Hello,

I am just curious about your experiences with discounts from local bike shops, do you expect them for expensive items or do you always pay full list price? Anyone embarrassed about asking for a discount?

Also buying complete bikes around the £3500 mark (something like an orange alpine), can you get a discount from a local bike shop?

I would be interested to hear your views.

More likely to get a deal on bits than a straight discount.

My yardstick used to be my relationship with the customer. If we were on first name terms and could have a conversation about something other than bikes they were worthy of a discount. People who feel entitled to it, or expect it, are least deserving IMO and I’d be far less inclined to help them.

May as well ask the question though, just be nice about it and don’t make out you’re doing them a favour by buying it, that used to really annoy me!

join local club = 10% discount on parts and accessories round our way, club/shop varies (ie one shop does a discount for one club and another for another and so on….)

My LBS looks after me really well 😀

My lbs is an Evans. I always ask for pricematch with onine stores. 🙂

Otherwise I don’t, but will accept if offered. It’s never a term of purchase for me.

What njee said – discounts are based on how loyal folk are to us. We reward loyalty and obviously from a simple financial perspective – the more you spend, the more discounting.

If a customer has bought a bike then we offer them a great deal in free gifts and discounts. If we ever get deals then we pass them straight on.

That said, if you are a new customer to us, we would always give you free stuff if you’re buying a bike. Discounting bikes is difficult because the margins are usually pretty dire on the brands we have.

For some bikes the price is the price

For others it can be negotiated

Accessory deals are easier to do

Usually no discount if on 0% credit or Cyclescheme

Find a good LBS & get to know them, take them cake/beer if they work on your bike

Generally if you buy things from them even if it’s not quite as cheap as online, it’ll pay off in the end when you discuss your new bike purchase from them

Anyone embarrassed about asking for a discount?

No and never haggle in a charity shop is my only rule.
I get a marginal discount/free bits/good deals from the local LBS. Nothing to get super excited about but enough to know they care.
I would also be willing to pay slightly more on some stuff to keep them in business – well its merlin so this does not apply- but would in principle
i would expect in a 3.5k bike to get a price match to the cheapest i could find tbh or free servicing or something to convince me to buy from them.

Been using the same bike shop for the last 8 years.

I now get a standard 15pc discount on anything, and a larger discount on new bikes. For instance, i bought a brand new road bike, £45 cheaper than a 2nd hand one that sold on ebay on the same day, in the same size. I never ask for discount, just get it.

They can always (Well, 90pc of the time) beat internets prices, and will often do work for free. I’ve also got use of their workshop if needed which is nice.

I never ask, because I consider that the money I pay is going towards the owners wages/shop/pension/cocaine habit.

I do get considerable discount from a couple of local shops because I’ve been going there for years and am presumably considered a loyal customer, but I never suggest it or ask.

I find the best way to get a discount is to build a rapport with the sales assistant, show interest in their interests, asking questions about them as well as the product. this makes you come across as a genuine person (perhaps you really are anyway) and they are more likely to be receptive to a discount or freebee. those who are just out for something as cheap as they can get it will generally be dissapointed as they haven’t built a rapport to warrant a favour!

one of my LBS has a customer number scheme which lets the guy know how much you get off (useful as you don’t have to ask)

the other is smaller so a bit easier.

I take what is offered generally, not got a new frame for a while but would ask “What was included?” or see how much to add a headset or BB.

On parts will go with discount or fitting depending on how much of a hurry I am in.

Like most have said, it’s all about a customer relationship, I might not buy a whole bike but have probably got most of one over a couple of years and keep coming back. If I was to walk in off the street I would try to get a price but not push it.

My yardstick used to be my relationship with the customer. If we were on first name terms and could have a conversation about something other than bikes they were worthy of a discount. People who feel entitled to it, or expect it, are least deserving IMO and I’d be far less inclined to help them.

^^This. All of this.^^

I’m looked after extremely well by Cookson Cycles. 😀

I bought a front mech from my LBS [which I rarely use] last week

£34.99 on the ticket
I offered £30, he countered with £32 – deal done

The ticket price on something is merely an offer, if I think there’s a chance of haggling, I’ll ask

If I was dropping 3.5k on anything i’d be haggling. I can’t think why you wouldn’t – you’re effectively asking for a discount for volume (one large transaction rather than lots of smaller transactions) – fairly standard practice i’d say.

Doesn’t matter if it was my LBS or not, whilst I don’t begrudge them a profit at the same time my primary goal is to get the best value for money. We’ll meet somewhere in the middle at a price everyone is happy with, or i’ll go elsewhere / they won’t sell to me.

It’s a competative market – if bike shop A won’t haggle then bike shop B gets the trade.

I was in there two weeks back and the owner yelled from the back room: “who is it?” and the spanners replied: “it’s not a real customer, it’s just Stew”. Cheeky bastard 😉 And I bought some shoes!

