negotiating at guitar center!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter mooncobra
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mooncobra

mooncobra

Well-known member
I called guitar center a while back, and asked about getting a guitar, a used guitar that is, less than it was listed for. So, the guy tells me the used guitars are what they are listed at, no more negotiating, but, he could send the request to headquarters, but that would take 3 or 4 days for a response. Then the sales guy ads, "I wouldn't bother though, I have sent out many of these requests for a better price and it is denied every time."
Now, I read on another thread here that someone is on the phone with guitar center and they negotiated a great deal. What the hell is the deal with guitar center. It wasn't just one guy either, it was guitar center in Concord, and I called back a couple days later and talked to another sales guy and he said the same thing??? What gives?

I should mention that this was over a year ago. Maybe the policy changed?
 
I don't know man. It may be a store by store, or per the managers instructions kind of deal. I recently tried to negotiate a used 212 cab...aNd got the same song you did; the prices was "fixed"...plus taxes.

That was in Raleigh, nc btw, with a cab that was in the store already. So it wasn't like negotiating shipping or anything from Texas, or NY....

ETA: the sales "kid" did tell me that after 30-45 days of no looks or purchae, they'd drop the price...maybe the other guy caught them at the right time. :dunno:
 
It seems to be a crap shoot. Just today I tried to put money down/layaway, they said they can't do it over the phone. Called a different store and they still do it...store by store it varies I assume.
 
It depends entirely on how long it sits on the floor. After 30 days they do a price drop, and again at 45 or 60 days. After 90 days they will do whatever they have to to get it out of the store to have room on the floor.
 
I don't think any policy is uniform across all GCs. I always hang band gig flyers up on the bulletin boards at all the local GCs. The one in Scottsdale told me corp. ordered them to stop allowing that. The board was empty. BS. The gig I was advertising for was with another band, the guitarist for which is the mgr. at another GC. All the others I went to had bulletin boards full of band gig flyers and no one said anything to me at the other stores.
 
For vintage gear, they seem to need approval from some central decision maker/headquarters.

For everything else, I believe it's up to the individual store manager. Whether they will negotiate depends on how long they've had it, but generally seems completely random.

If they won't deal, don't take it personally. Just pay the asking price or don't. No big deal.
 
That is BS. They can always come down, the only rare exception is if they are at what they paid for the item. From what I understand a goal for them is to keep the used gear stock flowing and not maintain the same stock for too long. This is why they have the term "price drop" on used gear. You can usually negotiate on these items because they've been sitting too long. The recent Strat I purchased was a "price drop" because someone at the store mistakingly gave it's custom shop case and all its paperwork including its certificate of authenticity to someone who bought a different strat. They were willing to take a beating on it because of their screw up which was causing it to sit. I negotiated $600 off of the original tagged price and got them to throw in a new tweed case.
 
They would be helping themselves out by negotiating a little. I always walk out when they tell me the price is concrete. I always find stuff other places!
 
Racerxrated":1cdra01t said:
It seems to be a crap shoot. Just today I tried to put money down/layaway, they said they can't do it over the phone. Called a different store and they still do it...store by store it varies I assume.
Click to expand...
New policies at GC Mike.
What did you steal this time? :D
 
glip22":3cz1rc88 said:
Racerxrated":3cz1rc88 said:
It seems to be a crap shoot. Just today I tried to put money down/layaway, they said they can't do it over the phone. Called a different store and they still do it...store by store it varies I assume.
Click to expand...
New policies at GC Mike.
What did you steal this time? :D
Click to expand...
Nothing dammit....someone beat me to it! :gethim:
 
I used to get good deals at the Roseville store. Just visited for the first time in years and that place sucks now! Remodeled with a really shitty setup (opened up space but no more amp room and no character) and hardly any good gear in store anymore.
 
My local GC won't deal. I just bought a '79 Strat and they wouldn't come down at all because "vintage gear is the price, no negotiating" was the line I got...luckily the price wasn't too far out of whack for what I've seen those guitars going for on eBay and Craig's List so I just ponied up. It does suck to feel like there's NO wiggle room though...
 
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