Lakeville Produce

4. Haggling Hints for ... Moving Services

When you start seeking quotes for movers, the shock can often be enough to make you think twice about relocating. But most people don't realize how much negotiating power they have, regardless of whether they're dealing with big or small moving companies, says Jacob Beckstead, marketing manager at Bailey's Moving & Storage in the Denver area.

Moving companies use different variables to come up with their quotes, but often this is more of an art than a science, says Beckstead. "Moving and storage services can often be negotiated in order to fit your particular budget—especially on such a major purchase," he says. "Even the major carriers with more scientific approaches wouldn't want to lose a sale over 5%."

The services most likely to be negotiable? When a salesperson comes to visit, Beckstead suggests haggling on the packing rates, box rates or hourly loading rates.

5. Haggling Hints for ... Medical Costs

You've gotten over an ailment, and just as you're feeling better, you get your doctor's bill—and it nearly sends you back to the emergency room. Often, consumers feel obligated to pay the bill as is, without realizing that the cost for many types of medical services or procedures isn't set in stone.

First, check that bill carefully—were you billed twice for the same procedure? Were your medical services improperly coded? Ferreting out billing errors could help lower your bill quickly. But if you're sure there are no mistakes, asking your doctor or hospital nicely for a discount could go a long way.

There are a "certain number of patients who never pay their bill, so they'd rather get something than nothing," Brodow says. When he was recently billed $1,800 for a minor lab test, he explained that his insurance wouldn't cover it and that he was older and semi-retired, and then asked if they could adjust the cost. Sure enough, he was able to lower it to $500.

Fernandez says that the billing department can be your ally since they routinely deal with hostile customers. "You will stand out if you leave emotion out and you are kind and cooperative," she says. Fernandez also suggests starting your request with, "Is there any reason you can't ... ?" For example: "Is there any reason you can't delay sending this to collections for a month so I can work on getting it paid?"

"You're not asking, 'Why can't you?' or 'Will you?' You're changing the language of the question to invoke a positive response," Fernandez says. The billing specialists likely won't have a good reason why they can't help fulfill your request. "That interruption [from a typical 'no' response] may be just enough to get the person on the other end to feel a little of the human element, versus the mentality of you just being another cog in the wheel of their job."