I spend enough on parts and servicing that I don’t have to ask . I sometimes buy components from Merlin/CRC if it’s really good deal. But otherwise buying it from the shop is piece of mind and not that much more spendy. And if it’s a slow day it gets fitted on the spot for naught. They’re good guys.

I never have and never will ask for a discount at the LBS. However, if they offer me one I’ll take it.

good heavens G.R.F you are infact not all bad.

i brought a inner tube and got a free patch kit…didn even ask.. 🙂

But bullying some small struggling shop keeper

How on earth is it bullying?
Do you pay windscreen prices for cars too?

Why is it the smaller the business, the more it needs its profit line, the more it’s customers seem to feel it is their ‘right’ to a discount.

You don’t stand at the till at Tesco’s arguing the toss, or Halfords even and these bastards could afford it.

But bullying some small struggling shop keeper into parting with probably a third of his profit just because it’s an enthusiast based business.

Why is that?

when some thing is half the price on the net you need to meet people half way to get the sale.

The ticket price on something is merely an offer, if I think there’s a chance of haggling, I’ll ask

As above, would you haggle in your corner shop over a pint of milk? Or over the same in Sainsburys? No, you wouldn’t. So why do you assume you should do so in a bike shop?

They’re not a charity, you know.

Bullying?
You can negotiate almost anywhere (ok, Tesco is an exception).

Halfords? Yes, £25 of a sat nav 😀
Volkswagen? Yes, 18% off.
LBS? 20% off a £2.7k bike in the value of goods (the dent off profits for the LBS is less that way).
National Bike Chain? Yes, 20% plus free gear on recent new big purchase.

A good deal is one that suits both parties … either side can always say no.

It would be rude not to ask

As above, would you haggle in your corner shop over a pint of milk? Or over the same in Sainsburys? No, you wouldn’t. So why do you assume you should do so in a bike shop?

same question as above, would you always just pay the windscreen price on a car?

I’ve been in my current job 16 years and I’ve never once seen a customer agree to pay our catalogue prices

(ok, Tesco is an exception).

Why? Why should they be an exception? If you are so convinced you deserve everything cheaper than the price needed for the shop to make a profit (Which is their raison d’etre, funnily enough) then why do you not haggle at Tescos?

To be honest if I am spending more than a ton I always see if I can get a deal,done it buying white goods etc dont ask dont get.

I got a stupendous discount off my current bike from an LBS, and for that reason I’m a customer for life. I get a published discount, but the bike discount was offered by them without me even asking so I’m grateful for that.

To be honest if I am spending more than a ton I always see if I can get a deal,done it buying white goods etc dont ask dont get.

Why should the monetary value of a purchase change the situation? Again, would you haggle over a pint of milk? The principle is identical. Retailer looks to make money, advertises price. Do you haggle over a pint of milk?

Why is Tesco an exception … you’re not dealing with empowered staff, so you use the “voting with feet” principal. More importantly, their business model is high volume & low margin so, on the most visible items, they’ll be highly competitive.

I think “deserve” is an emotive word … in many cultures it is considered rude not to haggle. For some reason, we have the strange idea that negotiation is taboo 😕

10% and a general rounding down every time I go in, which is often enough as I get all the bits from there.

But it is true, like it or not when you haggle hard with a small IBD you are bullying, you wouldn’t do it to Tescos Sainsburys, or ‘Arrods, because they’re bigger than you and probably would have you arrested if you blocked up the checkout haggling for too long and you know it, so you don’t.

Well put.

In the famous words of Zammo … you can just say No!

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3LL338aGA[/video]

Haggle away……..

If buying smaller stuff (sub £50) I don’t ask for a discount at all, but often get discount taken off automatically.

More expensive stuff I’ll ask what kinda price they can do for me, and their offer is usually within a few percentage of what the online boys sell at.

I probably spend 50/50 LBS vs online – with online mainly where I’ve seen serious deals (2 weeks ago CRC were selling SDG I-Beam seatposts for £10).

As njee20 said right at the start of this thread. Most people asking for a discount (or in some cases demanding a discount) didn’t get it. Regular customers, people spending lots of money or nice folk who brought cakes etc would get offered a discount.

The Tesco analogy is misplaced, as per the very brief explanation about their business model.

Many businesses work on the premise that the customers that pay full price balance those that get a discount.

If the deal doesn’t suit the vendor, they don’t have to sell at that price.

What really pisses me off is the feckers that argue the hardest can afford to pay more nine times out of ten.

Isnt that why they can afford it, if they are like that in buisiness or negotiation in getting the best package if empoyed?.

I have to deal with estate agents and they want everything for buttons, expect service above and beyond and want to pay late or not at all and they arnt alone.

All buyers do the same and squeeze their supplyers as much as possible.

Thanks for the Monty Python 😀

G.R.F in talking sense shocker!!! 😉