These days, hagglers have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
From coffee shops to electronic stores to restaurants, merchants across the city say they’re more willing than ever to negotiate prices with their customers.
A Post reporter saved nearly $35 over the course of one day by bargaining at every turn.
At Starbucks, a bar ista was willing to shave 25 percent off the price of a $4.20 caramel macchiato without batting an eye.
At Best Buy, a salesman agreed to take $10 off the price of a $199 Panasonic portable DVD player, even though after conducting a Web search, he could not find the item for sale anywhere else at a lower price.
At the salad/sandwich chain Cosi, the manager wanted to know why a customer wanted a 10 percent discount. When told it’s because she was trying to save money, he agreed to cut $1.41, or 10 percent, off the price of a TBM sandwich and a barbecue pizza.
Sometimes merchants are willing to extend employee discounts or other special offers to those who normally do not qualify.
At the Cornelia Street Café in the Village, the 20 per cent discount for starving artists, known as the “Art ist’s Card,” is nor mally intended solely for struggling poets, writers, musicians and the like. But the restaurant was will ing to give struggling non- artists the bene fit of the doubt – once, anyway, offering a 20 percent reduction on a $50 meal.
But some stores absolutely refuse to negotiate.
A Victoria’s Secret saleswoman balked at giving the 10 percent employee discount to a non-employee.
“Why would you get 10 percent?” she asked.
Similarly, several salons and spas also declined to offer a spontaneous discount.
At Dashing Diva spa, the manager refused to give 10 percent off a $15 manicure.
At Aspa, one saleswoman laughed out loud at the request – 10 percent off a $15 manicure.
And forget cab drivers.
“This is a taxi. There are no discounts,” one cabby said.