STL
12th July 2008, 11:47 AM
The Soapbox III: The Art of Price-Matching
The topic for my 3rd column was originally intended to be a discussion about scalping. However, given the lengthy discussion that did ensue on our boards not so long ago, the topic was shoved back down the pecking order. And so we’re here today, looking at the art of price-matching.
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/7956/logopricematch275nc9.jpg (http://img133.imageshack.us/my.php?image=logopricematch275nc9.jpg)
It is unclear how relevant this may be to the rest of our global cohorts but is certainly one issue that is of particular relevance to us given the excessive disparity between our RRP and North American RRP. It’s no secret that we pay double American RRP. Once upon time, this could’ve been justified when the Australian dollar traded at below 50c USD. Here’s a run down of the comparative cost of figures at present in Australian Dollars at an exchange rate of 0.95 USD with the American amount in brackets:
Australian RRP American RRP
Scout: $17 $7.38 ($6.99 USD)
Deluxe: $25 $10.53 ($10 USD)
Voyager: $45 $21.05 (S20 USD)
Ultra: $60 $26.32 ($25 USD)
Leader: $90 $42.11 ($40 USD)
Supreme: $120 $52.65 ($50 USD)
I don’t think I need to spell it out. We get shafted. Royally.
I could launch here into a righteous tantrum about how such prices can be sustained, but I won’t.
I just want you to look at those figures.
Look at those comparisons.
Look.
Getting red in the cheeks? Is it sinking in? Feeling royally pissed off? Do.
Good. Because you damn right should.
This is why you, as an informed, hip-pocket conscious collector, must stock price-matching as an essential asset in your buying armory. It is an immensely useful asset and will remain so as many major line releases and launches are timed around school holiday periods which is also when you get those wonderful little catalogues.
But before we get into the mechanics of price-matching, let’s take two steps back. There’s an understandable rationale for why so many fans are reluctant to price-match. But you’re not alone. Most in the population would be reluctant too. And why is that? There’s an inbuilt apprehension that one who price-matches is a cheap, socially downtrodden tightwad. There is that worry about how the store manager or checkout chick will look at you. No, you’re not trying to hit on them but you can’t help but feel every your ounce of self-respect is being pulled through the dirt if you “stoop” down to these levels. You feel as if the whole world is watching you. I have only one answer to this.
Get over it.
Get over yourself.
Price-matching is your goddamn right. Period.
Think about why these retail giants offer the price-matching policy in the first place? They want your trust that they offer the best prices. They want you to regard them as your retailer of choice. They want your cash. Well, if they want that, they had better honour their price-matching promise to you. But these retail giants add all sorts of qualifications and fine print about when they’re willing to price-match such as if the other store has the same item in stock.
But they’re just details. You have every right to exercise your power to price-match. They want your money? Make them work for it. Your boss drives you up the wall for every buck he pays you. You can certainly do the same to these corporate entities. And do you remember those ridiculous prices mentioned above? They clearly profiteer from you in such a predatory and voracious manner. Not only that, they charge you as much as three times as what you should be paying. All that when they’re trying to create this false image about how good their service and prices are so they can announce those multi-million dollar record profits. Still think you should feel bad about trying to price-match?
The fundamentals
Now that we’ve established why you should price-match, let’s look at some fundamentals.
The first thing is to be courteous. Sure, you are entitled to price-match. It’s your right. But a little bit of courtesy goes a long way. Remember, these guys aren't responsible for the ridiculous overcharging. They aren’t the ways setting the prices, making the big bucks. They’re like you and me. They work crazy shifts and the very last thing they need is some overbearing, over-eager, righteous person demanding them to price-match. Furthermore, if you are trying to price-match say an exclusive, like say TFM Deluxe G1 Jazz, it definitely helps. It turns their mind away from the sheer ridiculous differential in price.
