Absolutely right Jessica, this was not a post intended to send people to stores with a mission to create havoc or be impolite in any way. Most sales clerks who aren't managers in larger stores don't have discretionary authority to give a discount, and shouldn't be hassled for it. If the discount you are asking for isn't because of defective merchandise or a price reduction refund, ask for the manager.

The smaller the store, the easier it is to get a discount too. Please also note that I'm not talking about bargaining or haggling (which you can certainly do - it's not quite my style)....it's simply asking for a discount and seeing what they say. The golden rules of negotiation are to have the other person state a number first, and that's what you are doing. Ask for the discount, then see what they say.

And Clancy, I'll see if I can work on that post for you. The dialogue will obviously differ depending on the person you are in front of, but if specific examples would be helpful, I'll give it my best.

The moral of the story, folks, is just to ask. Be nice about it, and ask. You never know what will happen.