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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Negotiating a better price.

27 replies

Cantleave · 20/01/2022 10:24

Last year I got a new kitchen via Wickes. The price they first quoted was too high, so I told the salesperson I couldn’t afford it. She then offered a discount, which was also more than I was willing to pay, so I said we would leave it just now. The salesperson then offered another discount, then a Manager’s discount, so we ended up ordering the kitchen from them. We genuinely had a budget and wouldn’t have bought from Wickes, or anywhere else, unless the kitchen we wanted was within that budget.

Earlier this week my bil announced that he was getting a new kitchen from Wickes as well. I asked him if he had got it at a good price and he just looked at me as if I was stupid and asked what I meant. I told him how we had negotiated a lower price and he went nuts at me!! He said that he didn’t think you could negotiate and just either bought at price quoted or didn’t buy. He is now not speaking to me, as I should have told him that you can negotiate lower prices.

Was I being unfair not telling him that I had negotiated a higher discount, when I ordered my new kitchen? For info, he is 5 years older than me and I didn’t know he was going to get a new kitchen as he hadn’t told me!

OP posts:
Isonthecase · 20/01/2022 10:27

Best make sure you tell him about every discount you've ever got and how just in case. Think he'll give up after a few days of 'there are yellow stickers on apples in Tesco, don't forget you can get them cheaper that way!'

BigYellowHat · 20/01/2022 10:27

Tough luck. You can negotiate anywhere. I negotiated in Bensons for Beds and got an extra £220 of the sales price just by asking.

delilahbucket · 20/01/2022 10:28

Surely everyone knows with these types of places there's a lot of wiggle room in the prices? Don't ask, don't get.

Scout2016 · 20/01/2022 10:32

Whatever you do don't tell him about the MN Christmas bargains and referrals thread OP, we'll get burned as conspiring witches.

I am shot at actual negotiating in real life though.

FreedomFaith · 20/01/2022 10:36

Is he usually this moronic? God help his partner.

Cantleave · 20/01/2022 10:40

@Scout2016

Whatever you do don't tell him about the MN Christmas bargains and referrals thread OP, we'll get burned as conspiring witches.

I am shot at actual negotiating in real life though.

I got over £2k off the price of the first quote (which was supposedly 20% off) for my kitchen. So definitely worth negotiating!
OP posts:
sorryiasked · 20/01/2022 10:41

He's a numpty. We got a quote from wickes once, a soon as we said we were getting a quote from elsewhere they discounted it, and by the time I got home they'd emailed a further discount. Think they tried twice more after that but was still more expensive than howdens!

Coffeeholix · 20/01/2022 10:44

Of course YANBU. Surely he’s just mad at himself for having paid way more than he needed to. Everyone knows there’s always room to negotiate, if he’s 5 years older than you he’s only got himself to blame.

Cantleave · 20/01/2022 10:47

@FreedomFaith

Is he usually this moronic? God help his partner.
Yes, he is this moronic. He thinks he is so much better than everyone else and thought that he had made a great deal at getting the supposedly 20% off (not that they put that on to take it off)! 🤷🏼‍♀️
OP posts:
MoiraNotRuby · 20/01/2022 10:48

I imagine he is understandably cross with himself & embarrassed, and unreasonably taking it out on you.

I know my normal life skills have gone to pot thanks to the pandemic and ending my terrible marriage. I would find it quite daunting to buy a new kitchen and would then hate someone telling me I had 'done it wrong' so my advice now is just to avoid the subject from now on...

traintraveller · 20/01/2022 10:51

If I knew my friend or relative was going to get a quote for a big purchase from a supplier that I had haggled successfully with of course I would let them know. Why wouldn't you?

Coffeeholix · 20/01/2022 10:53

@traintraveller because the op didn’t know.

MatildaTheCat · 20/01/2022 10:56

MIL used to negotiate in John Lewis Grin

Cantleave · 20/01/2022 10:57

He says he going to phone up and cancel unless he gets a deal like I did. I don’t know how easy this will be, as the kitchen was ordered last year (just haven’t seen him since) and due for installation next week, plus he has taken out their finance.

OP posts:
GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 20/01/2022 11:00

Dickhead!

I have a feeling he can’t bear that a woman got a better deal than him.

I’m terrible at negotiating so well done you.

Cantleave · 20/01/2022 11:00

@traintraveller

If I knew my friend or relative was going to get a quote for a big purchase from a supplier that I had haggled successfully with of course I would let them know. Why wouldn't you?
As I said in my opening post, “I didn’t know he was going to get a new kitchen as he hadn’t told me!”
OP posts:
Mosaic123 · 20/01/2022 11:04

My Dad tried to negotiate in Harrods when I was a child. Credit cards had just come in (1970s) and he offered the salesman cash instead for a sofa. He said no so he used his credit card for the first time ever.

Cantleave · 20/01/2022 11:05

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

Dickhead!

I have a feeling he can’t bear that a woman got a better deal than him.

I’m terrible at negotiating so well done you.

Thank you. When buying large items I just set a budget and won’t spend more than this as that’s the maximum I can afford!
OP posts:
DrinkFeckArseBrick · 20/01/2022 11:21

So he wanted you to give him advice or answer a question on something he hadnt actually told you or asked you about? I'd ask him if he realises that's what he is actually asking you for!

BrightYellowDaffodil · 20/01/2022 11:26

@Cantleave

He says he going to phone up and cancel unless he gets a deal like I did. I don’t know how easy this will be, as the kitchen was ordered last year (just haven’t seen him since) and due for installation next week, plus he has taken out their finance.
Well, he can demand all he likes but if he's contractually bound then it's unlikely they'll budge on price after he's committed.

Your BIL sounds like a dick.

Sd352 · 20/01/2022 11:30

My brother negotiated a discount on Gucci shoes at Selfridges — the only ones in his size were the floor model, which were in perfectly good nick, but we managed to get them to knock off a substantial amount by just asking because they were floor models. I was impressed — would never have thought to do it.

TibetanTerrah · 20/01/2022 11:37

He feels stupid and is now not only blaming you but he's going to make himself look a total fool going back to Wickes Grin

"Thats a shame BIL, you'll know for next time Halo "

NewPapaGuinea · 20/01/2022 11:48

What an idiot.

WomanStanleyWoman · 20/01/2022 12:20

As I said in my opening post, “I didn’t know he was going to get a new kitchen as he hadn’t told me!”

Oh come on, OP. This is Mumsnet - when does not having read the opening post properly ever stop people from commenting?

FreedomFaith · 20/01/2022 13:33

@traintraveller

If I knew my friend or relative was going to get a quote for a big purchase from a supplier that I had haggled successfully with of course I would let them know. Why wouldn't you?
Oh dear lord..
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