The only place where I’m pretty good at haggling over prices is outside sporting events when negotiating for tickets.
My biggest coup was in 2000, when I bought a $500 face-value Kentucky Derby ticket for $200. It got me into the lofty, 4th-floor “Jockey Club Suites,” where I was among celebrities such as then-University of Kentucky basketball coach Rick Pitino and then-U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen. (I was so lucky that day that I even had the Derby winner, Fusaichi Pegasus.)
Normally, however, I overpay for items and services that don’t carry non-negotiable prices.
Five years ago, for example, Patty and I paid at least 30 percent more than we should have for two rugs while we were on a trip to Turkey. I went into the negotiations uninformed and uninitiated and was hornswoggled by a charming salesman named Celal Belli, who also went by “Jelly Belly.”
So, it came as no surprise to me when I learned in recent days I was paying more than several other people I know for the print edition of The Star.
I had heard that because of the steep drop in circulation the last several years, subscription prices were somewhat negotiable. I’ve never tried to negotiate it, however — just paid what they said I owed and charged it automatically each month to my credit card.
At the start of this year, my subscription price rose from $27.51 to $34.51 per month, right at 25 percent more.
Within the last few days, a friend got a special, discounted price of about $16 a month for six months.
Told how much I was paying, my friend suggested I conduct an informal survey of several friends to find out what kind of disparity there was.
So, I sent emails to several former Star colleagues and asked what they were paying.
Here’s what I found:
— Former business reporter Julius Karash said he was paying $35.39 a month before he recently dropped the print subscription because of delivery problems at his downtown condo.
— Former Metro reporter Kevin Murphy said he was paying “about $30 a month.”
— At the other end were former architecture critic Donald Hoffmann and former society editor Laura Hockaday, both of whom are paying $14.83 per month. Laura didn’t know why her rate was as low as it is, but Don said it’s because former KC Star employees are entitled to a 50 percent discount.
I knew that many years ago, probably back in the 80s and 90s, I was getting The Star delivered to my home at a discounted price — probably the 50 percent Hoffmann alluded to. But I thought the Star had dropped that perk years ago, and I hadn’t inquired about it or thought about it in years.
Don said he had been getting the discounted rate since he retired in 1990.
If that’s the case, I say, good for Don and good for Laura and other former Star employees who are getting a great discount…And one more thing: I’ll be calling The Star this week to try to get the discounted rate.
**
On the haggling, my survey yielded a lively email thread among me, Julius and a another former reporter who declined to be identified.
Julius Karash
Julius had suggested that I include the other reporter in the survey because “he says whenever they try to hit him with an increase, he tells them he wants to drop the paper and then they back off.”
When I sent that reporter an email telling him what Julius had been paying and asking what he was paying, he wrote back saying, “J (Julius) is being robbed.”
Conspicuously missing was how much he — the other reporter — was paying, so I pressed him, saying, “Out with the number!”
He wrote back, “They pay me!”
…I don’t think I’d want to be in a poker game with that guy. But then again, he probably doesn’t engage in games of chance because he’s obviously very good at holding onto his money.
**
If you’d like to get in on this survey, pray, tell us here at jimmycsays what you are paying for your print subscriptions…Even if you aren’t a former Star employee, if you are armed with enough “comps” — the term used in the real estate business to help set home prices and tax assessments — maybe some of you will be able to fight back and shave a few dollars off your monthly rates.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
They want $475 for an annual subscription. We’ll drop if they won’t discount
Almost $40 a month. That’s pushing the ceiling.
$96.00 for six months
Same deal my Raytown friend got — $16 per month.
I can’t believe old what’s-his-name wouldn’t let you identify him by name, Jim! I guess he’s just too modest about his bargaining abilities.
In the interest of total transparency, I actually live in a downtown apartment, not a condo. But with all the money I’ll be saving after dropping the print edition of The Star I hope to buy a downtown condo some day. Maybe in the future Hemingway Arms at 18th and Grand.
I pleaded and cajoled, Julius, you know, for the sake of transparency. But he was adamant and said staying anonymous was strategic: “It helps me keep my options going forward!”
That’s interesting that he says he wants to keep his options going forward, Jim. Let’s keep a close watch on our old friend. With his bargaining acumen and the war chest he has built up over the years, he just might make a play to buy the Star. If he does, he’ll probably try to bring us in as silent partners.
I got all of you beat. When I came here in 1990 I moved into a farm out south of Eudora and took it over when another grad student from the department graduated. He cancelled his subscription, but they kept right on delivering it for over three years without ever sending a bill. They called a couple of times trying to collect from the previous guy and we told them he cancelled it. They also would periodically ask if we still wanted the paper and we always told them no, but they continued on. After three years they finally stopped delivering it on a daily basis, but we still got one occasionally when they had a sub delivering the route.
Then when I wrote my column Rich wanted me to take the paper and agreed to reimburse me if I did. I think the annual then was $88 (maybe six months, don’t remember) and then after that ran out, once again we got the paper for over 6 months without a subscription. At least then they stopped delivery when they sent me a bill and I refused to pay it.
Now, like anyone who understands web browsers, I still get the online version for free whenever I want to read it (which is rare).
That’s weird, Fitz. When I just posted that it usually has my full name and email listed. Now it just says “altevogt: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account.”
I’ll send the problem on to WordPress.
$178.01 for 6 months. Print and web. No paper connections. Every time I find out someone (other than former employees) paid less I lose some of the little remaining respect for the Star. My wife seems to find these people and then point out my lack of negotiating savvy. I used to feel better by chalking it up to “community service”. But more and more it just feel like a chump.
Now I’m starting to see a trend…Your rate, Bob, is $29.66 per month, which is exactly twice as much as the former KC Star employees are paying — $14.83 per month…It seems to me, then, that the true going rate is what you’re paying — $29.66 — a month and the price for former employees, who get the 50 percent discount — is $14.83.
I don’t think you need to feel like a chump. You could probably cancel your subscription and wait a couple of months and start the discounted special (if they’re still offering it then) at about $16 a month. But after that expires, my guess is they’d work you back up toward where you were. It takes a lot of time and energy to haggle with the sales people, and they know that; that’s one reason they make it difficult to get through.
Jim, I paid 147 in 2012, 186 in 2013, 191 in 2014 and 208 in 2015 all per year. I always negotiate the billed price although it gets a bit harder each year. I have heard, although I can’t confirm yet, that you can take the Wed thru Sunday plus print+ at a lower rate. We’ll see
$17.33 per month currently…That’s a good rate. You’re doing well, Keith.
…I suspect The Star is going to start clamping down on these prices. When people know the price is negotiable, The Star can’t stand firm on its price. Now that it’s out, The Star might decide it’s time to draw the line and force the subscribers’ hands on long-term subscriptions…I think that’s what I would do if I were in Star management; it would make things more clear-cut.
They’re doing exactly what Time Warner does with your cable service. Want lower rates, call in every six months for the latest package deal. Fail to do that and watch your rates creep up month after month as the special deals go by the wayside.
We used to get the paper. We dropped it for a short while then this auto-dialer system started calling us 5 times per day about paying our bill when we weren’t receiving the paper. It was ridiculous to get them to stop calling. Many phone calls after they said they would stop. I negotiated a new price for my mother. We got the price down to $185.41 per year. The auto dialer would call my mom 6 months into her service saying she owes them money. It drove her crazy and for 3 years I have threatened to stop her paper if they do not stop. This year was the first year they did not bother her. I have wanted to sign up again for the paper but I won’t because I don’t want to deal with that issue again with the 5 times a day phone calls!