When shopping, it’s pretty clear where is and isn’t an appropriate place to bargain with the sales assistants.
You don’t walk into Scanlan Theodore, for example, and ask if you can get a sweet deal on the ‘Ostrich Feather S/Less Jacket’. You just don’t. You either fork out the $1400 required, or you commit to a life that is Animal-Feather-Free forevermore.
It’s the same deal with the fancy children’s toy store, Adrienne & The Misses Bonney, in Sydney’s exclusive suburb of Double Bay.
Haven’t heard of Adrienne & The Misses Bonney? Well, in a snapshot, it’s a whole lotta ‘signature this’ and ‘hand-stitched that’ with price-tags that are worth more than my soul.
If that sounds like your tea and biscuit, this personalised stocking will be right up your alley…
But according to The Telegraph, when Vince Vaughn visited the expensive store with his wife Kyla and kids, Locklyn and Vernon this week, he didn’t seem to quite get the whole ‘this isn’t the Victorian markets’ memo.
To the absolute HORROR of the store’s owner, Ms Terry Berry, the Hollywood actor asked for her best price on a $1100 music box.
“What’s your best price on this?” The 45-year-old asked multiple times, eventually recieving a rather curt response from Ms Berry that the price would be reduced when he collected the duty on leaving the country.
Disappointed, Vaughn & Co. hightailed it outta there sans pricey music box.
So, what have we learned from this story?
- Being worth $50million doesn’t stop you from being a thrifty shopper, and, even more importantly…
- Ms Terry Berry = Queen Of Sass.
Watch Vince Vaughn discuss his daughter and her love of Frozen below.
Do you haggle in expensive boutiques?
Top Comments
He obviously thought, correctly, that it was the most ridiculous price ever for a music box and tried it on. Maybe he was just having a go at her (he is a comedian after all).
You shouldn't haggle in ANY Australian store. This is not S.E. Asia, or the souks in Morocco, this is Australia where prices in retail stores are firm - we Australians are not emotionally equipped to haggle. Get over it foreigners.
You can definitely ask for a "best price" at certain stores, for example white goods and antique stores. What's the harm in asking as long as you are polite and respectful even if you don't get the answer or the price you were hoping for?
Prices are not always firm though. If you go into JB-HiFi, for instance, and ask "what can you do for me on this item?", they can often give you a discount. Not on DVDs or smaller items but on electronics, they absolutely can and will. I bought a mobile phone from them at cost, just by asking. Plus, there are plenty of stores that price match.
Both those things are a bit different to what Vince tried but honestly, you don't know if you don't ask. There's nothing wrong with asking. He asked, she said no and he left when he realised she wasn't changing her mind. Big whoop.
Born and bred Australian here, and I haggle with some retailers, particularly in electrical and furniture stores. The Good Guys have even made it a focus of their marketing so it's definitely not just something done by "foreigners".