Making a bigish order. Best way to go about it?

**Tobes** · 06-16-2013, 03:32 PM

Hey people,

Don't know if this has been covered elsewhere. Basically I'm wanting to order about £4000 worth of gear. So checking out who has the cheapest prices, offers the best warranty, who price matches etc.

I'm also a student so seeing if places do any kind of educational discount.

I just wanted to know what peoples experiences was with large orders. Someone's going to tell me that this isn't a large order which I can agree with but it's a lot to me so just want to get the best prices really.

But I'm not clued up on the etiquette and if you can haggle? I wouldn't mind some cables thrown in for instance and if it's possible for them to order specific things in (decksavers for specific models).

I will be giving stores a call this week but any input would be appreciated.

**Patch** · 06-16-2013, 03:50 PM

Student loan kicking in, is it? ;-)

**Ross** · 06-16-2013, 03:51 PM

You'll find that you'll come to a stale mate at some point with different stores. Occasionally you'll find one that will drop it to a stupid price that NO ONE can touch, as they hope that you go back and buy something else.

If you buy it all from one store, £4000 is a lot of money, and any shop would happily take that off you... So just ask if they'll chuck any decksavers or cables in for free. If not, and you can get it elsewhere for the same price, go to them and ask.

If you're spending that much money, you have a bit of monopoly if you ask me.

**Patch** · 06-16-2013, 03:59 PM

£4k is a LOT of buying power.

Personally, if I was buying, I'd write very nice, polite letters or e-mails to EVERY supplier, and ask them for their best price. Them, share the lowest price with the other suppliers and see who van provide the lowest price.

Now is a really good time to do it, too. Mid-year is coming up, and 4k is a pretty nice little chunk to sneak in right at mid-year...

**Tobes** · 06-16-2013, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Patch

Student loan kicking in, is it? ;-)

Haha. I bit. Just finished my first year and didn't spend any of it. Hoping to get a grant for my second year as well. Cut a long sob story short I want to get back to doing things I enjoy and if it means spending some money on a proper setup then so be it.

Originally Posted by Ross

You'll find that you'll come to a stale mate at some point with different stores. Occasionally you'll find one that will drop it to a stupid price that NO ONE can touch, as they hope that you go back and buy something else.

If you buy it all from one store, £4000 is a lot of money, and any shop would happily take that off you... So just ask if they'll chuck any decksavers or cables in for free. If not, and you can get it elsewhere for the same price, go to them and ask.

If you're spending that much money, you have a bit of monopoly if you ask me.

Ah that's a good point. Pretty much everywhere is the same price other than some Adam monitors I want and I think some French online store has a CDJ for cheaper but I don't think UK stores will price match that.

Originally Posted by Patch

£4k is a LOT of buying power.

Personally, if I was buying, I'd write very nice, polite letters or e-mails to EVERY supplier, and ask them for their best price. Them, share the lowest price with the other suppliers and see who van provide the lowest price.

Now is a really good time to do it, too. Mid-year is coming up, and 4k is a pretty nice little chunk to sneak in right at mid-year...

That's a good idea. Already started pricing up other places and pros and cons. DV247 has a 4 year warranty on all products which could be very very handy as it is DJ gear.

**Timbo21** · 06-16-2013, 04:53 PM

Generally the cheapest online prices are as low as it goes. For instance, the TV market is very competitive between retailers. You would't believe that many are just making around £120 profit on a £1000 TV, which is a really crap margin. So that just illustrates that there isn't much discount retailers can add in these days of internet competition. However, many will bend over backwards just to get turnover. As the old saying goes 'Turnover is vanity, Profit is sanity.'

You might think a retailer would be getting 50% of the retail price, and once upon a time that was true. I would think that online prices for DJ equipment such as Pioneer and NI may be as little as 15%, and I doubt anymore than 25%. That is why you don't see much variation in prices. Simply because there's nowhere to go. However, a retailer may be willing to get a 12% profit margin on the whole sale of around £4k.

Once you take the VAT off, the retailer may be getting something like £400 clear profit.

Not much on a £4k sale is it?

**chromatome** · 06-16-2013, 06:41 PM

12% profit in electronics is not a bad margin at all for a retailer...

Call around. For a 4k sale, almost any brick and mortar store will do something to help out and should be willing to throw in their house-brand cables for free. Retail isn't about margins, it's about turnover!

**balakoth** · 06-16-2013, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Tobes

Hey people,

Don't know if this has been covered elsewhere. Basically I'm wanting to order about £4000 worth of gear. So checking out who has the cheapest prices, offers the best warranty, who price matches etc.

I'm also a student so seeing if places do any kind of educational discount.

I just wanted to know what peoples experiences was with large orders. Someone's going to tell me that this isn't a large order which I can agree with but it's a lot to me so just want to get the best prices really.

But I'm not clued up on the etiquette and if you can haggle? I wouldn't mind some cables thrown in for instance and if it's possible for them to order specific things in (decksavers for specific models).

I will be giving stores a call this week but any input would be appreciated.

Talk to Musicians friend in Online chat or on the phone tell them what you want to purchase and how much you are plannign to spend. They will most likely give you a few no limit 15 percent off coupons.

Ive purchased most of my gear with them. Their weekly "15 percent offs" only go up to 500 off total discount. But if you talk to a rep you can get a no limit 15 percent off.

For me it was even better because except for 3 states in the united states CURRENTLY (its about to change) I dont pay sales tax on my online purchases. So, that saved me a good 5 to 9 percent (depending on your state tax or vat etc)

**balakoth** · 06-16-2013, 07:59 PM

And no 4k is not alot of buying power. Unless you are repeatedly buying gear from them or in a contract, they will sell to you around their MSRP. Which is always higher than you will find at a retailer, especially an online retailer. My studio is hovering over the 40k mark and, price matching with a major company is the best route to go. ANd talking directly to their sales reps. Youd be amazed at what they will give you because of their margins.