Asking for a discount without being an insulting idiot

[BrianRostron]

I am getting to the point of spending 30k on amplifier & speakers. (gulp) Devialet 240 + KEF Blades for those who might be interested.

If I was spending this on a car I would have a very good idea of the "real" price versus list. For hi fi at this price level, I have not got a clue. Obviously this is not a routine purchase!

Does anyone have any idea of what is reasonable or possible. Or indeed, does anyone have any direct experience?

Any advice welcome!

 

[bluebrazil]

if you can insult a dealer when trying to spend that amount of dosh you are a better man than me, try for 30%, they can only say no

 

[Deleted member 2457]

I am getting to the point of spending 30k on amplifier & speakers. (gulp) Devialet 240 + KEF Blades for those who might be interested. If I was spending this on a car I would have a very good idea of the "real" price versus list. For hi fi at this price level, I have not got a clue. Obviously this is not a routine purchase! Does anyone have any idea of what is reasonable or possible. Or indeed, does anyone have any direct experience? Any advice welcome!

If you buy your speakers and amp together at Sevenoaks they can offer large discounts. Even on just speakers themselves. I once got 27 per cent off, but that was a special occasion sale. Other times near 25 per cent off at Sevenoaks.

 

[BrianRostron]

Bluebrazil - Very funny! Yes, I agree, anything is worth a try, you have to haggle. I just have no idea what is possible

 

[bluebrazil]

just dont come away with some free cables :beer:

 

[John Duncan]

Same dealer? I'd be looking for a third for starters...

 

[bluebrazil]

on a serious note tho, you have to hear this system in situ. a home demo could be hard as i guess they have to order them in at some expense to themselves, but please do say that its essential to you and discuss what costs are incurred if you want to return amp or speakers.

 

[floyd droid]

Lie !. If dealer B says " that will be 32,800 quid to you sir ". You respond with " laters mate dealer A quoted me 27k ". Would be surprised if you make it to the door without being called back.

Alternatively just ask what kind of discount would be on offer if you bought these things. If you get a negative , walk !. You are not being insulting just asking a question.

More importantly , if you are going to drop 30k on gear , you best be bloody sure to get it right because you are in for a walloping if in a few weeks down the line you go off it.

 

[matt49]

if you can insult a dealer when trying to spend that amount of dosh you are a better man than me, try for 30%, they can only say no

+1

One ought not to feel embarrassed about doing this, though I do, and I'm sure others do too. I've found it helpful in the past to announce my intention to negotiate in advance. Somehow that helps me to feel less uneasy about it when I go in hard.

How was the Dev + Blades combo when you auditioned it? Fairly good, I should expect ...

 

[floyd droid]

One ought not to feel embarrassed about doing this, though I do, and I'm sure others do too.

Nah stuff that, I asked my mate for discount on a cart that I was getting for trade price ,lol.

 

[Um]

Just come straight out and ask . they will be expecting it. I haggled quite a lot off my new mattress today in John Lewis.

 

[ifor]

Line up three or four and invite them to tender for your business.

 

[matt49]

One ought not to feel embarrassed about doing this, though I do, and I'm sure others do too.

Nah stuff that, I asked my mate for discount on a cart that I was getting for trade price ,lol.

Must be my stifling bourgeois childhood and the crippling levels of social phobia I suffer as a consequence.

:cheers:

 

[simonlewis]

One ought not to feel embarrassed about doing this, though I do, and I'm sure others do too.

Nah stuff that, I asked my mate for discount on a cart that I was getting for trade price ,lol.

Yeah sometimes you need to check out your cart quickly otherwise you may find it out of stock even if it's in your basket, depends what website you are using though.

 

[floyd droid]

One ought not to feel embarrassed about doing this, though I do, and I'm sure others do too.

Nah stuff that, I asked my mate for discount on a cart that I was getting for trade price ,lol.

Must be my stifling bourgeois childhood and the crippling levels of social phobia I suffer as a consequence.

:cheers:

Hee hee , you will get over it Matt especially when its drop money on your new speakers time.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Some simple rules:

1) Ask for their best price

2) Offer below it by at least 20%

3) If they say no, ask what they can throw in - cables, stands, whatever

4) If they still say no start walking out, having first asked where shopx, which carries the same gear, is.

 

[matt49]

Hee hee , you will get over it Matt especially when its drop money on your new speakers time.

Think I may send Mrs49 in to do the negotiation. Hard as masonry nails, she is.

 

[floyd droid]

Hee hee , you will get over it Matt especially when its drop money on your new speakers time.

Think I may send Mrs49 in to do the negotiation. Hard as masonry nails, she is.

Actually thats a good idea , because when matey says £eleventy twelve quid Mrs Matt , he will get the death stare that us fellas cant do, et voila discount !.

 

[DocG]

Then again, you don't buy a loaf of bread or a new shirt (a very nice shirt for that money!). My point is: the service is equally important. Does he deliver the stuff home? Help you set things up properly? You can negotiate so effectively that he can't be bothered with that anymore...

BTW, Dev + Blades = the stuff dreams are made off!

PS: don't let him get rid of it with some fancy ICs! You won't need those!

 

[relocated]

Line up three or four and invite them to tender for your business.

Always assuming that there are 3 or 4 doing what you want, then this sounds an eminently sensible way to go. If you want to be fair, give the dealer who home demoed the combo a bit of latitude, but only a bit. You did home-demo, right????????

 

[altruistic.lemon]

To be serious, at this level, you shouldn't expect a discount. You obviously can afford the gear, so any dealer worth his salt isn't going to come down, not the right market.

If you can afford a Rolex, you don't ask for discounts.

 

[bluebrazil]

and if you pay full rrp without asking you have had your pants pulled down and bummed, lemons might like that tho

 

[altruistic.lemon]

You miss the point. Do you think Brad Pitt asks for discounts on a Rolls Royce? Snob market, mate.

 

[Anonymous]

You miss the point. Do you think Brad Pitt asks for discounts on a Rolls Royce? Snob market, mate.

Probably the tightest people I know are the ones with shed loads of money...and thats why

Ask for discount and salesmen are there to be abused and insulted

If they didn't want to be they should have paid more attention at school

 

[CnoEvil]

BTW, Dev + Blades = the stuff dreams are made off!

Agreed.

@OP - The Blades sounded stunning when I heard them bi-amped with Linn Magic amps and a Kimax DS.......the dealer used Linn K400 S/C.

I suspect they don't sell that many Blades, so do push, especially if (as others have sad), you are getting the whole system in one place. Try to get some decent cables thrown in.

Looking forward to how you get on.