Thrifty Thinking: Netotiate

I recently found out about the site Netotiate.com and had a chance to interview one of the founders, Keren Zimmerman, to find out more.

 
1) What was the inspiration behind creating Netotiate?
 
The idea arose from a shopping experience my partner had. He wanted to buy a refrigerator and after he decided which model he was interested in, compared prices online, like many of us do. He then proceeded to go to a store (you know, one of those old-fashioned, offline ones) and successfully negotiated the price down, since he had this knowledge of who else was selling this specific refrigerator, and for how much. We decided to bring that experience online.
There are various ways to find good deals online, but until now there wasn’t a way to actually create the deal yourself, for a product that you choose. Instead you had to scout out what deals were already up for grabs, and most likely bid on the product or rely on a group of people to secure the deal.
2) Where did the name come from?
 
Netotiate (ne-toh-shee-ate) was an intuitive name we derived from “negotiate”; it means to negotiate over the net. We believe that as we grow and people realize they don’t have to settle for asking price, “netotiate” and “netotiation” will become a part of our vocabulary.
 
3) How does Netotiate work?
 
Our site allows you to search for a product, compare prices, and then name the price you are willing to pay for it to the retailer of your choice. You’ll see a list of stores that are selling the product, and an orange Netotiate button next to those that may be willing to sell it to you for a lower price. You then make an anonymous offer to your preferred retailer, who can either accept, counter, or decline it within 48 hours. You essentially negotiate a price, but without the discomfort of back-and-forth haggling. Most netotiations result in a better deal – whether a couple of bucks or even a couple hundred (!) are saved. In addition to Netotiate.com, the Netotiate feature will soon be accessible on featured retailers’ online stores. They are game as they know they’d otherwise be losing these sales to competitors offering lower prices. Therefore it’s a win-win situation for shoppers and retailers.
 
4) What advantages does it have over other deal sites?
 
The internet is rife with alternatives for getting good deals - all of which work in their own way - but none of which grant you the ultimate power over your shopping experience that Netotiate does.
 
• Price comparison sites enable you to see what's out there so you can choose the cheapest listing, but they don’t enable getting a better-than-advertised deal. Netotiate does.
• Auction sites (like eBay) require you to compete with others to get a good deal, while the price increases accordingly. These tend to be time-consuming, frustrating, and sometimes risky, as you’re not buying from familiar stores. At Netotiate your offer is between you and the trusted retailer - period.
• Group and Social buying (like Groupon and LivingSocial) offer great deals on products and services available momentarily, but aren’t ideal if you’re looking for a specific product. Netotiate allows you to create your own deals, for products that you need.
• Coupon sites (Coupons.com, RetailMeNot, freeshipping.org) require scouring countless pages for the product or retailer you have in mind, with a slim chance that you’ll find an exact match. Netotiate allows you (and the retailer) to create a custom coupon for yourself.
• Haggling offline is something a lot of us try to avoid at most costs. While it’s actually the closest experience to Netotiate, Netotiate bypasses the discomfort and back-and-forth spat of negotiation, and lets you do it all in a jiffy online.
 
Netotiate currently offers products across several categories, but will eventually feature anything or service you can buy or sell online, from cameras to your next vacation. We are changing the rules of e-commerce and proud of it! 
 
Follow Netoiate's Facebook page to get updates on when new retailers partner with them.