How do you haggle?

Taking a page from Jinx book, his other thread gave me an idea. I hear all these stories of people talking vendors down, though I've never done it my self. Generally I have the market price in my head and find a snake I like the look of and it's nicely priced. So I pay asking price. I personally don't haggle.

My question is if you do haggle, how do you do it?

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Very nicely :)

Cash speaks much louder than credit card.

Make an offer! The worst they can do is refuse. Usually they will counter offer and you can go from there. It might take a few tries back and forth before you agree on a price, but almost always you will meet somewhere in the middle.

For example:
Snake Price: $775
Me: I really love this snake! She is beautiful! Would you be willing to come down on the price at all? I have cash!
Breeder: Make me an offer!
Me: How about an even $500?
Breeder: Well I'm looking for a little bit more than that, could you do $675?
Me: That is still a little bit high for me, $600?
Breeder: Okay I can let her go for $625, that is the best I can do.
Me: Sold!


I've haggled quite a bit. The trick is to be courteous and don't lowball too much. Let the breeder know you are serious and they will be much more willing to come down.

I honestly have not. The one show I kinda fell in love with the snake and they could tell lol and he is a great snake so no regrets. The others have been near me and they have been nice enough to meet me right by my house. The other one gave me a het male to go with my white diamond female.
I just put money down on a snake that will be my last one for at least a year and she was morph i really like and a het pied. He usually does a 30 day payment plan but agreed on 60 so I never even gave a thought about haggling.

1. Cash is king.

2. Be seriously interested before asking for the lower price. People are more willing to give a deal if you REALLY WANT IT and describe why. Nobody likes a bargain shopper but people are willing to work with someone who is very fond of a particular animal for specific reasons and is going to be easy and no-hassle.

3. Offer a stellar BOI if the transaction goes well.

If anything (snake or something else it makes no difference) is priced what I feel is fairly I usually just pay the asking price.

If it is not I will haggle. Cash does speak quite loudly. I'll look decide what is fair watch to s


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The one piece of advice I can give you is to NOT disparage the seller's animals in order to get a better price. I've had someone say something like, 'that thing doesn't look very good, I'll offer you $xx'. I would rather not sell to someone like that, regardless of the price. If you put down the animals that I've worked very hard to produce (and quality animals at that), then you can kiss my butt. Besides, if it is so awful why would you want it in your collection?

I like the line above and have haggled like that several times. Also, I give better discounts on multiple purchases or repeat business. So, combine snakes and make offers or just ask - If I were to buy this one and that one, what kind of deal could you make. All you are doing is having a conversation. I've had haggles that didn't go very far, but were respectful and we did business down the line. It is all about respecting each other in the deal.

BTW, another thing I hate and will not negotiate very well on is anonymous bargain seekers through email. If you want to deal with me, I will give you my name - give me yours as a courtesy.

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Originally Posted by MrLang

1. Cash is king.

2. Be seriously interested before asking for the lower price. People are more willing to give a deal if you REALLY WANT IT and describe why. Nobody likes a bargain shopper but people are willing to work with someone who is very fond of a particular animal for specific reasons and is going to be easy and no-hassle.

3. Offer a stellar BOI if the transaction goes well.

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I disagree with #3. You should post a positive BOI if the transaction goes well, period, rather than holding out like a carrot on a stick.

One pet peeve of mine is when I'm asked "what's the lowest you'll go". NO. Give me the courtesy of making an offer, and then I'll consider it. Unfortunately, when I have actually given an answer to that question, the person almost always comes back with a lower offer - rude much?

Stupid tap talk.
See what the seller is like. Decide what is a start point and place that much cash in a pocket and put the rest of what I am willing to pay in other pockets.

Polite works well holding you initial offer in cash in your hand does as well. I have a fixed price and if the seller is over I'll walk at that point. Sometimes they call you back sometimes they don't.


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For me it depends on the market value, vs what they are asking and so forth.

For example, if I see a snake I like and it is marked $1000, lowest I will prolly offer is $800 (-20%), as long as all this is in ballpark of market value. Quality is not an issue, because I would not be making an offer on anything I consider sub-awesome.

If your first offer is reasonable (not a low-ball), I find it is often taken on the spot. Sometimes it goes back and forth a little.

There is also a LOT in how you carry yourself. If you are courteous, confident (without being a jerk - see courteous) and have cash in hand, all 3 will go a long way.

If haggling over email, ALWAYS introduce yourself and state you are willing and able to pay immediately. I really do not expect someone to drop prices when a payment plan is involved.

I think the key to any negotiation, is to find common ground and establish some type of trust early on. This can be done by making small talk and asking about any projects the seller is working on, and mention what you are into. If you have kids use them to your advantage, as long as they are respectful and can behave. Most people have a soft spot for respectful kids. Above all be respectful of their time, only do this if you are ready to purchase.

