Reader Tim tried to pay for his Subway meal with a debit card today but was foiled by a technical snafu with the card reader. He didn't have cash on him, but there was an ATM machine in the store, so he withdrew the funds and paid the old-fashioned way. The trouble was, he was now stuck with a $2 ATM fee for a $12 purchase.

He decided it was worth at least asking if the store would reimburse him the fee. "I asked the manager if she would give me $2 off my total. She did more than that, rounding the price down to $10 from about $12.60."

As Tim points out, "It never hurts to ask for a discount if you were inconvenienced during a transaction. You usually want to talk to the manager... [and] remember that this person is doing you a favor, so be polite."

(Photo: Getty)