the price is the price?

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fignut

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I was torn whether to put this in the newb forum or here. Since I will be shopping for a pistol I figured this place was as good as any. Growing up in the Maritimes the price was the price, rude to inquire otherwise. But now that I am in Ontario, I am beginning to realise the price is sometimes negotiable.

Question: is the the price with a dealer up for discussion, or will they consider you a d-bag even to suggest it??
 
fignut said:
I was torn whether to put this in the newb forum or here. Since I will be shopping for a pistol I figured this place was as good as any. Growing up in the Maritimes the price was the price, rude to inquire otherwise. But now that I am in Ontario, I am beginning to realise the price is sometimes negotiable.

Question: is the the price with a dealer up for discussion, or will they consider you a d-bag even to suggest it??
Click to expand...

If your dealer offer the gun that you want but the other dealer has a lower price, you can alway ask if he can match the lower price that the other dealer offer. I guess no body want to mess up a sale.

Trigun
 
I have spent about $12,000 on firearms, accessories and ammo over the past year. I have learned that if you are a regular customer or doing a multiple item purchase there doesn't seem to be any offence caused by asking for "what's the best you can do?" and getting some kind of discount. If the item is a hot seller or in limited supply then don't expect a better deal. If the item has been sitting around for a few months, I would expect a better price than someone just walking in off the street. I think it is important to build a relationship with a few shops. I have dealt with 8 sponsors of this site and except for one, I would deal with them again.
 
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fignut said:
Question: is the the price with a dealer up for discussion, or will they consider you a d-bag even to suggest it??
Click to expand...

Everything is negotiable. Everything. If they look at you like a "d-bag" for suggesting it, then take your business elsewhere.

There's some fine shops out there that are willing to make a deal work for them and for you. If I find a piece that I want, and they make me a deal on it (& maybe plus some ammo + some cleaning stuff + whatever else I can convince myself that I need that day) they can be pretty sure that I'll be back buying the next thing I "need". That first interaction is crucial, but they SHOULD know that if they make me want to come back, they're gonna be making money off of me. I'm sure there are a lot of people like me that maybe just went into a fun store to chat a bit & see what's new in the case, and 3 hours later walked out with a new H&P Q227 Fantabulous 9.5mm. (Or at least the reciept, while the CFO gets it's s**t together...)

Having said that, if I happen to find something that I'm interested in and start a negotiation, if we find common ground, I'm ready to commit to buy right then and there. None of this calling around for a "best price" bs. If I'm standing in front of you and we're to the point of talking about price, chances are I'm gonna buy it, and the longer I stand there, the better the odds get.

Make me FEEL like I got a deal, and I'll send you my friends. Even if I paid a bit more. Make me FEEL like I'm trying to rip you off, and a) I'll lowball you just for being a c**t, and b) ask you the most obscure questions you can possibly think of, just to prove to me and to you that you're nothing more than a paint-eating counter jockey with a body of knowledge on par with dry toast. Chances are, if I'm looking at something, I know more about it than you do.

I guess what this all comes down to, is buy from people that treat you with respect, and that you're comfortable with. If you think you'll pay $X for something and they think they want $X+$999.99, then maybe you won't make a purchase that day. That's just business. At least you got a good chat out of it. If you walk out, though, and think to yourself "wow, what a douche, I never want to see THAT dude again!" then maybe you shouldn't be spending your money in there in the first place!!


(Wow. That got a bit out of hand, but I think you get my point.)
 
Very seldom do I buy something for the asking price.

I usually use the internet to find low prices and then take that to the local g-store..... He has almost always matched the price I bring him. Sometimes dropping his price by over $100 on a $800 pistol just to make a sale. Only once has he told me it was below his cost and to buy it 'from the other guy'.

I always haggle..... Must the 'scot' in me :D

Cheers!
 
Make an offer that you are comfortable with. They may take it or come back with a counter offer.

A gun is like a bus; another one will come along in ten minutes.
 
i deal with a good shop here in n.b. the owner is a great guy and me and the wife both shop there. the owner seems to give us a bit off the asking price everytime. most times i dont haggle, i know they have to make money and if he gives me a few dollars off the sticker price, i will buy it. last time he gave me 6 dollars off the cost of ammo per box. great people, great service ill always shop there first.
 
Always ask.
Even something simple like " Can you do a little better on the price ?" If you are standing there with money, I don't see why they would not trim a little for you.

Also helps if you are buying extras like ammo and mags or other gear.

Also, don't ask a dealer to give you a deal on a $400 Pistol....not much there to work with.

2 cents
Cheers
 
If I'm not really a regular customer I try to limit myself to stuff like, "If I buy this will you give me $X off if I also buy this?"

I like to deal with my local guy but his prices sometimes seem a little out of line. When I look at his price I think about what I can get it off the internet for and then add shipping costs. If it's close I buy local.
 
thanks guys for some great advice, and more importantly some great ideas. I just hope that one day my credit card and my bank account will learn to forgive you...
 
For a single item, I usually don't ask. I often ask if buying more products will improve the price. it usually works on 4 digit purchases.
 
I ask to negotiate on EVERYTHING I buy. From 'Big Box' to corner store (where reasonable) I dont always get what I ask for but more than 50% of the time I do. Saves me 1000s a year.

Try "is that the best we can do here" or "Do we have any room to move on that" or "what can we do right now for cash" or just make an offer...."will you take ### right now for that?

The key is to ask for a deal AND BE READY TO BUY THEN AND THERE.

Pretty funny that everywhere else in the world''s economy is based on bartering.

Me ? I love it:cool:
 
I do almost all my firearms shopping through one of our sponsors. I have never asked for a discount they just give me one, and I will go out of the way to deal with them because they keep me happy.
 
Coming at it from the other side (a retailer of comms etc.) I get asked all the time if I can do better and take no offense to it. Hell, I do the same.

Sometimes I can "do a little better" sometimes I can't. Many times I "value add" with extra accessories or parts if the margin is not there. Most times repeat customers do not have to ask.. they get a loyalty discount. So, as others mentioned it helps when the retailer gets to know you.

Just be reasonable and remember the dude on the other side has bills too ;)
 
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