Dealer Price "Wiggle" Room

I love your name. If I were a dealer I would try to accommodate anyone who would pick out Jenniethecat for a posting name. The other posts are correct about discounts. Most audiophile lines vary wildly in their margin. There are items that can produce a small profit for the dealer with 50% off. There are many more that only have 35% or 45% total mark up, and from that the dealer must pay shipping and accept responsibility for making the customer happy. In those situations, you would be lucky to get any discount, and 10% or 15% would be the best you could ever hope for.

I hate haggling myself, but I haven't run into a dealer in a while who even tried to sell at list. 10% or so seemed to be what they offered, and I didn't press them further. Floor models and close-outs are another story, of course. There 20% is to expected, and I've done better. Another factor, of course, is gender. Let's face it, when it comes to dealing with female customers, some members of the sales profession can be a little, shall we say, backward. They may be assuming you're an easy mark, in which case you're going to have to be assertive. Don't be afraid to make a low offer. They can always make a counteroffer.

Nobody's asked what the dealer did for you. If low price stuff and the dealer spent a lot of time with you in his store, pay list or maybe 5 to 10% off. If high priced they should have room to discount some more, but will generally be reluctant to do so. If mail order and the item is hard to come by you can still get 10%, if widely available 20%. In the US. In the UK, dealers dont like to discount but they will cover the shipping maybe.

Will the dealer take the item back and not charge a "restocking fee" if you dont like it? Less of a discount should be expected.

Now, there are lots of sales on the internet of equipment that has been discontinued by the manufacturer or current stuff that the dealer is just closing out. Shop around if you havent taken up your local dealer's time.

I have found quite a few stores that don't want to offer any discount on individual pieces, even if they are large ticket items, they stick to the list prices. Their exceptions are if you are buying a system or many pieces then they may offer a discount on the package, or if they have seen you in the store and kinda know you, and business has been slow, then they may give you a 5% or 10% discount. They usually have a private sale, or other special sale a few times a year where can get a discount on the new stuff and better discount on the floor models or close outs. I have found a few dealers that took the time to get to know me and talk about my preferences etc. They give me a 10% off of anything I want without asking, and then give better discounts when they can. Its a nice way to keep a customer coming back, if you know you can get a decent deal from a dealer without even asking or haggling over the price.

Here in Chicago and the surrounding areas, we have over a dozen decent stores to choose from. Most of them will discount a little bit on items here and there. Obviously, the more that you spend either on a regular basis or on "one big shot" will give the dealer more room to work with you. I have found that one specific dealer who is highly respected typically discounts measurably more than other dealers who are not as nice to deal with. On top of this, that store also offers a VERY attractive trade in / upgrade program. As such, it's hard to beat someone that offers personable service, good prices and willingness to work with you on trade-ins.

As others mentioned above, dealers that DO take care of their customers, spend more time with them making sure that they get what they need in the first place AND do good follow-up deserve more money than the guy that hands you the gear and pushes you out the door. Obviously, it's pretty nice to find someone that IS great to work with AND discounts. Those shops are out there, but you might have to look around a bit to find them. Sean
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