Haggling with Musican's Friend on sets

B

brianbags

Member
I'm looking to buy a new Ludwig.. has anyone tried negotiating with them (or any other retailer, actually) on a drum kit? Do they budge?
 
There may or may not be any bartering of price.
It depends on many things.
They may have the kit that you are looking at set at a price that they don't want to deviate from.
Then again, there may be some wiggle room.

I would just play it by ear and see what happens.
Look at the kit and act as though you are interested but undecided.
Say Thank You and start walking out of the store.
If they call you back with a lower price then OK.
If not you can always turn around yourself and go for it.
 
I agree with Bobda........be willing to walk away with a smile on your face. LIKE a car dealer...if they are.....they will call you back.
 
bobdadruma said:
There may or may not be any bartering of price.
It depends on many things.
They may have the kit that you are looking at set at a price that they don't want to deviate from.
Then again, there may be some wiggle room.

I would just play it by ear and see what happens.
Look at the kit and act as though you are interested but undecided.
Say Thank You and start walking out of the store.
If they call you back with a lower price then OK.
If not you can always turn around yourself and go for it.
Click to expand...

Ahh sorry I should have mentioned I'd be doing this all online. So it'd be over the phone. I just wanna know first if they even do that kind of stuff, and if anyone has any experiences. Cause I know if I call up Amazon (where I usually shop) and try to negotiate, I'd get nowhere.

But I know what you're saying, and it can be applied to a phone conversation. Thanks


Pocket-full-of-gold said:
Musicians Friend don't have a "store" to walk out of though, do they? Aren't they a sole online business?
Click to expand...


lol that's what I thought...
 
Pocket-full-of-gold said:
Musicians Friend don't have a "store" to walk out of though, do they? Aren't they a sole online business?
Click to expand...
Sorry about that, I had a Long Day!
I was thinking Guitar Center for some reason.
All that you can do is call MF and see what they say.
 
Yes, I agree....again...I was IN GC yesterday and I was in that mode.
 
When I bought my Icon rack online, I bartered with three companies. One had the rack cheaper than the others. One had the clamps much cheaper, and one would give me free shipping. I called InterstateMusic.com and gave them all of my info. They beat the rack and clamp price of the others and gave me half price shipping. It won't hurt to try but be polite and when they say no, move on.
 
There's no harm in trying- call them up and see how bad they want to sell you a set. Things to think about:

  • Try to keep them on the phone for as long as possible, but also be ready to walk at any point in the negotiation. If the guy is working on commission, the more of his time you waste, the more he is going to want to close the sale. You might want to start by not talking price, but by asking questions about features and options, comparisons between brands, lines, etc.
  • Know the list price of the drums you want; no matter what they say, a 40-55% discount off list is not at all unreasonable. Keep a calculator next to the phone so you can quickly figure what they're offering you.
  • Know what your bottom line is going in- decide in advance what's the most you'll be happy with paying.
  • If the salesman claims not to be able to give you a different price than what is on the site, ask if you can speak to someone who has authority to make decisions like that.
  • Don't worry about being reasonable- if you don't feel like the guy is on the verge of dismissing you as a viable customer (without actually hanging up on you!), you may not be demanding enough.
  • A ballsy move- after finally, painfully, arriving at a price- is to throw in a new demand at the last second. You could say you want a set of heads included, or something smaller.
  • Again, always be ready to walk! There are many other retailers who may give you what you want. You don't owe the salesman or the store a purchase, no matter how long they talk to you.
  • You might have the best luck with something in the clearance section- see how badly they want to move that stuff.
  • If it doesn't work with MF, try Sam Ash, Guitar Center, Woodwind & Brasswind (are they still around?), or any other big retailer. Or try calling MF back and see if you get someone different.

Hope that helps- have fun and good luck!
 
toddbishop said:
There's no harm in trying- call them up and see how bad they want to sell you a set. Things to think about:

  • Try to keep them on the phone for as long as possible, but also be ready to walk at any point in the negotiation. If the guy is working on commission, the more of his time you waste, the more he is going to want to close the sale. You might want to start by not talking price, but by asking questions about features and options, comparisons between brands, lines, etc.
  • Know the list price of the drums you want; no matter what they say, a 40-55% discount off list is not at all unreasonable. Keep a calculator next to the phone so you can quickly figure what they're offering you.
  • Know what your bottom line is going in- decide in advance what's the most you'll be happy with paying.
  • If the salesman claims not to be able to give you a different price than what is on the site, ask if you can speak to someone who has authority to make decisions like that.
  • Don't worry about being reasonable- if you don't feel like the guy is on the verge of dismissing you as a viable customer (without actually hanging up on you!), you may not be demanding enough.
  • A ballsy move- after finally, painfully, arriving at a price- is to throw in a new demand at the last second. You could say you want a set of heads included, or something smaller.
  • Again, always be ready to walk! There are many other retailers who may give you what you want. You don't owe the salesman or the store a purchase, no matter how long they talk to you.
  • You might have the best luck with something in the clearance section- see how badly they want to move that stuff.
  • If it doesn't work with MF, try Sam Ash, Guitar Center, Woodwind & Brasswind (are they still around?), or any other big retailer. Or try calling MF back and see if you get someone different.

Hope that helps- have fun and good luck!
Click to expand...


Great advice!!! Couple of them had be laughing.. I've never done this kind of thing before

This is what I'm looking at:

http://drums-percussion.musiciansfr...ennial-5Piece-Rock-Drum-Shell-Pack?sku=424107


The guy said the lowest he could go was $1,234.99. Any lower, he'd have to get approval from the supervisor. I told them I'd call back when I'm ready to order and he said me only then could I talk to the supervisor. Do you guys think he was bullshitting any of that? I didn't push him any because I'm not buying now (hopefully selling my old kit tomorrow, then I'll be ready to buy). I feel like if I'm pushy I can get much much lower than his price.


GRUNTERSDAD said:
When I bought my Icon rack online, I bartered with three companies. One had the rack cheaper than the others. One had the clamps much cheaper, and one would give me free shipping. I called InterstateMusic.com and gave them all of my info. They beat the rack and clamp price of the others and gave me half price shipping. It won't hurt to try but be polite and when they say no, move on.
Click to expand...

Yep, but since Music123, Guitar Center and MF are all one company, I don't know if I should use the other two in an argument. I was thinking I'd call Sam Ash, and then "a local music store".. lol
 
They are all the same conglomerate but still have their own sales goals, commissions etc. It's not just one cash register.
 
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