As with anything, it doesn't hurt to ask. But absent competition, you aren't in a good negotiating position.

I'd try and find some prices on-line. If they are cheaper + freight - you can use that in a negotiation.

Thanks. I'm hoping I can at least get delivery fees and installation fees waived if I buy all the appliances from one store.

Choosing appliances at that level is accepting that you aren't really going to be able to get a "deal". You will get a price that's fair to the retailer, and to you.

I like a good haggle, especially in a top end kind of store because they don't expect it,.. lol. It took me over a month of bickering with the local guy before he caved, and gave me what I figured was a solid price on all my new kitchen loot. ha-ha,...I haggled price, delivery, installation,....the hole deal,.....now when I go in, he always laughs...and when I look at something he always asks me where is the cheapest price I've found, before he tells me what he will sell it to me for ! haha.....everyone might not get the same deals I get from him, it's a one high end kind of town too, but he knows I've looked at everything online, and every sale flyer I can for a month before I went in to shake his cage...haha, great guy, and ive bought a lot of stuff over the years from him....

if they wont deal, then ask them how they are going to like servicing warrenty for something they didn't sell,.....because the manufactor wants the closest dealer to service it, and they will have to do it....as long as it was bought from an authorized dealer.

they have to make a few bucks as a dealer,....but sometimes,....they are just out to lunch... when it's a one horse kinda town, for lack of a better term.

good luck and rattle a cage r two,....be surprised what falls out sometimes....lol

I'm certainly not looking for a bargain basement deal, but I do think it's unreasonable to ask that the delivery/installation fees be waived if I'm spending $10k on appliances.

And, of course, I mean "DON'T think it's unreasonable."

I agree it's not unreasonable,... they should be delivered,....install, well......tradesmen don't work for free unfortunately, and most of the time, not for the store themselves....that might be a stretch..... but ya got to try right?....this assuming you will want them to remove the old ones as well,.....getting thinner.......lol.....but try!

Well, the installation and delivery costs for the range were $95 plus about $30-40 for parts. It's possible that isn't the full installation charge (though that's the specific question I asked).

I'm surprised I'm not hearing from more people who have negotiated appliance sales on this site. I get that buying certain brands means no price adjustments, but my understanding was that store charges can be negotiated down if you're buying a lot there.

the only brand I have never got to deal on is miele,...because of the way the company sells their product in the stores, you actually buy from them, not the store....this in turn makes sure there is no undercutting. at least that is how they do it here in Canada. I on the other hand have come to think miele means " no deal " in German ,....lol.....but it didn't stop me from buying 4 of their appliances for the house,....lol

low responses are due to the fact most people are still at work this time of day im betting.

You mean to tell me people aren't obsessing over appliances all day?!? :)

Most of the higher end appliances are price controlled.

However, many dealers will give you free installation, delivery etc. Some may even be willing to give you a great deal on non-price controlled items with the purchase.

If you are close to another state, if would be in your best interest to order from an out of state dealer to save on sales tax.

This post was edited by mpatel1080 on Wed, May 28, 14 at 17:26

Most high end brands have price protection agreements in place with their dealer network. They simply are not allowed to discount the price of the equipment unless it is a floor model. However, some dealers (in more competitive environments) will certainly include delivery and will discount any appliance in a bundle where they are allowed.

"as long as it was bought from an authorized dealer. "

If you buy it online - it's doubtful that you are getting it from an "authorized" dealer. We just did a kitchen where the customer purchased his appliances from someone in NYC cause he saved $200. We didn't have access to most of what he wanted , but several local dealers did.

I know for a FACT that the co. was violating their dealer agreement by shipping the stuff to our state which is waaaaay outside of their distribution area ! Now, a company could deny warranty service because of this.

I'm not saying it will happen , but it's possible. You see, high end co's like having local dealers that can educate customers about their goods and to actually feel products. Locals can't do that if you shop local and waste their time , then order from that giant warehouse that has low overhead and few knowledgeable employees.

Manuf. play games , because let's face it - short term they'll sell the unit regardless of whether mom and pop sells you the widget or you get it from dot com. They are mindful of the long term big picture and don't want to wind up with an Service Merchandise or Sears Catalog distribution model.

I was not advocating ordering from somewhere across the country.
What I meant was that if the OP lives near another state (100-150 miles) he/she could order from there to save sales tax.

Nope, can't save on sales tax from out of state either. Many states are hunting down big ticket purchasers and collecting from them the taxes rthat they are supposed to declare and pay. There have been several forum members who have had that happen to them.

Yes, I actually don't intend to purchase from out of state. It's a little farther than I'd like, and I see a lot of benefits from buying locally.

