I’ve never bought a new mtb before and I’m wondering how the whole discount thing works.

Our lbs (who we buy a LOT of stuff from) normally give us 10% off whatever I buy – is there any chance they’ll do this on a £2,500 bike?

I don’t want to come across like an arse by expecting a 10% discount, but equally I don’t want to pay hundreds more than I need to just because I haven’t asked the question.

What do people reckon is realistic?

Cheers!

I’d hope that if you’re a good regular customer, they’d either knock something off or (what we used to do more commonly) give you ‘free’ stuff up to a similar is value to 10%

well, most cycle to work schemes get 10% off retail and I’m sure insurance companies get a bit more. Depends how you’re paying.

A mate went in and got a 2008 £1750 Scott Ransom 30 down to £1400 I think it was and that’s well below rrp. Go in and go, I’ll give you 80% of the price in cash/card and they’ll take it up a bit till you both get a good deal.

That’s encouraging – 10% worth of stuff would be nice! (Although cash would be nicer/more sensible)

I’d be paying out-right and I’d certainly class us as good, regular customers.

A lot of bike shops offer 0% finance and this basically means they pay the finance company from your cash you pay them. I believe it’s around 10% (depending on finance period).
My LBS gave me the option of 0% finance at rrp or cash at 10% discount on rrp.

MM, so you decided on the 5 then? be interested to hear what you made of the lapierre, they look so nice!!

Just ask them. Technically 10% isn’t that unreasonable, but it depends on what else they’re doing for you (building it and setting it up for you is going to cost them workshop time), and whether they can afford to write off a couple of hundred quid at the moment.

Make sure you talk to a member of staff that can make a descision on discounts, like the owner and ask what’s his best price is on the bike you’re interested in, if he recognises you as a good customer he’ll do the best deal he can. Works for me.

DAM RIGHT, you should get some discount or a load of stuff chucked in for free, I’ve always been told if you don’t ask you don’t get

Orange is one of those brands that is hard to get a discount on, it’s not like they’ve got millions knocking around, aren’t a tough sell and they’re rarely in the sale end of season.

I managed to blag 10% worth in freebies and then a couple of upspecced things (Braided hoses, different tyres and saddle at their cost)

Have you seen the 5 Diva pro on here MM

http://www.orangebikes.co.uk/offers/

£300 off retail,

Ask them seriously if they’ll take £2k. If they don’t go to £2250 walk away and tell them they know where you are if they change your mind. Simples.

Then go back and give them full price.

Tell them what yoo want, and ask them how much it will be.
If you are not happy with the answer try something along the lines of ” as much as that!”
Why ask for 10% when you might get 12?

spend an hour on the web looking at mail order. i found a pitch pro fro 850.

Thanks guys, it’s good to get an idea of what’s reasonable. My lbs know me too well to do the really hard bargain thing, and it’s not really my style to push it further than I think is fair. I will however just ask for 10% off and see what they can do, I reckon they’ll do it, but if not the 10% of free stuff will be a goer I’m sure. (GL – you seemed to do well freebies and tyres & saddle, etc!)

Cheers Rich – I have seen that (and have even spoke to Orange about it) but I found the Diva a bit small on the small side so think I’m probably going to go with the men’s 14″ (I’ve got the demo bike in my lounge now!) I reckon one ride should be enough to know for sure though!

(GL – you seemed to do well freebies and tyres & saddle, etc!)

I was buying a Specialized Myka FSR Expert for my wife at the exact same time – and I’m quite chummy with the guys there. 🙂 Including my own purchases, and then referring mates, I’ve probably put £10k through that shop in 2008 alone 🙂

Discounts will get harder to come by, most brands are selling like hotcakes this year and companys that cut back production expecting the ‘crunch’ to have a big effect on the bike market which it hasn’t really, are now selling out of many sizes. Anthem X1’s are a nightmare mare to get hold of at the moment.
Unless your LBS has your size Orange in stock I think you’ll struggle with discount.
Personally I’m in the forces and Tredz offer 15% off to us, my 08 5 SE came in at £2600! Glad I bought it before the 09 price hikes. Could ring them up and say your in the Army they’ve never checked! 😉

I just phoned up a load of online suppliers and harrassed them for best prices, then phoned the most local bricks-and-mortar shop and said “I can get this for this much from here, if you match it I’ll buy it from you instead” I’d probably have accepted a slightly worse deal since they were local but they were happy enough, they still made some money which they wouldn’t if I’d gone elsewhere and it was a nice easy sale.

When I bought my 5 I was told by LBS that Orange don’t like dealers to cut prices, and that they couldn’t offer me anything off. I’d gone in however with a real quote from another shop who had discounted the same bike as I didn’t want finance (by 10%)

First bike shop said they’d match this price, and as I like them and actually wanted to buy from them anyway it all worked out good.

Think my heavily upgraded Pro was about 2250?