Here's what I want...will GC let me have it?

hokypokynose

hokypokynose

New member
I wanna get Guitar Center match the price that www.8thstreet.com sells a AT3035, boom, and 25ft cable, for 200, plus a Behringer Composer Pro comp for another 80 on top of that(sells for 100). The guitbox center by me is known to be extremely loose on pricing for Memorial Day. All I have is 280 dollars to spend on this. You think it's too much to ask? I mean, they can't really budge too much on stuff that's so cheap you know? I wouldn't normally ask this, but I'm really bored.
 
They'll do it if you make them do it. Put your money on the counter, tell them what you want, and head for the door if they don't give it to you. They'll tackle you on your way out. If the salesman doesn't give you what you want talk to the department manager. I've even gone to the store manager when I didn't get what I wanted.

Here's an example of what I've done at GC:

Hafler TA1600 refernce amp and KRK Rokits monitors for $424 out the door! They wanted $525 + tax. The department manager said there was no way he could do it...blah..blah...he wasn't authorized to give that deep of discounts...blah...blah, but I refused to buy until the store manager entered into the negotiations and eventually caved in. Afterward he asked me what I did for a living.:D

Joemeek VC1Qcs special order (not even in stock!) for $499. The department manager said he couldn't do it about three different times. Finally, I asked to see the store manager. He said the store manager was out to lunch and he didn't know when he'd be back. I was prepared. I knew the store manager's first name (Don), because I had dealt with him before. I said, "that's ok, I'll just wait for Don because I know he'll take care of me." Moments later, the department manager caved in.:D

The moral of the story? Be respectful, but...Know what you want. Make sure your request is reasonable. Be prepared with your arguement. Be prepared to negotiate. Stick by your guns, you lose nothing by walking out the door, they lose your money.

You da boss.
 
Gidge said:
The GC in New Orleans matches anyones price, any day......
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Not true.

Guitar Center will NOT match internet prices!
No way, no how!
It's their policy at ALL Guitar Centers across the U.S.

I've been down this road before at 3 different GC locations, and it ain't gonna get matched if it's on the net... period.

I've spent over $10,000 on recording gear, instruments, and related items in the past 3 years and believe me, I know this for a fact.
 
tdukex said:


Hafler TA1600 refernce amp and KRK Rokits monitors for $424 out the door! They wanted $525 + tax. The department manager said there was no way he could do it...blah..blah...he wasn't authorized to give that deep of discounts...blah...blah, but I refused to buy until the store manager entered into the negotiations and eventually caved in. Afterward he asked me what I did for a living.:D

Joemeek VC1Qcs special order (not even in stock!) for $499. The department manager said he couldn't do it about three different times. Finally, I asked to see the store manager. He said the store manager was out to lunch and he didn't know when he'd be back. I was prepared. I knew the store manager's first name (Don), because I had dealt with him before. I said, "that's ok, I'll just wait for Don because I know he'll take care of me." Moments later, the department manager caved in.:D

The moral of the story? Be respectful, but...Know what you want. Make sure your request is reasonable. Be prepared with your arguement. Be prepared to negotiate. Stick by your guns, you lose nothing by walking out the door, they lose your money.

You da boss.
Click to expand...

I guess this is one way of getting a good price. But what happends if you get problems with your equipment. Are they jumping from excitement to help you out. I mean, they didn't make a buck from you as a customer, and the way you negotiate, I'll bet you they won't on your next purchase.

I do understand your point of view however, but I myself try to run a studio. I just couldn't keep up with making people special deals. There came a point that I realised I wasnt making any money, I was just buying the goods and let other people record on them for cheap.

Same goes for the store I guess, they might sell you the stuff with minimum or no profit at all, and it's better for your business to have the goods going over the counter without profit, then to keep them in the storageroom, but I'm not sure if you get the respect back you pay them. Afterall normally a musicstore is run by businesspeople, and they are selling to musicians. Can't think of two people with other mentalities as those.
 
Buck, i beg to differ....GC in New Orleans matched an internet special for me before, no problemos.....it was the Hafler TA1100 amp and M5 monitor combo for $299 which was pretty much less than their cost at the time.....of course i brought back the M5's and was refunded$150, which means i paid $150 for the TA1100:eek:

If necessary, i will scan the reciept and post it if you need proof.....
 
I routinely use webpages, and they even pull them up on their PC system. They run green screens, but they usually have online access through one of their CPU/DAW setups running dial up. I have never had a problem.
In fact, once when I was buying a lot of stuff, I told them the site and their server was down. I told them I was gonna walk and they matched it without even seeing it.

Pete
 
Well, they matched 8thstreet with no problems, but they didn't have the Composer Pro. But he knocked 15 bucks off of the price for the Multicom Pro, and since I didn't really feel like argueing I just took it and checked out. The 3035 sounds delicious, and the multicom sounds way better than I thought as well. I can push the threshold waaaay down low and it doesn't screw with the audio that much at all.
 
Making the sale

Buck62 said:


Not true.

Guitar Center will NOT match internet prices!
No way, no how!
It's their policy at ALL Guitar Centers across the U.S.

