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How Does The Recession Effect Current Pricing?


FlaGator

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I was thinking about buying a Hot Spring Spa and was just wondering if the recession (or economic difficulties for anyone who doesn't think so) is having an impact on prices. I'm sure dealers would quickly justify increase in the price of spas with the increase in cost of gas, but are less people buying luxury items and if so, are dealers offering lower prices as incentives for people to buy?

I've also read quite a few threads on price gouging, hagling, etc. Why does it have to be like that? What is the problem, DEALERS, with putting an honest price tag on a product and say "that's the price." Why make the consumer feel like we're being sized up and worked over to make an extra buck? Wouldn't that make the experience better for both the buyer and the seller, or is it because there's too many suckers out there?

I went to my local dealer just to get an idea on a size of a hot tub, average price, etc. I got a mild hard sell where the dealer wanted me to leave with a tub. The dealer in this case was the general manager and I think he owned the store. That's not why I went in. And after reading the forums, I'm kind of surprised he didn't mention "wet testing". It's not something I would have thought of, and I'm not too sure I like the idea of jumping in a hot tub in front of onlookers.

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Good question. If it gets really bad, and stores start folding up, you should be able to get a good deal during the bank liquidation. Otherwise like most high-end stuff I would expect them to hold pretty firm on their prices.

If you don't want to haggle, there is always the big box retailers. I wouldn't go that route, but lots of folks do.

Really, it's not too hard to hit all the stores in your area, get written offers on similar tubs, check back here, narrow it down to 2-3 with some wet tests, and make some counter-offers. You should end up with a tub you love at a reasonable price for your area.

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Why does it have to be like that? What is the problem, DEALERS, with putting an honest price tag on a product and say "that's the price."

I can give you a simple, honest answer to that valid question if you would like to hear it.

B)

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I've also read quite a few threads on price gouging, hagling, etc. Why does it have to be like that? What is the problem, DEALERS, with putting an honest price tag on a product and say "that's the price."

Simple, if a dealer puts an "honest" price on the spa (what they need to make their business work yet something that is reasonable to the customer) and holds to that price some will be happy but MANY others will complain that the dealer wasn't willing to budge on their pricing and haggle.

If they put a higher price to allow for haggling some will be happy to work for a deal but others are bothered that the dealer doesn't just put one fair price for all. If they put one fair price for all and hold to it others complain that they are unreasonable because they won't bargain. I know my mother wouldn't buy anything unless she could "deal" on it just no matter what it was. I've seen both sides of that complaint on this site many times. There is no right answer.

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I've also read quite a few threads on price gouging, hagling, etc. Why does it have to be like that? What is the problem, DEALERS, with putting an honest price tag on a product and say "that's the price."

Simple, if a dealer puts an "honest" price on the spa (what they need to make their business work yet something that is reasonable to the customer) and holds to that price some will be happy but MANY others will complain that the dealer wasn't willing to budge on their pricing and haggle.

If they put a higher price to allow for haggling some happy to work for a deal but others are bothered that the dealer doesn't just put one fair price for all. If they put one fair price for all and hold to it others complain that they are unreasonable because they won't bargain. I know my mother wouldn't buy anything unless she could "deal" on it just no matter what it was. I've seen both sides of that complaint on this site many times. There is no right answer.

You nailed it.

B)

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That's exactly what I'm refering to. The used car salesman mentality. As a dealer, you assume that everyone wants to "haggle" so they can feel like they got a "deal". You wouldn't go into McDonalds and haggle over the price of a Big Mac, or go to Sears and haggle over the price of a ride-on lawn mower. So why do I have to haggle over a hot tub?

Who here can say "I love the thrill of haggling over a car."? I like many others dread it.

Question to dealers: do you find many people appearing to be already hostile as soon as you shake their hand? This is probably because they want a quality product, there's no where else to buy it, and they know they're about to go through a grueling process.

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You wouldn't go into McDonalds and haggle over the price of a Big Mac, or go to Sears and haggle over the price of a ride-on lawn mower. So why do I have to haggle over a hot tub?

Who here can say "I love the thrill of haggling over a car."? I like many others dread it.

Many (like you and I) hate haggling, but many people enjoy it. Even many who don't enjoy it EXPECT it.

Like Chas and Spatech said - there are more than enough people out there who will NOT buy a spa unless the dealer comes down in price. So, the dealers have to leave room in their pricing to haggle.

It's funny that you mentioned Big Macs, Sears, etc. I work for a major bookstore chain, & you wouldn't think people would want to haggle over the price of books, but they do. I get asked to haggle for a price quite frequently - whether it's honoring a competitor's price, a competitor's coupon, taking a discount for a slightly worn item, or just flat-out haggling.

