Hacker News Reader

Comment by lordnacho | Hacker News Reader

A hundred times this.

A guy I worked with figured out that you can negotiate everything, and did. He'd get pissed off at the bank charging him an overdraft fee and sit in the telephone queue to get his £20 back.

He took a cab on a business trip to Dubai, and the cabbie kept the meter going while filling up. He argued it and got the equivalent of 50p off.

He'd negotiate agreements with brokers and negotiate absolutely everything.

He pushed really hard on the partnership agreement.

In the end it was just toxic and people were turned off. You don't want to end up in a long conversation every time there's something to negotiate. It also makes everyone think you're going to be difficult.

View on HN

> In the end it was just toxic and people were turned off. You don't want to end up in a long conversation every time there's something to negotiate. It also makes everyone think you're going to be difficult.

this. i've been turned off by people when i've seen them push crazy contracts and generally have always believed that mutually beneficial relationships are based on both parties looking out for each other's best interests.

you should never have to haggle over money in any serious deal, having to do so is what they call a "big giant glowing red flag."

Would you maintain this perspective in a corporate setting when negotiating a raise with an employer?

yes, i don't want to have to "negotiate" raises. that is a waste of time and energy that is better spent finding an employer that will just handle it professionally.

You are definitely not getting paid enough.

Well, the cabbie leaving the meter running while filling up is more standing up for yourself and not being taken advantage of. That's a task that should have taken place before picking up a fare (that they wouldn't normally be compensated for that time).

Absolutely everything can be construed as "I can't let you screw me".

This is what made it toxic.

Pick your battles.

Depends on the perspective. I think a reasonable person would expect not to be charged for a stop that was in the control of the driver.

Most haggling/negotiating being discussed here isn't about getting screwed with an unexpected fee, but about getting a better price before purchasing a service/item. This would be an unexpected fee if the driver didn't disclose this.

No - a “reasonable” person wouldn’t be haggling over 50p because the driver stopped to get gas. I’ve never seen anyone - couldn’t even imagine it before I read this - reverse charging a driver because they stopped for gas on the way. Those are the kind of people the OP is talking about - what they’re doing is “technically” just standing up for their rights etc. But this person sounds extremely toxic to be around

Like in their example, 50p of cab meter charges is not much - I’m happy to have the cabbie keep it.

That's not much and many people might allow it. It's more about it being a surprise fee and delay.

Stopping for gas is a 50p “surprise fee” now :-D nice. And filling up the tank takes what - a couple mins? Smh

Did you have a point, or are you just violating HN policy?

My dude, I’m saying calling 50p a “surprise fee” is quite a stretch, and a couple minutes to fill up a tank isn’t a “delay”. What policy are you talking about - that I disagree with your summation? Didn’t know that was against the rules.

While technically true, I never mind such things.

Those cabbies are working-class people usually. They often have families, and need the extra money. All they get is usually a few extra dollars; which means a lot to them, but very little to us middle-class people, who would suffer no repercussions financially.

One could see the running meter as a form of a 'tip' or 'donation' - not everything has to be seen in the context of "being taken advantage of", which makes it very hard to live.

This is very different from surprise fees from banks and institutions, for which I can see how a person might feel taken advantage of.

Tips and donations are voluntary.

> One could see the running meter as a form of a 'tip' or 'donation'

Those ones piss me off the most, in this way you are rewarding cabs who do this and kind of penalizing the ones that don't. In that moment, I am doing 180 and no way I am going to give that person even a penny more than necessary.

Why would you tip someone who is doing the wrong thing by you? I know Americans have a broken viewpoint on this, but most of the world tip for good service. You're suggesting tipping for the opposite.

The worst example of this I ever encountered was people who would try to haggle with me when I worked at Staples.

Like dude I was a floor associate, not anywhere near someone who could change prices as listed.

Then, after multiple rounds of me insisting that the price was the price, my manager would come along and go "sure, we can give you a discount on that" and I look like a clown.

Negotiating takes time. Time is money...

Bank fees is absolutely something you can and should negotiate about. Late with a payment a day or two? Charged a fee? Call you bank, apologize and humbly ask for a fee to be waived. If you're a client in good standing, they're very likely to remove the fee. You just have to ask. Of course, if you abuse it, they can refuse, so do not ruin it.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com