Haggling at Guitar Center

[mrface2112]

yep, i've got a couple guys at my local GC that i deal with exclusively--one in drums, one in guitars and one in pro audio. they all take care of me very well b/c they know what i want and what i like, and they know if they can give me a price i can't refuse, then i won't refuse it.

have cash and be prepared to say "no thanks" and walk out when they won't go your way--but also be prepared to put out when the date goes all the way, too. no one likes a tease--and everyone likes a gal who'll put out for the right price.


cheers,
wade

 

[GreenDank]

....

I hate that buying shit at GC anymore is like buying a car. You have to talk them down on a set of strings for Christ's sake!!

I usually just get visibly pissed when the tell me the price of something, or laugh and say "I can get that on Ebay for like half of that!" They know I could too, so they really come down on the price. But the truth is, they usually can't come down as far as Ebay, so I make a shitload of noise in there, find out what amp or gear I like, leave, and get it on Ebay.

 

[boingoman]

Read the fine print. Any minimum pricing is suggested. If they attempt to exert any actual control over the prices charged by retailers, they can go to jail. Literally.

Agreements are price-fixing, which is illegal. But there is nothing to stop the dealer having a policy of suggested pricing, and dropping a retailer or not picking one up if they don't want to follow the company's policy.

 

[6gun]

yep, i've got a couple guys at my local GC that i deal with exclusively--

C'ville (Va) has a GC?

 

[soundchaser59]

As was said before, if you intend on dropping some big coin you're best bet is to get in good with the manager.

If the management is really smart, this wont make any difference. A good manager will get sick and tired of being the "go to guy" for every punk and peon like me who wants a discount. A good manager will simply teach his staff how to figure the maximum discount, and then they will all give the same answer no matter who you ask or who you are in good with. After that, the bottom dollar is the bottom dollar and it wont change.

I'm kinda glad my local dealer works this way. I can call on different days and talk to a different guy each time, and pose the same "I can get it over there for this price - what can you do?" question to each of them, and I get the same answer every time. Everytime I ask about it, they end up arranging the deal so that the final total including sales tax equals the online price including shipping. They will match any retailer in the country this way on identical merchandise.

In fact, they make it a point to research online prices before the customer comes in. When I start asking, they already know how much so and so is selling it for. And their price tags always have the same lowest price as what I have found online before I go in there! If it's a place they aren't familiar with, they will get on the internet and look for themselves, then start punching the calculator.

Haggle about strings? That's going too far, I'd stay away from a place that made me negotiate the price of strings. Jeeeeeeeezzz!!

 

[earthboundrec]

I hate that buying shit at GC anymore is like buying a car. You have to talk them down on a set of strings for Christ's sake!!

Why shouldn't you have to talk them down? What makes anyone there entitled to a discount anyway? We do price match you know. I hook up my good customers or the person that 'sells' me on getting a discount. But I hold margins. If you can get your set of strings for cheaper somewhere else why aren't you doing that instead of sitting there haggling about one or two dollars? Every guitar center has a computer with an internet connection in every department, if you know you can get something cheaper somewhere else, just tell the sales guy/gal , "hey, this is x amount of dollars at www.bobsgear.com". Just because you say, "give me a discount" doesn't entitle you to one. You have to sell the sales associate on the discount, just like we're trying to sell you on gear. Richard and others have posted very good ways on which this is done.

 

[themaddog]

It's BS. The states are not allowed to regulate interstate commerce in any way. State tax can only be applied to business within the same state. Courts have ruled that a transaction with any business that has a presence within the state can be considered to take place within the state - even if the product is shipped from elsewhere. So if you buy from, say, Sears online, you will pay state sales tax because Sears has stores in your state - even if the product is shipped from elsewhere. But a purely web vendor doesn't have to charge tax in any state other than the one from which they operate.

Your state may still require you, personally, to pay the sales tax on any transaction that isn't taxed by the vendor. But they really have no way to enforce it. In Ohio, where I live, they ask you to pay up on your income tax form. I don't know how many people actually do so, though.

However, if the company has some some of store or factory in your state, you may be subject to that sales tax, even if you are buying online or through catalog.

So, imagine if MusiciansFriend.com became GuitarCenterOnline.com, and dealt through mail-order, exactly as Musician's Friend does now. If that happened, and you had a single Guitar Center in your state, you would be subject to your state's sales tax.

-MD

 

[Gilliland]

However, if the company has some some of store or factory in your state, you may be subject to that sales tax, even if you are buying online or through catalog.

Did you read the note that you quoted?

 

[bubbagump]

Funny though, I've never had a customer ask for a guitar to be factory sealed in a box. Take care!

