Negotiating with online vendors (GOG, WF, etc)

[IronMikey]

Hi everyone.

I''ve asked similar questions about high end retailers in the past but I realize that most people on here have more experience with the PS vendors.

So, same question:

Can you -- more importantly -- have you negotiated with vendors when making your purchase. If so, how did it work out for you? What were you able to negotiate (price reduction, setting, discount on another piece of jewelery etc)?

Thanks so much. I know these vendors have cheaper pricing than B&M stores but I wanted to see if they leave any wiggle room in their margins.

 

[Skippy123]

I think the online vendor''s prices are really low and fair already but I guess it wouldn''t hurt to ask. I don''t think there is much room to move since the prices are low, yanno.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Generally I think the answer is no since they prices are already low. Some vendors offer more service than others, and I appreciate that and reallize they have to charge a little more than a drop shipper. The prices are still so much lower than most B&M''s.

 

[iheartscience]

I don''t think you can negotiate, really. You can get a discount from most for a wire transfer, and some will give a PS discount as well.

 

[IronMikey]

Thanks for the replies thus far.

With all the people on here who have made purchases from these vendors I''m really surprised that nobody with direct experience has chimed in.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 4/27/2008 9:53:00 PM
Author: IronMikey
Thanks for the replies thus far.


With all the people on here who have made purchases from these vendors I''m really surprised that nobody with direct experience has chimed in.

Actually I do have direct experience, which is what made me say that I don''t think you can negotiate. I wasn''t able to, other than the wire transfer and PS discount.

 

[IronMikey]

Date: 4/27/2008 9:58:53 PM
Author: thing2of2

Date: 4/27/2008 9:53:00 PM

Author: IronMikey

Thanks for the replies thus far.



With all the people on here who have made purchases from these vendors I''m really surprised that nobody with direct experience has chimed in.

Actually I do have direct experience, which is what made me say that I don''t think you can negotiate. I wasn''t able to, other than the wire transfer and PS discount.

I apologize. I meant actual experience in trying to negotiate. I find it hard to believe that no PSer has ever asked something like, "is this the best you can do?"

Once again, I''m sorry and I see why that was unclear.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 4/27/2008 10:01:29 PM
Author: IronMikey

Date: 4/27/2008 9:58:53 PM

Author: thing2of2

Date: 4/27/2008 9:53:00 PM


Author: IronMikey


Thanks for the replies thus far.




With all the people on here who have made purchases from these vendors I''m really surprised that nobody with direct experience has chimed in.

Actually I do have direct experience, which is what made me say that I don''t think you can negotiate. I wasn''t able to, other than the wire transfer and PS discount.

I apologize. I meant actual experience in trying to negotiate. I find it hard to believe that no PSer has ever asked something like, ''is this the best you can do?''


Once again, I''m sorry and I see why that was unclear.

No need to apologize! Apparently I wasn''t clear either-I actually did ask-"Is this the best you can do?" and I was told the best was the wire transfer and PS discount.

 

[IronMikey]

There we go!

Thanks. Glad we cleared up the confusion!

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 4/27/2008 10:05:21 PM
Author: IronMikey
There we go!


Thanks. Glad we cleared up the confusion!

Hahaha-yeah, I don''t know why that was so hard! Sometimes the internet is so annoying when it comes to communication!

 

[Muss]

I asked in a couple of ways, but there wasn''t much room to budge.

The thing with negotiating is that it only works if you are truly willing to walk away...and is most of these cases if we were really willing to walk away and buy elsewhere we wouldn''t be looking online in the first place. Usually we buy online because it is the only way to get what we want, or it is cheaper. Makes it kindda hard to bluff

On the other hand, I have heard some stories where a vendor would price match if an exact same setting was offered elsewhere for less.

This stuff is top of the line and great service for an already low price, sometimes when you find a deal you don''t need to make it better.

 

[Kaleigh]

IM
I can''t wait till you finally buy!! But yeah the answer is no. I have tried myself.

 

[IronMikey]

Date: 4/27/2008 10:08:12 PM
Author: Muss

I asked in a couple of ways, but there wasn''t much room to budge.

The thing with negotiating is that it only works if you are truly willing to walk away...and is most of these cases if we were really willing to walk away and buy elsewhere we wouldn''t be looking online in the first place. Usually we buy online because it is the only way to get what we want, or it is cheaper. Makes it kindda hard to bluff

On the other hand, I have heard some stories where a vendor would price match if an exact same setting was offered elsewhere for less.

This stuff is top of the line and great service for an already low price, sometimes when you find a deal you don''t need to make it better.

Absolutely. The process of negotiation is really a lot more intricate than people realize. You really need to pit one seller against another (even if the other is fictional). Here it is difficult because there aren''t too many vendors that operate at their price points.

Walking away, leaving your contact information, with a statement that your offer stands really leaves you in a can''t lose situation assuming that the stone isn''t a "must have" for you. You can always return to buy the stone later on.

 

[ImpatientOne]

I was offered a slight Military discount on top of the PS/wire transfer discount by three different vendors here. One one of the vendors publically advertised the Military discount. As the wife of an Active Duty Soldier, I have learned to always ask for a discount. Signed Pieces offers a 10% Military discount (I purchased my setting there) and the two other vendors, if I recall correctly, one offered another $100 of and the other offered another 2% discount for Military...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I had already shopped locally and KNEW the listed prices were better for superior stones at GOG and WF.

 

[wawatu]

I''ve tried with Jamesallen. No room for negotiation.

 

[purrfectpear]

I negotiate multimillion dollar contracts as my profession. It''s not a matter of skill, there simply isn''t that much margin with the favored online vendors. Plus there isn''t any worry about the customer "walking away" since they sell stones up to 2 to 3 carats all day long. I would imagine that if you were talking about something over 4 carats, there might be some room to wiggle.

 

[Pandora II]

I never have - sometimes I have been offered extra discounts (seasonal sales etc) - but I would never ask.

Maybe it''s a British thing?

Because of PS I trust people to charge me a fair price for what I am buying. I generally have a ball park idea of what I should be paying so I would know if I was hugely over-paying. (I''m a coloured stone girl, so it''s not as defined pricewise as diamonds can be.)

If I''m happy then I will buy from them again and recommend them to others.

 

[Deelight]

I didn''t bother compared to local prices and quality the prices were MUCH MUCH better and the information and service second to none

 

[Ellen]

With prices as low as they are, I didn''t even try, though my guess was, probably not. These people have to make a living too.

 

[CrookedRock]

I just wanted to say that when we were looking at our stone at ERD I googled it and found it on BlueNile. Mark sold it to us for less than what BN wanted. We never asked about any further discounts bc once we saw the BN price we knew he wasn''t taking us for a ride. The profit margin on these stones is so small, and considering all the time the vendors spent with us, they deserve every cent of it.

 

[arjunajane]

I did ask via email, and Jon was nice enough to take off a discount for me, additional to the wire discount. I don''t know whether that was because he wanted to, or just because he wanted to get me out of his hair!

Regardless, it was very kind and very much appreciated.