When you’re shopping for a new mattress, keep this in mind: you’re the one planning to shell out big bucks, so you have the upper hand in any negotiation. Use it!
Here are our steps to out-negotiating the salesperson:
- Shop around. Visit several stores, try out several mattresses, and make a note of the ones you like (including manufacturer, make, model, coil count, material, product number and price). Beware of pushy salespeople who follow you around or tell you there’s a “one day only” sale (which is rarely true). Tell them you are just looking and you’ll let them know if you need help (so you can shop around hassle-free).
- Check online: Whether or not you buy online, it’s a great resource to do some quick comparison shopping to find the best price. To find a deal, start with the online clearance sections of the big department stores like Macy’s and Sears. Also checkout online/direct retailers like Mattress.com, and Overstock.com. Then read mattress ratings & reviews before buying.
- Negotiate the price: When you’ve decided on the mattress for you: negotiate. Like buying a car, there is almost always room for negotiation when buying a mattress. Aim for a huge discount, say 70%-80% off, but don’t settle for less than 50%. There are plenty of easy tactics you can use. For example, bring a partner and try the “good-cop/bad-cop” tactic, where one of you
likes the bed but the other says it’s way too expensive. If one retailer
won’t negotiate, try another. There’s rarely a sale price that won’t be
there tomorrow. Saying “no” and leaving the store can be a powerful
negotiating tactic. - Negotiate for “extras”: After you have the price you want, then ask for free delivery and setup, and free haul away of your old mattress. Don’t ask for that up-front, or the salesperson will use it as an excuse not to lower the price.
- Defend yourself against extra fees: Once you have the price & package you want, be on guard against any extra fees they might try to add on. And check the guarantee, return and warranty policies before buying.
Just remember, you’ve got the upper hand. And if something doesn’t feel right, just stop and leave–you can always try
again another day!
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A LOZO expert posted this tip. |