Tweeter Store - will they deal with you on prices ?

[omikey]

Anyone have experience working on getting a package deal from Tweeter ? What kind of percentage were you sucessful in getting them to come off the asking prices ?
Were they easy to deal with ? Of couse I know that some sales people are easier than others, just wanted to know if Tweeter deals at all, some store don't (Saturn)

Thanks,
Mikey

[JSE]

They will knock 10% off right off the bat. You can usually get them to knock off between
15% to 20% if you really negotiate.

Just as a example. I was getting ready to buy my Yamaha RX-V1400 from a company that my company has a discount program with. The receiver list for $799.00. I was going to get it for $540 total. Just out of curiosity I stopped by the Tweeter near my work. I went in and told the sales guy I needed a yes or no answer. I expl. the $540 price I was getting and wanted to know if he would match it. He said the lowest they could sell it for would be $650 or approx. 20%. I did not buy it, but you could probably expect 20% is about the max they would take off on "most" products. Some products will have different markup so 20% may vary a little one way or the other.

JSE

[Woochifer]

They will knock 10% off right off the bat. You can usually get them to knock off between
15% to 20% if you really negotiate.

Just as a example. I was getting ready to buy my Yamaha RX-V1400 from a company that my company has a discount program with. The receiver list for $799.00. I was going to get it for $540 total. Just out of curiosity I stopped by the Tweeter near my work. I went in and told the sales guy I needed a yes or no answer. I expl. the $540 price I was getting and wanted to know if he would match it. He said the lowest they could sell it for would be $650 or approx. 20%. I did not buy it, but you could probably expect 20% is about the max they would take off on "most" products. Some products will have different markup so 20% may vary a little one way or the other.

JSE

With most chain stores, the sales reps don't have a lot of authority to deal down by a huge amount, and even managers can only go down so much on price. Even at the store where a friend of mine whom I've known since junior high worked, he had to mix and match various discounts to get me a good markdown on an item.

With my system, I got some of my best deals at independent stores. General rule there is the more you plan to buy, the more they will mark things down, and the sales reps have more discretion to make a deal. Also, a store close to where I live has periodic warehouse sales where they mark items down to near closeout prices. It's the only time of year where I'll buy Monster cables because during those sales they're marked down 40-50% off.

[wasch_24]

Just two weeks ago I purchased my whole home theater from Tweeter. I was able to negotiate between 10%-15% for most of my equipment. The thing is though it really depends on the sales person, the store location, and the day.

Let me explain: I live outside of D.C. in the suburbs. My local store that is about 35 miles from D.C. was very willing to drop prices and deal. The sales guy seemed so excited by the large sale that he didn't even hesitate when I made price suggestions. Then one day I was closer to town, 15 miles, and stopped by the Tweeter there. In this area the population is much more affluent and the per capita income is much higher. I was going to pick up two surrounds and my center channel on my way home. The total price was around $600. I suggested that since I was paying cash that maybe he could knock 10% off the package. This guy just freaked out and started become confrontational with me saying things like "Would I ask you to do 100% of your job for 90% of the pay.." and more crazy analogies. Any way to make a long story short I didn't buy the speakers and continued home. On the way I stopped by the local store and successfully purchased the package for 15% off with no problem.

Here is the final result of negotiating with Tweeter:
Receiver- Yamaha RXV-1400 $729 (msrp $799) 10%
DVD Changer- Yamaha DVDC-740 $249 (msrp $299)(Progressive Scan) 17%
Mains- Boston Acoustics VR-965 $589/pair-open box (msrp $1000) Built in powered subs
(These don't really count they were already discounted)
Center- Boston Acoustics VRC $339 (msrp $399) 15%
Surrounds/Rears- Boston Acoustics CR-65 $170 (msrp $199) 2 pair in 6.1/7.1 setup 15%

MSRP Total $2995
Actual Total $2332

One final note:
In talking with the sales guy some more he said that Tweeter corporate management is considering a no haggle policy chain wide in the near future. That is not the end all of deals but it will make it more difficult. The sales guy I was dealing with was able to change the prices on the fly with no manager approval.

[omikey]

Thanks everyone for you input on this. Thanks Whooch, and Wasch, Thank you too for all the details of your deal. I hope to do as well on my purchase. I already have a quote from them .... since I have a very complex installation that I'm planning. I intend to discuss a discount on the entire package tonight or Friday.

You may be asking, what is complex .... in summary:

We have a very open living room, with built in book shelfs along the wall where the tv will go. We are putting in a plasma over the fireplace and book shelf mains with a center ...two bipole surrnouds in the back.

Two speakers in the dining room ceiling, two speakers and a sub out on the deck.

Sourround in the bedroom. Exsisting JVC AVR will be used to drive the surround in the bedroom and the speakers on the deck.
The new Denon will be used to drive the surround HT in the living room and the speakers in the dinining room.


OK ALL of the equipment is to be out of sight (wife factor). The only way I can do this is to put the equip in a cabinet in the dinining room.
So that would be two recievers, CD player, 1 dvd (the other dvd sits in the bedroom, vcr, and HDTV converter box.

Everything has to be remote controled..... IR repeaters on everything. Even the speakers on the deck will be RC, the system in the bedroom will be RC back to the dinning room, the speakers in the dinning room will have a volume control knob on the wall ........

