Members Eye_Of_The_Liger Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 .... that you got a better deal just from haggling? Happened to me today when I went to buy a Morley ABY pedal. It was 45 bucks so... 10% off would make it $40.50 before tax. After a little haggling (and I wasn't even trying), I walked out the door with it for 41. It's just annoying 'cause I was all about using it before the expiration date (today) to get a good deal before time runs out! Turns out I had all the time in the world. But hey, at least they did a great job of giving me an excuse to buy something to appease my incessant GAS. That's a good thing, right...? right? And btw, here's why I wanted the ABY pedal in the first place, if you're curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Collapse Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 At my local GC I can get 10% off of pretty much anything if I just ask. 10% giftcard is kinda useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeuceII Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 At my local GC I can get 10% off of pretty much anything if I just ask. 10% giftcard is kinda useless. Yeah, I was getting 10% off from working at a lesson store next door, then moved to Portland and went to use my 10% letter on a Digitech EX7 and FS3X. The guy rang up my purchase, told me it was more than I expected, explained the pricing, I asked if that included the 10%, he said yeah, so I paid and left. Checked my receipt, no 10%. I'm officially done with GC, there are so many other good shops in Portland that I don't have to drive 30 minutes to get to and then get ripped off when I'm there. In Eugene, it was one of two stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Vasquez Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 just let the sour cream and onion chips fall where they may Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Eye_Of_The_Liger Posted July 1, 2007 Author Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 Yeah, I was getting 10% off from working at a lesson store next door, then moved to Portland and went to use my 10% letter on a Digitech EX7 and FS3X. The guy rang up my purchase, told me it was more than I expected, explained the pricing, I asked if that included the 10%, he said yeah, so I paid and left. Checked my receipt, no 10%. I'm officially done with GC, there are so many other good shops in Portland that I don't have to drive 30 minutes to get to and then get ripped off when I'm there. In Eugene, it was one of two stores. Shoulda haggled. I'm glad I did... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SG dan Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 got any haggling tips people? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members angelhair0 Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 GC employees are trained to bargain with you. That's their secret. You think they are doing you a favor but they are just doing their job. And they are also trained not to tell you that. I haven't even worked there and I know first hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Seth Carmody Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 got any haggling tips people? Usually it's no harder than asking "what's the best price you can do?". If you've seen the item advertised elsewhere (say the MF website) cheaper, it's always handy to have something like that on hand. Even if they won't match, they may be willing to come down enough that it's not worth your time pursuing the better price at the other store thats 50 miles away. Mention that you've been looking around at other competitor's stores, looking at a few other options. Making general conversation with the sales clerk and letting them do their thing might help things along. Also don't look too interested in the item (ie proclaiming how cool it is and how it's just what you want) - they'll pick up on that and may hold off on offering a better price on the gamble that you won't ask for one. Asking if there's a better price for cash has worked for me in the past, but recently when I picked up a Mando I mentioned this to the clerk and he goes 'actually, it's easier for us to count the credit receipts at the end of the day'. That is just bull{censored}; they have to pay the CC company a percentage if I pay by credit and if I don't pay credit, they should pass that saving onto me. I would have walked if there was another store that carries mando's above entry level Fenders and Epiphones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Keith SIO Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 Yea...they really don't mind selling their gear lower than their sale price...unless its yellow tagged as sale...that means its as low as they can go. FYI if you buy a used pedal from GC straight up...they are ripping you off. Always haggle on used gear. New gear is tougher...but you can get a few dollars shaved off if you say you have a limit... Today there was a used dunlop brick listed as 70$...and they sold it to my friend for 45 (then i got it from him). So that just goes to show how much money they make off of used gear.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeuceII Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 What sucked on my purchase was the guy gave me a break on the EX7 without my even asking, he rang it at $189 instead of $200. But he also charged me $45 for the FS3X instead of $40 as it is at MF. I did talk to him, and told him I had the 10% letter, but I'm not agressive enough about pricing unless I know the sales clerk like I did at the Eugene store. Live and learn. Like I said, there are better stores in Portland closer than GC, that I've already had better dealings with, so no reason for me to go back, but I should have pushed it more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1DZReverendDavidLee Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 What is even sadder is going to GC like I did today because of the letter and finding nothing whatsoever that I wanted or didn't already own. I have slutted myself to complete gear boredom. :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MegaTom Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 got any haggling tips people? Just tell him you won't pay the marked price... that you would rather walk out with nothing than pay what you feel is an unreasonable price. Also, it helps if you get to know one sales person and always deal with that one guy. And even if you aren't planning on buying something on a given day, make it a point to talk to 'your guy'... talk about future purchases you are considering... ask about new things that are to be hitting the shelves soon... or just talk about the weather. Just do whatever it takes to be seen as a regular. If he thinks there is potential to get ongoing repeat sales out of you, he'll be more likely to give you good discounts to make sure that you do indeed come back and buy from him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Collapse Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 They can always go lower than the listed price, no matter what it is. It just depends on how bad you want it and how bad they want to get rid of it. Decide how much you want to pay, and ask for that. If you can find a lower advertised price, bring in the ad. If they won't give you the price you want, be prepared to walk. Getting to know one of the sales guys is a great idea though; that's how I get my prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 4Kenoath Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 got any haggling tips people? These are mine... 1. know what you want (ie. model, brand etc) before you even think of going to the shop (ie. do your homework well...A+ = best price). 