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Old 07-08-2009, 04:29 PM   #41
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Total savings with taxes and delivery off their intial quote was ~$4500; well worth the hassle; it took a couple of weeks, but we weren't in any hurry.
I guess you can't put the $400 white box contractor's special fridge in a million dollar home?!? Saving $4500 on appliances? I don't think I have spent $4500 total on appliances in my life including renovating and adding on a stack unit w/d in my old rental condo. But good job on the negotiations. My guess is that there is a lot more room for negotiations on the high end units vs the contractor's specials that are basically commodities (the end where I'm buying appliances).
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Old 07-08-2009, 04:44 PM   #42
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I guess you can't put the $400 white box contractor's special fridge in a million dollar home?!? Saving $4500 on appliances? I don't think I have spent $4500 total on appliances in my life including renovating and adding on a stack unit w/d in my old rental condo. But good job on the negotiations. My guess is that there is a lot more room for negotiations on the high end units vs the contractor's specials that are basically commodities (the end where I'm buying appliances).
Remember, our banker wanted to see a working kitchen- guess what is sitting in there now?- white box contractor's special range, microwave, fridge, and dishwasher; all from our current home- we had just updated the kitchen to get it ready to go on the market- strangely enough we agonized over spending $4500 on all new stainless appliances...... and yeah, while we were fine with the white econoboxes for years, they do look strangely out of place in the new home- 30" range in the 48" refrigerator space, built-in microwave sitting on the counter, refrigerator over in the corner, and the dw stuffed in the cutout... but hey, it's a working kitchen!
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Old 07-08-2009, 05:41 PM   #43
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Remember, our banker wanted to see a working kitchen- guess what is sitting in there now?- white box contractor's special range, microwave, fridge, and dishwasher; all from our current home- we had just updated the kitchen to get it ready to go on the market- strangely enough we agonized over spending $4500 on all new stainless appliances...... and yeah, while we were fine with the white econoboxes for years, they do look strangely out of place in the new home- 30" range in the 48" refrigerator space, built-in microwave sitting on the counter, refrigerator over in the corner, and the dw stuffed in the cutout... but hey, it's a working kitchen!
Boy I bet she hated being stuck in there! You couldn't spring for a $300 dishwasher instead of sticking her in there? I guess she is technically a dishwasher, and that is all your lender required. My DW would be piiiiissed if it were her.

That's funny, but I know what you mean re: the right look. White box contractor's specials look fine in my house, but they would look very out of place in a nice updated house. Are stainless appliances still popular and in style these days? I thought I read something about them going out of style recently??
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Old 07-08-2009, 05:53 PM   #44
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Gotta go, my refrigerator is running...
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Old 07-08-2009, 07:57 PM   #45
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I thought about asking for the manager, but why should a customer have to beg a store to take his money for a luxury good?
Because margins are thin and retailers aren't doing themselves any favors giving the stuff away.
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Old 07-09-2009, 01:57 PM   #46
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We are seeing "bargains" in the transportation industry in the pacific northwest. Most of our bids are coming in in the neighborhood of 60% of where they were a couple years ago. But no bargains obvious anywhere else, maybe in home maintenance and improvement items on a limited basis.
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Old 07-09-2009, 06:15 PM   #47
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Because margins are thin and retailers aren't doing themselves any favors giving the stuff away.
If they could sell it for price $x on Saturday, I doubt they'd be put out of business selling it for $x on Sunday. This wasn't a doorbuster special that was clearly being sold below cost to get traffic in the door.
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Old 07-10-2009, 11:02 AM   #48
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it might have been a special promotion with the manufacturer for that one day. a lot of times sales, coupons and rebates are special agreements where the manufacturer shares the cost of the promotion or pays for it entirely to move inventory
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Old 07-10-2009, 06:14 PM   #49
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I can understand the desire not to negotiate. It often makes you feel poor, cheap, or disrespectful. It also takes time.
I know this is true, but I feel like a lazy, patsy if I don't try to negotiate on most things. Feeling poor, cheap or disrespectful in a relationship with a salesperson who is a total stranger I may never see again, doesn't even enter my mind at all. I ask for a discount, the worst thing they can do is say no. Then it's up to me to pay their price or walk away if I have other options. There's nothing to it and often times they are quick to offer a discount, takes almost no time at all and no big deal IMHO.
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Old 07-16-2009, 08:58 AM   #50
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Update: they just put the 52" LCD TV on sale again for $1500. On one hand, I still think that's a ridiculous amount of money to pay for a TV. And there are always new models coming out, so the price has to keep dropping.

On the other hand, I could go for the 55" inch for $1900 instead...
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Old 07-16-2009, 09:23 AM   #51
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Update: they just put the 52" LCD TV on sale again for $1500. On one hand, I still think that's a ridiculous amount of money to pay for a TV. And there are always new models coming out, so the price has to keep dropping.

On the other hand, I could go for the 55" inch for $1900 instead...

Ask them to see if they can sell you the 52" display model for $1000 or an open box for $1200- because you just can't see spending $1500 for a tv in this economy...
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Old 07-16-2009, 08:34 PM   #52
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refrigerator over in the corner, and the dw stuffed in the cutout... but hey, it's a working kitchen!
I wouldn't stuff the dear wife in the corner. I know some of the older fashioned guys think that the DW is the DW, but...
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Old 07-18-2009, 02:04 PM   #53
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Update: The retailers ARE desperate - they're just playing hard to get. After they put the TV on sale for the July 4 price this week, I pulled the trigger for $1500. In today's paper, same TV is now $1399! So I go down to Fry's for a price adjustment, and ask for my $100 please. They check the computer and tell me that the sale price is actually $1329, so I get $170+tax back instead of just $100. Sweet!

Surprisingly, my cable bill actually went down $2/month after I got a converter box and switched to digital. I don't know how that works, but not complaining! HDTV is awesome, I've been holding out for a while but it is definitely worth it compared to my 27" CRT.
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Old 07-19-2009, 10:08 AM   #54
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Yes, I finally watched a whole night of HDTV in a hotel, and I could tell a dramatic difference. I can imagine sporting events looking much better, but I think I will hold off for another 2 years. I just got my 27" CRT in 2002 after using a 19" CRT from 1983 to 2002. The 19" was getting uneven colors, but still some guy took it off Craig's List and was going to used it as his garage TV.
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Old 07-23-2009, 12:45 PM   #55
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Crazy stuff, you guys are nuts..........
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