do bike shops NEGOTIATE on new bikes in the $300 range?

[MIKE DEGUZMAN]

i never bought a new bike from a bike shop before...

i'm looking to buy 2 new beach cruisers...

electras... both in the $300 range each

typically, when buying more than 1 bike, do bike shops negotiate on new bike pricing?

and if so, what type of discount can/should i expect? 5 or 10%?

any feedback is appreciated...

thanks again!

 

[TheFlyingDingo]

I had to fight hardcore for some sort of discount on a 2009 Raleigh.

 

[MIKE DEGUZMAN]

I had to fight hardcore for some sort of discount on a 2009 Raleigh.

what was suggested retail on the bike? and what did you end up paying for it?

 

[KOTA]

Would you negotiate on a couple of $200 bikes at Walmart?....Who "needs" the money more? Your local bike shop, or Walmart?

 

[MIKE DEGUZMAN]

Would you negotiate on a couple of $200 bikes at Walmart?....Who "needs" the money more? Your local bike shop, or Walmart?

come on... really? I would say i "need" the money more than LBS or walmart...

let's try to stay on topic please

do bike shops NEGOTIATE on new bikes in the $300 range?

 

[stretch]

woahh dude chill out. dont be gettin all up in arms like this..

i dont go to bike shops for whole bikes, only little bits since the cool shop near my house got shut down.. but ive been in the big wig trek shops an those kinda places, im doubting theyll bargin. its like trying to bargin on buying a TV or somethin like that. :roll:

but you cant be sayin things like A55(an callin people names at that), this is supposed to be a family-friendly site.. one member is only 12 here.. :? and dont be so harsh, maybe you two misunderstood eachother, and either you didnt get what he was saying, or he said something wrong. so you bein new here, hopefully you see this as a nice gesture to steer you in the right direction. i know almost every other forum aroud these parts arent as clean, and more directed to a more specific kind of bike(BMX, schwinn, i could go on all day) but were very open to everyone. so please dont be actin like that. im not a mod or admin, but i dont think you dont need to hear it from them to know whats right.

i also see you dont have an intro. if you could, post up one in the INTRO section, an tell us all about you. we dont need your social security number, but we like names, occupations, and what brought you here, stuff like that. im sorry if i step on any toes, im just trying to help you out.

if it helps, heres a full run-down of our rules, directly from the post at the beginning of each section(done up by our most gracious host, Steve[RatRod]):

Just a few easy rules for this forum. Keep in mind that this forum is for all ages and some of our kiddos like the Rat Rod scene too.

1. Watch your language. (again, kids are watching) Also, skip the creative spelling of bad language..i.e. using dashes, dollar signs, etc. If it is seen, it will be deleted from your post.

2. Keep the flames on the bikes and out of these forums. In other words, let's keep it light and try not to start any bashing...this is supposed to be fun.

3. Posting of adult oriented/disturbing photos or avatars is prohibited and will get you the boot.

4. Do not post images in your signature larger than a half inch tall.

5. No discussing the definition of the term "rat rod" or whether bikes meet "rat rod" criteria

6. Refrain from discussing political issues.

Follow these rules and we'll all get along. Don't follow these rules and you'll get one warning and then you're out.

Thanks!

so best of luck in your bike building, i hope all is well after this.
-Scott

 

[KOTA]

Mike, don't read it so cynically. My point is... My LBS guy is just getting by. Two weeks ago when I purchased 2 new Electras, I paid the price he was asking. It was BELOW the MSR price... You can negotiate ANYTHING, any where, any time.

Do me a favor. Next time you'd like to call me a name...PM me instead.

 

[deorman]

i suppose every forum has a smart a55.

HEY, that's my job!!!!
Seriously, only the individual shop will have the answer to that question.

 

[MIKE DEGUZMAN]

woahh dude chill out. dont be gettin all up in arms like this..

i edited my post to be more fam friendly/appropriate

Mike, don't read it so cynically. My point is... My LBS guy is just getting by. Two weeks ago when I purchased 2 new Electras, I paid the price he was asking. It was BELOW the MSR price... You can negotiate ANYTHING, any where, any time.

thank you.

that's the kind of post i was looking for...

i'm not here to troll... im just a new guy here looking for answers... not problems/issues/e-drama...

 

[Pudge]

a55? It's cool Kota, we all know you're a lot younger than 55.
Me? I'm a47!

 

[Rat Rod]

The bike shops obviously have a mark up on what they sell...whether or not you are able to haggle with them depends on how well you know them and how badly they need to sell a bike.

I got a good deal on a couple of Electras one time from my LBS, but I knew them pretty well and they also knew I'd continue buying from them.

