Negotiating a Great Price on Audio and Video Products!

Want to get the lowest price on your Audio or Video purchase? It's easy and I'll show you how. First, do some research on the Internet or go to your local electronics dealer in your area and get an idea of what's out there and learn what new technology there is on A/V equipment. Narrow your choices to around three models that you feel is right for you and write those model numbers down on a piece of paper. Now again do a little research on the Internet and get consumers opinions on the three models that you have targeted to possibly purchase and narrow it down to one model. (It is important to get opinions from real consumers and not reviews from websites that sell Consumer Electronics as they would have a bias on which products you buy.) After this initial phase of model selection for your Audio or Video equipment we work on price. Remember that most Electronics Dealers have the same policy in effect that goes something like this: If you find a lower price, we will beat that same price by 110% of the difference, which means that if you see an item that cost $100 in store A and you go to store B and it is priced there for $150, you then tell store B that you saw the same item at store A for $100 at which time store B should bring their price down to $95, the difference being $55 in this case. However, while it sounds good here are the pitfalls for the consumer. In the fine print of a retailers ad you will find that the pricing policy is for any advertised items of the same model only and not an in-store lower price, also many of the larger consumer electronics dealers have exclusive model numbers or models that are the same but model numbers changed slightly at the large retailers request for the sole purpose of not having to match prices. With all the playing around that these Electronics Dealers do and the extremes that they go through so that they don't have to price match, it gets harder for the consumer to get a reasonably good price without a little knowledge in hand before he purchases. Here is what you do and in most cases you will walk out of a store knowing that you have gotten a great deal.

• Get three of the lowest prices of the Brand and Model number of your Audio or Video product off the Internet. (One from an Authorized Online Dealer and two more low prices from either an Authorized or Unauthorized Online Dealer.)

• Call all the Local Electronics Dealers by phone and get the lowest price of the model number, if they do not price quote on the phone simply tell them that you have a Internet price and would they match it. Tip: A small electronics dealer will more likely give you a lower price then the larger dealers like Circuit City, Best Buy, Sears and even Walmart. If you would rather stick with one of the larger A/V dealers simply get the low price from an independent electronics store and bring it to one of the major Audio/Video chains, they love trying to stick it to one of the little guys in town, however the little independent electronics stores love playing David to Goliath also.

With low price in hand from the Internet and all your cold calling to all local electronics dealers, it's time to negotiate. Follow these rules in negotiating a price and you will most likely come out with a bargain.

• Ask the sales associate what his best price would be on the model you are looking at and don't show the sales associate your lowest price you have yet. Tip: Tell the sales associate that you may be interested in the Extended Warranty if the price is right. (Now before you get excited you are not committing to getting the extended warranty unless of course you plan to anyway. We are simply baiting the sales associate who makes money or is hammered every day to sell the warranty and has the added incentive to get the lowest price, also the MGR will more then likely give you his best price because he most likely gets bonus on the numbers of extended warranty that is sold).

If the sales associate comes back with a price that beats your lowest price found on the Internet or cold calling then you can assume that you have made a good deal, however feel free to go to another Electronics Dealer and see if he can beat the price. Tip: If price was negotiated down with the assumption by the sales associate that you were taking the extended warranty, simply wait for the sales associate to enter your ticket and before you pay tell the cashier or sales associate that you have changed your mind about the warranty if you did not want to purchase it. You see there is nothing that the sales associate or the store MGR can do because it is an illegal practice to pack warranty without the intent to give you the price of your Audio or Video product, you won't get an argument and if you do, all you have to mention is that it is illegal to pack service, the associate and MGR will understand what you are saying. Good Luck!

A/V Reporter,
CL West