Dress sense. No. You don’t have to dress like you just walked out of a Giorgio Armani catalogue but you should be tidy. We live in a fickle world and the more prim and proper you are, the more likely they are to be helpful and receptive to what you have to say. If you lumber in and look like an overdressed bogan in a monkey suit or in shredded jeans and a t-shirt that hasn’t been washed in two weeks, it will diminish your chances. Whether the staff are from K-Mart or Myers, it doesn’t matter. Put yourself in their shoes. If someone so shabbily (or overdressed) dressed walks up to you wanting something, your instinctive reaction is to get them out of the way ASAP. This hinders your chances.
Come prepared. I made this mistake once. You must know the nearby locations and stock levels of the store whose catalogue you are trying to price-match. Regularly, these places have a policy in place of calling the store whose catalogue you’re using to price-match to check stock levels. This can often be bypassed but generally not always. This is where the preparation is important. They often ask you to nominate a store or they select one themselves. Either way, if you can chime with in a location you know that stocks that line but not the specific figures you want, that’s invaluable. And really, you should have knowledge of this since most of us as collectors frequent the shops with some regularity. So next time you’re out shopping, make a conscious effort to recall the stock levels of the places you’re buying from. Heck, if they call a store that says it has none left, you can nominate that location you know that does have deluxes. Know where the phone numbers are on the catalogue, know where the “Deluxe”, “Voyager” etc. labels are b/c you need them to prove that the figure is in the same class range.
However, that said: don’t be over prepared. The more overzealous you are as you point to this, followed by that, followed by this to make your case to price-match, the more chance you have of annoying the person who you’re trying to price match. They know their policy and don’t need some know it all, telling them what to do. Once again, put yourself in their position. You start to think “this fellow knows the policy but boy is he a prick, I might just be a prick too.* What you should do is hold back. If they can’t seem to find it, then you nicely point to the “Deluxe” label or that “There’s many different Deluxes”
Go with someone, preferably a partner or a kid, younger cousin/nephew. This is what I term “indirect pressure”. If you have a sweet lookin’ kid with you or a partner who looks like he/she wants to be on the move, this creates a little pressure for them to speed up and often overlook details which is especially relevant to Category B price-matches.
Next, go at peak times. Busy times = busy lines = discounts for you. They want to get to the next customer yet want to finish with you. And if you have to wait, they often get apologetic. This is to your advantage as they’re more likely to be helpful and gracious for your patience and courtesy which means you get what you want. Again, very useful for the Category B price-match.
The final thing to bear in mind is probably the most important. Age. Avoid the old ones. In my experiences, the older ladies are generally more grumpy and less receptive to price-matching. They have a greater sense of duty to the organization than the younger ones. Perhaps this is partially due to the fact that they’ve been part of the machine for so long but that’s neither here nor there. The younger staff tend to not to give too much of a damn and are not overzealous in enforcing the policy. They just do it. Furthermore, for someone like me, I find it much easier to talk to the younger ones b/c they it’s easier to get a conversation going with them. I have price-matched with older store managers successfully but if you want to maximize your success, avoid the older ones. That said, don’t go to total noobs. That is, new employees. If someone looks brand new, stay clear. The fact that their new brings far more attention to them and you’re likely to attract one or two other staff members there. That means, that if you’re trying to pull what I term “the long shot”, it’ll make things tougher.
Failure: Deal with it
Don’t be an Ultra Magnus. If you fail once, it’s only once. Don’t let it stop you from trying again. You will run into some nitwits along the way but that goes for any walk of life. What’s important? Your wallet? Or your fear of failure?
Not everyone’s a fan.
Don’t be condescending if they don’t know what you’re talking about. Staff at these retail outlets aren’t fans and you shouldn’t hold their ignorance against them. In fact, you should use it to your advantage. You can use it to elicit sympathy and support. For example, they can’t tell the difference between an exclusive repaint and class size. It means nothing to many of them. And that’s good for you. You can say, “Yeah, gets confusing, doesn’t it?” which is normally greeted by a laugh and there’s your opening. Your chance to get some conversation going.
Location, location: the best place to price-match
K-Mart. Without a doubt. On top of being able to price-match you also get an additional 10% off the price-differential between K-Mart’s price and the other place. Basically, price-matching at K-Mart is the easiest is b/c they are the least likely to be able to turn around to you and say “If it’s so cheap at retailer, why don’t you go buy it from over there? Fact of the matter is they can’t. The promise to beat that price and you should hold them up to that promise.