My comments are the same. Buyers need to determine if purchasing out of state/ region , ect...affects their warranty / service status.

Do this with the manufacturer - not the seller. A warranty is with the manufacturer and and you will use their service network, which may or may not be the seller !

I second the tax angle. You may dodge it, but strictly speaking you are responsible in many states to declare and pay those.

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I have a broad question(s) for everyone.

Is it more important to you that you get "a deal" on something , or that you get a quality product at a fair price without driving all over?

Do you haggle for sport ?

Do you like the new car buying experience that you experience at most car dealers - the one where you don't really know the true price.

If you buy an airplane for $45 million - do you think you should get a free tank of gas? What if you only paid $3 1/2 million for it ? If the price was $345 million , does that change your mind ?

Do you get a "high" or feel great when you win that negotiation ?

Would you feel badly , if after your big win, the store that you bought from closed and subsequently laid off their sales guy, bookkeeper, delivery guy and an installer, plus the high school kid that works part time ?

........and stopped buying gas at the local station, stopped contributing to the tax base, buying insurance from the local agent, supporting the local ball teams, and the old store front was boarded up and left unkept looking.

If a store sells me products at a price that is insufficient for them to stay in business, is it my fault? That's a pretty ridiculous overstatement you made.

"if they wont deal, then ask them how they are going to like servicing warrenty for something they didn't sell,.....because the manufactor wants the closest dealer to service it, and they will have to do it....as long as it was bought from an authorized dealer."

I've worked for three different appliance dealers over the years. None of them would do warranty repair for an appliance they didn't sell. They are under no obligation from the manufacturer to do such under warranty repairs. In such occasions, the manufacturer will contract the repairs to an authorized repair shop.

In regards to xedos description of a possible sequence of events which could unfold from an action...

Someone once told me to try "Give a deal, get a deal". And I found that giving good deals to others can actually set into motion multiple strings of surprizing beneficial consequences which eventually find their way back home. I know this might sound counterintuitive, but following that simple motto does actually work.

In regards to appliances, I always look for a deal when possible. But when it is not possible as with BlueStar, nevertheless I'm happy to pay the going price and am totally satisfied I got my money's worth every time I turn a burner knob.

I wasn't making any statements. I am simply asking a few questions an posing a hypothetical situation to garner thought about them.

I'd like answers to any or all from those willing to answer.

alerievay - what's ridiculous is your narrow mindedness. If I'm big business, and I overcharge you for a product that no one else carries or is able to sell in your area for contractual reasons - are you going to have the same attitude ?

Doubtful , you'd probably run kicking and screaming to the BBB, your congressman, the good folks here at GW, and anyone else who'll listen telling them how big business ripped you off. Then you'd probably act incredulous if I asked you if if it was big business' fault that you overpaid ???

The local marketplace is not a vacuum alerievay.

jd is correct - there is no must have to service language in the dealer agreements I've seen. Most dealers I know don't service appliances - period. And, the service companies don't sell appliances, and they get their parts from a distributor.

If a warranty service call comes to a dealer that does have service , but didn't sell the unit - they will charge their usual and customary rates including profit back to the manuf. for servicing that no sale appliance. Thus, ensuring they can continue doing business.

xedos - It's funny how this became an attack on me. In this thread, I have never: (1) threatened any business; (2) suggested I would employ "underhanded" tactics (avoiding sales tax, etc.); (3) suggested I was "overpaying" by paying retail. My question was, if I am purchasing all my appliances from one (local) store, can I expect to be able to negotiate fees such as installation and delivery and, possibly, an overall "deal" that is a better price than, for example, purchasing a range at one store, ventilation at another, and a refrigerator/dishwasher at a third? I don't see how that's an unfair question for ME to ask, and I don't see why it's prompted your attack.

I'll answer your questions, even though I think you're trolling, to some extent.

"Is it more important to you that you get "a deal" on something , or that you get a quality product at a fair price without driving all over?"
I would like to get a quality product at the best price I can find, given certain parameters (customer service being one). To me, that is the best "deal." There are two major appliance retailers in my city, and I have visited both and feel pretty strongly that one has better customer service than the other (based solely on my experience). However, if the one I like less offered a significantly better price than the other, I would probably purchase from them, assuming my preferred store would not match or come close to the total price.

"Do you haggle for sport ?"
No. I have, however, negotiated other purchases, and I have negotiated in my line of work. Negotiation is not about being unfair to either party; it's about each side getting the best deal they can. In my example above, store 1 (my preferred store) could offer to match or come close to store 2's offer. They could determine that the overall business from me is worth a slight discount, and I could determine that a slight premium in price would be worth it for store 1's service. It is not a one-way street, which is what I was trying to convey in my post to you above. Store 1, when presented with store 2's quote, could decide they cannot financially match the offer but could try to sell me on service or even offer a different term, such as a longer warranty. I don't know why you think small businesses are, as a rule, naive, especially in this line of work.

