How to shop when no prices are listed

[IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut]

A big pet-peeve of mine that has either led to me paying more than I wanted or walking away with nothing. So.. 

 

Do you ask the price of each item you want to buy before you go to check out?

How do you say no (that's too expensive), kindly? 

Does it make you more inclined to shop online where prices are clear?

[jbb]

If prices aren't posted, I go elsewhere.  

 

A local store owner here has admitted to pricing based on things like how frequently you visit the store,  to the kind of car you drive.  I quit going there once I heard him say that. 

[jservedio]

If you know what a good price should be for what you are looking at, enjoy haggling, and aren't afraid to walk out, you can do really well. We have one store like this by me and I bother the owner for every single piece I think looks remotely nice to ask for a price and haggle him on everything. Sometimes I get a good price, most of the time I walk away. I enjoy waking around the space he pays for and his beautiful tanks, so if he enjoys running his business that way, who am I to stop him? I'll gladly waste his time looking for a steal. He screws everyone who doesn't know what they are looking for or who is too timid to ask for a price before getting to the register.

 

If this isn't the type of place you think you would enjoy, stay away because they will rip you off if they can.

[IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut]

55 minutes ago, jbb_00 said:

If prices aren't posted, I go elsewhere.  

 

A local store owner here has admitted to pricing based on things like how frequently you visit the store,  to the kind of car you drive.  I quit going there once I heard him say that. 

 

25 minutes ago, jservedio said:

If you know what a good price should be for what you are looking at, enjoy haggling, and aren't afraid to walk out, you can do really well. We have one store like this by me and I bother the owner for every single piece I think looks remotely nice to ask for a price and haggle him on everything. Sometimes I get a good price, most of the time I walk away. I enjoy waking around the space he pays for and his beautiful tanks, so if he enjoys running his business that way, who am I to stop him? I'll gladly waste his time looking for a steal. He screws everyone who doesn't know what they are looking for or who is too timid to ask for a price before getting to the register.

 

If this isn't the type of place you think you would enjoy, stay away because they will rip you off if they can.

I had a feeling about this 😞 

I am definitely no haggler and I don’t know ‘designer’ zoas well enough.

How fair do you think a:

purple blasto with 3 new heads 

mandarin orange zoas (2 heads)

and rasta zoas (~5 heads)

for $100 is?

[mcarroll]

Are you talking about a brick and mortar store that sells stuff without prices on it?

 

A) Yes that's weird

B) Find another place

 

Haggling is for garage sales and used car lots. 

[IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut]

1 minute ago, mcarroll said:

Are you talking about a brick and mortar store that sells stuff without prices on it?

 

A) Yes that's weird

B) Find another place

 

Haggling is for garage sales and used car lots. 

Well today I literally (unknowingly) went into this guys garage. But I have been to proper stores that also rarely list prices too; probably more than that do have prices listed.

[mcarroll]

1 minute ago, IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut said:

Well today I literally (unknowingly) went into this guys garage.

In that case it's to be expected that no prices would be listed – it's a garage sale.  👍

 

In that situation I'd make offers in the $10-$50 range in most cases, depending a little on frag/colony size.....but then tell me one place that isn't cashing in on the booger-frag fad.  EVERYONE seems to be selling boogers these days. So $10-$50 should cover it in most cases.

[IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut]

3 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

In that case it's to be expected that no prices would be listed – it's a garage sale.  👍

 

In that situation I'd make offers in the $10-$50 range in most cases, depending a little on frag/colony size.....but then tell me one place that isn't cashing in on the booger-frag fad.  EVERYONE seems to be selling boogers these days. So $10-$50 should cover it in most cases.

You mean to offer $10-$50 for everything or $10-$50 off from the total?

and if you like boogers, wait till you hear about the current pandemic

[mcarroll]

$10-$50 per frag....with the caveats I mentioned.

[AquaVaj]

There's a LFS here that don't list prices for their corals. It's a PITA when you're set on going out and buying corals that day but have to ask for every piece you might be interested in. Some of the reviews of the place just confirms my suspicion on why they do it. It's so they can price them depending on the buyer. I still check out their fish but don't bother with their corals. I feel they're overpriced anyways.

 

I found another LFS that has a better selection and everything is divided into price groups with each group clearly marked. The owner seems like a cool guy too.

[mcarroll]

38 minutes ago, AquaVaj said:

Some of the reviews of the place just confirms my suspicion on why they do it. It's so they can price them depending on the buyer.

Don't walk in asking then.  Walk in telling.  Offer $10-$50 (or what you think makes sense) for what you want...make them say no if they want to price-gouge or they just want  to keep their frags.

 

...or shop elsewhere. 😉 Whatever seems like the best option.

[Snow_Phoenix]

Haggling is actually pretty common here. But you need to know how to do it, when to do it, and understand that each store is different, and subject to whoever you're dealing with for the day. All my LFSes have a set price for fish *but not *exactly for corals. 🤐

 

If you don't know the value of what you're looking at, you *can get ripped off, but most of the stores know me very well by now, so I just haggle the old-fashioned way. Basically I do this:

 

Me: Oh, this brain coral looks nice. It's a lobo is it? Two colors?

LFS: Yes, but it can color up better, I think. 

Me: *starts asking more questions regarding *that* lobo, including where it came from, request permission to take a pic, discuss how to feed it/take good care of it etc. (although I already know all of this - the point is to start a conversation/discussion, show you're interested/serious etc.)

 

....

 

And eventually I ask the price directly. 

LFS: It's $100. (Example)

Me: Your best price? Any discount?

LFS: $90.

Me: $80?

LFS: *laughs* Too low, sorry. 

Me: $85 can? 

LFS: *thinks* $87. 

Me: *smiles* Deal. Can pay now? 

LFS: Yes. *rushes off to pack coral*

 

Truthfully, I call the store in advance before coming in. Mainly to know who I'll be dealing with for the day. Because the workers and managers offer a varying range of discounts for different things, and some people are easier to haggle with/talk to over others. 

 

Establishing a good rapport with the store helps too. It's how I've managed to pick up some fairly large LPS colonies over the years, even though I'm technically a budget reefer. 👍

[Wingy]

If the prices aren't marked I ask, if I don't like the price given I don't buy.  I know what I am willing to pay.  High end corals or something with high needs is not for me.