Can't afford it? Haggle!Follow

Haggling over price is alive and well in electronics stores in America.

Yesterday, we walked into an HH Gregg and walked out with a 40" TV, a 5 year warranty, an HDMI cable, and a surge suppressor for just $200 more of the advertised price of the TV by itself.

Today, I walked into Best Buy, spoke with a manager, and walked off with a DVI to HDMI cable for half off.

The tricks:

1. Competitor's ads: Most stores will price match ads. You bring in a sales ad for a rival store with a price that is roundabout the same as the store you're in, and negotiate lower. Ask if there's anything they can throw in to sweeten the deal.

2. Know your prices: Know what you can get for the same price online. Take into account that online stores don't have to pay for store overhead costs and the shipping difference. However, something you buy in the store should NEVER cost more than double a like or comparable model online, and store managers know it. They wanted four times the price for the off-brand of the DVI to HDMI cable, and when I griped about it to customer service, the manager told me to name my price. So I did - $20, half of what they were asking for but twice what I could get for it online. She agreed. I walked out with a cable.

3. If the sales guys don't have the authority to negotiate, talk to a manager. They usually do.

4. Don't push too hard. Your final offer should be, "If you give me this, I will buy it today." Honor that commitment. At the end of the day, the dude wants to make the sale. If you back out after he's made a ton of concessions, you look like a cheapskate, and you ruin the negotiating process for other people.