Of all the retailers, the only place I have never price-matched at is David Jones. Every other place works. That said, you must know your shopping centres. If there is a Target in the complex and you’re trying to price-match at the Big W in the same complex, they’ll be asking you why the heck aren’t you buying from over there. So be prepared and you won’t be red-faced. But therein is the beauty of K-Mart. The simple response is that you (K-Mart) beat it by 10 percent. If another retailer asks you the same question, the best response is what I term a “long shot” which means it’s probably best to start talking about…
Category A: A Piece of Cake
There are two categories of price-matching. The first I call “a piece of cake”. This is you are where price-matching a straight item from the catalogue. This should present no difficulties at all. You rock up with catalogue in hand and ask to price-match. Just make sure that the catalogue of the store you’re using isn’t in the same centre. Plus, know your stores. If they ask you which location to ring to check if the item is in stock, be prepared to nominate a store that does have Deluxes or Voyagers or whatever you want to price-match. They don’t have to be the same one. Just as long as they stock the class size, you should be fine.
If you do run into someone who is overzealous and demands that the other store have the exact same item, say nicely to them that each store carries different stock and emphasise, nicely, the fact that its class. The catalogue does not limit itself to only the figure shown nor you to only the exact same figure. It’s the class size that manners.
Fact of the matter though is they rarely call. In my time, they’ve only ever called thrice. That’s nothing. I’ve price-matched on so many occasions now that I’ve lost track. The chance of them calling another store is really minimal.
So in all honesty, these have never been difficult. All the retailers are helpful and friendly as long as you are and the only pitfall is finding a store that doesn’t house the same store you’re using the catalogue of
Category B: The Long Shot
There are two types of long shots
1.) Store Exclusives
Anyone remember this fellow?
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/1988/g1jazzsh5.jpg (http://img133.imageshack.us/my.php?image=g1jazzsh5.jpg)
Ridiculous, huh? Or this one?
http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1170/dssuw3.jpg (http://img76.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dssuw3.jpg)
Or this one?
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/7328/g1starscreamil3.jpg (http://img133.imageshack.us/my.php?image=g1starscreamil3.jpg)
I paid $23.88, Big W’s price for Deluxes, for G1 Jazz. $24.86 for Deep Space Starscream and $30 for TFM G1 Starscream.
These are TRU exclusives. They shouldn’t be easy to price-match, right? Wrong. They’re actually quite easy. As mentioned above, the average joe working in a store isn’t aware of this. Nor do they care. It’s just another toy. So what do you have to do? Focus on class size. You’ll be surprise how easy it is to price-match at TRU. My original impression was always it’d be hard. But the fact is, they staff young people. And it’s much easier to establish a rapport with their staff and get your price-match working for you.
But fundamentally what needs to be focused on is class size. With that as the forward thrust, they’ll overlook exclusive labels that come up on screen or on the packaging and, most importantly, you’ll get what you want.
2.) Different line, same class
The hardest category. Undoubtedly, the most recent case of this was the Animated Deluxes and Voyagers. These are the toughest buggers but I’ve tried 7 times now for a return of 5 successful attempts. Hell, on one occasion, I paid $14 a deluxe, $17 a Voyager. How is it done?
Stick to the fundamentals. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t succeed at first. It’s your right and if you play your cards right and be friendly and approachable, they’ll see you more as a “friend” rather than just another customer and want to help you. As mentioned, other things become details. On top of that, what you need to do is focus on class size not movie aesthetic. For instance, with the recent Big W catalogue, the “Assorted Styles” tag was invaluable in most cases as you were able stress that and point to Deluxe or Voyager class on the Animated box.
That said, this type of price-matching in the past was rare b/c there was only ever one main dominant line. However with Classics 2.0 and Animated seeing contemporaneous releases, expect this to become a handy part of your arsenal.
Now, get out there. I didn’t write this column so you all could sit here and gawk. The sales are still on, the sales are still coming and it’s your goddamn right after all.