You're kidding, right? I worked music retail for about 6 years and folks always wanted new in the box. We always had to do the "just like with cars, the one you test drive is the one you take home". Folks thought it was like Wal-Mart where you get your toaster in a box... like we had 20 D-42s or 810s in the back room. I actually had a dude want a really high end Takimine in the box. I went in circles with him on how I can't guarantee the wood color or grain etc. in anything we order in. The Tak rep was cool as hell and sent over not one, but 2 for this guy to choose from... the rosewood was "too purple" on both of he ones we had shipped in and he ended up taking the one on the floor in the end.... sheesh.

Bring cash and let them know you want to drive it away today.

As a sale guy, I never understood this tactic.... "What if I pay cash?" Well, what if you pay cash? My comission is the same cash, check or credit card. Heck, even better, don't pay cash, do 90 days same as cash, and hook me up with a few points for selling financing or the in store credit card.

 

[mikeh]

I worked in a small "mom & pop" drum shop for a few years and also put in about 4 years in the drum shop at MARS before the chain went under.

As already discussed, the buyer should have a decent understanding of what they want and why (to avoid having a "sales person" with limited knowledge recommend the wrong thing). While searching online to get info and general pricing info is a good start - I still recommend buying from the local stores - even if it's GC (or someday there will be no local stores).

Knowing what you want, having a reasonable expectation and treating the sales person with respect will get you further than coming in with limited knowledge, a bad attitude and demanding the "good guy deal"

As discussed, big ticket items often have less mark-up than assessories and electonics often have the smallest mark-ups - so don't expect to always get an amazing deal. Mark-ups can range from as little as 5% to over 100%, it depends on many things (too many to discuss here)

When I sold - the people who came in a lot (and recommended me to thier friends) knew what they wanted and treated me as a professional (rather than treating me as the hired help) got the best deals I could arrange (I would go waaaay out of my way form some loyal customers). While I never treated any customer badly I quickly figured out who was serious and who simply was window shopping - and offered my time and experiance accordingly.

When Mars closed down and GC came to town. I introduced myself to the pro-audio manager (it is almost a sure bet that the manager knows the gear better than the other guys on the floor and ceratainly is authorized to offer better deals). I informed him that every year I budget x-dollars for upgrading my studio. I informed him if he was honest, knowledgable and treated me fairly, he would get my business. When that manager left (and they all eventually leave) I did the same with the new manager. I've been consistantly treated fairly!!!

 

[mrface2112]

C'ville (Va) has a GC?

well.........technically i'm about 30 minutes east of cville (i work in cville)--which puts me about 30 minutes of the one on the west end of richmond and squarely in the middle. i count anywhere inside a half hour of me as "local". hell, the way "cville" has expanded to the surrounding counties in the past 5 years, anywhere within an hour is "local".


cheers,
wade

 

[mrface2112]

I hate that buying shit at GC anymore is like buying a car.

yeah, except that it isn't. you're welcome to pay whatever the posted price. the "good guy price" is typically reserved for those who have cultivated relationships and spent a good amount of money. it's a quid-pro-quo sort of deal.

You have to talk them down on a set of strings for Christ's sake!!

no, you really don't. and personally, i think it's pretty sad when people haggle over a quarter or fifty cents on a pack of strings......but whatever. i prefer to fight my battles--and beating the guy down on a set of strings won't get you the extra sweet smokin deal on that high-end mic pre you've been wanting come clearance time.

find out what amp or gear I like, leave, and get it on Ebay.

you have fun with that. i prefer to have run my hands over the neck of the guitar and make sure the guitar has some mojo........or have plugged in that amp and make sure it has a little tone.......or make sure that mic works as it should.......etc.

i could never buy a guitar i'd never played before.


cheers,
wade

 

[jeffree]

Not to split hairs here, but I think the word choice of this thread's title implies the opposite of what many of us suggest for finding consistently low prices and good service.

Webster defines haggling: "to hack, to mangle, to dispute terms, to be difficult in bargaining."

I'd say that this definition is pretty much the anti-approach to what many of us do and recommend--and a fair profile of the customers I used to avoid when I was a sales rep. I think "win-win negotiation" is closer to the mark.

J.

 

[6gun]

well.........technically i'm about 30 minutes east of cville (i work in cville)--which puts me about 30 minutes of the one on the west end of richmond and squarely in the middle. i count anywhere inside a half hour of me as "local". hell, the way "cville" has expanded to the surrounding counties in the past 5 years, anywhere within an hour is "local".


cheers,
wade

Yeah, it's a lot cooler to claim C'ville as your home than Richmond these days. We use to consider Richmond 'local' when I was growing up in C'ville.

 

[lpdeluxe]

After reading this entire thread, it's pretty obvious what the best practices are, even if you don't deal with GC. I live in a small town, and there's no GC: there's a single dealer who sells everything from Peavey to Gibson (no offense, just to indicate the range) and who will special order anything he can.

