"Negotiating" with ADs

[Speedy2254]

I have, on occasion, seen references to getting, often fairly substantial, discounts from ADs.
What's the protocol here? I assume there's more to it than "what's your best price"? Can anyone who's done it successfully enlighten us?

[markyboy.1967]

I recently managed to get almost £2k discount on a new Zenith El Primero 21 from Rox which is around 18% or so plus i got a new leather strap thrown into the deal. Be polite and open for discussion with them. I said straight off i was looking for around 20% discount so they knew. Be prepared to walk away if need be. Do your homework and have details of other shop prices to show them if you can get elsewhere near the price you want. Let them know you have the funds and ready to do the deal that day if required. Good luck.

[prexelor]

I think the watch you are looking to purchase is a major factor in determining a discount. I love nothing more than getting a discount or a deal but on occasions the full RRP has to be stumped up.

A dealer is also more likely to negotiate if you are ready to buy there and then. Good luck!

[P.Sheridan]

Totally depends what you are buying. I’m sure if you showed an interest in a white gold Rolex from stock, and you asked for a bottom line price on it, you would her 5-8% offered straight away. Higher value items from stock would have higher discount potential IMO.

[Speedy2254]

Thanks for the replies. Regrettably I'm not in white gold Rolex territory though. I'm looking at a Speedmaster Professional, probably around 40:60 cash:finance. My local dealers are Fraser Hart & Goldsmiths, I'll do some research

[Fraz01]

In anyone's experience are the store more or less likely to offer a discount based in your payment method e.g. Full payment, full finance or a mixture?

[prexelor]

There are members here who can obtain 20% discount on Omega watches - there is a fairly recent post where one member has put the offer on hold but another member has links with a dealer where you would deal directly with the dealer.

I am unsure whether you can obtain finance and the discount at the same time with this deal but you can get around this by purchasing on an interest free credit card.

[Rodder]

Does anyone know what kind of discount is available at boutiques. I was negotiating with one and I managed an amazing 3%!!!

[paskinner]

Places like 'Watch Obsession' sell that model for under £3000. If it must be an AD you shouldn't have much trouble. Be friendly and open, make it clear you will buy , tell them what you expect to pay. I'd never pay retail on any Omega.
Incidentally, with a gold Rolex, you'l get 10% easily enough, just explain you won't pay more...it used to be 15% but they've got tougher.

[WhopperSenior]

I've had my head buried in Rolex for the last little while so it's nice to hear some other brands can achieve discounts on regular steel pieces.

[kevkojak]

I think you'll struggle to get a discount while financing the watch - cash is king. Even in the days of decent Rolex discounts the shop I worked at wouldn't budge an inch for a finance package.

I find the best bet is to find the watch you want online, see what discounts the grey dealers like Iconic are offering and try to match it in store.

"I would rather give my money to a bricks and mortar shop than an online dealer, but..." usually works ok as an opening salvo.

[Fezz]

Why not get a credit card with 0% on new purchases or balance transfers. Put the balance you were gonna finance on the card(fees are small, usually around 2-3%).

That way to the AD you're buying it outright and it gives you the opportunity to haggle them down in price :)

[NigeG]

Getting 20% off of Omega is very easy if it’s a standard easy to get model.

Tell the AD you’re quite prepared to do a short flight in or out of LHR T5, doesn’t matter where as long as it’s cheap. WoS will offer you 20% without even trying to negotiate. Better still WoS will tell you if they’ve got what you are looking for available.

Then umm and aah at the airport and round the price down a little more, worse they can say is no.

[bwest76]

I was looking at 2 models of the Oris 65 yesterday,just having a friendly chat over a coffee.

The sales assistant offered me £200+ off without me even asking,people do things because they want to not because they have to.

I can see no harm in asking if done politely.

[Liner33]

I bought a Speedy Pro earlier this month from my local FH , I did find a supplier doing the Moonwatch for £2895 new so had a starting point to work down from the £3520 rrp, but it was a gift and I wanted to support the local shop and really didn't want to cart the new watch over London so knew I would have to accept that FH wouldn't be able to match that price. Getting 10% off was fairly easy but I squeezed them a little further but they knew that if they came up with the right deal they would have a sale there and then with no finance required.