INTERESTING (at least I think so) ECONOMIC SIDE NOTE:

I just heard a theory as to why car insurance is really expensive in some cities (like Philadelphia) when it's really cheap in others. When you account for the crime rate, accident rates, income, cost of cars, etc., some places like Philly are just really expensive, for no obvious reason. What apparently happens is that a certain amount of motorists don't have insurance, so the insured motorists have to pay more (as their provider has to foot the bill if they get in an accident). When rates go up, more people decide they can't afford insurance, and drive without it. So, more uninsured motorists means more accidents where the insured driver has to get his own provider to pay, which raises the premiums AGAIN, which means more people quit paying AGAIN. It's a vicious cycle.

I mention this because I think hot tub pricing is the same way. Customers don't want to haggle, but they think they must haggle to get the best price. Dealers would love to sell for a flat price, but they know customers will walk if they don't come down in price. Neither the shopper nor the dealer wants to haggle, but we're stuck with this system.

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That's exactly what I'm refering to. The used car salesman mentality. As a dealer, you assume that everyone wants to "haggle" so they can feel like they got a "deal". You wouldn't go into McDonalds and haggle over the price of a Big Mac, or go to Sears and haggle over the price of a ride-on lawn mower. So why do I have to haggle over a hot tub?

Who here can say "I love the thrill of haggling over a car."? I like many others dread it.

Question to dealers: do you find many people appearing to be already hostile as soon as you shake their hand? This is probably because they want a quality product, there's no where else to buy it, and they know they're about to go through a grueling process.

Maybe you didn't understand my post. MANY dealers DO go the "one price for all" way and I've worked for one. The problem is some love that and others don't. Like the hagggle way, good for some bad for others. Either way you get complaints and I've seen both complaints on this website.

I can tell you that the place I used to work for had a fair price for all and would sometimes loose sales because some people would take the fact that we wouldn't haggle as meaning they were getting ripped off because we were being stubborn by not lowering the price when they wanted to talk turkey; they would feel the owner was gouging. YOU may prefer the one-price-for-all approach (as do I) but another person may not like it.

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You wouldn't go into McDonalds and haggle over the price of a Big Mac, or go to Sears and haggle over the price of a ride-on lawn mower. So why do I have to haggle over a hot tub?

Not true, you would be surprised by some of the places you can haggle at. I bought an LCD T.V. at Sears that was listed at $1700, on sale for $1399, for a price of $999 and I got them to throw in a 3 year warranty.

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Not true, you would be surprised by some of the places you can haggle at. I bought an LCD T.V. at Sears that was listed at $1700, on sale for $1399, for a price of $999 and I got them to throw in a 3 year warranty.

If I threw in dinner and paid for shipping, would you buy one for me? Must be HD of course...

B)

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I shouldn't have mentioned Sears since I think they work on commision. And was that a used book store you worked in? Anyway...

OK, so I guess we have to agree that haggling for spas is just the way of life and who am I to change it.

Does that mean I'm supposed to go in and tell the dealer "what's the least you would take for it?" and then turn around and walk out at his first offer because I know it's really not the 'least' he can do?

I'm sure you hate that line, but what else am I supposed to do. You are forcing me to come in there knowing that the offer that comes out of your mouth is to high and demand to pay less. I just think that's counter productive and upsets everyone involved.

If a dealer tells me a price that I think is too high, I'm not going to blame the dealer, I'm going to think that maybe I need to look at a smaller cheaper model because the one I 'want' is out of my financial limits.

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Tell him you're looking at several other brands and you want his best price up front, you don't have time to screw around haggling. It helps if you have a handful of those other brochures with prices scribbled on them in your hand. ;)

No guarantee you got the absolute rock bottom price, but what else ya gonna do? It'll get you close anyway.

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Tell him you're looking at several other brands and you want his best price up front, you don't have time to screw around haggling. It helps if you have a handful of those other brochures with prices scribbled on them in your hand. ;)

No guarantee you got the absolute rock bottom price, but what else ya gonna do? It'll get you close anyway.

All of our prices are published and we don't haggle. That is the price, and all discounted and way below market value. Also, all of our models are better quality than the so called high end of other brands. Our lowest priced models will outlast them all.

Most spa sales people are taught to not give the price until they have a chance to sell the product to you, and you will most likely never get a price until they have sat you down at the "closing table" and handed you a drink. Most everything they do is to create a false sense of obligation. I don't like most sales people, because they are taught to play games to get your money.

http://www.soundclick.com/havenhead

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