Shopping at Michael Hill? Here is the magic slogan to listen to

I've been haggling in some of the world's most notorious markets – and I can now add Auckland's Westfield St Lukes to this list.

Friday, at noon, I went to the Auckland Mall to discover the sales tactics of Michael Hill's staff.

It all started with a new one from a woman who claimed to have already worked for the jewelry chain. She stated that staff had been encouraged to engage in sales strategies to raise eyebrows.

She made contact in response to an article published Thursday about a couple who would have bought a bracelet from Michael Hill and, unknowingly, an extended warranty of $ 149. The company was fined $ 169,000 for violating the Fair Trade Act.

READ MORE: Three reasons to miss extended warranties

The former employee, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she had resigned from Michael Hill because of aggressive sales tactics.

The person alleged that the staff would not tell buyers if an item was on sale, so customers ended up paying the high price.

"If you like a jewel but your budget does not allow it, they will say" we'll see what we can do "and they go to the computer and come back with a" special "price and your budget, they will again until you buy it. "

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I wanted to test this theory and so I went to Michael Hill, the nearest, where a cordial salesperson m warmly welcomed me.

After exchanging some jokes, I spotted a ring without a price tag among several other rings clearly for sale.

The woman pulled the ring from behind the glass to inspect it. It was 10 carat pink gold with a band of diamonds totaling 0.34 carats.

A minimal price showed that it was 1999 $. I said my budget was $ 1,000 and I asked if there was a bargain margin on the price.

She went to check with her supervisor and came back with a $ 400 rebate. She later declared that it was the "special price" although it was not announced.

"We can do it for $ 1599," she said.

I repeated that my budget was closer to $ 1,000 so she went back to her manager a few seconds later with her supervisor, a young man.

Again, I said my budget was $ 1,000, which suggested I look at other ring options. But I insisted that I only interested myself in the ring.

Then came the magic words: "I'll see what I can do for you."

He was slender and returned a few seconds later with another $ 100 discount, for a final prize of $ 1,500.

I thanked them for the discount offer and told them I would think about it. Then come the suggestions of the purchase-lease purchase or the use of the "Buy now, pay later" method.

I told them that I was trying to avoid getting into debt.

"There are good debts and bad debts," said the manager.

In my books, the jewels fall later, especially if they are bought at a reasonable price.

With regard to price developments, it seems that the art of haggling is alive and well in New Zealand even at one of our most established retailers.

The jeweler's answer

A spokesman for Michael Hill said that he did not charge the full price to customers for the products on sale. Customers did not need to ask if an item was on sale to benefit from a sale price.

"The items for sale are either labeled to show that they are on sale, or will ring at the checkout counter to indicate that they are on sale.

"Michael Hill does not hide the fact that an item is on sale."

Michael Hill also allowed his staff to make some discount on some of his products, he added.

"In these cases, the ability to negotiate a particular item is unique in all circumstances and takes into account various factors, including price and exclusivity.

"Therefore, we strongly rebut any allegations that our sales approach does not respect the universally accepted principles of retailing."

What is the law?

Jessica Wilson, chief research officer for the general public in New Zealand, said she was against the Fair Trading Act to mislead customers by not showing the exact price.

"Retailers can not mislead customers about the price of products," Wilson said.

The maximum penalty for such an offense was $ 600,000, she said.

As a general rule, it would be up to the Trade Commission to investigate, she said.

The New Zealand consumer urged customers to file a complaint with the Commerce Commission that they believed to have been misled.