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Cant get a deal at FS on a package (have gift card).

2K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  granduncle 
#1 ·
Went to FS last nt. to buy the following. >Samsung 46" (LN46A550) $2099. >Samsung HTIB (HT-TX52T) $399. >PS 3 40gb $399. and Videotron HD PVR $399. The total with tx. is $3705. I wanted to pay $3500 tax in not a penny more, cash (no financing). Long story short I was told (after waiting 1 hour) they will not better the price unless I took the extra warranty for TV ($500). Or finance the $3700!

What happened to the good old days when cash and carry was always going to get you the best deals. I have no choice but to deal with FS, I have a gift card.
Any tips on how to negotiate with these interest loving freaks?
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
A gift card means F/S already has your $. They are actually better off if you never buy anything with it. They keep earning interest ion those gift card dollars they are holding.

That's beside the point though. You want a $205 discount. No one gets discounts on PS3s so forget about that. The HTB is already $100 off this week

You want a $205 discount.Fair enough but what motivation do they have to give it to you? Can you buy the TV at a lower price somewhere else? You want a 10% discount and from what I know (and I might not be 100% right) but magins in TVs are not that big. The margins in cables or warranty are but not in the TV itself.

What happened to the old days when cash and carry gave the best deals? Progressand corporate ownership. When it was a mom and pop store they needed cash to pay employees buy inventory etc. They didn't want to wait days or weeks to get theor $ from a finance CO or Bank while they paid interest on theior inventory. Now none of these stores care. Sales people don't get one extra nickle if you pay cash. Financing earns FS coporate more $ in interest over the long term.The days of cash discounts is long long dead.

If you truly want to use your gift card you need to go back to a different manager or a different FS and bargin like crazy on the TV but tell them right up front you are "probably going to finance it" I really doubt you can get them to move $200 but you can try to get the best you can. Maybe wait till near the end of the minth when people are getting close to a bonus? These guys are totally motivated by the bonus structures. I doubt their is any kind of bonus for this particular TV, for a PS3 or the PVR.

I truly sympathize with you. I've bought lots of stuff from non big box places and they always negotiated better price if you bought a package to get your total purchase up. They would cut you a deal knowing you likley would return and they wpuld make more $ off you latter. Big box has no such motivation. That sales person likley will be somewhere else (like McDonalds :)) in 6 months. Just becuase salesperson A made you a deal at FS 1 doesn't mean most people will drive across town to Fs1 to shop next time. They will go into whatever is closer or buy off the net.

These guys are slaves to the promos and flyers.
 
#3 ·
Well if they knew right off the bat you had a GC then they're probably just playing hard ball. Margins on tvs are definitely high enough for them to handle a $200 discount.

I know they usually only haggle with people if the person wants to get an extended warranty or a high-margin item like a Monster cable product. That way the customer THINKS hes getting a deal, but really FS is probably making even more money compared to if the person just bought the products by themselves.

My suggestion to you would be to go in and throw in a bunch of $200 HDMI cables in your cart, try the same sort of discount, and then return the next day and return the HDMI cables. They will be more willing to deal with you since Monster HDMI cables have astronomical margins.

FYI ive seen the Brick advertise a $100 Monster HDMI cable that came with a FREE Samsung DVD player. That gives you an idea of the margins. Also, when PS3s first came out, and they had to put peoples names on a call-back list, they would only do so if you agreed to buy the warranty.
 
#4 · (Edited)
The total with tx. is $3705. I wanted to pay $3500 tax in not a penny more, cash (no financing). Long story short I was told (after waiting 1 hour) they will not better the price unless I took the extra warranty for TV ($500). Or finance the $3700!
...
Any tips on how to negotiate with these interest loving freaks?
It seems you already did...
 
#6 ·
Wait for one of the Friends and Family, Loyal Customer, or whatever sales. Pretty well everything is at least 10% off. If what your looking for is on sale at the time - bigger bonus!

Best Buy just had one so Future Shop should be due soon. In fact, FS is having 10 days of savings so maybe something will come up there.

Congo
 
#7 ·
Wife gets the job done @ FS.

Sent the big guns (my wife) to a different FS today.

She came home with:
>Samsung 46" (LN46A550) $2099.
>Samsung HTIB (HT-TWZ312T) $499.
>PS 3 40gb $399.
>Videotron HD 320 gb PVR $599.
>Ext warranty on Ps 3 and PVR. $200.
Total with tx app. $4200.00
She paid $3620. She got almost $600 dollars off. My wife can shop. I'll never hear the end of this 1, but thats ok I'm gonna watch some blue ray. FS is okay by me.:D
 
#8 ·
I found The Brick much easier to deal with... You have to make sure you deal with a young innexperimented sale rep which will rush to a manager instead of dealing with and older sales rep which will usually have the better hand due to his experience. I don't know how big is your gift certificate but you could keep for only the item that matches the GC or best deal they have and keep the largest part of your buying for dealing purpose. Don't show cash, take their 3 months interest free plan, you will interest them into your business even more and when the first or 3rd month CC bill comes in, pay th entire tab with the cash you put aside for the deal! Brick are very happy that I have their $4K CC but I buy only as much as I can afford and pay back as soon as bill comes in and never paid any interest on credit. I have been toying with them since November 2007, always had good deals, never paid any interest... I never show them cash, I always dump their plastic card on the table and they love it.
 
#10 ·
Why buy extended warranty for the PS3 and the PVR for $200. The extended warranty is about 20% of the cost of those 2 items, not to mention the PS3 and the PVR are probably the least likely to breakdown?
 
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