When I was shopping for my kit many moons ago, I had an ignorant salesman experience at a local shop. I knew what kit I wanted and was calling around (yes, we had to use a phone back before the internet!) to various shops checking pricing and availability. A Local shop was a Ludwig dealer, so I stopped in and they had what I was looking for, but in a different color. When I asked the sales guy how much the kit was, his reply was a sarcastic, "Oh, it's a lot!" and walks away! I was totally put off and was like FU and left. I had gotten several of the same quotes since most of the places probably didn't have what I wanted in stock and had to order it in. One shop in particular said they could have it much sooner than the others, so I was going to go with them, just had to make an hour plus trip to make the deposit and get it rolling. Before I was able to do that, I needed a head or some sticks in a pinch and went to the local place again since it was on my way to rehearsal. This time the owner was there, who I knew through him getting shirts from the screen printing shop where I worked. I mentioned I was getting a new kit and he asked why I wasn't getting it there - I told him what had happened and how his guy basically implied that I couldn't afford it, so I went elsewhere. He asked how much I was paying, so I gave him a number about $500 lower than it actually was. He goes behind the counter, gets out the price list and calculator. "wow, that's really a good price - I can't beat it, but I can match it." And they could get it two weeks sooner. So thanks to a crappy employee, I got a $500 discount.