Latest news with #haggling
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Why Enzo Maresca may be forced to throw Estevao, 18, into the Chelsea first team: 'Telepathic' understanding with star team mate and comparisons with club legend have made wonderkid impossible to ignore
Outside of Stamford Bridge, all along the pavements of Fulham Road, the merch stalls were selling scarves featuring the faces of Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, , Joao Pedro, Moises Caicedo, even and . Given Jackson is up for sale this month and Silva is no longer at Chelsea, you might have nabbed theirs for less than the advertised £20 with a little haggling.
Wall Street Journal
07-08-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Would You Haggle Over the Price of Wine in a Restaurant? I Gave It a Go.
A reader once wrote to tell me he had tried bargaining with a sommelier at a restaurant over the price of a wine—something I've never thought to do. I had to wonder: Is it ever actually possible to cut such a deal? I asked a number of sommeliers, and while none reported having haggled with diners over the price of a bottle, many described great bargains they're offering this month and in some cases beyond. It seems that the dog days of August are also the deal days for oenophiles.
The Sun
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Top firms to haggle with revealed by Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert to cut hundreds off broadband and insurance bills
HAGGLING could save you hundreds of pounds on bills, and Martin Lewis says it's a strategy everyone should try. The founder of said haggling is fair, allowed, and effective, especially after your contract ends. A recent poll by the website revealed the top companies for successful haggling. Martin said: "Our new haggling poll has just closed - we had almost 5,000 hagglers voting on where they'd succeeded at haggling, and whether they rated it a big or small saving. "The results are gobsmacking." AA Breakdown ranked highest, with 87% of customers successfully negotiating better deals, followed by Virgin Media and RAC Breakdown, both at 84% Meanwhile Hastings Direct came with a 77% success rate, Admiral and TalkTalk with 75%, AA Insurance at 74%, Green Flag at 73%, Sky Mobile and NOW at 72%. The key to haggling success is knowing the market value of services and asking companies to match or beat it. Martin said: "Breakdown cover, broadband & TV, mobile, and car & home insurance providers are the fab four. "With all of them, the most important first step is to benchmark a realistic quote you can ask 'em to match or beat." "The aim of haggling in these sectors is all about keeping the exact service you have (or bettering it) and paying less. "There's no point if you're within contract - they have you trapped. So wait until you're no longer locked in." Cut car insurance costs and save money What are the four haggle sectors? Breakdown cover - average 81% success Broadband and TV - average 69% success Car and home insurance - average 62% success Mobiles - average 58% success How do you haggle like a pro? To get started, timing is key. Wait until your contract is about to end or has already expired as trying to haggle while locked into a contract rarely works. Once you're ready, plan your pitch. Be polite and confident - whether it's saying "I like your service, but it's too expensive", or pointing out rival companies offering cheaper deals. Knowing the market value of the service you're paying for is crucial, so benchmark realistic quotes beforehand. Use comparison websites like MoneySuperMarket and Uswitch to find the best deals and use these prices when negotiating. Martin Lewis said that charm is your best tool. He said: "Channel your charm, holster hostility. You've no right to a better deal, only to leave, so always be amiable - think of it as a form of financial flirtation - you want to win them to your side, not fight them" However, if you don't get anywhere, ask to cancel your service. Customer retention teams, often called "disconnections" departments, have more power to offer discounts in a bid to keep you. Martin said that many people report receiving better offers after giving notice to leave. Take Jan's story, for example. She emailed to say: "Our Virgin bill had crept up to £80 a month, so as we neared our contract end, we got quotes from competitors and approached Virgin. "After turning down three offers, we got our bill reduced to £51 a month, saving £348 a year. "Now we're going away for a week on our savings." If your first attempt at haggling fails, don't give up. Martin recommends trying again a few days later, as the call centre may have hit its discount quota for the day or you may get a more helpful agent. Ultimately, Martin said: "If you're overpaying and can get it cheaper elsewhere, it's time to consider ditching and switching and trying someone else." How do I check if you're out of contract? BEING tied into a contract can limit your ability to find better deals or negotiate lower prices. However, once you're out of contract, you're free to shop around or haggle for savings. Not sure where you stand? Here's how to check for insurance, breakdown cover, mobile, broadband, and TV services. Breakdown cover: Log in to your account or check your renewal notice. Breakdown cover typically lasts for 12 months. Broadband: Review your bill or contact your provider. Contracts often last 12–24 months, and being out of contract may mean you're on a rolling monthly plan. Insurance: Review your policy documents or contact your insurer directly. Most policies renew annually, so check the renewal date to confirm if you're still tied to the contract. Mobile: Check your monthly bill or log into your provider's app/account. If you're paying for a handset, the contract usually ends after 24 months. You can also text "INFO" followed by your date of birth (DDMMYY) to 85075. TV: Look at your account details or speak to your provider. TV contracts often align with broadband contracts, lasting 12–24 months.