Anyway, you sorta get the picture ... it's wiring throuh exsisting walls and all that, set up all the IR repeater wiring, new electrical for the plasma, no visible cables ANYWHERE ..... so I have asked Tweeter to provide me with a proposal to include the entire installation YIKES

Anyone have any experience with installation from Tweeter ?

Thanks again everyone, you've all been most helpful !!

[wasch_24]

Excuse me as I lift my chin off my desk and wipe up the drool!

They should definitely deal!

That sounds awesome. Keep us up to date on your progress.

[omikey]

Just two weeks ago I purchased my whole home theater from Tweeter. I was able to negotiate between 10%-15% for most of my equipment. The thing is though it really depends on the sales person, the store location, and the day.

Let me explain: I live outside of D.C. in the suburbs. My local store that is about 35 miles from D.C. was very willing to drop prices and deal. The sales guy seemed so excited by the large sale that he didn't even hesitate when I made price suggestions. Then one day I was closer to town, 15 miles, and stopped by the Tweeter there. In this area the population is much more affluent and the per capita income is much higher. I was going to pick up two surrounds and my center channel on my way home. The total price was around $600. I suggested that since I was paying cash that maybe he could knock 10% off the package. This guy just freaked out and started become confrontational with me saying things like "Would I ask you to do 100% of your job for 90% of the pay.." and more crazy analogies. Any way to make a long story short I didn't buy the speakers and continued home. On the way I stopped by the local store and successfully purchased the package for 15% off with no problem.

Here is the final result of negotiating with Tweeter:
Receiver- Yamaha RXV-1400 $729 (msrp $799) 10%
DVD Changer- Yamaha DVDC-740 $249 (msrp $299)(Progressive Scan) 17%
Mains- Boston Acoustics VR-965 $589/pair-open box (msrp $1000) Built in powered subs
(These don't really count they were already discounted)
Center- Boston Acoustics VRC $339 (msrp $399) 15%
Surrounds/Rears- Boston Acoustics CR-65 $170 (msrp $199) 2 pair in 6.1/7.1 setup 15%

MSRP Total $2995
Actual Total $2332

One final note:
In talking with the sales guy some more he said that Tweeter corporate management is considering a no haggle policy chain wide in the near future. That is not the end all of deals but it will make it more difficult. The sales guy I was dealing with was able to change the prices on the fly with no manager approval.

wasch_24 - I was wondering if you bought the Tweeter 5 year service package ?

I love the sound of Boston speakers !
I'm putting Boston's in the HT setup in the living room.
Book shelf VR-M50
Center VR-MC
Surrounds VR-MX

[wasch_24]

wasch_24 - I was wondering if you bought the Tweeter 5 year service package ?

Yeap! I think it was around $50 for the receiver. I almost always buy the service plans, and when I do I always use them eventually. The thing that I like is that it just seems easier to get things done when you have the plan. I didn't get it on the DVD because I suspect that I will be replacing it eventually anyway.

[Debbi]

....they bought Sound Advice chain here in Fla (approx 40 stores-fairly high end).....notice immediately that there are no scratch and dent and used equipment sales... it appears that demos are sold as new...They push for MSRP only and it is very noticeable that old sales people were gone immediately.The minute they were involved, the Klipsch and B & W lines were gone.....one employee told me they push the limit to both suppliers and customers....its not a very comfortable place to shop anymore....it appears to me that local chains are melting into national chains who feel they can better protect their pricing...it almost makes me wish the internet only companies like axiom etal teach them a lesson

[samgupta]

Hey Mike--good job knowing what you want to pay and sticking to your ground. It might be hard to walk away w/o the goods, but on the plus side your $$ is still your $$.

Don't buy if it doesn't feel right--as long as you have the cash, you are in charge.

[omikey]

Hey Mike--good job knowing what you want to pay and sticking to your ground. It might be hard to walk away w/o the goods, but on the plus side your $$ is still your $$.

Don't buy if it doesn't feel right--as long as you have the cash, you are in charge.

YEP, and now get this !!
So the guy 100 miles away gave me a 10% cut on the price.
Last Friday he calls and says, my speakers are in. They did a transfer from the store 20 miles from here ...... LMAO, this is the store where the guy wouldn't deal with me.

Here's the real SWEETNESS of it all...... Then he says to me, and we have a nice present for you when you come to pick them up. The price WENT DOWN on the speakers and we will credit you back $325.00 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So that's $625.00 less than the store where the guy wouldn't deal with me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't tell you all how EXCITED I am about how this worked out.
Took awhile, like the whole exercise lasted about 6 weeks.
But hell that's worth it to me !!

I agree with Debbie and the others too, about how these national chains are really controling the prices in this market.

And if you live someplace like I do, you're kinda stuck with them. Not a lot of choices here ...... but I'm willing to travel, or wait until I go someplace to vist family, and then buy.

Regards ......

[wasch_24]

Awesome! So now instead of reduced comission he lost all chance at making any comission.

[omikey]

Awesome! So now instead of reduced comission he lost all chance at making any comission.

Wasch I knew you'd get a kick out of this since you have been following me through all of it, and HELPING me too !!!

I would've thought that the salesman in the local store would've figured it out as many times as I talked to him. OH well, his loss, my gain

I hope for his sake that his wife has a steady job, not dependent upon commisions cause his going to be lagging ..........