Haggle Your Way to Savings
Featured, Saving Money, Tips
You do it on the car lot and on Craigslist. But there are plenty of other places where haggling can get you a bargain. Try snagging better deals on insurance, cable and cell phone bills. Here are a few tips to make it happen.
Car Insurance
This is a highly competitive industry. There are dozens of companies you could choose from and they know it. Work that to your advantage by shopping around. Get quotes from several companies. Try upping your deductible and you could see your bills drop significantly. Some companies offer better deals if you pay it all at once rather than breaking the cost into monthly installments. There are also benefits for customers who use one insurance company for home and car insurance. Bottom line is insurance prices are flexible. Make sure you’re not paying too much.
Cell Phone Service
The best time to negotiate for a better rate is when your contract is coming to a close. Call your cell phone provider and threaten to leave. Chances are they’ll try to keep you as a customer by offering better rates.
Cable Provider
Cable companies want to keep you. They know there are more options out there. Tell your cable company you’ve been getting advertisements about specials their competitors are offering. If you’ve been a customer of theirs for a while, ask for loyalty discounts. And the important thing is to not give up. If one representative doesn’t offer what you’re looking for, try calling back.
A Short Guide to Haggling
Every few months my cable company and I do the same song and dance. The first couple of times I felt a little silly, but now it’s just part of my routine. The phone conversation goes something like this:
Me: “Hi, my cable bill is too high. I’m thinking of cancelling.”
Operator: “Let me see what services you are receiving. I’ll have to put you on hold.”
Five minutes pass.
Operator: “We have just released a new package that you qualify for. It will reduce your bill by $20 a month for the next four months.”
Me: “Ok, I guess I can afford that.”
Operator: “I’ll have to put you on hold while I enter this into the system.”
Ten minutes pass.
Operator: “Thank you for patience. I’ve made the adjustments to your account.”
That’s pretty much all there is to it. There is no yelling involved, no asking to speak to a manager and no begging. I find the same thing works for other bills like car insurance or cell phone. Here are a few tips to ensure successful haggling.
- Shop around. Getting the best price requires a little homework.
- Mention competitor’s deals and specials. This should get you an offer to match the price.
- Ask if there are any discounts for long-time customers.
- Remember, these prices are flexible, not fixed.
- If you don’t like the answer one representative gives you, try calling back later.
