haggling

Peter Rhodes

When buying a bike, how much do you think you can expect toget off the asking price by haggling?

Monty Dog

If paying full price, then many bike shops are prepared to offer 10% of the value of the bike in free accessories. For bike shops, margins are less than for components and accessories so they can afford to discount them deeper. Negotiating the price down itself is much more difficult IMO.

colint

I'd say a lot depends on the bike, if it's a very popular model where you can shop around more easily, then you're in a stronger position. Plus margins will be different on different models.

Monty Dog

Au contraire - popular models sell well, are always in demand so don't need to be discounted. Some distributors will be starting to do deals on dead-stock clearing the way for 2008 models - great if you want a small or large size in less-popular models, less so if you want a 54,55 or 56cm in a popular model because often there's none left. You'll find that the margins on bikes are pretty consistent, regardless of model or make - the only difference is that a multiple chain might be able to negotiate a bigger volume discount. I'd say that the best deals right now will be available on the top-range, pro-replica models and less so on £750-1000 models which are the most popular.

Big Red S

I know I'll have no problem selling that 17" Rockhopper for the RRP of £550. The same goes for nearly every bike I have, except possibly for that XXL Genesis Flyer I got in for an awkward customer who changed his mind.
The only really good time to get a cheap bike is just after the next year's models come out (september/october). But bike shops are getting better at only buying what they can sell (or close to that), and often there's no budging on that new sale price.

Far, far easier than haggling would be to pricematch. Most bike shops will do it IME, you do the work yourself at home, and then you don't need to rely on the generosity/naivete of whoever's serving you - they'll just follow company policy.

Where I've worked in the past, as a general rule the bike isn't discounted. Accessories at 10% off, or sometimes 10% of the bike's worth in accessories. Don't be surprised if you're offered the latter but only on certain products. There's no point giving away an upgrade to hope brakes, for example, since the markup is so poor it'd be better not to make the sale.

colint

Monty Dog wrote:

Au contraire - popular models sell well, are always in demand so don't need to be discounted. .

Hmmm, not sure I agree with that, more dealers means more people to ask. When I bought a Cannondale there were stacks of dealers to phone, just rang them all asking for the best price, eventually you'll come across one having a slow week / over stocked etc.

If it's niche, then theres less choice. I asked Racescene for a discount on a Casati and he almost laughed in my face as they're the only UK dealer.

Surely more choice (of dealer) = more competition = lower price ?

wastelander

I guess if it's a high volume manufacturer with a greater profit margin then you'll always have a fair chance of getting that 10% discount compared to a specialist low volume quality builder. I suppose the comparison is being able to knock £500 off of a Ford Fiesta but the Porsche 911 is listed at £69,000 and that's exactly what you pay.

alfablue

wastelander wrote:

I guess if it's a high volume manufacturer with a greater profit margin then you'll always have a fair chance of getting that 10% discount compared to a specialist low volume quality builder. I suppose the comparison is being able to knock £500 off of a Ford Fiesta but the Porsche 911 is listed at £69,000 and that's exactly what you pay.

Of course there have been cases of price-fixing in the motor trade whereby manufacturers threaten dealers with witholding supplies or even threatening their dealerships if they discount beyond set limits. Volvo were accused of this a few years ago. It makes one wonder when certain products cannot be obtained anywhere at a discount (Oakley glasses anybody???).

I'm not saying it does happen in the bike trade, of course...