The topic for my 3rd column was originally intended to be a discussion about scalping. However, given the lengthy discussion that did ensue on our boards not so long ago, the topic was shoved back down the pecking order. And so we’re here today, looking at the art of price-matching.
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/7956/logopricematch275nc9.jpg (http://img133.imageshack.us/my.php?image=logopricematch275nc9.jpg)
It is unclear how relevant this may be to the rest of our global cohorts but is certainly one issue that is of particular relevance to us given the excessive disparity between our RRP and North American RRP. It’s no secret that we pay double American RRP. Once upon time, this could’ve been justified when the Australian dollar traded at below 50c USD. Here’s a run down of the comparative cost of figures at present in Australian Dollars at an exchange rate of 0.95 USD with the American amount in brackets:
Australian RRP American RRP
Scout: $17 $7.38 ($6.99 USD)
Deluxe: $25 $10.53 ($10 USD)
Voyager: $45 $21.05 (S20 USD)
Ultra: $60 $26.32 ($25 USD)
Leader: $90 $42.11 ($40 USD)
Supreme: $120 $52.65 ($50 USD)
I don’t think I need to spell it out. We get shafted. Royally.
I could launch here into a righteous tantrum about how such prices can be sustained, but I won’t.
I just want you to look at those figures.
Look at those comparisons.
Look.
Getting red in the cheeks? Is it sinking in? Feeling royally pissed off? Do.
Good. Because you damn right should.
This is why you, as an informed, hip-pocket conscious collector, must stock price-matching as an essential asset in your buying armory. It is an immensely useful asset and will remain so as many major line releases and launches are timed around school holiday periods which is also when you get those wonderful little catalogues.
But before we get into the mechanics of price-matching, let’s take two steps back. There’s an understandable rationale for why so many fans are reluctant to price-match. But you’re not alone. Most in the population would be reluctant too. And why is that? There’s an inbuilt apprehension that one who price-matches is a cheap, socially downtrodden tightwad. There is that worry about how the store manager or checkout chick will look at you. No, you’re not trying to hit on them but you can’t help but feel every your ounce of self-respect is being pulled through the dirt if you “stoop” down to these levels. You feel as if the whole world is watching you. I have only one answer to this.
Get over it.
Get over yourself.
Price-matching is your goddamn right. Period.
Think about why these retail giants offer the price-matching policy in the first place? They want your trust that they offer the best prices. They want you to regard them as your retailer of choice. They want your cash. Well, if they want that, they had better honour their price-matching promise to you. But these retail giants add all sorts of qualifications and fine print about when they’re willing to price-match such as if the other store has the same item in stock.
But they’re just details. You have every right to exercise your power to price-match. They want your money? Make them work for it. Your boss drives you up the wall for every buck he pays you. You can certainly do the same to these corporate entities. And do you remember those ridiculous prices mentioned above? They clearly profiteer from you in such a predatory and voracious manner. Not only that, they charge you as much as three times as what you should be paying. All that when they’re trying to create this false image about how good their service and prices are so they can announce those multi-million dollar record profits. Still think you should feel bad about trying to price-match?
The fundamentals
Now that we’ve established why you should price-match, let’s look at some fundamentals.
The first thing is to be courteous. Sure, you are entitled to price-match. It’s your right. But a little bit of courtesy goes a long way. Remember, these guys aren't responsible for the ridiculous overcharging. They aren’t the ways setting the prices, making the big bucks. They’re like you and me. They work crazy shifts and the very last thing they need is some overbearing, over-eager, righteous person demanding them to price-match. Furthermore, if you are trying to price-match say an exclusive, like say TFM Deluxe G1 Jazz, it definitely helps. It turns their mind away from the sheer ridiculous differential in price.
