Don't pay sticker price

June 22, 6:20 PMConsumer News ExaminerBroderick Perkins

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Talk up a good bargain

Go ahead, haggle.

"Haggle" is the Great Recession's new household word.

Bargain shop until you drop.

When you haggle for a lower price, you have more than an 8 in 10 chance of getting what you asked for.

Excellent odds you can get salesperson to see things your way.

From April 30 to May 3 this year, a Consumer Reports "Haggling Poll" surveyed more than 1,000 households and found among hagglers:

• 83 percent were accommodated with a cheaper hotel rate.
• 81 percent connected to a reduced cell phone bill and dressed for less.
• 79 percent struck gold on jewelry discounts.
• 78 percent drove off the lot with a car deal or flew for less.
• 75 percent cleaned up on an appliance purchase.
• 71 percent plugged into an electronics bargain or moved on a furniture markdown.
• 62 percent paid fewer credit-card fees.
• 58 percent felt good about a smaller medical bill.

It's no wonder more than 66 percent of Americans have tried to beg, cajole and wheedle a salesperson for a better price in the past six months.

"Now is not the time to be shy. It may feel awkward to ask the salesperson for a discount, but it's more important than ever to make the most of your money," said Greg Daugherty, Consumer Reports executive editor.

Available only to subscribers, Consumer Reports' "Rebuild Your Finances" section tells how it's done.

Here are a half-dozen tips, on the cheap.

1. Don't "Bogart." Be patient and be nice. Smile.

2. Watch your timing. Use beginning and end times. Late in the month, evening or early hours are prime times for clerks to have time to talk.

3. Don't make a scene. Sales people don't want to  give everyone a deal, nor made a spectacle of.

4. Comparison shop. You can't know how hard you can haggle if you don't know the going price for a given item. Research competitors prices for a negotiating edge.

5. Cash talks. Credit card transaction fees range from 2 percent to 8 percent.

6. Don't be afraid to walk. The ability to walk away to another merchant is a persuasive tool. And, if you walk the walk, you might just get called back.