haggling when buying a bike

006

just wondering if you were to buy a bike that was on sale for say 450 bucks,

would most shops take maybe 400 for it? or
would they throw in some nice bike accesories with the sale? or
are they pretty stingy and set with the price.


Anybodies experience would be appreciated.Thanks

cormie

ALWAYS haggle, especially when buying something as expensive as that!

FX Meister

Just stear clear of cycle ways

rubadub

cycleways is in parnell street? whats wrong with them.

I was in there and a guy bought a bike, the sales guy turned to another and said "this guy is buying the bike can you sort it out"
other guy says
"is it a straight sale?"
"yes"

I took this to mean that it would be usual to have some extras thrown in, or a discount. So yes certainly try. Or get things changed like tyres or the saddle if you dont like it.

Johnny Jukebox

Always haggle. They expect to be asked for a discount of 5 or 10%. Also, try and Internet pricematch and offer the cost of carraige as a sweetner.

I

FX Meister

Twice I bought bikes from them that were not assembled correctly. The fist one gave me 3 stitches and the second one resulted in a dislocated shoulder.

youcancallmeal

I bought a 500euro bike in cyclelogical a few weeks ago. There was no discount on the bike but the guy there gave me a huge discount on about 150euro worth of extras(lights, lock etc). Paid 550 alltogether.
I reckon though he would of given me a discount on the bike instead of the extras but it wouldnt have made much difference.

Genghis

AFAIK, and I could be wrong, retailers have quite a narrow margin on bikes, and quite a high margin on accessories. You are always going to get more value if you combine the accessories with your new bike.

Why bikes themseleves are so expensive here (compared to day the continent), is another question.

godfather69er

hummm.......
would you haggle at the supermarket over the price of your groceries or maybe over bus fare????? this seems to be a common thing amongst us irish when buying bikes we see the price and decide its too expensive so think its more of a guideline that only other suckers have to pay, when the poor assistant cant give you e800 off a e1000 bike and throw in a heap of accesories(its true ive seen it happen) we walk of in a pisser and give a bad feedback to their friends.
this is coming from sombody who works in a bike shop but doesnt get any of the profits i.e a employee, please dont ask the assistant to give you money off, he'd love to(i would) but we'd also like to keep our jobs.
and the 15c for a bag believe it or not is a tax which means it goes to the government.
and the margin on the cheap **** bikes is huuuuge and on the great brands like gt, kona, airbourne and specialised is quite small in comparison.

cormie

You're not exactly going to haggle for a pint of milk though, when a business specialises in something, they should expect and welcome hagglers. They should also tell the employee what to allow and what not to allow in terms of freebies and reductions. You should ask your manager and see what he or she says:)

godfather69er

cormie wrote:

You're not exactly going to haggle for a pint of milk though, when a business specialises in something, they should expect and welcome hagglers. They should also tell the employee what to allow and what not to allow in terms of freebies and reductions. You should ask your manager and see what he or she says:)

o.k how about a car dealers would you haggle there???or maybe a butchers or maybe the bank???....ill take the loan if yo throw in a extra million euro and give me 10% off the intrest then we have a deal??!!!
the manager most likely dont own the shop either so he is being put on the spot too.

Johnny Jukebox

godfather69er wrote:

hummm.......
and the margin on the cheap **** bikes is huuuuge and on the great brands like gt, kona, airbourne and specialised is quite small in comparison.

Its also much more likely that the person buying a top end has done their research and knows exactly what the price is in Internet stores worldwide, adds in the carraige and the risk of getting snared in customs, or as is increasingly the case, gets someone to bring it in for them. I'd estimate that 50% of the guys in my club have "imported" bikes like that. If you shop around, there is a significant difference between what Irish bike shops charge and Internet stores, especially on year end bikes - ie. 2005 right now.

If you buy a global brand (eg. Specialized), then as I understand it any Specialized dealer is obliged to handle any warranty claims. This means you can buy Specialized on the 'net and ask the local guy to handle any problems.

godfather69er

Johnny Jukebox wrote:

Its also much more likely that the person buying a top end has done their research and knows exactly what the price is in Internet stores worldwide, adds in the carraige and the risk of getting snared in customs, or as is increasingly the case, gets someone to bring it in for them. I'd estimate that 50% of the guys in my club have "imported" bikes like that. If you shop around, there is a significant difference between what Irish bike shops charge and Internet stores, especially on year end bikes - ie. 2005 right now.

If you buy a global brand (eg. Specialized), then as I understand it any Specialized dealer is obliged to handle any warranty claims. This means you can buy Specialized on the 'net and ask the local guy to handle any problems.

can you haggle a computer or a website

cormie

godfather69er wrote:

o.k how about a car dealers would you haggle there???or maybe a butchers or maybe the bank???....ill take the loan if yo throw in a extra million euro and give me 10% off the intrest then we have a deal??!!!
the manager most likely dont own the shop either so he is being put on the spot too.

