Big Box Store or Local Dealer

Big Box or Dealer


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I bought an Echo blower from Home depot today that is the identical same one my local dealer has but the dealer wants $30 more than Home depot.
 
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I bought an Echo blower from Home depot today that is the identical same one my local dealer has but the dealer wants $30 more than Home depot.

A lot of dealers will offer you a lower price if you tell them you found it cheaper elsewhere. :rolleyes:
 

Rivets

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I sure hope you don't have to go to the dealer for service, $30 may have been cheap insurance done the road.
 

djdicetn

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I sure hope you don't have to go to the dealer for service, $30 may have been cheap insurance done the road.

Rivets,
You took the words right out of my mouth....I was just gonna say to user wjjones(although our hopes are, for his sake, that we could be wrong)......so, you saved $30 and a month later it won't start. Where do you take it for Warranty service....Home Depot....NOPE, you take it to the dealer. Dealer goes....hmmmm, this is a Home Depot trimmer, so since the guy didn't patronize us with his money we're gonna pad the labor charge with an extra hour. Maybe not, but whose to know and I would have asked, like user lmf said, the dealer to at least meet me half way and give me $15 off his price to get my business. It never hurts to ask.
 
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I sure hope you don't have to go to the dealer for service, $30 may have been cheap insurance done the road.

Rivets,
You took the words right out of my mouth....I was just gonna say to user wjjones(although our hopes are, for his sake, that we could be wrong)......so, you saved $30 and a month later it won't start. Where do you take it for Warranty service....Home Depot....NOPE, you take it to the dealer. Dealer goes....hmmmm, this is a Home Depot trimmer, so since the guy didn't patronize us with his money we're gonna pad the labor charge with an extra hour. Maybe not, but whose to know and I would have asked, like user lmf said, the dealer to at least meet me half way and give me $15 off his price to get my business. It never hurts to ask.

I agree! :rolleyes:
 
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A lot of dealers will offer you a lower price if you tell them you found it cheaper elsewhere. :rolleyes:



Yep I mentioned it to him, and he said he wouldnt go any lower so I bought it from Home depot. Home Deopot it was $159.99 plus 10% off that his was $199.99, and he wouldnt even take the Echo product code for $10 off.
 

midnite rider

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It all depends if you are a professional or homeowner on what type of equipment you may need and if it is used a lot and for your livelihood or very little. Some cheap stuff will last a homeowner 20 years even not being maintained well. I can attest to that. Also some people do not like to haggle and go back and forth on purchase price, give me your best price or see ya later. The local mower repair shop that does not deal in new equipment may tend to differ with who you buy from seeing as how he may want the business of people who buy from a big box or sell them used equipment that he has repaired. We have a lot of these small repair shops in my area who also support our local economy. By the way the corporate office of Home Depot is just down the road and brings a lot into our local economy here not counting all the big box stores who employ many people full time. A new retractable roof stadium is being built here with a large portion of one of the owners of Home Depot's finances. Most of the buyers who read this forum I would venture to say are of the homeowner genre. To each his/her own.

Professional or large estate ==== most go to dealer supported equipment
Homeowner ======= most go to Big Box store equipment

As of me myself being a homeowner, you need to add another choice as I do not support either one. I rarely buy anything new. I support the seller on Craigs list and help keep material out of the local landfill, ours being a throw away society. There is to much equipment used to be had inexpensively needing only a minor repair that I can perform. Works for me along with this great forum. Just my :2cents: for what it's worth.
 

MowerMike

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Yep I mentioned it to him, and he said he wouldn't go any lower so I bought it from Home depot. Home Depot it was $159.99 plus 10% off that his was $199.99, and he wouldn't even take the Echo product code for $10 off.

Sounds like you bought the Echo PB-250LN, which has an Echo MSRP of $170. I bought mine at HD last August when they had them discounted to $159 as they do now. I can see a dealer charging straight MSRP, but when they are $30 over as in your case I can't see patronizing them. Dealers should never charge over MSRP. There's plenty of profit in it for them is they sell at MSRP. For example, I recently bought an Echo SRM-225 trimmer from a local dealer who had them on sale at 10% below MSRP, and he told me that his cost was about 17% below MSRP, so he was still making some profit. Even if HD had it on sale and the dealer did not, I would still buy it from the dealer if he priced it at MSRP. This is a full service dealer, and he delivered the trimmer to me gassed up and tested.
 

reynoldston

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Its all about the buying price. I do all my own service other then warranty. If I can save a few $s buying from the box store that's for me. Didn't I just get knocked for saying that you buy it you own it after buying from the dealer and told how dumb I was and how dare I. Now if you buy it from the large box store if you don't like it you can bring it back in a short time.
 

Rivets

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WOW, 17% below MSRP, still making a profit. That's roughly $30. Thats the difference you were asking for. How does the small dealer make profit. Reduce that by taking off shipping, employee time setting up, a little fuel, etc. Why do you think he can't reduce the price that much. Any of you every think about overhead. Big Box buys a 1000 at a crack for an even better price. Where are we supposed to make our living. Do we make it on repairs, no wait, you say we charge to much. Thats why you come to this forum, don't go to the repair shop and ask for help, you've already got him ticked off with you attitude toward him. Are there bad dealers out there? You bet, I have my sure and will tell people not to do there no matter the price. Give your local good dealer a break. How many small dealers and repair shops have gone out of business in your area in the last 10 years? I wonder why? Thanks you to everyone that really supports their local guys with their $$$$. To those who love the BB's, read my signature.

PS: Reynoldston, I understand where you are coming from, because I think you are old school, which means you already give away more repairs than you should, but that's the way we were brought up. But, I'll bet that you are in good relations with at least one repair shop in your area.
 
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