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Comment by rokhayakebe | Hacker News Reader

This is me at a used car dealership Wednesday, the 1st.

HIM: $13,999

ME: $9,500

HIM: Oh no no no no.(click click click - on his computer). Ok ok, this is what I can do for you $13,499. I take blah blah

.... 5 minutes later ...

HIM: Ok $10,000 and that is my final.

ME: $9,500.

In the end I didn't buy it. It's just amazing how we shaved $4000 off in less than 5 minutes. This industry needs to be regulated.

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That doesn't sound like a negotiation.... if you had started at $9,000 and come up $500 at the end you might have gotten it.

But why? It's the same number in the end. Is my willingness to play this type of game worth $500 to the sales person?

I completely agree with your type of thinking. I've always thought the negotiation game ($9500 + $0 != $9000 + $500), while sensible from a psychological perspective, is downright silly. I'd probably act the same as rokhayakebe. Sure, it isn't a negotiation, but perhaps I don't need to negotiate. If I've got a price and I'm settled on it, we may as well get down to business. After all, my time is worth something as well, and six-hour battles at car dealerships sound like a waste of it to me.

It shows good faith. It shows your willingness to negotiate.

You can go through life upset that the world doesn't work the way it "should" - you can even refuse to participate like the original poster. But you will generally have a worse outcome, so is it worth it? Why not play along, just a little?

Same thing goes for: dressing up (why should it matter if I'm in a suit?), sending thank yous (why should it matter if I already said thank you?), and just about any other social grace.

I don't think this matters as much when dealing with a professional negotiator. He has less feeling involved.

With a private party, I agree with you.

I am the WORST negotiator one earth. I learned that a long time ago, hence I go in with what I have in mind and I do not budge.

I'll tell you something. Next time I am negotiating I will start HIGH and go LOW. It won't work, but I would love to see the face of the sales guy.

You confuse negotiation with compromise. They're not the same thing.

> This industry needs to be regulated.

Ask Tesla how that's going for them.

Interestingly, I have a friend who works at a used car dealership. She did a report and their average profit is $4500 per car.

Maybe you took all his play out of it, and he really needed the $500 to make the deal.

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