It wouldn't hurt to ask, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. :wink:

 

[TheFlyingDingo]

I had to fight hardcore for some sort of discount on a 2009 Raleigh.

Ok...

Sort of a long story on this one.

I bought the bike in april of 2010-Just to avoid confusion.

About april of 2009-I went past there to checkout some bikes they had, this is when i first started looking at bikes. They had the raleigh 29er for test ride, I rode it and sort of liked it. It took basically a year for me to decide which bike was right for me. Then they had the bike on clearance for like...610 or something, i cant remember perfectly. I wasnt decided then. Then April of 2010 came around, i had enough money to buy one of the bikes i decided on, and the raleigh was my choice. I went in to see if they would take less (mind you i drove an hour and a half to get there!)
They said they would do 590 so i paid for the bike and they took it in back to do some tests and look at it or whatever. Time goes by, the guy comes out and tells me good news, there was a problem with the stem and he replaced it with a BETTER ONE. It comes out. The bike looks rediculous. The original stem was flat black, the new gloss...all other parts are flat so this sticks out like a sore thumb. I asked what it was about, and he said it was the only one that we had that was AT PAR with the other. I whined and complained and eventually got my money back for the bike. Walked away with no bikey...Sadness. They call me the next day when i find another bike shop that just so happened to have another bike i wanted, I talk to the manager and he gives me a super deal, with a neck THE SAME as the other one that they just so happened to have.

I think i paid 540...For a 900 bike.

 

[MIKE DEGUZMAN]

I had to fight hardcore for some sort of discount on a 2009 Raleigh.

Ok...

Sort of a long story on this one.

I bought the bike in april of 2010-Just to avoid confusion.

About april of 2009-I went past there to checkout some bikes they had, this is when i first started looking at bikes. They had the raleigh 29er for test ride, I rode it and sort of liked it. It took basically a year for me to decide which bike was right for me. Then they had the bike on clearance for like...610 or something, i cant remember perfectly. I wasnt decided then. Then April of 2010 came around, i had enough money to buy one of the bikes i decided on, and the raleigh was my choice. I went in to see if they would take less (mind you i drove an hour and a half to get there!)
They said they would do 590 so i paid for the bike and they took it in back to do some tests and look at it or whatever. Time goes by, the guy comes out and tells me good news, there was a problem with the stem and he replaced it with a BETTER ONE. It comes out. The bike looks rediculous. The original stem was flat black, the new gloss...all other parts are flat so this sticks out like a sore thumb. I asked what it was about, and he said it was the only one that we had that was AT PAR with the other. I whined and complained and eventually got my money back for the bike. Walked away with no bikey...Sadness. They call me the next day when i find another bike shop that just so happened to have another bike i wanted, I talk to the manager and he gives me a super deal, with a neck THE SAME as the other one that they just so happened to have.

I think i paid 540...For a 900 bike.

nice! looks like it paid off to shop the competition...

 

[Bicyclerick]

As A Shop Owner I just have to put my two cents in on this, I do discount a little on a purchase of more than one bike, 5% to 10% depending on the bike, but it really depends on the shop owner if he wants to work you a deal or not. Some people get the misconception that we make a good margin on bikes but they dont realize that we have to pay the shipping cost, the assembly cost and then I give my customers a year of free adjustments, that all comes out of the our margin up front so its hard to work deals. I hope this sheds a little light on this subject.

 

[CCR]

i dont feel bad at all paying msrp at a bike shop for all the reasons rick mentioned (even a little more if i know why its more than msrp), the first bikes i bought at my lbs he offered a discount up front on the two bikes together without askin, we bought some other stuff too, and continued to get some $ off. ever since ive always gotten a little off and some freebies too sometimes, but im in there a lot and he knows im going there first.

 

[MIKE DEGUZMAN]

hmm... so looks like much larger discounts on big ticket items (what i expected)

5-10% off entry level bikes looks to be the number

and with good business... accessory discounts galore and sometimes freebies...

OK.... i think i can work with this

thanks for everyones help!

 

[Bendix]

maybe a little late to the party, but you might consider negotiating with high margin parts/accessories. we have a huge problem with thorns and flat tires around here so free heavy duty tubes saves the customer 20 bucks yet only costs us 7-8 bucks. proprietary brand merchandise from the biggest names most often has a higher profit margin. everybody wins.

540 for a 900 dollar bike would be a definite exception since a 900 retail bike most likely costs the dealer over 600. :shock:

even 10% off a 300 dollar bike is quite a hit in that range. sure the margin is good at that price point but the actual dollars of profit just ain't there. :?

go for bikes on the floor/in stock. dealers often get bikes with prepaid freight on orders of 15 or more, a single bike special order will of course have a lower profit for the dealer once shipping is added to the wholesale cost. 8)