Even though I end up buying a lot of gear on the internet (the dealer doesn't carry any computer recording gear, and told me he couldn't get a Mackie Control for me, for example) I always go to the local guy first. A lot of times he'll beat the best internet price.

Note that this comes from about 15 years of dealing with him. A good relationship is basic to getting decent deals. I take friends and relatives in there to buy gear (who woulda thought that my cousin by marriage would drop $1.5K on a Martin after half an hour in the store?) and that helps.

A couple of people have used the expression "win-win" and that's the key. This isn't "beggar-thy-neighbor", it's about using their buying clout to get gear you want without going broke.

And forget about pretending to carry a gun. Sheeesh.

 

[lpdeluxe]

Just to prove that it works...

...AND the fact that I've been needing a P Bass for a long time...here's a link to my new goodie: a Squier (yes, that's the right spelling) P that had a price of $195 (no case) on it. I got the git & Fender case for $170. The manager's happy, and I'm happy.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lpdeluxe@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=/7642&.dnm=5eed.jpg&.src=ph

 

[mrface2112]

Yeah, it's a lot cooler to claim C'ville as your home than Richmond these days. We use to consider Richmond 'local' when I was growing up in C'ville.

Well, i've been in Cville for the last ~15 years. I've lived in Charlottesville proper (when i was at the university and shortly thereafter), i've lived just outside the city lines in Albemarle County, I've lived out in Crozet, and now I live in the Zion Crossroads area (technically in Louisa County), which is about 15 miles from Gordonsville which my address technically is........go fig.

at no time have I lived in (or even really near) Richmond, thank god. although the Short Pump/West End area's not too bad--albeit a little too much like the DC-area that I came here to get away from. in fact, cville's a little too much like DC anymore these days. the last 5 years have been the worst. still, the West End has the closest GC, so it's "local".

so....whether it's "fashionable" or not--charlottesville is my home. that's where i work and play even though I live on the outskirts these days (as does the predominance of the population who calls cville home). that, and it's a lot easier to say "charlottesville" and have people know where you are than "zion crossroads" or even "albemarle county".


cheers,
wade

PS--when were you "growing up here"?

 

[mrface2112]

Even though I end up buying a lot of gear on the internet (the dealer doesn't carry any computer recording gear, and told me he couldn't get a Mackie Control for me, for example) I always go to the local guy first. A lot of times he'll beat the best internet price.

that's exactly what i do too. i'm a firm believer in local commerce and helping the local guys as much (and as often) as possible.

that, and Rob at Cville Music was practically one of the first guys i met when i got to town when i helped him load in his goldtop and marshall halfstack when his band Burning Core was opening for the DMB at trax.....and we've been friends since.

anything i can buy from Rob i will buy from him. but there are a number of things he doesn't deal in--recording gear is one of those things. sure he can sell me an sm57 or a telecaster, but an MXL or BLUE mic, or a Lucid clock? nope.

as many have said, it's ALL about the relationships you cultivate.....not how much you can "stick it to em".


cheers,
wade

 

[billmcdonald]

With all this talk about supporting your local stores, thats great and all, but I just thought that I'd throw this in there. My local store sucks. Yeah, they have all the brand names and everything, I just got off to a bad start with them when I was buying my drums like 3 or 4 years ago (thankfully I got them from forks drum closet instead). Its overpriced, and they act like they know anything. I could go on and on about it, but I'm probably just holding a grudge. In the end I'd still wrather drive to nashville.

 

[Crash ©]

Helps to catch 'em at the right time.. Close to Christmas worked great for me... At the end of a slow month when the salesperson is getting hungry and the sales manager is getting nervous would be a good time.. Make a couple of trips in there "SHOPPING" for ideas, let 'em get to know you just a bit and what you're looking for. Catch 'em at slow times of the day, not at 3pm on Saturday afternoon when it's so noisy from kids PLAYING with the biggest amps on display turned to MAX. They are more interested in making sure some twit isn't trying to walk outta the place with something stuffed under their jacket.. If the last day of the month (or better yet the quarter) falls on a Monday - Thursday, you outta make out good.

I walked into GC the first part of December looking for I don't know what, by the week before Christmas I knew what I was wanting and knew what I was willing to pay. They knew I'd been shopping deals out locally and on the internet and was going with best price. I had a shopping list that totalled about $1300 + tax.. I had a price on the gear from MF of $899 with one sub'ed item. Some of the stuff they didn't have on hand, but they spec'd out equal or better gear..

On the reciept. there are a few items shown at a discounted price, some at regular price and cables/stands/misc crap listed at $0.00. (took over ride codes from both the ProAudio Manager and the Store Manager to get it all to work)

They couldn't get the tax numbers to work out perfect, so I walked out the door with the gear for $901.13

--
Rob