Dealer Discount

If the dealer allows me to take the item home to try out I don’t mind paying list price. If not ,10% is fine with me! If the dealer does both, that's the icing on the cake!

Since the first day I purchased from my dealer a year ago, I've always received 10 percent.  I have also received 20 percent on another purchase and it was not a discontinued item.    Very happy. 

I live in the rare town that has a half dozen high end audio shops. Which means people like audio to support so many dealers in our mid-sized city. There’s variety in discounts and willingness among the dealers. One store really turned me off though. I had found the speakers I wanted—brand new—at 40% off on line. I called the local place that stocked them and spoke with the manager. I said, “I dont know if you can match this, or if its worth it for you, but I believe in supporting local and at least wanted to give you the opportunity “ He lectured and harangued me and was really unpleasant. In the end I paid MORE than the reputable place on line but still around 35% under because I DO want my local places to be there. BUT, he was so unpleasant about it that I have never purchased anything else from them, though I have tried to give them a chance. Let me add they had done service work for me and I had purchased other speakers from them. I now have a favorite shop. If a discount is available, they work with me. Some items there isn't and they explain it. But their service is extremely good, they are knowledgeable and a bunch of good guys. 

I bought several pieces from a dealer decades ago that had a very rational discount policy. If you paid full price you got a 30 day return privilege and full credit if you traded up to more expensive piece of gear. There was a second level of 10% if I remember correctly, and then there was a 20% discount if you essentially wanted no service, no refund, no trade-in, no dealer setup, and you had to pay with cash (no credit card).

The point here is that if getting a discount is really important to you then you can negotiate a service/discount trade off with the dealer if the dealer has a standard service policy (return privilege etc.). If you just want to buy the piece of gear, walk out the door, and never ask the dealer for any kind of service then you should at least get a 10% discount. If you come in with cash or the dealer will accept the check you should be able to get another 2% by avoiding a credit card.

If you're concerned how much you have to open your wallet-most of us, it's all about how YOU interact with a dealer. Your own skills at selling yourself as a person who deserves the better price.

That said, I've had some exposure to what actual cost of audio equipment is, and it's painful to imagine paying anything near MSRP. A dealer has a business to operate, so I get it.

Cash, as mentioned, helps in the negotiation  game.