Image: AppleIt's not unusual to find decent discounts on expensive tech gear. In fact, we'd say you're a bit of a chump if you buy anything at its retail price in Australia.
When you do see a good discount, though, don't automatically presume it's going to be the best possible deal that you'll get.
JB Hi-Fi has a flat 10 per cent off Apple computers at the moment, with savings of as much as $425 on the top MacBook Pro available until the end of tomorrow.
Officeworks has a lowest price guarantee that'll see it beating competitors' prices by 5 per cent. And, in some cases, JB Hi-Fi will price match its competitors.
You see where we're going with this?
Throw in an extra 5 per cent on top of that 10 per cent discount and you're getting yourself a brand new MacBook Pro for less than $1900, like deal-hunter Vaedant detailed getting in this post at OzBargain. That's more than $300 off its $2199 RRP.
If you're shopping for anything reasonably expensive — say, over around $500 — at JB Hi-Fi or most electronics retailers in Australia, it pays to do a few things before you've even walked in the door:
- Check prices online for Australian retail competitors (Officeworks, Harvey Norman, Bing Lee, The Good Guys) and see whether your item is in stock
- Check prices online for online shopping competitors (any eBay store, for example) and consider whether you're happy to wait for shipping
- Check whether there's not an alternative from a similar brand that might be on sale or significantly cheaper than the item you're looking at
Then, when you're actually in store in front of the item you're considering buying, it pays to do a few more things:
- Ask for the store's best price on that item, whether that's for cash or on a store card
- Ask if the store has a price-matching or price-beating policy for competitors
- Tell the salesperson that you've found a better price elsewhere — only if you have, though, there's no reason to lie
There are a few caveats here. Officeworks and JB Hi-Fi, for example, will usually only match a price (or beat it by 5 per cent, in the case of Officeworks) if the item is in stock at a retail store of a competitor. It makes sense, since if you can't actually walk into another store and buy your gadget, what incentive does the first store have to offer it to you at its best possible price?
But the moral of this story is — always ask. It can never hurt. And you might save yourself an extra hundred bucks or even more. [OzBargain / JB Hi-Fi]
Comments
for the record. i used to work at jb, we hate when customers come in and want a better price because they are offering cash. Cash vs card means nothing to JB as a massive retailer
come in offering cash for a further discount. you look like a cheap scab
FYI
I find that most JB workers act interested in helping you till you want price match, then just become impatient and go on to other customers, I now buy from Costco and just return the product after 3-4 years and get a new one XD
I've found the opposite personally, they have always been more than happy to price match for me.
i used to work there too and if im not making money, youre out the door asap so i can get to someone who is going to make me some money.
Who cares if you look like a cheap scab if you end up saving $$$. Like I care what you think.
Even if you don't do discounts for cash i've often experienced some wriggle room on big ticket items.
i find it degrading to try to talk the price down ... if place cant list item for best price its their choice I will go else where....
They don't list their best price so that they make higher margins from people that don't negotiate a better price.
I used to work for Officeworks and was constantly asked for discounts - it was hilarious thinking about it now.
In a nice way, I would deflect the question and asked if they too haggle at Coles or Big W... even funnier when the humour/point didn't dawn on them...
For some reason I do the same at JB, Harvey Norman, etc.. but the difference is I ask once.
Last edited 30/01/17 1:57 pmIf they can't beat the price you can always see if they'll add something to get you over the line.
When I bought a computer last year it was on sale at both JB and The Good Guys. Pretty much the same price.
I went to Good Guys as it was closer and asked if they could beat the price, they said the current price was so low because of a rebate from the manufacturer and couldn't go lower. I mentioned that I had a JB gift card that I could use but if there was something they could do I'd get it there instead of driving to JB. Guy checked the system and said he could chuck in a $15 accessory. I picked a USB and was good to go.
Also try speaking to different sales people.
I've had two vastly different experiences recently. A few months ago I went into an Adelaide JB looking for Bose headphones, the guy wouldn't budge at all so I bought them online.
Yesterday I went to a Victorian store in the eastern suburbs looking for a kind of expensive fan (Vornado 660... magerd so good) and wasn't especially fussed on price as I knew it was going to be expensive anyways. Asked the guy there where the boxes were, he went and grabbed one for me and without even asking took 5% off the sticker price.
I've been telling everyone this for years now and you don't have to hassle or make yourself feel uncomfortable. All you need to do is find a sales assistant, or wait for one to find you, then say "hey, can you do me a price on this?". They will whip out their PDA-looking stock control device, look it up and give you the best price they can. Just like that. I got a brand new Asus Zenbook, two weeks after they hit the market, For $1330 off an RRP of $1695. A year or so later I got a Samsung Series 9 for $1995 in run-out, when the new one was $2995 because it had an extra 128Gb of SSD storage and an updated Windows logo on the Windows key.
It doesn't always work, though, because some brands don't give them a lot of wiggle room. The bigger the brand, the less likely you are to get a deal. Stargrinder's experience with Bose (above) is a perfect example. Microsoft and Apple are also bad targets for deal making.
Ummm, you might want to get a price check on that.
I'd say things have different discounts. You'd think a big company would police it. I'd also say the staff work off commission and that commission decreases when discounting. Why I never ask for best prize cos I'm helping someone earn a living. Best price stuff is for India not here. You don't go into Coles and ask for best price.
It's a stores job to sell me something.
If I've got to haggle for your best price, it's not worth my time. This talk a deal is to confuse the customer so you can't compare prices, products or retailers.
"I can only do this price now" so then you can't shop around.
This sales line is a huge load of BS. If they can do it now, they can do it tomorrow (unless the sales person is a real a**hole and sees you come in tomorrow and wants to prove a point).
I have 2 rules for shopping for high value items:-
1: Do your homework and see what a decent price looks like (Google, StaticIce, wherever)
2: When you find someone with a decent price (having researched in 1 above), buy it! It's pointless spending 3 hours looking for a $50 saving when your own time has a value. I was self-employed and my time was worth a lot more than $50/hr.
The art of the deal!
I love bargaining. It adds a bit of colour to the shopping experience which is something I really dig in other parts of the world. Shopping in Australia can be so sterile. Harvey Norman can also be a bargainer's fun palace - you just have to be quite insistent they don't load up the extra "warranty insurance" on the purchase.
Have fun claiming on your warranty from some eBay store. If it's expensive, buy it from a brick and mortar authorised reseller. Cheap crap is better left to eBay where you don't really care if it breaks 'early'.
Also bargaining down salespeople to zero or less margin is just plain rude. Don't forget these human beings need to earn a living as well. You may well be taking food from their kids' mouths.
Whenever I've bought a TV or whatever from JB I've simply asked "whats the best you can do this for?" and have always got a nice discount.
I've often found that even when im not intending to get a better deal or looking to haggle, that most assistants in a brick and mortar store are more than happy to play with the price. Every time i've gone into a JB Hi-Fi i've walked out not paying retail or with some extra goodies. I recently bought a Huawei Watch, and got $50 off the price when i wasn't intending to get a discount. I literally just asked the rep what the price was as i couldn't see a ticket, and she said well its $449 but i can do $399 for you. Sold!
Most retailers realise that online stores are eating into their sales either way so it probably pays to keep the customers that walk into your stores happy and coming back.
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