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

[Joolsy]

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?

What just because people don't agree with blatant lying?

No. Because you think the OP is at risk of being arrested for what she proposes.

I must be very morally corrupt because I don't see an ethical issue with this. I wouldn't do it because it obviously won't work... but morally? No problem.

I'd just call and say I only have £X to spend, can you lower it any further?

I must be very morally corrupt because I don't see an ethical issue with this. I wouldn't do it because it obviously won't work... but morally? No problem.

It's not a moral issue because the OP is not going to get anywhere, anyone in a customer-facing role will be trained in dealing with this. It's more embarrassing than anything else - the agent will have the size of her and won't be as accommodating.

Exactly, MuseumOfCurry.

If you don't ask... you won't know. But don't be surprised if they say no.

Niiice.

Zoe - there is nothing morally wrong with what you suggest - ringing up and negotiating in an attempt to get a better price - that is just common sense - but what the OP is suggesting is that she tells an outright lie, to try to get the better price.

How is lying not unethical, in this situation?

When a cowboy builder lies about the work that needs doing on a house, to con the houseowner into having unnecessary, expensive work done - that is unethical, clearly. So how is it ethical for an individual to lie, to get a financial advantage?

When a cowboy builder lies about the work that needs doing on a house, to con the houseowner into having unnecessary, expensive work done - that is unethical, clearly. So how is it ethical for an individual to lie, to get a financial advantage?

I don't think you could have found a worse comparison.

I would have thought it obvious that a licensed, bonded professional is bound by industry ethical conduct standards in a way that someone buying a holiday package is not.

Yes, the holiday buyer is not bound by industry ethical standards - but what about human ethical standards?

Is it OK for an individual to lie, to a company or to another individual, in order to gain a financial advantage? I don't think it is.

When a cowboy builder lies about the work that needs doing on a house, to con the houseowner into having unnecessary, expensive work done - that is unethical, clearly. So how is it ethical for an individual to lie, to get a financial advantage?

I think you've got that a bit arse about face.
Surely the 'unethical' part is not for the OP to gain financial advantage, but for the travel agent to suffer financial loss as a result of having to discount the holiday.
Or else by your reasoning, everyone who has ever got a discount after saying 'I can't afford to pay that much' is also immoral if that had but a penny more in their account than the price being proposed.

But as I said upthread, there is no obligation on the part of the travel agent to beat any price.
If they do, they are merely making OP an invitation to treat, which is based on a number of factors including whether or not they think she can get a better deal anywhere else
All this hand wringing about fraud and immorality is as hilarious as it is misinformed

Yes, the holiday buyer is not bound by industry ethical standards - but what about human ethical standards?

Being an 'unethical' consumer is pretty difficult these days. Sales contracts are based on transparent, verifiable inputs so there's little opportunity for either party to lie.

I'd reserve 'unethical' for something that's malicious and difficult to verify, e.g. claiming food poisoning at a restaurant. Extra unethical points for small businesses.

The holiday company is just going to ask for proof of the quote and shrug when she can't produce it. It's neither here nor there, it just doesn't matter.

A ) That's not little, and

B ) As senior management in another similar company, if it was thought that a member of staff has made a mistake and given you a lower quote, then they are often heavily penalised for it.

We all want to save money, but this isn't the right way to do it.

Yes, sparechange - I would say that the travel company suffering financial loss and the individual gaining financial advantage are the two sides of the same coin - and it is unethical to achieve them by lying.

I wouldn't get worked up about someone lying to pay a penny less for a holiday than they could afford - that would be daft.

B ) As senior management in another similar company, if it was thought that a member of staff has made a mistake and given you a lower quote, then they are often heavily penalised for it.

Surely you also have a policy that you only honour written quotes. Holiday companies cannot be run in such a way that customers call up and say 'someone quoted me £500, I'd like to book that rate please!' and you just book it.

But SDT, that's also two sides of the same coin

If financial gain from lying to a company is wrong, then saying 'can I have a discount, I can't afford to pay that', when what you mean is 'can I have a discount, I'd rather not pay that much' is immoral, because it is lying to get a discount.

But the reality is that the travel agent is a commercial organisation which can decide whether or not a sale is in its commercial interests at various price points. Inducing them to make a sale at a lower price point and lower profit margin isn't inherently immoral. The travel agent offering the holiday at the lower price isn't inherently bad commercial sense either

It is interesting how none of the people leaping on this as an example of 'fraud' and 'scamming' and all the other hyperbole haven't once mentioned OP booking last year's holiday at a discounted price despite knowing it was their mistake to offer the lower price.

Surely that is the same ballgame for the morality police? Causing financial loss through lying by omission?

Arghhhhh - now my head hurts, sparechange!!

I think we are arguing the same side - but I can't work that out, so I am going to withdraw. I will leave it by saying that yes, situations are nuanced and complicated, but in general, I try to be as honest as possible, and think that's the ethical path.

But you have bested me with your argument, so me and my headache are going to leave now, and have some lunch.

Sorry

Hey - don't worry sparechange! It's fine.

And I am sorry if I made you feel bad.

Museumofcurry.. spot on about the writtten quote policy too.

Think you're taking the piss.
You got a holiday cheaper last year ( which you were lucky they agreed to honour) and now you want to blatantly lie to get this years cheaper?
This is not haggling.
Haggling would be 'can we not get some money off, ***competitor has it cheaper' etc
Saying they've already given you a quote for £200 below asking price is just a big fat lie.