Dress sense. No. You don’t have to dress like you just walked out of a Giorgio Armani catalogue but you should be tidy. We live in a fickle world and the more prim and proper you are, the more likely they are to be helpful and receptive to what you have to say. If you lumber in and look like an overdressed bogan in a monkey suit or in shredded jeans and a t-shirt that hasn’t been washed in two weeks, it will diminish your chances. Whether the staff are from K-Mart or Myers, it doesn’t matter. Put yourself in their shoes. If someone so shabbily (or overdressed) dressed walks up to you wanting something, your instinctive reaction is to get them out of the way ASAP. This hinders your chances.
Come prepared. I made this mistake once. You must know the nearby locations and stock levels of the store whose catalogue you are trying to price-match. Regularly, these places have a policy in place of calling the store whose catalogue you’re using to price-match to check stock levels. This can often be bypassed but generally not always. This is where the preparation is important. They often ask you to nominate a store or they select one themselves. Either way, if you can chime with in a location you know that stocks that line but not the specific figures you want, that’s invaluable. And really, you should have knowledge of this since most of us as collectors frequent the shops with some regularity. So next time you’re out shopping, make a conscious effort to recall the stock levels of the places you’re buying from. Heck, if they call a store that says it has none left, you can nominate that location you know that does have deluxes. Know where the phone numbers are on the catalogue, know where the “Deluxe”, “Voyager” etc. labels are b/c you need them to prove that the figure is in the same class range.
However, that said: don’t be over prepared. The more overzealous you are as you point to this, followed by that, followed by this to make your case to price-match, the more chance you have of annoying the person who you’re trying to price match. They know their policy and don’t need some know it all, telling them what to do. Once again, put yourself in their position. You start to think “this fellow knows the policy but boy is he a prick, I might just be a prick too.* What you should do is hold back. If they can’t seem to find it, then you nicely point to the “Deluxe” label or that “There’s many different Deluxes”
Go with someone, preferably a partner or a kid, younger cousin/nephew. This is what I term “indirect pressure”. If you have a sweet lookin’ kid with you or a partner who looks like he/she wants to be on the move, this creates a little pressure for them to speed up and often overlook details which is especially relevant to Category B price-matches.
Next, go at peak times. Busy times = busy lines = discounts for you. They want to get to the next customer yet want to finish with you. And if you have to wait, they often get apologetic. This is to your advantage as they’re more likely to be helpful and gracious for your patience and courtesy which means you get what you want. Again, very useful for the Category B price-match.
The final thing to bear in mind is probably the most important. Age. Avoid the old ones. In my experiences, the older ladies are generally more grumpy and less receptive to price-matching. They have a greater sense of duty to the organization than the younger ones. Perhaps this is partially due to the fact that they’ve been part of the machine for so long but that’s neither here nor there. The younger staff tend to not to give too much of a damn and are not overzealous in enforcing the policy. They just do it. Furthermore, for someone like me, I find it much easier to talk to the younger ones b/c they it’s easier to get a conversation going with them. I have price-matched with older store managers successfully but if you want to maximize your success, avoid the older ones. That said, don’t go to total noobs. That is, new employees. If someone looks brand new, stay clear. The fact that their new brings far more attention to them and you’re likely to attract one or two other staff members there. That means, that if you’re trying to pull what I term “the long shot”, it’ll make things tougher.
Failure: Deal with it
Don’t be an Ultra Magnus. If you fail once, it’s only once. Don’t let it stop you from trying again. You will run into some nitwits along the way but that goes for any walk of life. What’s important? Your wallet? Or your fear of failure?
Not everyone’s a fan.
Don’t be condescending if they don’t know what you’re talking about. Staff at these retail outlets aren’t fans and you shouldn’t hold their ignorance against them. In fact, you should use it to your advantage. You can use it to elicit sympathy and support. For example, they can’t tell the difference between an exclusive repaint and class size. It means nothing to many of them. And that’s good for you. You can say, “Yeah, gets confusing, doesn’t it?” which is normally greeted by a laugh and there’s your opening. Your chance to get some conversation going.
Location, location: the best place to price-match
K-Mart. Without a doubt. On top of being able to price-match you also get an additional 10% off the price-differential between K-Mart’s price and the other place. Basically, price-matching at K-Mart is the easiest is b/c they are the least likely to be able to turn around to you and say “If it’s so cheap at retailer, why don’t you go buy it from over there? Fact of the matter is they can’t. The promise to beat that price and you should hold them up to that promise.
