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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to tell a little white lie to get the price of holiday down?

96 replies

Joolsy · 19/10/2016 11:10

Been quoted almost £700 online for a post-Christmas break at a famous holiday park. It's already got some discounts taken off but it's more than £200 more than we paid for the same holiday last year (due to a mis-quote on their part!). I want to try and haggle the price down so WIBU to ring them and say I'd been quoted, say, £550 and would like to now go ahead (lie!)....WIBU or can anyone come up a tactic to bring the price down?

OP posts:
PamBagnallsGotACollage · 19/10/2016 11:48

That's not a little white lie or haggling. It's complete dishonesty. If you can't afford the holiday, don't book it. We didn't have a holiday for two years in a row because we couldn't afford it. Didn't once thing to try and scam my way into one.

PamBagnallsGotACollage · 19/10/2016 11:48

*think

Stevefromstevenage · 19/10/2016 11:50

Not many hagglers on MN I can see. Most of you would not survive a second in countries where haggling is the norm. Haggling is all about the art of the dance. 'I have seen a similar deal for £500 elsewhere can you match it is a perfectly fine way to start to haggle' They know what the bottom drawer price of the holiday is because they deal in them day in day out. So they can smell BS a mile off.

It is a negiotation not a contract there is absolutely nothing wrong with trying to get their best price out of them.

SexTrainGlue · 19/10/2016 11:51

They honoured their misquoted priced your year (to your benefit) and although you want to use them again you are unwilling to pay the correct price, which is already lowered for you via the legit discounts.

You want an artificially low price again? I doubt this will happen.

You might be better seeking a holiday you can afford, rather than this one.

chantico · 19/10/2016 11:54

"Most of you would not survive a second in countries where haggling is the norm. "

Really? Or perhaps most of us know to adjust approach depending on location and nature of transactions. Assuming OP is in UK, prices are not quoted as an opening shot with haggle margin built in.

RockinHippy · 19/10/2016 11:56

Oh here we go, yet another thread where some posters clearly need to get a bloody life, or leave the bitterness aside & learn to sit on their f'ing handsHmm

YADNBU to try & get a better price, its what anyone with any money sense would do. However I agree that this is the wrong way to go about it. They will expect you to prove it, thats how price matching works.

Either look around & find a better price (we find Fleetways Travel are usually very good) or as suggested above, use last years price as your bargaining point. They will probably try & blame Brexit for the price hike, so be ready with figures to argue that the 40% price hike since last year far outstrips any drop in the pound & what they import etc & check my maths as I am brain dead atm

Iwantamarshmallow · 19/10/2016 11:56

its unlikely they would believe you anyway unless you can prove it. imagine how many thousands of people that tried that line before .

sparechange · 19/10/2016 12:07

Illegally scamming a company?! What planet are some of you on?

I think the company would see through you, OP, but there is no harm in saying 'I paid £500 for this last year, so am surprised it has gone up so much' and seeing if they will come down on price

Sparklesilverglitter · 19/10/2016 12:11

Surely to match the price they will want proof of what the other company has quoted.

I don't think you can just call up and say well jack jones say £500 with any proof, or everyone would be doing it wouldn't they?

Have you looked on all price comparison websites?

Brighteyes27 · 19/10/2016 12:12

Also prices can go up and down supply/demand. Even if you had genuinely been quoted a lower price this year I am sure their must be a Clyde saying if you book now or within a certain timescale that is the price. But not x weeks later. Also many companies ask for your details before giving you a quote so they would know you hadn't been quoted this lower figure. It might be worth asking for a discount as a repeat booked but they don't have to agree to offer you it.

DameXanaduBramble · 19/10/2016 12:13

Yes, go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect £200.

Ffs, don't ask, don't get. I'm sure this company is no small operation with checks in place, they will either say yes or no, stop getting your knickers in a noodle, (most of you.)

Costacoffeeplease · 19/10/2016 12:14

I get this quite often - I've seen another similar apartment £x cheaper - my reply 'that sounds like a bargain, I'd book it now if I were you'

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 19/10/2016 12:18

Sparechange - there's a big difference between what you suggest - saying 'I paid £500 for this last year, so am surprised it has gone up so much' and seeing if they will come down on price, and doing what I think the OP wants to do, which is tell the company that she has been quoted £500 this year, and hoping the company will honour it, as they honoured their misquote last year.

The first is haggling, the second is telling an outright lie.

a7mints · 19/10/2016 12:28

You might call it a little white lie, the law would call it fraud.

wasonthelist · 19/10/2016 12:30

a holiday is hardly an essential thing.

According to a lot of posters on here, you'd imagine it's only a step away from being made a legal requirement !

pipsqueak25 · 19/10/2016 12:48

mention last year and they will tell you to jog on when they find it was a mistake. that was probably a real error but it won't wash this time, it's highly unlikely they will give you a discount as they'd lose money, if everyone did that.

ZuleikaDobson · 19/10/2016 12:49

Is it a popular venue? If so, forget it. If you don't want to pay £700, they will have customers who are quite happy to do so.

eatsleephockeyrepeat · 19/10/2016 12:54

Yeah, not the best way to go about it OP, but that's not to say you couldn't get the price down!

Assuming OP is in UK, prices are not quoted as an opening shot with haggle margin built in.

Um.... actually a lot of the time they are, particularly if the price is provided as a quote. Haggle away!

Do you lot all just accept your car insurance renewals every year then??

Scribblegirl · 19/10/2016 12:58

There are lots of things I haggle on - I'm currently slicing the best part of £100 off a group taxi booking because why accept the first price?

This is lying though and just likely to piss them off.

PamBagnallsGotACollage · 19/10/2016 13:05

Some people seem confused- the OP isn't planning to say another holiday company offered her a better deal elsewhere and ask if they can match it. The first post seems to be saying she is wondering if she can lie about a quote from the company on their website and hoping they'll honour her imaginary quote.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 19/10/2016 13:08

Scribble is right - haggling is fine, lying is not.

eatsleephockeyrepeat · 19/10/2016 13:09

Some people seem confused- the OP isn't planning to say another holiday company offered her a better deal elsewhere and ask if they can match it.

Aren't posters suggesting she do that instead? ...what with making up an imaginary quote being a terrible idea and all. Obviously only works if there actually are comparable holidays for less out there.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 19/10/2016 13:09

Oh - and I am not a lawyer, so I am sure someone more learned will correct me if I am wrong, but isn't lying to obtain a financial advantage fraud?

It is certainly unethical.

PamBagnallsGotACollage · 19/10/2016 13:17

Eatsleep, some are but other replies have seemed to be saying 'the OP is only saying she's had a better quote, can they match it.'

eatsleephockeyrepeat · 19/10/2016 13:19

Gotcha Pam.

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