Gideon cheerfully admits that he adds an extra 10 percent to the sticker price right from the start, just to give himself room with hagglers. But he wishes he didn't have to. Sometimes people will come in and start beating up the merchandise just to get a lower price. That kind of stuff really insults me, and it doesn't work. If you're going to haggle, be nice.
People are accustomed to haggling over the price of automobiles, whether new or used.
In fact, plenty of auto dealerships have built reputations for their willingness to wheel and deal. Still, there are folks in the auto business who prefer the old methods. Customers never believe the sticker price, they say, and most of them feel better about the purchase when they believe they've struck a hard bargain. Some dealerships try to play the game both ways. If you don't have some flexibility, the customer thinks you're just being a jerk.