I haggle and I am almost to the point I expect it in return when I sell an animal (be it snake, dog or horse)
In my head (on paper for my husband) I always have a bottem line of what I have to get out of an animal. I will always give repeat customers, and multiply animal purchases priotrity. I completely agree with above, come in and start talking DOWN about my animals and NO deal will ever get made. I would rather keep ALL of my babies!
Low ball offers are completely ignored. And I have been known to give away a normal or two to help get new herpers involved!

I've haggled Successfully once and only once, and it was for my cinnamon female from BHB Brian wanted 275 and we settles at 250. I don't haggle often, I did try to get a LOW quality bee male for 300 (my brother REALLY wanted it, he almost cried when the guy refused) he was asking 375 which was to high, it was small and a VERY low quality bee. Oh well.

I do plan on haggling in October. :P me and the wife want. Pied...lol

I am loving these haggling tips!

if you offer cash / bank wire instead of credit card / paypal, EVERYONE with a bit of knowledge will give you 5% for that. with credit card, the dealer receives LESS than what you pay - the credit card company will substract quite a bit. For you its hidden, but dealers know that its quite a big difference.

it even works with cars, my dad does it every time he buys a new car.

Apart from that, you can try maybe 20% less.

what also helps is when other breeders offer the same morph at a lower price. Always be friendly and respectful.

so, something like: "hey, i absolutely love that one snake you have there for 1250, but there is a bit of a problem.... ive seen the same morph combo for 900. Granted, it didnt look as nice as yours so i passed, and also it was at a reptile show but i really need pictures of both parent snakes for my documentation. But im sure we can figure it out. How about that: Ill offer you 1000 flat in cash or bank wire, no payment plan, all at once?"

it works especially when you have something to offer, and what you can offer is an easy and fast transaction with a person that is friendly and pleasant in communication, and you can offer cash/bank wire. Many breeders, big and small, absolutely love their snakes and like breeding, and pricing and selling snakes is necessary but not really fun. And yes, dont talk down the snakes or criticize how they look and dont try to use pressure. Instead, some very much like to hear about the quality of your enclosure / setup and your reptile husbandry experience.

Al breeders are different, but if you play it smart you can lower the price nearly every time. Except sometimes its snakes that they would prefer to hold back UNLESS someone is willing to pay a really high price, so if you hear: "on this one it needs to be full price or its a holdback", its over.

First I always find the snake I want to buy. I don't price shop snakes. I snake shop and then worry about the price.

I always offer a realistic low market price on a snake. You will piss off a seller if you send a ridiculous lowball. I only offer on a snake I am serious about purchasing with cash in hand. Sellers are much more prone to accept an offer when they know that they will be paid immediately upon agreement.

Multiple animal transactions increases the amount of discount that I aim for. This is easier for the seller to ship one box and get rid of multiple mouths to feed. Multiple animals discounts are the EASIEST discount to negotiate.

Do not be afraid to at least ask! If you aren't good at negotiating then say... "What is the lowest price you will accept on this animal?" or "What type of discount can you offer if I buy the animal right now?". The worst someone can say is no or nothing. Not everyone is a master negotiator. This simple question doesn't take any sort of skill or negotiating tactics to propose. You might save yourself some money.

Sellers usually like to hear that I post pictures and unboxing videos with credit to the seller at the end of the video. This is a little bit of free advertising for them and provides a valid reference for future potential customers. As a snake breeder and business owner I LOVE getting photos/threads/comments posted about the transaction. It is worth some discount to the right seller/buyer.

I have never paid asking price on any snake in my collection. In fact I've typically paid under market price for top shelf quality animals. As a buyer and seller I expect haggling. It is something I enjoy and use daily in my life. As a Western culture in the land o' plenty we have lost this art. In the rest of the world haggling is a daily occurrence.

Regards,

B

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Originally Posted by mrlang

1. Cash is king.

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c.r.e.a.m.

These are really great tips, guys! I feel a little more prepared than I did before.

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I am terrible at haggling. Usually, when I see something I like at a show, I get so overly excited I tend to haggle like peter griffin.

IE:
Me: Oh my gosh! That snake is the most beautiful "insert whatever morph" I have ever seen!!! How much is she?
Breeder: $500, but I'm willing to negotiate.
Me: Really?! Omg would you take $100?
Breeder: uhh...
Me: $700?!
Breeder: uh..ma'am...
Me: $500! *Throws money at breeder and excitedly skip away with new snake*
Breeder: wtf just happened...She needs medication...

