Do you pay RRP shown on the website?

[Irek]

In my experience auditioning is priceless. You go to the shop and get huge discount on some brand. Then you try it and you find out that other brand is just much better. Don't believe blindly reviews. 

 

[andyr]

39 minutes ago, Irek said:

In my experience auditioning is priceless. You go to the shop and get huge discount on some brand. Then you try it and you find out that other brand is just much better. Don't believe blindly reviews. 

 

I suspect some people don't care about that, Irek - they just want to know that they bought 'Component X' for a much lower price than was advertised.  

 

Andy

 

[rodders3]

I decide on what I want and research it to death but usually only on the net.  To be honest - I rarely audition, save for some speakers I was after last year but even that is compromised as it was always at the store and not my equipment.  

 

Anyway - to the point - asking for a discount, well that depends on where and what I'm purchasing.  I would say the easy majority of my gear comes from the classifieds on here. Most of the stuff for sale here is an absolute steal - a huge discount on new. If it is something pretty expensive, I might ask to include shipping or even drop it off to my place. If it is pretty cheap, the fact I want it outweighs squabbling over a few beans. If it is something I want but over priced in my view, I would give it a miss.

 

For retailers, I like to build relationships. Service here is the key for me. Yes, I will ask for the best price but it is nothing ever stupid and I leave it up to them. Might be $50 - $100 on some exy gear but that is fine. For small purchasers like LP's or bits and bobs, I don't worry. A lot of what I have purchased there is only one retailer anyway.  By the stage I can be bothered to go to a store or ring them up - I know I want to buy it and probably will.  I'm not usually thinking  of their overheads or doing calculations of how much the retailer will be making, I'm far too selfish for that - I just want the service and a place to call if I have a problem.

 

As for on the web - I only buy new cheap items online therefor no haggle. If it is exy, always call but again I end up as the paragraph above.

[rantan]

13 hours ago, Steffen said:

Unlike in the US, to where KEF ships their speakers for free, where no import duties exist, and where products are distributed and sold by charities?

 

 

Unlike Australia, where sales of audio gear are a tiny fraction of the volume of the US market so there are no economies of scale,  where wages, rents and the cost of doing business are 2-4 times those in the USA, where there is GST and duty on imports and where shipping from the UK is much further and far more  expensive.

 

******* I am sorry if this seems negative, as this is not my intent, but there are many valid and ongoing reasons why we pay more in Australia.********

Edited October 10, 2020 by rantan

[allthumbs]

I thought KEF was owned by a H.K. listed company that primarily produced batteries. Product was developed in Britain but manufactured in China.

 

But as the saying goes Bejing is closer to Berlin than it is to Brisbane.

[Bill125812]

I’ve found using the Commercial Sponsors on SNA like Frank Prowse etc will give you the best deals.  If you call them and discuss your needs and mention you a member here they will normally do their best for you. 

[Ratbob]

Good reading above, interesting too and I guess there are always exceptions. Looks like Luxman and Yamaha amplifiers cost less here than in the US. (Based on advertised RRPs) they are hefty nuggets too so shipping might be costly.

[audiofeline]

I don't buy much from retail, but when I do I will go to the stores to see what's around and what it's like, and do some web research.  Then some serious auditioning.  During this exploratory phase I will casually ask if there can be some movement on the price when I'm ready to buy, and note their response.  RRP on websites can never be relied upon, manufacturers/distributors will often have the RRP higher than the retail price so the retailers' pricing will look good.  And if someone pays RRP online, well, that's extra profit.

 

At the point when I'm ready to purchase, I'll ask politely if they can do any better on the price (I'm not very wealthy).  I have nothing to lose, and the worst they can say is "no".  When they make an offer, I then might as (politely) if they can do any better on that offer, and accept if they can't improve.  Whatever they offer is what they are willing to accept.  If I'm happy I will proceed, but usually at that point I've already made the decision to purchase before I walk into the store. 

 

An important factor in my purchasing decision is the level of service I've received.  I understand that salespeople need to be paid when they are spending time doing extended demos, and retail needs to pay rent.  So I will often purchase from the retailer that has ensured that I will be happy with the item I'm buying and has invested the time/money in me - even if they can't match the cheapest price.  I am paying for equipment and service.

 

 

Edited October 10, 2020 by audiofeline

[thimmy118]

1 hour ago, Ratbob said:

Good reading above, interesting too and I guess there are always exceptions. Looks like Luxman and Yamaha amplifiers cost less here than in the US. (Based on advertised RRPs) they are hefty nuggets too so shipping might be costly.

I think weight is not an issue unless you buy them individually. Most stuff are loaded into shipping containers however, if the suppliers do not have the quantity, then sharing containers is much cheaper than paying full price for a half filled container. 

[Guest DrSK]

I solved it by buying Aussie made. 

 

Plenty of top hifi manufacturers here, especially speakers. 

 

And guess what, the Aussie price is often cheaper for the same reasons. 

[Esoterica]

On 09/10/2020 at 7:29 AM, hopefullguy said:

not many things o/s that are not more expensive in Aust, thats anything. pretty well common knowledge would have thought.

Online maybe, but not bricks and mortar ime.

