... Hopefully :P

I work at Dick Smith Electronics, and with a $50 edu discount, I can get the basic iMac for about $1479 (including measly 5% staff discount). Trouble is, normal Dick Smith stores don't stock them - only PowerHouse stores. So, the plan is to go into work tomorrow, make a quote on the POS, and take it down the road to JB. I know that Macs rarely get discounted, but I reckon I can tempt a salesman down there with the line, "If you guys can match that price, I'll take it right now". I know from working in consumer electronics that it's pretty hard to ignore a big sale like that, even if it's discounted. That price isn't outrageous though, it's miles above the cost price, so I should be right Thoughts?

good luck with it......

I think you'll find it's not much above what it costs JB to buy from Apple - which is also why you do not see much discounting on Apple products.

But having said that, I hope it works for you.

"Miles above"? Ha. Profit margins on Apple hardware is the lowest in the game, five to eight points.

"Miles above" - ha!

Oh wait, that's what he said...

The only reason that would work is if the JB guy is ignorant of the actual cost price.

It won't work. You are better off trying your own stores channels.

Seriously.

Brains is right about 5-8% - margins are minimal to the reseller.

The truth is that its not as abig a sale as you would hope.

For where I live, it is. JB wouldn't be turning much more than $20k where I am per day.

Well, once you add GST to the cost price (or the cost price I can see, anyway), the price I'll ask for comes out at roughly $100 above the true cost price - which for computers is a decent margin. Hence I think I don't have a bad chance at making it work.

JB is more than likely going to tell you to go to buggery... I mean the quote you are going to give them will have 5% staff discount on it wont it?

Nope, just the product and the price. I've seen Macs discounted way more than that before, and I haven't heard any calls from Head Office about it either. I know there's every possibility that I'll be knocked back, but there's no harm in trying, especially when I think I've got a fairly decent chance, considering I'm not in a really busy area, and stores like that really depend on large computer sales to make their figures look good.

Um, how come David Jones could discount MacBooks & Pros by around $800 earlier this year then?

We had a massive discount on Macs the other month, but that was to get rid of the superseded iMac models. Macs are generally excluded from any sales.

You should be careful with that quote, If JB takes a copy of it (and that is most likely) as a manager will have to approve the price match / beat they could report it to Apple.

Apple could ask why your DSE store is discounting Mac's to that amount and investigate it further.

At my store if any of my staff request a price match I will always take a copy of it, and if it is stupid pricing I will ask the product Rep next time they are in to shed some light, i.e. better margins, over stocked or genuine clearance etc.

Just my 2 cents, but I would prefer a slightly more expensive Mac and my job than unemployed and a $50.00 cheaper one.

JB don't price match not where I am anyways

They mightn't have a price match policy, but I'll bet that most of their sales people will beat other store's prices if they can. I've had price wars with them, with customers coming back and forth with different quotes going, "Can you do better?"

@Rogerthatv2 - It's not a dodgy quote, because that's a completely legitimate price that I am entitled to, at Dick Smith. All I'm doing is putting that on paper, and asking JB whether they can match it!

So, almost twenty four hours later, I'm typing this message up on a Mac Plan went like clockwork, and I got it for exactly the price I wanted it for I'm absolutely astounded. I've used them in the past, but nothing beats actually owning one. I'll never go back to a Windows machine again!