Gun Shop Negotiation

[boats1]

Merry Christmas! Though not considered overly shy, I've never felt comfortable negotiating prices in a gun shop. How about you? Same as buying a TV? Thanks.

[zinfull]

If the price is fair I just buy the gun. If I buy a couple guns I will ask for a deal and let them decide. If they are selling something a couple hundred over what is practical I will offer a couple hundred under practical and let them get bent out of shape. I buy mostly C&R pistols so there are other considerations when offering a price.

jerry

[glock_this]

I can't say I have ever tried to negotiate at the retail level like that, but it would not be unheard of to simply drop the line, "is that the best price you can offer" and let it go from there. Not pushy, but lets them know your on the fence and maybe a little concession will pull you in, and is easy enough for them to decline and no one feels awkward or easy for them to open the door to a negotiation.

[xounlistedxox]

I always check prices at all the local retailers before making a purchase. We have more than 10 local shops, but since I frequent them all I'm fairly up to date on what market prices are. For example when I bought my TRP Operator the best local price was $1499 and the highest was $1649. I prefer to do business with the shop that had it at the higher price, so I told them about the competition. The owner looked up something on the computer then came back over to me and said "the best I can do is $1629" I really dislike the guys that had it for $1499, so I took another route and found one online in florida brand new for $1309, so I purchased it from there. I have friends that work at gun shops and had one of them look up their dealer cost... which was right around $1200 at the time.

[rcpilot_971]

I wet to my local shop they wanted 1699 puls tax on a gun I want I have seen it on line from 1340.00 1499.00 so I asked them if they could match it they said no. so I asked if they could come close they said no. so I aske if they would do the transfer of the gun they said they would for 100.00 so I said ok its still way cheeper than there price to do it this way the gun would be over 1850.00. if I buy it on line and have them transfer its less than $1440.00

[johnthomas]

Never try to negotiate prices with a regular sales clerk. In a small business talk to the owner or manager. Clerks do not have the authority to reduce prices. Everything is negotiable, depends on how hungry the shop is. If anything, get them to throw something in with your purchase. Money is power, they may have something you want, but you have what their bottom line is all about, money.

[audihenry]

I can't say I have ever tried to negotiate at the retail level like that, but it would not be unheard of to simply drop the line, "is that the best price you can offer" and let it go from there.

If you say that, they will simply say yes and your negotiation will end there.

Most of the examples above are of comparison shopping, not negotiation. Unfortunately, most Americans believe negotiation is bad or insulting, so they neither participate on the buying side nor the selling side.

In most cases, your best bet is to try to get it without tax (meaning they pay the tax, that's a savings of almost 10% there), try to get accessories thrown in (oil, grips, holster, etc.) for free or reduced cost, or try to get a discount on something else, like the transfer fee.

Otherwise, if you see it for less somewhere else, just buy it from somewhere else. Most gun shops, in my experience, are not willing to price match. It is pretty arrogant, but it is what it is.

[glock_this]

If you say that, they will simply say yes and your negotiation will end there.

I dont agree.. I have used that line often, just did it today and it saved me money off some acessories for my Glock via the web. I just do not do it in person that much or ever at gun stores as often, well, gun stores are, well.. you know the type.

Anyway, saying that line clearly tells them, as I see it, your intersted, but their price is to high or you know something about their price you are not yet telling them - you have seen it online, a guy down the street has it cheaper, etc. It is just a way to open the dialog.

If the conversation ends there, then you know no negation so in actuality, you got your answer.

In most cases, your best bet is to try to get it without tax (meaning they pay the tax, that's a savings of almost 10% there), try to get accessories thrown in (oil, grips, holster, etc.) for free or reduced cost, or try to get a discount on something else, like the transfer fee..

agreed.. in the "shopping around" method, I try all of these tactics.

[jmf_tracy]

i negotiate everything as much as possible.

[maddoggie13]

I always check what is the MSRP...I never buy at MSRP. Look-up prices from both online and other sellers then ask the local owner to match or close to matching the price. I don't alway buy at the lowest price because I believes in keeping my local shop in business. With all the overheads, it will be more than online pricing. But, not too much. When I find a local dealer that willing to work with me, I'll let he/she know that they will get my business going forward. With that said, it told me 4 months to find a good dealer after the last one retire in my area. Now and going forward, my dealer is Triple A's Sporting Goods. Aris is very good person to work with and he will tell you up-front if he cannot match any price. Aris would suggust you buy from the lower dealer if he cannot come close to the selling price or anything that is too good to let go. Not too many dealer will say that and walk away from business unless he/she is very good person.

[ol' shooty]

I almost always try to work a deal, and have been rejected every single time. I have had clerks get upset about me asking, but they didn't throw me out. One guy told me "this isn't Chinatown."

A friend said he was able to knock the [incredibly overpriced] price down at Gun World in Burbank one time. Later, he noticed there was an additional transfer fee (in addition to the standard CA fees) added to the sale which ate up a portion of his "discount."

[audihenry]

I almost always try to work a deal, and have been rejected every single time. I have had clerks get upset about me asking, but they didn't throw me out. One guy told me "this isn't Chinatown."

A friend said he was able to knock the [incredibly overpriced] price down at Gun World in Burbank one time. Later, he noticed there was an additional transfer fee (in addition to the standard CA fees) added to the sale which ate up a portion of his "discount."

For starters, one never shops at GunWorld.

For another, as I mentioned earlier, most shops are unwilling to negotiate because they don't know how. Ask for discounts on other things to make up the difference. If they don't, take your business elsewhere.

It's your hard earned money, it's your right to try to get it as low as possible. From the gun store's point of view, if it's not an item with a high turnover, they risk getting stuck with the in stock item (dead weight, essentially) for weeks or months, rather than making a little less and freeing up money and making a quick profit.

Of course, asking most gun shops to understand legalities is hard enough, let alone expecting them to understand business.

[shooting4life]

I always see if I can get something for less, it never hurts to ask. You can tell the people that always ask for discounts are the ones who shop the for sale ads here on calguns; that is where they learned how low ball
What I do not understand is when you go into a shop and ask them to order something for you and they give you a quote that is hundreds more than what can be purchased on line. All they have to do is place the order with the distributor, they do not need to keep it as inventory or try and sell it. Just add it do your next order and call me when in it gets in. Of course they should make some profit from the order but don't try and mark the 500 dollar gun up by 200 dollars when all you are doing is adding it to your weekly order.

[xounlistedxox]

There may also be other guys that run FFL's out of their home that will do an ffl transfer for a lot less. I know here in Sacramento we have probably at least 10 guys that do this and charge around $50 to process an incoming sale rather than most gun shops $100.

[for2nato]

dude i negotiate the price of my burrito at Robertitos. im not trying to get something for nothing. but there is no way in hell i will pay $100 more for a gun i can get down the street for $100 less. that is simple economics to me. now days with the internet and the ability to price check any item in the retail world while your in the store on your phone. if you want to sell something to me just dont try to price gouge me. msrp on a glock is $599. and there are shops around here that want $650 and wont budge on the price. ahem (herb bauer)