I'd definitely haggle with a car dealer, depends what I was getting off the butcher, for a christmas order of maybe €80 or so and it came up on the till as €86, I may say so is €80 alright for the lot? I wouldn't really "haggle" with the bank, I'd be more inclined to quote figures of their competitors and ask them can they beat it. Like I did with my insurance renewal just there. I'm quite confident I got the cheapest quote after much price matching.

I'll haggle with almost anything. Even one time I was gettinga pizza with a few friends and I asked would they throw in a box of wedges for free too, and they did. All you have to do is ask;)

can you haggle a computer or a website

I have this email from when I was ordering a pair of earphones too (read from the bottom up):

Cormac,

You are very welcome!

We much rather surprise our customers with good things than with
shortcomings.

Thanks for the kind words!

Thank you,

---

Hi again,
I'm pleased to say the earphones arrived today, marked as gift with no
import duties. They arrived much sooner than expected. Great service thank
you very much. Now to give them a proper go:) I'll definitely be
recommending you to anyone who's interested.

Thanks again,
Cormac

---

>
> Hello Cormac,
>
> This kind of service (Global Priority Mail) does not have tracking
numbers.
>
> Your total including shipping is $198.00
>
> Just so you know, we charge a flat $19.95 fee for international Global
> Priority Mail. Approximately $9.95 shipping + $10.00 handling. The
handling
> covers the cost for an employee to actually go to the Post Office, and
stay
> in line to sign the custom declaration. In this case we can declare "GIFT"
> so you shouldn't have any tax upon arrival.
>
> It shipped today.
>
>
> Thank you,
>

---

>
> Hi again,
> I just placed my order for the Black E4's shipped to Ireland at $198
marked
> as GIFT including free delivery and a free airline adaptor. I got a
> confirmation mail stating the order for $219 went through and I got a
follow
> up order saying that the order went through at $198. Is this all ok and
now
> I just have to wait for shipment? Will there be a tracking number released
> to me? When do you reckon they will be shipped from yourselves?
>
> Thank you very much for the special price and your service. I will be
> recommending you to anyone who asks for the best place to buy them.
>
> Kind regards,
> Cormac O'Sheehan

---

> >
> > Cormac,
> >
> > We are telling you exactly like it is. We will not tell you one thing
and
> > then something else happens. We don't think iDealSound can guarantee 2
day
> > delivery simply because the carrier can't due to possible customs
delays.
> >
> > We could do a total of $198.00 delivered. Priority Global Mail to
Ireland
> > usually takes 5-12 days.
> >
> > For that simply type on the comments field when you're checking out:
> > "SPECIAL PRICE OF $198.00 + FREE shipping + FREE Airline Adaptor ($9.95
> > value) to Ireland for E4, Code 15888E8."
> >
> > Your total will be adjusted AFTER we receive your order and BEFORE we
> charge
> > your card.
> >
> >
> > Thank you,
>

---

> >

Hi again,
> > Thank you for your prompt reply. So Global Express Mail with USPS is 3-5
> > days. IdealSound told me this:
> >
> > "Hi, thanks for your offer - the best we can do is $199 for Ireland
(that
> > includes 2nd day UPS air)"
> >
> > This is still cheaper and supposidly quicker than what you are offering
> me.
> > If you can drop your price some more I will highly consider giving you
the
> > business as I have heard good feedback about your service. I have also
> heard
> > good feedback (and their 100% feedback on Ebay is also reassuring) of
> > IdealSound.
> >
> > It's basically down to who can give me the best price and fastest
shipping
> > marked as GIFT.
> >
> > I look forward to your reply.
> >
> > Kind regards,
> > Cormac
> >
>
EarphoneSolutions.com> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > "I also require a refund on any customs charges I may have to pay."
> > >
> > > We will not do this. Customs is between the country of destination and
> > their
> > > citizens.
> > >
> > > Just so you know, we charge a flat $19.95 fee for international Global
> > > Priority Mail. Approximately $9.95 shipping + $10.00 handling. The
> > handling
> > > covers the cost for an employee to actually go to the Post Office, and
> > stay
> > > in line to sign the custom declaration. In this case we can declare
> "GIFT"
> > > so you shouldn't have any tax upon arrival.
> > >
> > > We can do $179.99 + shipping. This would be via GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL,
> not
> > > 2nd Day. There's no such service to international destinations because
> no
> > > carrier can guarantee delivery in 2 days due to possible customs
delays.
> > >
> > >
> > > Thank you,
> > >

---

> > >
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > > I am in the market for buying a pair of Shure E4 (Black) shipped to
> > Ireland.
> > > I am a member of head-fi.org and that is where I got your contact
from.
> I
> > > require one pair of Shure E4 (Black) which includes the carry case,
fit
> > kit,
> > > level attenuator to be shipped to The Republic of Ireland and marked
as
> > > "Gift" to avoid customs charges. I also require a refund on any
customs
> > > charges I may have to pay.
> > >
> > > The best offer I have received so far is for all of the above PLUS 2nd
> day
> > > delivery with UPS for a total of $199 (including 2nd day shipping).
This
> > is
> > > from IdealSound on Ebay.
> > >
> > > Can you beat this price? If so, what is the best price you can give
me?
> > >
> > > I look forward to your reply as I intend to place an order with
whoever
> > > gives me the best offer as soon as I know who the cheapest is. All of
> the
> > > above should also include the Shure 2 year Warranty.
> > >
> > > Kind regards,
> > > Cormac

Explosive_Cornflake

I've got into haggling lately. I got a good bit off my bike when i bought it in the cycle superstore in tallaght. There's no harm in asking.