"Do you like the new car buying experience that you experience at most car dealers - the one where you don't really know the true price. "
Not particularly, and that is what I don't like about the appliance buying experience, either. But I work with what is available. I negotiated my last car purchase by email and went with the dealership that was the most responsive and least annoying.

"If you buy an airplane for $45 million - do you think you should get a free tank of gas? What if you only paid $3 1/2 million for it ? If the price was $345 million , does that change your mind ? "
I don't know what this question means. Are these all the same airplanes? Again, I don't think waiving a $150 charge on a $5k purchase, when I am also creating an economy of scale for them by purchasing additional items and using the same service, is unreasonable.

"Do you get a "high" or feel great when you win that negotiation ?"
Sometimes, yes, but I've lived long enough to understand that I am only getting a price that the seller will accept. I am not "winning" anything, any more than the seller is "losing."

"Would you feel badly , if after your big win, the store that you bought from closed and subsequently laid off their sales guy, bookkeeper, delivery guy and an installer, plus the high school kid that works part time ? "
I absolutely do not accept that my actions would directly cause this. If the store has a policy of undercutting its competitors at a level that it cannot withstand, that is not MY problem; it's the problem of the store owner/management. Again, negotiation is a 2-way street.

Look, I'm probably taking your comments too personally. You don't know me or know how often I support local businesses (which is a lot). I also don't think it's unreasonable to ask for a better deal on a large purchase, and I had hoped to get more feedback from people who had successfully done so. Apparently, this is a business where there is less room for negotiation than I thought, and that is fine. That feedback is valuable to me, too.

We purchased all of our appliances from a local retailer who carried Bluestar, the only one in the area we did. They price matched the other, non-Bluestar, appliances to average (not lowest of the low) Internet prices and offered us an extended warranty on the lot if we purchased all from them, vs piece by piece from other local or online dealers. I didn't pressure them to do so, just asked, since we knew we would purchase at least the range from this dealer (only option).

They said they couldn't match some of the very lowest prices I found online, but offered the extended warranty gratis. I felt like it was a good trade.

In the end, we negotiated about $3,000 off our original quote from them, on a $22k+ total purchase, and I think we ended up paying what I feel are fair, but not unrealistically rock bottom, prices on all of our appliances.

Six years later we replaced our dishwashers and went back to the same retailer (who, by the way, no longer carries Bluestar). They gave us the "builder" price (roughly 10% discount) without even asking, given our previous purchases. This was on Miele, which normally has fixed pricing, so I was happy, and they seemed happy too with our $5k+ additional buy.

I feel like we had good service from them, which is why we returned, and I'm guessing they felt our business was valuable, since it seemed like they wanted to retain it. As far as I know, no stock boys or book keepers were harmed in either transaction.

If they hadn't been willing to negotiate prices I would have completely understood, but I also would have purchased my other appliances elsewhere. I do think there is great value in buying locally BUT it's not a be-all, end-all solution to problems. (Trust me, we've had 'em!) And while I'm willing to spend $20, $30, maybe even $100 more to support the local economy, I wouldn't have taken a $3,000 hit just to go with this dealer, no matter how good I think they've been overall.

alerievay - this has nothing to do with you. Sorry of you felt it was an attack, it was not.

You said I made a ridiculous overstatement, and I just told you I was neither making a statement nor was what I theorized ridiculous. It's fine to disagree, just don't get your feathers ruffled when it comes back to you , ok ?

There are two sides to every transaction and it's a zero sum game - nothing is left on the table. Of course there's nothing wrong with your viewpoint of: I should get the best deal I can, and tough luck if the dealer caved to my negotiating tactics.

I just was pointing out the other side of that coin ! And I'm sure you agree there's nothing wrong with a business trying to squeeze every last cent out of you either , right ?

Your a big boy / girl , and so is big business - so I think there is a certain understanding that neither is coerced into buying or selling a fridge / dishwasher / ect....But you'd have a bad taste in your mouth if you found out you were overcharged yes ?

Isn't it reasonable to think the dealer has that same taste after he broke even on the transaction rather than making a profit that allows him to grow and expand ?

Sorry xedos, but if the dealer does not make a profit, he's not a good businessman. Period. Yes, sometimes stores sell loss-leaders to get you into the store to buy other items and yes, sometimes a store will break-even or take a loss with a particular customer if they see lots of follow-on business in the near future, but in general a dealer knows his costs (or should) and isn't going to take a loss just to make a sale.