Haggling at chain stores

Major chain stores like Home Depot, Circuit City and Best Buy are quietly adopting policies that let their sales force haggle with customers, a recent story in the New York Times says. Basically the down economy is giving folks like you and me wiggle room because retailers really want to make the sale.

The folks in the NYT story successfully talked down prices by arming themselves with information and playing hard to get. I'm terrified of haggling, but I have a feeling once I do it a few times it will come easy. Here's how to get started:

+ Know the price of the item you want on the Internet and at the store's competitor.
+Tell the salesperson you saw a similar item for such-and-such price selling at X.
+Consider bringing a friend to play good cop/bad cop. One person wants to buy the item, the other doesn't and threatens to leave.
+Tell the salesperson the item looks worn or damaged, if appropriate.

Making stuff up is not good. But if another retailer is selling it for less, that's information that will empower you. Good luck and let me know your haggling stories!