2. Find out what the shop's margins typically are on those items (they'll often be similar like 25% across the board for pedals etc) 3. Know how much you really need the item (if you don't need it asap, then that gives you the aces in the sleeve) 4. Go into the shop armed with what you know to be about the shop's zero profit level, and offer that first with cash (they will often take it because it's better to make no money to get rid of stock, especially old stock, than to have it sitting around taking up space. With cash they don't have to pay CC fees etc so the price is more digestable to them. If you don't need it urgently, you can say "cya" when they turn down that offer. I must have a good poker face, because I've never left a shop without the gear at the price I hoped for. 5. Also know your upper limit on price (mine is about 5% shop's profit). This might sound stingey, but we're talking GC and the like...when I think how much I overpaid as a novice...that's where they make up for it big time, and many big shops won't hesitate to ripped you off if they get a sniff you're a newbie (happened to me several times - worse than used car dealers some of 'em). Once again, be prepared to walk if the offer is not accepted (and have this intent before going in). 6. If you're loyal to a particular smaller store then make appropriate adjustments to the above...and give them lots of 'word of mouth' for being good sports...they deserve it. At the end of the day, these big chains are mostly staffed by people who are poorly paid and have no stake in the store's profitability, so they don't care much if they give you a killer deal or not. We have a very different market place to the US so make cultural adjustments where needed, but pricing and competition are horrendously bad here, so you can really get burnt buying gear here. Be like samuri warrior when buying gear, and the opposition often surrender as soon as look at you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Eye_Of_The_Liger Posted July 1, 2007 Author Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 What is even sadder is going to GC like I did today because of the letter and finding nothing whatsoever that I wanted or didn't already own. I have slutted myself to complete gear boredom. :cry: +1 That's why I didn't have it in mind to buy anything particularly special, just accessories for the {censored} that I already have, like maybe a footswitch for my Vox, or spare power cables for my effects.... or a $40.00 ABY switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LoneStarGuitar Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 reminds me that I need to go to the Fort Worth GC and see what I can work on this nice G&L Legacy in Bellaire Green. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DavidFisher Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 When I got this letter/offer, i started laughing. I haven't paid probably more than 5% over cost at GC in probably... 5 years? It helps to have the store manager and operations manager being your friend and on your speed dial, and for them to have basically instructed the store employees to nearly give you stuff. Only exception to this being Apple, Monster Cable (I don't buy it), Mesa and a few others. There's a number in GC's system that show's what percentage of the average sales ticket is Gross Profit... and I know that I've seen mine, and it's stupidly low. Best way to get good prices? Really? Ask for them. Unlike smaller stores that i know that will just tell you to shove the guitar up your ass, GC will normally say, "Ok". Also, don't waste their time, if you want to get good prices . When I go in, I go in... walk around the store once keeping an eye out for good used gear (rare at GC IMHO), then go up to 'my' sales people and tell them what I want, where it is, and that I'm not in a rush. They know to take care of 'profitable' customers first. If you set yourself time priority wise back with them, you get poorer service (they aren't going to break their backs to not profit from you), but you get killer prices. Don't ask stupid questions. Google it beforehand and KNOW what you want. Don't ask how you can plug your DS-1 pedal into a midi jack. Don't be a tard. Just say what you want, take it and leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Eye_Of_The_Liger Posted July 1, 2007 Author Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 ...Don't ask stupid questions... Yeah, 'cause chances are you'll get a stupid answer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rushtallica Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 At my local GC I can get 10% off of pretty much anything if I just ask. 10% giftcard is kinda useless. I think it depends on the rep you talk to at my local store, but I already have a 10% off for playing in their blues contest this year that I'll probably never use, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wood Chuck Posted July 1, 2007 Members Share Posted July 1, 2007 I got a Line 6 Roto machine with an adapter including tax out the door for a bill. Anywhere else it was $119.00 min. for the Roto not inc. tax and an adapter is around $29.00 with no tax so.......I did well @ GC with that one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SG dan Posted July 5, 2007 Members Share Posted July 5, 2007 how about something like this: i want a pedal that cost 32$ + tax(like 37-38 or something). I grab the pedal, go to the best sales guy i know, say that I only have 30$ so can he knock off a few bucks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members anawim79 Posted July 5, 2007 Members Share Posted July 5, 2007 5. Also know your upper limit on price (mine is about 5% shop's profit). This might sound stingey, but we're talking GC and the like...when I think how much I overpaid as a novice...that's where they make up for it big time, and many big shops won't hesitate to ripped you off if they get a sniff you're a newbie (happened to me several times - worse than used car dealers some of 'em). Once again, be prepared to walk if the offer is not accepted (and have this intent before going in). 6. If you're loyal to a particular smaller store then make appropriate adjustments to the above...and give them lots of 'word of mouth' for being good sports...they deserve it. Not to start any kind of flame war, but as an employee of a smaller music store, i feel obligated to point this out: most smaller stores need to average 20-30% minimum to stay afloat. I'm not saying that's what you have to pay every time, but that's the average of what they need. But as you're saying, the way to get good discounts at a mom'n'pop is know what you're talking about (but not act like a know-it-all turd) and you'll be more likely to get the "cost + freight" deals when the inventory needs to turn. you'd be amazed at how many pricks come in and want to bully the price down. If your local shop has a decent selection of gear, the ability to order just about anything, and good people, all you have to do is let 'em make a couple of bucks here and there, and act like a decent human being. As far as GC goes......screw 'em. With wal-mart-like employee turnover of kids who can't tell a flanger from a 1/4" pipe flange, they can make up in volume what they miss in margin. Besides, they're now in bed with Burger King. They'll get your money somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.