Beyond car dealers: Economy lets you negotiate at department stores, jewellers

NEW YORK - You've done it at the car dealership, the flea market and the garage sale. But what about the department store or the jeweller?

These days, you can haggle on almost anything, anywhere, says Susan Spencer, executive editor for All You magazine. "Everything is negotiable," she said. "In this economy, it's definitely a buyer's market."

Some places to try:

Boutiques: Buying several pieces in a small boutique? Ask the owners if they can give you a discount, said Brandi Savitt, co-founder of Fabulous&Frugal (fabandfru.com).

"You walk in and say, 'I love this store. I come here all the time. I'm going to tell my friends about it,"' said Savitt. "You're buying three scarves in three different colours, I think it's totally appropriate to say, 'Is there any discount?"'

Cable company: Bundling cable, Internet and phone is a no-brainer. If you've done so and are still getting new customer offers in the mail, ask the company if you can get a discount also, said Sara Noel of frugalvillage.com. It's easy to switch from cable to satellite television these days, she said.

No luck there? See if you get a trial period for premium channels, said Anne-Marie O'Neill, deputy editor of Real Simple magazine.

Cell phone company: Negotiate your contract before it's almost up, said O'Neill. Tell the company, "'I am going to start looking for better deals, what can you give me to stay?"'

The company will be thinking, "'How can we keep this person?"' she said.

Department stores: While you may not be able to get a discount on clothes or accessories, there's some wiggle room when it comes to big ticket items such as washers and dryers, dishwashers, furniture and televisions, said O'Neill.

The trick is talking to the right person - a manager as opposed to a sales clerk. Ask, "can you give me a better price?" she said.

If the store has regular sales, ask for a percentage discount in line with the discounts that the store usually offers, O'Neill said. With clothes, O'Neill suggests asking when the next sale is scheduled. Often a store will call to alert you when an item you were eyeing is on sale.

Be sure to ask for a discount on damaged items or floor models, said Karen Hoxmeier, founder of mybargainbuddy.com. She said she once got a television for half off because it was missing a remote. If the discount isn't deep enough, ask if the store will throw in an extended warranty, said Noel, who has a syndicated Frugal Living column.

Health clubs: You may not be able to negotiate a better price at a health club (it would be unfair for one member to pay one thing and another something much cheaper), but you can ask for more, said Kevin Laferriere, president of Lifestyle Family Fitness, which has 55 locations in four states.

"'Could I try tanning for a month? I don't have racket ball on my membership, can I try that for a month?"' he said. Perhaps the club can give you free personal training sessions with a membership or coupons for free smoothies at their cafe.

Hotels: Rock-bottom rates and free room upgrades are regular offers these days, said Travelocity's senior editor, Genevieve Shaw Brown. If you're at the check-in desk, you're more likely to successfully negotiate for an upgrade as opposed to a different rate than what you agreed to pay, she said.