I've been down this road before at 3 different GC locations, and it ain't gonna get matched if it's on the net... period.

I've spent over $10,000 on recording gear, instruments, and related items in the past 3 years and believe me, I know this for a fact.
Click to expand...


When I worked there several years ago, the sales manager told us just to make the sale even if we didn't make any money on the product. They want the customer to not shop anywhere else for anything. Not sure if it was just this particular sales manager or across the board policy (might just be his particularly aggressive attitude about being the best GC in the area). But that's what he told us.
 
Well, if you try to get a price-match here in Chicago from an internet ad, the answer is a resounding "NO".
I was told that this is their national policy.

Sam Ash says the same thing here... no internet price-matching.

I'm guessing that the stores in less-populated areas might handle things differently, since the internet is a fierce competitor for "the sale" in smaller towns.

Places like Chicago, New York, and LA have lots of big-chain music stores and they know most people want their gear "right now", that's probably why they don't give a crap about internet prices.... they know you can't wait to get your stuff.
 
Downside Studio said:

I guess this is one way of getting a good price. But what happends if you get problems with your equipment. Are they jumping from excitement to help you out. I mean, they didn't make a buck from you as a customer, and the way you negotiate, I'll bet you they won't on your next purchase.

Huh? I said, "Be respectfull...and...Make sure your request is REASONABLE." On the Meek I was actually only asking them to meet the price at B&H Audio ($499), so my request was not unreasonable. And a department manager at GC does not have the authority to sell anything at a loss. Furthermore, if you think GC is going to sell an out-of-stock item at or below their actual cost just to please the customer you do not understand the concepts of "profit" and "staying in business." And GC did not become one of the nation's largest music gear retailers by selling at cost or a loss. And believe me, no swinging dick behind the counter at GC has a clue what the actual cost of an item is. Those numbers they bring up on the computer are the numbers the executive management want them to THINK is the cost.

And in regards to the monitoring system I got for $424--out the door, I only asked for the $424 price because they had already advertised it for the TA1100. I wasn't about to pay an additional $100 for 25 extra watts. The store manger gave me the out-the-door price! I even told him, "In all honesty, Don, I was really only asking for $424 as the selling price." He said, "No problem, I appreciate your integrity. I'm going to give it to you for $424 out the door anyway." And here's the kicker, a month and a half later I get their September 01 flyer and the EXACT system I just bought is selling for $399!! Do you think they were losing money on that deal? Gimme a break! Stop feeling sorry for little ol' GC!
:D
I do understand your point of view however, but I myself try to run a studio. I just couldn't keep up with making people special deals. There came a point that I realised I wasnt making any money, I was just buying the goods and let other people record on them for cheap.

First, GC is part of a huge, multi-billion dollar conglomerate. They didn't get that way by losing money. Second, comparing a sole proprietership small studio to a multi-billion dollar conglomerate is just silly. Don't do it. Third, anytime I deal with a small, privately owned business I never try to negotiate them out of a fair profit. NEVER. As a matter of fact, if the job is done well and in a timely fashion, I ALWAYS pay them more than the agreed upon price--and by a genorous amount. Don't make me put my wife on line here to verify this fact. :D


Same goes for the store I guess, they might sell you the stuff with minimum or no profit at all, and it's better for your business to have the goods going over the counter without profit, then to keep them in the storageroom, but I'm not sure if you get the respect back you pay them.
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I think I've already adequately responded to this last statement.

I negotiate when and where negotiations are appropriate. I am always polite and respectful. And I never worry about screwing huge corporations out of a few dollars because they might be too incompetent to look out for their own best interest. Because I know that is not true.
:cool:
 
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hokypokynose said:
I was at North Chicago and it was "Shouldn't be a problem, let me go get a boom stand"
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Boom stand?

Heh... there's a 300% mark-up to begin with on mic and boom stands.

Can you say... "Made in Taiwan"? :D
 
Buck62 said:
Well, if you try to get a price-match here in Chicago from an internet ad, the answer is a resounding "NO".
I was told that this is their national policy.

Sam Ash says the same thing here... no internet price-matching.
Click to expand...

Buck,
I shop at the GC here in Chicago, I have never had a problem with them matching a price from the internet. I always take the page in with me.

I have also had the Sam Ash in Burbank match internet prices with a copy of the ad. As you walk in the door the have a sign that says "We will match or beat any advertised price".

Good luck,
scodu
 
Buck62 said:


Boom stand?

Heh... there's a 300% mark-up to begin with on mic and boom stands.

Can you say... "Made in Taiwan"? :D
Click to expand...

Yah, the thing's crap. Not weighted or anything. It can't even touch my 8 ft ceiling(I havn't tried, it just doesn't look like it could). The point is, they matched the on-line deal, no questions or arguements.
 
With GC, I think its a matter of local policy. I had salespeople walk up to me and tell me if you find anything you want, we can beat anybodys price, even off of websites. Another store said they wouldnt. Especially since mars opened up here, they started being a lot more agressive.
 
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