Of all the retailers, the only place I have never price-matched at is David Jones. Every other place works. That said, you must know your shopping centres. If there is a Target in the complex and you’re trying to price-match at the Big W in the same complex, they’ll be asking you why the heck aren’t you buying from over there. So be prepared and you won’t be red-faced. But therein is the beauty of K-Mart. The simple response is that you (K-Mart) beat it by 10 percent. If another retailer asks you the same question, the best response is what I term a “long shot” which means it’s probably best to start talking about…
Category A: A Piece of Cake
There are two categories of price-matching. The first I call “a piece of cake”. This is you are where price-matching a straight item from the catalogue. This should present no difficulties at all. You rock up with catalogue in hand and ask to price-match. Just make sure that the catalogue of the store you’re using isn’t in the same centre. Plus, know your stores. If they ask you which location to ring to check if the item is in stock, be prepared to nominate a store that does have Deluxes or Voyagers or whatever you want to price-match. They don’t have to be the same one. Just as long as they stock the class size, you should be fine.
If you do run into someone who is overzealous and demands that the other store have the exact same item, say nicely to them that each store carries different stock and emphasise, nicely, the fact that its class. The catalogue does not limit itself to only the figure shown nor you to only the exact same figure. It’s the class size that manners.
Fact of the matter though is they rarely call. In my time, they’ve only ever called thrice. That’s nothing. I’ve price-matched on so many occasions now that I’ve lost track. The chance of them calling another store is really minimal.
So in all honesty, these have never been difficult. All the retailers are helpful and friendly as long as you are and the only pitfall is finding a store that doesn’t house the same store you’re using the catalogue of
Category B: The Long Shot
There are two types of long shots
1.) Store Exclusives
Anyone remember this fellow?
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/1988/g1jazzsh5.jpg (http://img133.imageshack.us/my.php?image=g1jazzsh5.jpg)
Ridiculous, huh? Or this one?
http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1170/dssuw3.jpg (http://img76.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dssuw3.jpg)
Or this one?
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/7328/g1starscreamil3.jpg (http://img133.imageshack.us/my.php?image=g1starscreamil3.jpg)
I paid $23.88, Big W’s price for Deluxes, for G1 Jazz. $24.86 for Deep Space Starscream and $30 for TFM G1 Starscream.
These are TRU exclusives. They shouldn’t be easy to price-match, right? Wrong. They’re actually quite easy. As mentioned above, the average joe working in a store isn’t aware of this. Nor do they care. It’s just another toy. So what do you have to do? Focus on class size. You’ll be surprise how easy it is to price-match at TRU. My original impression was always it’d be hard. But the fact is, they staff young people. And it’s much easier to establish a rapport with their staff and get your price-match working for you.
But fundamentally what needs to be focused on is class size. With that as the forward thrust, they’ll overlook exclusive labels that come up on screen or on the packaging and, most importantly, you’ll get what you want.
2.) Different line, same class
The hardest category. Undoubtedly, the most recent case of this was the Animated Deluxes and Voyagers. These are the toughest buggers but I’ve tried 7 times now for a return of 5 successful attempts. Hell, on one occasion, I paid $14 a deluxe, $17 a Voyager. How is it done?
Stick to the fundamentals. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t succeed at first. It’s your right and if you play your cards right and be friendly and approachable, they’ll see you more as a “friend” rather than just another customer and want to help you. As mentioned, other things become details. On top of that, what you need to do is focus on class size not movie aesthetic. For instance, with the recent Big W catalogue, the “Assorted Styles” tag was invaluable in most cases as you were able stress that and point to Deluxe or Voyager class on the Animated box.
That said, this type of price-matching in the past was rare b/c there was only ever one main dominant line. However with Classics 2.0 and Animated seeing contemporaneous releases, expect this to become a handy part of your arsenal.
Now, get out there. I didn’t write this column so you all could sit here and gawk. The sales are still on, the sales are still coming and it’s your goddamn right after all.