The situation is also an important part of haggling. If I'm out on the first day of a 2 day reptile show and shopping for something specific then I don't expect much wiggle room on a price. Usually I go on the second day. I found a Spider Mojave that was very nice looking but had a wobble. All the other ones at the show were 400-600$ and this one was priced at 200$. I knew the vendor really wanted to sell it so I offered him 150$ and he accepted. Now I have a beautiful snake at a great price that is growing like a weed.

When there is a snake you really want, and you have an amount you want to pay. You tell him he can sell you the snake for the price you've asked, or he can take the snake home, make no money, and continue to pay to feed it. It's makes the seller believe it's in his best interest to sell to you. That's how I haggle.

As a buyer and seller both I can offer a few things to keep in mind.

1. Know what you are looking for and what market value is. Keep in mind a 500 gram snake is worth more than a hatchling.

2. Be sincere. If you like what you see, tell the vendor/breeder so. Tell them what it is about a certain snake or snakes they have that catches your eye versus someone else's animal.

3. It never hurts to ask for a discount, the worst they can say is no, but PLEASE be aware of how much of a discount you are asking for. Don't see a snake for $800 and ask if the breeder will take $300, that is just plain rude.

4. Don't try the old, " This guy over here has XXX morph for $xxx less than you, will you meet that price?" If that guys snake is so fabulous for that price, BUY HIS, don't insult me or my animals by comparing my top notch stock to his bottom of the barrel junk. There is a reason his are so cheap and still haven't sold you know.

5. Cash in hand generally speaks louder than a check or payment plan that is true, but don't be afraid to ask for a payment plan if you need one. Especially if you have a nice size deposit in your hand.

6. Don't be afraid to ask questions about the snakes you see. If the breeder has three spiders and 2 are one price and the other is $75 more, ask why. Maybe there is something there you can't see right away. If you see a really nice looking example of a certain morph, ask how the breeder achieved his results. Breeders like to talk to interested people, and interested people may just end up getting a discount they would not have gotten 15 minutes ago.

I've done haggling from both sides, and I will tell you, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but if you do it right, you will pretty much always make a friend.

And just to throw this out there: At my last show I vended, there was a really sweet lady and her husband looking at my pieds and hets. It seems that she, much like myself, had dreamed of making pieds of her own. We talked for quite a while, and she decided she wanted to get at least a het pied female from me to get her foot in the door so to speak. She was so much like I was a few years back, it made me all sentimental and mushy. I made her a deal, not the other way a round. I offered her a male and female het pair, each from a different mom so she could feel safe about breeding them, for $150. Granted, I was asking that price for just the female, so she got the male I was asking $75 for for free, but to me that didn't matter. Maybe I could have gotten more for them, maybe not. But to see the light in her eyes when I told her my offer, and to hear her say she just couldn't that it would not be fair to me, and to see the tears when I told her how now that my dream of making pieds had come true, I was only too happy to make someone else's dream a little bit closer to reality. Well, that is why I do what I do. She came back to my table at least 6 times before the day was out, grinning from ear to ear and trying not to cry. Everyone she knew at that show had admired the babies and congratulated her on the first step towards making her pieds. That my friends, is what this is all about.

Gale

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Originally Posted by angllady2

and just to throw this out there: At my last show i vended, there was a really sweet lady and her husband looking at my pieds and hets. It seems that she, much like myself, had dreamed of making pieds of her own. We talked for quite a while, and she decided she wanted to get at least a het pied female from me to get her foot in the door so to speak. She was so much like i was a few years back, it made me all sentimental and mushy. I made her a deal, not the other way a round. I offered her a male and female het pair, each from a different mom so she could feel safe about breeding them, for $150. Granted, i was asking that price for just the female, so she got the male i was asking $75 for for free, but to me that didn't matter. Maybe i could have gotten more for them, maybe not. But to see the light in her eyes when i told her my offer, and to hear her say she just couldn't that it would not be fair to me, and to see the tears when i told her how now that my dream of making pieds had come true, i was only too happy to make someone else's dream a little bit closer to reality. Well, that is why i do what i do. She came back to my table at least 6 times before the day was out, grinning from ear to ear and trying not to cry. Everyone she knew at that show had admired the babies and congratulated her on the first step towards making her pieds. That my friends, is what this is all about.

Gale

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amen.

I'm really not a haggler, just no good at it, I know everyone needs to make some money, they are running a business. I will ask there is a little wiggle room and if they discount a little bit, I usually take it. Like someone said above, I am out snake shopping, not price shopping. I have paid more than what one may be worth before, but when you are a repeat customer, you tend to make that money back plus more on future purchases.

I agree shop the snake not the price. yes most vendors have some wiggle room. and cash does talk louder than other methods of payment. but paying a little more for a quality animal is a better deal than getting an animal that doesn't make you go WOW!