spacemule
The Peanut Gallery
He said if I could get it somewhere else for that price to buy it from them. He wouldn't budge.
Smart man.
He said if I could get it somewhere else for that price to buy it from them. He wouldn't budge.
In August last year I was shopping around for a bigger saw & was pretty much sold on the idea of a 660, but was considering a 460 too. I went into 3 different Stihl Shops; the 1st shop is less than a mile from my door. I asked him what the best price he could do a 660 for was? The arrogant so & so just walked over to the 660 he had on display & read me what was written on the price tag & gave me a wry smile! The 2nd shop is about half an hour away & he is a new dealer. I was extremely impressed with his knowledge & attitude. He offered me the saw for $1,899 & offered to throw in 2 loops of chain The 460 was about $100 cheaper. I told the 3rd guy the best price I could get the saw for (but not who from) & asked if he could beat it? He said if I could get it somewhere else for that price to buy it from them. He wouldn't budge. My favourite dealer is no longer a Stihl dealer, but they are a Makita dealer! After some advice from some very nice, experienced people, I bought a 7901 for $1,159 instead! I'm sooooooooooooooo glad I did! Not only does the saw exceed my expectations, I don't have to deal with a Stihl Shop for parts/maintenance!
"He offered me the saw for $1,899 & offered to throw in 2 loops of chain The 460 was about $100 cheaper."
Man I know how you feel. Doesn't it really tick you off when the ole dealer won't budge and pretty well tells you to go take a hike. I've seen it happen 100's of times. Man the looks are priceless. How dare those dealers not let the shoppers set thier prices for them, why you would think those dealers want to eat too, shame on them,:monkey::monkey::monkey:
That doesn't sound like a good price for the 460 ($1,899 - $100= $1,799). I paid less than half that.
I think you missed the point mate! The dealers here are making HUGE mark up, they DO have room to move on price & still make a dollar. I don't only buy chainsaws from these guys, I have 6 other pieces of Stihl equipment in my shed other than chainsaws & I turn over gear fairly regularly. I am a bread & butter customer. Yet, 3 out of the 4 Stihl dealers near me still give me attitude! One of them whispers to me that I'll get "your special price" when I inquire about stuff & indicates for me to keep it to myself. My "special price" is more than Joe Blow could walk in & buy it for at another dealer! Still, I love to see the look on their faces when I call in to buy a plug or air filter for a new piece of equipment I bought elsewhere! Like you say, priceless!
I've pretty much been a slave to Stihl for many years up till now, but I've had it up to the back teeth with the attitude I get at the Stihl Shop! I'm not just talking about buying gear, every time I go in there it's like they're doing me a favour by taking my money! I buy other gear at other businesses & get GREAT service! That 7901 has planted a seed firmly in my mind. Maybe my next blower/whip/hedge trimmer/polesaw/auger will be a brand other than Stihl! Who knows, maybe it'll exceed my expectations as well!
Vent over!
That's what we pay here mate! +/- $50
Man I know how you feel. Doesn't it really tick you off when the ole dealer won't budge and pretty well tells you to go take a hike. I've seen it happen 100's of times. Man the looks are priceless. How dare those dealers not let the shoppers set their prices for them, why you would think those dealers want to eat too, shame on them,:monkey::monkey::monkey:
How dare those dealers not let the shoppers set thier prices for them, why you would think those dealers want to eat too, shame on them,:monkey::monkey::monkey:
Tommy,
I never price things I'm selling on Craigslist or e-bay for the price I need to get - always lower. The primary reason is, inherently, people want a good deal. Like me, they hate paying a list price, or any price (unless obviously superior) they're given for products for which a manufacturer has a "suggested" price. Dealers who ignore this part of human nature do so at their peril.
One could argue that the only "no haggle" read, "take it or leave it" car company, Saturn, went under at least in part by disregarding this philosophy.
Like Blitz, I know the profit margin on Stihl saws is nothing short of huge. There is plenty of room for a dealer to negotiate. That said, you have a right to charge anything you want for your products. I have the right and will find the best deal.
"Penny pinching" is inaccurate. Seeing how good of a deal I can get is a game to me, is fun and I'm very good at it, especially for a $1K product. For instance, I called eight dealers before purchasing the 460. Those who gave me the DSRP and wouldn't budge will not have to worry about dealing with me again. I avoid dealers of nearly anything with "take it or leave it" pricing and attitude. I suspect I'm not alone.
Would you buy a new car for the price given to you by a dealer? I think not. Chain saws are no different.
Lastly, if I have to "bring a full wallet," which I understand to mean pay more than I need to, I won't be visiting you either, nor will I recommend anyone do the same.
Tim
Great Post Tim! My favourite part is: "Seeing how good of a deal I can get is a game to me, is fun and I'm very good at it" Me too!
Well its good to hear you luv that 7901 and I certainly think you should check out thier other tools too, Dolmar needs all the business they can get and I'm sure they will be happy to have your business. See that wasn't hard. I doubt that them ole nasty Stihl dealers will miss ya too much, bartering gets old after awhile ya know. I mean lets face it, you need to get on the other side of the counter and have someone like you come in to deal with. Then you'll know why them ole bas-tards are grumpy toward ya. Why I bet it won't be but a month or two you will start pointing at the tag and say thats it,:hmm3grin2orange:
I'm glad that the Stihl dealer won't miss me,
I work at a stihl dealer, just to give some facts. For ordering stihl equipment you need a $2500 order and for parts you need at least $500 to ship. If you dont get those they make you pay the $150 for the shipping, which in that case really isnt worth it because of the loss, espacially for parts
Have you tried to jew at walmart? didn't think so.
Tommy,
I never price things I'm selling on Craigslist or e-bay for the price I need to get - always lower. The primary reason is, inherently, people want a good deal. Like me, they hate paying a list price, or any price (unless obviously superior) they're given for products for which a manufacturer has a "suggested" price. Dealers who ignore this part of human nature do so at their peril.
One could argue that the only "no haggle" read, "take it or leave it" car company, Saturn, went under at least in part by disregarding this philosophy.
Like Blitz, I know the profit margin on Stihl saws is nothing short of huge. There is plenty of room for a dealer to negotiate. That said, you have a right to charge anything you want for your products. I have the right and will find the best deal.
"Penny pinching" is inaccurate. Seeing how good of a deal I can get is a game to me, is fun and I'm very good at it, especially for a $1K product. For instance, I called eight dealers before purchasing the 460. Those who gave me the DSRP and wouldn't budge will not have to worry about dealing with me again. I avoid dealers of nearly anything with "take it or leave it" pricing and attitude. I suspect I'm not alone.
Would you buy a new car for the price given to you by a dealer? I think not. Chain saws are no different.
Lastly, if I have to "bring a full wallet," which I understand to mean pay more than I need to, I won't be visiting you either, nor will I recommend anyone do the same.
Tim
Of course there are also the rare dealers who work for Pepsi's and burgers.
People that always want to haggle must be really annoying to the dealers, they need to eat as well!
Enter your email address to join: