help me out

[Nilman13]

alright, so im going to guitar center in one to three weeks to buy an Epi Dot. i went to guitar center yesterday and i was talking to a guy that said he would negotiate a price with me when i come. heres my plan:

ill tell him that i can get a b-stock on musiciansfriend for $330 (ill be sure to emphasize the fact that it would be near-new and have gold hardware). if he gives me a counter-offer, i will counter his counter-offer.

my target price for the dot will be about $350. If i could get it for $340, im thinking about saying "if you throw in a case, i will pay 400[(the original price of the guitar) and buy it right now". and then see if he will throw in strings etc.

please mention any revisions you think i should make, especially if it would equal a lower price or more free stuff

 

[thebigcheese]

I did basically the same thing when I got my acoustic. There was a b-stock online for about $150 cheaper (and came with a free case), but I wasn't paying attention to the web site, so I printed out the deal and brought it in. He went to check about the b-stock business, but when I showed him the price online he apparently was also not paying attention and gave me the $150 off and the free case.

So I guess my recommendation is not to tell them it's b-stock and see what happens. If they notice, then you might have to bargain a little bit. If they don't, it's their fault, not yours.

 

[MadAudio]

Have you compared the Dot to other guitars? Not too long ago I was thinking about getting one, but then I tried the Ibanez Artcore. MUCH nicer guitar for about the same money. Ended up not getting either, but the Dot was not as impressive to play as it was to look at. Just sayin'......

 

[rayc]

You'd play it & decide if it was worth more than kindling 1st I hope.
Decide save $60 or get a guitar that SOUNDS & PLAYS to match or beat your expectations.

 

[orksnork]

guitar center always seems like an easy angle to run for me...

i walk in with a no bullshit attitude...and GENERALLY i get no bullshit from a salesperson...

i'll know what i'm looking for and i'm savvy enough to know how to find this on my own (not meaning find it in the store...find the certain ONE that is going to suit me)

when i am approached...i tell them my intentions (I AM GOING TO BUY A GUITAR) and tell them let me do my thing and we'll talk when i'm ready...

when i get a guy who wants to start pushing me here or there (and most times, it's towards and item with a bigger markup, e.g. bigger commission) i tell him to go away and that he lost the sale...

i find the salesman who is scared to be a salesman and is standing in the corner cowering...

i figure out what i want...and i tell him i'm ready to buy it and willing to pay whatever i feel like is a reasonable discount off of the sticker price...

generally, this is to no argument and it all goes smoothly...

certain companies...there is barely a markup, or none, and they can't negotiate...these items are just there to get you in the store (boogie, digidesign hd) but generally you can swing extras out of it as far as cables, cases blah blah blah






im hungover and feeling weird.

 

[Nilman13]

yeah ive considered getting the dot. so you think if i printed out the B-stock for $330 they would sell it to me for $330? oh and yeah i tried the ibanez artcore and decided on the dot, but at least its better then what i was going to get before wich was the Dot Studio. i like ibanez alot though and ill probably get one of the RGs from them down the line.

how much should my starting offer be for the guitar, case and strings?

 

[hixmix]

i find the salesman who is scared to be a salesman and is standing in the corner cowering...

LOL! I don't know why that made me laugh.

 

[zacanger]

I was planning on getting a Dot once. Then I was going to get a white Dot Studio and have someone I know do a pinup paintjob. Then I was going to get a WildKat, because they look and feel amazing. She was red. She had a name. Satine. I miss her. I never bought her because I have no cash. I feel all teary now.
Anyway. Dots rock.

 

[coolwhip]

The epi dots are pretty smooth guitars - not too very different from the gibson ones, in my opinion. Just swap out the stock pickups and you're set. I have a friend who even re-did the headstock by removing the epi logo and inlaying the gibson pearl Total cost = < $500

 

[djhead]

As a former GC employee, I'll quot you something straight from their books.

"In negotiating, the one who first mentions a figure, loses"

 

[ggunn]

As a former GC employee, I'll quot you something straight from their books.

"In negotiating, the one who first mentions a figure, loses"

That's why, in negotiating a price for something, if there is no alternative to my being the first to mention a figure, I make a ridiculous offer. That there 1956 Les Paul, I'll give you 50 bucks for it. ;^)

 

[ggunn]

The epi dots are pretty smooth guitars - not too very different from the gibson ones, in my opinion. Just swap out the stock pickups and you're set. I have a friend who even re-did the headstock by removing the epi logo and inlaying the gibson pearl Total cost = < $500

Your friend deserves to be taken out to the woodshed.

 

[zacanger]

The epi dots are pretty smooth guitars - not too very different from the gibson ones, in my opinion. Just swap out the stock pickups and you're set. I have a friend who even re-did the headstock by removing the epi logo and inlaying the gibson pearl Total cost = < $500

... you'd need to replace the hardware, then, too, since it's cheap korean made shit.

 

[TragikRemix]

i think you should ditch the whole idea because it doesnt work like that...

you go, do your thing, talk to someone and play it as you go... thats the only way, you cant set a plan on haggling.

there are some things that really just cant go down in price much..

heres what i always figure on; you can usually expect to get 10%. that is a standard discount, its what i am allowed to give at my store. anything else has to be approved by my boss, and its usually a 'no' unless its a friend or a frequent customer.

in addition, small music store get anywhere from 50%-65% under list as the wholesale price, (talking new items, from a distributer, plus shipping). Sam Ash/GC, the typical marked prices are 30-40% off list, (again, typical items, no HD systems etc)

i dont know what SamAsh/GC pay wholesale though.. based on there extremely competitive rates that us small stores CANNOT EVEN MATCH, i think they pay something like 70-80% off list... honestly, sometimes its cheaper for my boss to buy things from musiciansfriend than it is to get it from our distributers, especially on closeouts etc.

im a tough salesperson. bitch enough, 10%, thats it.

be nice and haggle, 10%, no tax, reduced pricing on accessories/free accessories...

another thing, you will have to pay tax at GC no matter what.... which kinda sucks. i'm all for 'Cash, no tax' deals... cash does talk though, so mention that.

a salesperson HATES when you negotiate for hours on end and then hand them a Credit card,

 

[TragikRemix]

As a former GC employee, I'll quot you something straight from their books.

"In negotiating, the one who first mentions a figure, loses"

really! do you have that book by any chance?? i'd love to read that sucker..