’t negotiate when they are shopping online. They believe the advertised price is the expected price you pay.
I just ordered a printer online and managed to get a 20% discount plus free shipping. It was not that difficult to obtain. All I did was talk to the customer service person via their chat and asked for the discount.
Since you don’t negotiate face to face; you are removed from the other party hence it feels then easier to ask for more. The barrier to ask someone for a discount face to face seems higher than asking for a discount online.
One advantage of negotiating online is that the online chat is monitored for quality control and training purposes which means that the person on the other side is generally very friendly. Of course, you need to be friendly and polite too, as this builds rapport and will get you to your goal.
When I ordered my printer today, I said that I want to make the purchase today and asked what discount code she could give me. I did not ask her if there is a discount code, I asked what discount code she can give me; that is a big difference. I have already implied that there are discount codes available.
In some instances, there might be no discount available which does not mean that this is where the conversation should end. Why not ask for extended warranty, free shipping or any other extras that you can think of. Just be creative and think outside the box.
Not every online shop has a chat function but there is something else you can do which is pretending that you walk away from the purchase. All you need to do is, once you have registered with your email address, to put the items you want to buy in your shopping cart and leave them there.  What happens then is, you will receive emails with offers and promotions that motivate you to make the purchase. Sometimes they send you a discount code for your purchase or offer you free shipping for a limited time. The companies realise that once a shopper has gone so far, they are responsive to discounts and special offers.
 So next time when you buy something online try and negotiate.

1)     Be polite but direct with what you want
2)     Don’t take no for an answer, if you can’t get a discount ask for something else
3)     Be patient and pretend to walk away and the offers will land in your inbox.

#
#onlineshopping #negotiating #betterdeals #negotiationskills

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Black Friday and why it is not worth it if you are a great negotiator.

All last week was hyped up by ‘Black Friday’ Sales. But what is it and why do we have it in Australia and is it worth it? Black Friday originates from the US and is the Friday after Thanksgiving which is the fourth Friday in November. Thanksgiving is a public holiday in the US. In the 1950s people used the Friday as a sick day and went shopping to get a head start in their Christmas shopping. Eventually in the 1960s this day turned into another paid leave day or shall we say into a paid ‘shopping day’. It has become a made-up event to drive consumerism. Many believe the term ‘Black Friday’ is used for profit making; black numbers in the ledger books; but that is not entirely correct. While this is the meaning today it meant something totally different in the 50s and 60s.  According to Bonnie Taylor Blake, a researcher at the University of North California, the term originated in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia police as they saw the day as a terrible day. The city was fil
2 comments
Read more

The anchoring effect when setting your price

In my recent post I spoke about why in a negotiation you should put your price on the table first. It is all about setting an expectation or an anchor. Once the anchor is set, the negotiation will revolve around the anchor point. Most of the time we already store an anchor of certain products in our head. You expect to pay $4.00 for a Sushi roll for lunch, or $3.50 for a regular size coffee from the coffee shop next to your office. But what happens with products that we don’t buy very often, and we are less familiar with? A few weeks ago, our washing machine blew up. During the spin cycle smoke came out of the back of the washing machine which was the end of it. The last time I bought a washing machine was probably 7 or 8 years ago, so I had no idea how much a front loader from a particular brand would cost now. What most of us do, and I did it too, is consult the internet and look at the next best website that sells washing machines. The first price we see for that prod
1 comment
Read more

Negotiation strategies to lower interest rates on your home loan

Do you really get the best interest rate from your bank? Have you thought about how you could negotiate your interest rate down? When interest rates go down the banks give you something to keep you happy, so you won’t ask for more.  But could you get more? Why not try. Review your interest rates and speak to your bank to get a better rate. Don’t let them shut you down with the excuse that they have already reduced the rates. The reality is that there is more room to move because if they can give away something without you asking then they can probably give you more. Do your research Research what the competitors are offering. Use comparison websites and then call the bank to make sure that you would get this rate. Find out what the rate for new customers is Banks often offer great promotions to lure in new clients which existing clients don’t get. This is something that I find annoying, why don’t they reward loyalty instead. Set yourself a target rate Set yoursel
1 comment
Read more