Time to Negotiate

The one thing that I have found during this economic downturn is that you have a lot more leverage when it comes to negotiating price on just about anything. I recently got an oil change and the person changing my oil did the usual routine by stating what I need done; new wiper blades, cabin air filter, and regular air filter. I stated I did not want to spend all that money right now and then he asked; what if I take $15 off the total. I went for it.

Many people I talk to are calling their cable/satellite provider to cancel HBO or HD. The companies are offering the services free for 6 months or so if you do not cancel. I imagine the logic is that if they let customers cancel those services, the customer will realize they can live without HD and not turn the service back on.

If you know you have a high credit score, now is a great time to call your credit card company and ask for a lower rate. The fact that they are only lending to people with better than average credit, puts you in a category with few others. Credit card companies are now going after a smaller pool of applicants, which makes you a very valuable customer. Ask for a better deal or shop around for one.

It is hard to find anything good about the current state of our economy but as I find trends like the ones above I will let you know.

Have you been able to negotiate a better price or deal or something that in the past you thought not possible? Let us know.