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Doing this can help reduce your car insurance by hundreds of pounds
A survey by consumer group Which? revealed that around six in 10 (59 per cent) of UK motorists successfully negotiated with their car insurer. Among those who haggled, 61 per cent secured a reduction on their renewal quote, with some savings exceeding £200 and an average annual saving of £64. While nearly half of drivers experienced premium increases at renewal, vulnerable customers faced greater difficulty in the haggling process, often needing to change policies for lower prices. Which? questioned the fairness of initial insurance offers, suggesting that many customers might be overpaying if they do not negotiate their renewal quotes. The Association of British Insurers attributed price variations to individual factors, while rules implemented in 2022 aim to ensure existing customers do not pay more than new ones for equivalent policies.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Some car insurance customers ‘shaving over £200 off renewal quotes by haggling'
Some car insurance customers have received discounts of more than £200 on their renewal quotes after haggling, Which? has found. The consumer group said the size of some discounts raises questions about some insurers offering fair value. Which? commissioned a survey of more than 2,000 people across the UK with car insurance, asking how, if at all, the cost of cover has changed since their last renewal. Around six in 10 (59%) said they haggled with their insurer, with most doing so over the phone. Three-fifths (61%) of those who contacted their insurer received a reduction to the original price offered. The average amount motorists that pay annually for cover saved per year was £64 – although some received much more sizeable reductions, with 5% of these people saying they were able to save more than £200 after haggling. Overall, nearly half (49%) of drivers noticed their premium go up at their last renewal, while a quarter (27%) saw a reduction. Nearly a quarter (23%) said it had not changed and 1% did not know. The survey also indicated that customers facing challenges at renewal – for example experiencing a difficult life event, a health condition, struggling to manage their finances, or lacking confidence or capability – appear to have a different experience of haggling than those who were not. Vulnerable customers were more likely to discuss their premium with their insurer, and these discussions led to price reductions at similar rates. But these customers were also more likely to have to change their policy to get the lower price and were less likely to say they found the process easy, according to Which? It said the Consumer Duty on financial firms sets out the expectation that consumers in vulnerable circumstances should experience outcomes as good as those for other customers. With some motorists receiving such hefty discounts after haggling, Which? believes there are 'serious questions' about whether the first offer from the insurer in some cases really represents fair value. It also said that with many people renewing without discussing the price, some customers may be paying over the odds. Sam Richardson, deputy editor of Which? Money, said: 'While some people may feel daunted by haggling with their insurer, this research underlines how it is worth doing for many consumers and is likely to be one of the most effective ways to cut the cost of your renewal.' The survey was carried out by Deltapoll in April and May. An Association of British Insurers (ABI) spokesperson said: 'Our members take their commitment to their customers and their regulatory requirements seriously. 'They consistently work hard to deliver dependable, high-quality products that provide genuine value. Variations between an initial online quote and a bespoke telephone offer often come down to a deeper dive into individual factors which may have changed from the previous policy – such as your vehicle's security measures, driving habits, level of cover and choice of voluntary excess. 'We'd always recommend shopping around to secure cover that truly meets your needs, not just based on price.' Whether to offer cover and at what price is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their risk appetite. In 2022, rules were implemented to end a 'loyalty penalty' paid by longstanding insurance customers. Under the rules, when existing home and motor insurance customers renew their insurance policy, the price charged by the insurance provider cannot be more expensive than the price that they charge an equivalent new customer for the equivalent policy. Here are some steps for haggling suggested by Which?: 1. If your insurer has increased its renewal price, ask it to justify the increase. 2. Then point out the lower prices you have found elsewhere, and ask your insurer if it can better those offers. 3. If it is not able to provide a better quote, state that you are willing to go elsewhere. If you have been a loyal customer for many years, it could be worth mentioning this. 4. If the insurer is not budging much on the premium but you would still like to stick with your provider, one option could be to ask for an add-on (such as breakdown cover) to be thrown in. Just make sure that it is worth it.