 

Having travelled to many European and Asian countries in recent years, I was actually very surprised at the comparative cost of things. I was expecting to buy plenty of cheap goods. Boy was I wrong. The "Aussie tax" is actually a myth.

 

From clothing to electronics, I was seeing similar prices to here, sometimes more overseas. I bought a camera kit and tripod in Belgium and France respectively, and they were a little cheaper than what I could've probably bought for here, but generally there were very few bargains to be had, unlike what I expected. I looked at camera lenses in Thailand and they were on par with Aus. I did buy one in Singapore though, for slightly less than local. 
 

I agree you can get some bargains online from overseas vendors but the gap has closed significantly in recent times. Many brands can't be shipped here now also, from U.S vendors like B&H, who I've bought stuff from in the past. I've looked at several speakers etc. on there recently and most cannot be shipped here. Yes, you may be able to use a U.S shipping service, but not worth the hassle imo. 
 

With our dollar value and changes to gst and restrictions etc, I have hardly bought anything from overseas in the last few years. Savvy shopping locally is more advantageous to me. Especially in hifi, where sales, clearances etc are plentiful.

[Saxon Hall]

On 09/10/2020 at 12:24 AM, Junz said:

Hi Everyone,

 

I was always wanted to get into hifi world and saved enough money to purchase a pair of floor standing speakers and integrated amplifier to start my journey.

 

I've done the research and decided to go with KEF R7 and CA CXA81 so I started searching online to see which shop would offer the best price but looking at 5-7 shops, they were all selling at $7000 for KEF R7. It was quite shock to me as KEF US's RRP was shown at U$4000 which would be equivalent to A$5500 and since it is retail, I thought it would be even cheaper. 

 

Just wondering if it is normal for AU shops to have higher price than other countries (possibly due to higher tax??)? Would shops offer some discount when you make a purchase? 

 

Its called the "Australia Tax"

[rantan]

3 minutes ago, Saxon Hall said:

Its called the "Australia Tax"

Which really doesn't exist in the vast majority of cases.

Possibly in the past but not for several years.

[Saxon Hall]

1 minute ago, rantan said:

Which really doesn't exist in the vast majority of cases.

Possibly in the past but not for several years.

That's great news.

[TP1]

On 08/10/2020 at 9:24 PM, Junz said:

Just wondering if it is normal for AU shops to have higher price than other countries

 

It is normal for Australian Retailers to advertise full RRP on their website.  Some people will click and buy at that price which is one  reason it is done  but you should  talk to the stores directly ( visit if possible) and get a discount.  I haven't come a cross a situation where equipment such as  speakers  are not discounted from RRP  when shopping around and entering into purchase negotiations. So it is definitely NOT  recommended to click and buy.     Besides,  RRP is usually set high enough to allow for discounts,  and  to let the buyer think they are getting a bargain through discounts given.

 

Australian pricing is getting better (with a few exceptions ) but the basic rule of price setting in business is to set the price as high as the market will bear -  which in Australia is sometimes higher than other countries ( even after taking into account transport, taxes etc).  This can happen in other countries too with certain gear.  So again , price negotiation is the key.   And if buying second hand, don't just compare the advertised price to RRP.  Instead it should be compared to a typical  discounted new price  to assess if its worth buying. 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2020 by TP1

[BarcaXN]

Due diligence helps by checking other shops and identifying an approx discount range, then indicating a price you’re willing to pay that allows both parties to benefit will be more compelling for them to offer it. That will also help build relationship as you may need to revert on issues in future and it’s easier to do so in a local shop vs different state. 
 

Agree with Irek - if there’s no rush, you could organise a session after Melbourne lockdown ends. You might end up with something completely different to what you researched (that’s what happened with me!) and with what you’re planning to spend, there are definitely options worth checking out. 

[pulinap]

I usually make them an offer they can't refuse.....

[Yamaha_man]

On 09/10/2020 at 10:41 AM, Kaynin said:

 

Yes, also High Fi, you need to be on drugs to get in to it.  

 

In fact, a drug habit is probably cheaper...

Dealing drugs is a much easier way to get into it.

Edited October 10, 2020 by Yamaha_man

[Luc]

3 minutes ago, Yamaha_man said:

Dealing drugs is a much easier way to get into it.

Can you advise?

[pezzy]

if you have the patience, then just wait and troll the second hand market. kef and ca are pretty popular brands, so they often come up for sale here and other popular second hand mediums.

[075Congo]

Bought a pair of AE 100's today from Hey Now Audio; wanted to keep cost below the $600. Put it to Geoff and asked for his recommendations. He came back with a price "well below RRP" and the deal is done. RRP is only a benchmark for the retailer to do his job.

[scuzzii]

6 minutes ago, 075Congo said:

Bought a pair of AE 100's today from Hey Now Audio; wanted to keep cost below the $600. Put it to Geoff and asked for his recommendations. He came back with a price "well below RRP" and the deal is done. RRP is only a benchmark for the retailer to do his job.

Geoff is getting some great accolades..  great to see members recognising good service (of which competitive pricing is part of, but not the only element)

 

@Geoff@HeyNow Hi-Fi