Hmmm

How is the LBS loosing money on their margins a "win" for them?? Just wait until items go on sale if you have to.

I worked in a high end ski boat dealership for a summer and the customers that would haggle and give everyone a hard time about "price" and "service" we're not liked by the staff at all. I'm new to the cycling world, but I'd like to have the staff want to help me, not despise me.

sircaptaincook

Haggling at an LBS is a quick shortcut to never getting a friendly discount in the future. Good luck with your bike come the second tune up.

GlennR

Are we talking about asking if that's their best price or beating them up to get a lower price?

It never hurts to ask and abusing people is always bad form.

In my transaction, I just asked, there was no back and forth. When my bike came in i was invited to hang around while the bike was being built by the owner (who gave e the discount). I also told them i was interested in a second bike (mountain bike) when I sold my old road bike. He told me to come back and he'll take good care of me.

There's ways to be gentlemen and ways to be a jerk... its your choice.

Lazyass

I managed a motorcycle retail store for a couple of years after I retired. It's large chain with over 100 stores. There was nothing more annoying than the old "can I get a discount". I'm thinking "ummm, why"? Even more annoying is when they persisted or even got mad if they didn't get their little discount. The worst would be when I would spend 30 minutes with someone helping them with what they needed, then at the end they would ask for that discount and when I would politely tell them I couldn't they would walk out. I would tell the most persistent that I could get fired if I did it and they still wouldn't accept it. Some salesmen roll the dice on their job just to get a sell but not me. If you qualify for a discount like law enforcement, military, ect then that's one thing. Otherwise, the price is what it is. I swear some people probably try to haggle the price of a gallon of milk. I was in a Performance bike shop talking to a salesman and we discussed this and had a good laugh. They feel the exact same way. Now the employee discounts were very nice when I could get a $1300 Yoshimura exhaust for my GSXR750 for half price, but never again in my life will I work in the retail or customer service industry.

rpenmanparker 

It's like the stock market, the money isn't really theirs until it is in their hand. Not just in other cultures but even in the USA durable goods that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars are subject to price negotiation. If the LBS owner thinks they have a fixed margin, they just have a very vivid imagination. The price for the bike will be what a willing seller and willing buyer agree on. It is win-win, because of the stipulation that both were willing. Attaching derogatory words like "haggling" just obscure the desirability and purity of this system of doing business. If you are satisfied the asking price is fair and tolerable to you, then accept it. If you are not willing at that price, state the price where you would be willing. If the dealer is willing, bingo, a win-win deal. They haven't lost money off an imaginary margin. They have made the most money that they could in that particular deal.

When folks express distaste for price negotiation, they often use the feelings and plight of the seller to justify their feelings. But that isn't what it is about. That distaste comes from a cultural bias ingrained in the buyer during their upbringing. Get over it.

As far as risking not being liked by the store personnel because you negotiated the price of your bike, doubly get over it. That part is all in your head, not theirs. Would you rather them think you were a fool for leaving maybe 20% on the table, or respect you for being a good manager of your money? Your best defense against being ripped off is to make it clear that you look after your finances, and that includes getting the best possible price for what you buy.

SAGit

Please do not haggle with a family owned mom & pop type of store. With the online shopping phenomenon, it's very difficult for them to cut costs and maintain a decent profit margin, if any. Many of the stores will close in less than 5 years.

On the contrary, you should haggle all you want at the big box stores such as Peformance or Sun and Ski. A polite way to do is request for a price matching. Why do I negotiate at the big boxes? Because they negotiate every single day with their suppliers (Walmart is the most extreme example)

rpenmanparker 

I disagree with this whole line of thought. Good business people can be successful in the retail bicycle business. It is not the customer's job to strengthen inherently flawed and weak businesses by overpaying for merchandise. That is foolishness. The market will take care of itself. You do the same.

a77impala

Wait to buy a bike until they are trying to close them out. The last new bike I bought they knocked $800 of an $1800 bike. That was in September 2006, end of riding season for a lot of the country.

MRT2

Except, OP was offered a deal that he considered acceptable going into the store. It was only after the store offered him the bike at a discount that he thought he should, maybe, get some new tires. My view is, to extract a concession for the sake of concessions (swap out new tires for some new tires) is kind of pointless. Now, if OP was looking to switch out something he actually needed and was asking for a discount on the part since he was buying a brand new bike, maybe a different story.

I do think there is a different dynamic at smaller bike shops than at big chain stores. I do occasionally take a peak in the larger bike shops in the area, not so much to haggle, but to look for items on sale, and to see what is available up close. The thing about the larger shops is, if you don't look like someone looking to spend a lot of money right now, they tend to ignore you. And even when someone comes to talk to you, it is a salesman who may or may not know as much as I do about bicycles. The smaller shops survive because they build a reputation for integrity, service, and quality. Frequently when you walk into a smaller shop, you are dealing with the owner, manager, or head mechanic who can and will give you the benefit of years, or decades of experience. And if you walk in (during a slow time) looking to buy a water bottle, a new chain, or some lube and just want to pick the guy's brain about something, he will usually talk to you. The reason you go to a smaller place is usually not just for the lowest price, but rather for the advice you get. If you don't feel you need anybody's advice because you know all you need to know about bike gear or if you go into the transaction believing they are out to rip you off, maybe you are better off going to a chain store, or even buying your gear online. And that is fine. When I need a bike shop's help or advice, I pay them for that. There are plenty of bike things I buy online or from chain shops because at this juncture, I don't need to work with a bike shop for these items, like apparel, accessories, tools, pedals, and shoes.

velociraptor

This.