Johnny Jukebox

godfather69er wrote:

can you haggle a computer or a website

Of course not. But you dont need to, if they're the cheapest. And they usually are.

Just out of curiousity, check out this link and tell me if your shop could match it;

http://www.bikesdirect.com/march10daysale/

godfather69er

no harm in asking, but you didnt expect it you were chancing your arm. most of the customers feel they have a divine right to get somthing off, and as far as i know they cyclesuperstore give discounts without having to haggle by giving the customer a discount card.
what should happen is a 2% reduction on all purchases made in hard cash I.E no credit cards or cheques as it costs 2% to put them through . prob should be across the board already in my opinion

youcancallmeal

cormie wrote:

I have this email from when I was ordering a pair of earphones too (read from the bottom up):

Nice, I'll have to give that a shot sometime

rubadub

godfather69er wrote:

hummm.......
would you haggle at the supermarket over the price of your groceries or maybe over bus fare????? this seems to be a common thing amongst us irish when buying bikes we see the price

like I said

the sales guy turned to another and said "this guy is buying the bike can you sort it out"
other guy says
"is it a straight sale?"
"yes"

I took this to mean that it would be usual to have some extras thrown in, or a discount

And it is not "an irish thing", usually you would hear that it is not an irish thing to try and haggle, it is very common in other countries. In the US it is more common than here. In Hong Kong it is almost a certainty that you get 5-10% off displayed price. And this is not in backstreets buying souveniors, this is in electronics chains similar to dixons, the shopkeepers walk around with calculators and type away and hand you it when you question the price, then you minus a bit more! sort of high tech haggling!

I know a guy who haggles EVERYTHING, even the bus fare that you were joking about. He even got money off runners in DUNNES!, he gets it off in shops like champion sports the odd time, but I was shocked at dunnes, though I think there was a small mark on them or something. Whats the worst that can happen? they say no and you pay full whack, no loss.

I regularly (sort of) do it on ebay, buying a common item where they only quote US shipping, I message saying
"how much is cheapest shipping to Ireland? another seller is charging €20 for the same item for shipping can you match that as you have better feedback so I would prefer to buy from you."

godfather69er

rubadub wrote:

like I said



And it is not "an irish thing", usually you would hear that it is not an irish thing to try and haggle, it is very common in other countries. In the US it is more common than here. In Hong Kong it is almost a certainty that you get 5-10% off displayed price. And this is not in backstreets buying souveniors, this is in electronics chains similar to dixons, the shopkeepers walk around with calculators and type away and hand you it when you question the price, then you minus a bit more! sort of high tech haggling!

I know a guy who haggles EVERYTHING, even the bus fare that you were joking about. He even got money off runners in DUNNES!, he gets it off in shops like champion sports the odd time, but I was shocked at dunnes, though I think there was a small mark on them or something. Whats the worst that can happen? they say no and you pay full whack, no loss.

I regularly (sort of) do it on ebay, buying a common item where they only quote US shipping, I message saying
"how much is cheapest shipping to Ireland? another seller is charging €20 for the same item for shipping can you match that as you have better feedback so I would prefer to buy from you."

ye but they prob have the 'discount' added to the price and if u ask you get if you dont the shop just made 10% more, maybe certain stores are like that in capitolist countries but very few.
fair play for tryin but just dont expect it thats what i am trying to say, i have had no end of abuse thrown at me for not givin discounts. and where i work 10% is 2/3 of the staff discount.................................

cormie

They still make profit off the staff though. It really boils down to the fact that if you ask, you may get a discount, or you may not, so just ask:D

rubadub

godfather69er wrote:

ye but they prob have the 'discount' added to the price and if u ask you get if you dont the shop just made 10% more,

The company I work supply industry and when I hear a "selling price" mentioned I presume it is 35% less than that quoted, this is since 80% of sales will be to people receiving a 35% discount. Our brouchures have the price. If you rang and asked for a discount you get 5-10% automatically depending on which machine it is, no questions asked. Regular customers get more in accordance with volumes.

When I figure costings for machines I automatically add 35% before I tell sales guys a price since I know thats what will be mostly charged.

This is a bit similar to chinese takeaways that give "free delivery" and a "walk-in collection discount", i.e. they really are charging you for delivery, if you walk in to collect you are paying the normal amount. By saying free, and discount, both the takeaway and delivery customers think they are getting a good deal.