Wow, there are a lot of wet diapers in this thread.

It's business, people – If you're too touchy-feely to try & save some of your own money, then that's your problem.

But don't suggest that anyone who tries to negotiate on a price is somehow victimizing the seller. WOW.

Looigi

Haggling, discussing and negotiating price, should never be an argument, rude or disrespectful. If that what it devolves into, one side or the other is doing it wrong.

BoJaffa

I would bet the some of the owners of small businesses probably haggle when they are the buyers in someone elses small business. Or shop online for best prices. I don't haggle with my LBS because they are good to me when I need them. To each his own I guess.

Sheldoncooper

Same, always a discount without asking, from tubes to bike, been a regular customer for a while now

2702

I think the people who open a business are very strong people from dealing with hagglers to people asking to freebies to shoplifters. I know I might not make it mentally doing it.

CommuteCommando

I haggled the price for my 2013 Masi Gran Criterium. I got him to match a competitors price. I am a regular at this shop, and he usually gives me a good deal. Still loving the steel bike.

Seattle Forrest

Plenty of bad bike shops out there, too. Figure out which ones, don't go back.

Shuffleman

I actually thought about this a little more as it seems that opinions are all over the board. I am not one to be blindly loyal to a shop. However, some shops do earn that. My current one is one of those. I never ask the price of any service or product that I buy from them. They always discount it and it is always fair. I ride with the shop owner and I like him. I have bought from other shops where I knew that I was only buying the bike and would never be back. I pushed the envelop in those instances. I think a great way to approach it is by simply asking if there is a discount for paying in cash? You can always get your answer with that question. How they answer it will let you know if there is any further negotiating room and it lets both parties know what is occuring in a nice way. I will say that Cash is king. Small Biz owners hate CC's because we pay more than the 2.5% than you think. If you use Amex the fees approach 4% depending upon a few factors. Cards that have points attached to them also hit us for higher percentages. Most of us can't get the rates that large chains get because of the volume. By the time we factor in our monthly processing fees, billing and etc. the rates are more than 2.5%.

bt

just stop already

CliffordK

I use cash for most of my transactions, although I think there are many different fee levels. Are debit cards free? Checks?

Most of the people I talk to seem to think that if they don't get a cash discount, then why should they care, but the credit card fees do add up. Consider that a $500 purchase could carry $15 to $20 worth of extra fees. And, that has to be built into the prices, somewhere. Say a small store does $10K of daily transactions, then credit card fees could be eating up $300 to $400 of daily profits (more than many employees make for the whole day).

Somebody still has to make the run to the bank, which isn't exactly free. That could be eliminated in a truly electronic society. However, as long as some people use cash, then the bank run can't be truly eliminated.

I tried to buy a pre-paid visa recently. One would think that organizations would love them. Limited liability, positive balance (earning interest for whoever issues the cards), and transaction fees. However, they also wanted me to pay $3 to get the card, plus $3 per month, plus $3 to refill the card every time (with cash). All the extra fees on top of the standard Visa fees seemed a little silly.

Anyway, this is just another place that a LBS should be able to compete with online vendors.
Wholesale prices of goods.
Lower (bulk) shipping????
Fewer credit card fees (the Co-op charges an extra visa transaction fee).
No PayPal & E-Bay fees.

And, they still come nowhere close to matching prices.

topflightpro

Here's the exchange, as best as I can remember when I bought my first road bike:

Me: "I like it. Is this the best price you can offer."

Him: "Yeah, that sale price is as low as we can go."

Me: "Ok, how about you throw in two bottle cages and some pedals and we've got a deal."

Him: "I'll give you the cages and two water bottles, the pedals at my cost and 15 percent off any other accessories."

Me: "Deal."

As I was paying, I saw they had pretty cool shop tees. I said I'd take one of those too, and he gave it to me for free.

Now, the shops I visit give me deals. I basically pay PBK prices at my LBS.

RocTurk

I bought two bikes last year from two different shops. I bought my hybrid (2014 Giant Escape 1) last March just beginning of the season, I didn't even ask for a discount since I knew they wouldn't do much on cheaper bikes anyway and the shop I bought was asking 80$ less than the other Giant dealer in town. I bought my road bike (2014 Felt Z5) end of the season last November. The shop was already running a 300$ off deal but I asked if they could do more. They offered another 50$ off, then I asked if they can bring another 50$ on top of that and voila. I got mine 400$ off last year's MSRP which was basically the MSRP for 2014 Felt Z85. I didn't buy anything else that day.

If you are buying an expensive bike, no shame in bargaining for the price.

roadwarrior

Don't tell people this stuff. Geez....

rpenmanparker 

Yeah, I guess I have made my point by now.

MasterBastian

Figured I would update...I bought the 2014 at their 1700 price. That was what I was going to offer them in the first place and I love that shop and those guys to much to negotiate price. That shop is awesome! Love my 2014 Tarmac!!!!

cbresciani

Beer helps too!