[walkerwek1958]

Getting discount AND finance sounds like wanting the spice and the ha'penny.....you can have one but not both! That's how most things work.

At the risk of stating the obvious, you'll only get the best deal by standing face to face and offering to buy on the spot. Asking for 'best price' on the phone (or e-mail....worse still!) won`t cut any ice.

Times have changed, discounts have shrunk or disappeared, but the principle's the same. I sourced an Omega SMP for my stepson a couple of years ago, I walked in the shop and told them what I was prepared to pay, didn`t even bother looking at the watch or trying it on etc. They knew I was a serious buyer and a deal was struck at slightly above what I originally offered, a relatively painless process.

If I`m looking to buy anything I make it clear whether I`m 'just looking at this stage' or whether I`m there to buy on the day. Deciding what I want and actually buying are two distinctly separate processes in my mind band I don`t let salespeople persuade me otherwise.

The alternative is to buy from a grey dealer and possibly save a little more, but you have to ask yourself if it's really worth it; it's not all about the money and saving every last penny, if you had problems with the watch it's far easier to return it to a bricks and mortar shop.

Paul

[WhopperSenior]

It's funny that finance is a big negative in this industry. If you were buying a car they would be shoving finance down your throat so they can get their cut. Do the sales people at ADs not get anything out of the finance?

[StuartGR]

It obviously helps if you've got some history with the AD. I've generally been very upfront about discounts and have gone with this kind of approach - "I used to work with a company that was acquired by the Richemont Group so I have a reasonable idea of the margins you're working with. I'd rather deal with an authorised dealer than someone on-line and am happy to buy the watch today if we can come to an agreement on price - what's the best deal you can do for me?"

In terms of discount levels, it does all seem to depend on brand and model. 15% off Omega/Tag/Longines/Oris and similar brands seems very do-able from what I've read on here. For other brands, I guess the on-line dealers (Chronext, Iconic et al) will provide a guide price that you can try to get close to. I wonder if timing also helps - does walking into your AD on the last Monday morning of the month/quarter add a little something to the mix? Maybe...

SGR

[Kuroblack350]

Really interested in this thread as I'm planning on doing exactly the same thing over the next couple of months. I've budgeted around 10% based on advice/thoughts on here, but am targeting around 15% - basically any price that starts with a '2' gets the money :)

I'm quite lucky up here as with the Trafford Centre, I've got 3 AD's within a 60 second walk - I'm hoping there's a deal to be had with either the Boutique, Ernest Jones/Goldsmiths etc.

One slightly geeky question for those with more experience - I'd always be happier (and pay more) for a completely new, sealed, not even breathed upon watch - this could either make or break it for me - sounds weird I know, but hey, each to their own. Is this doable, or are the AD's more inclined to sell you the 'open box' version that's effectively their try on, sales tool..?

(Apologies if that's a slight thread hijack, may be relevant to the OP too)

[Speedy2254]

Again thanks for the replies. I've looked at Watch Obsession they're asking £2990 & offer 0% finance. That's effectively a 15% discount over RRP. Thanks to the poster who mentioned them. I will keep looking around, see what else I might find...

[ernie]

I purchased a Omega Seamaster 41mm ceramic last January 2017. I knew what I wanted, i went into Frazer Harts in Plymouth, Lady was very helpful, I explained that i wanted this watch..at the time the rrp was £2770. She said she would take £150 off. I took her card and then went into Michael Spires, went through the normal **sales foreplay**. I managed to get the watch for £2350..thats a saving of £420.

I think the key is the day you go in, I served with a former sales man from a jewelers { admittedly from the late 80's}he said go in on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday because business is slower compared to that at end of the week.

Again this also depends on stock holding/age of the model/etc. Cant see you getting deal on a TUDOR HERITAGE BB58 for example.

As i am new to this site this was my experience..on here their are some hardened sellers/buyers who might have a better perspective..all the best with the quest

Ernie

[scottie2345]

Thanks for the replies. Regrettably I'm not in white gold Rolex territory though. I'm looking at a Speedmaster Professional, probably around 40:60 cash:finance. My local dealers are Fraser Hart & Goldsmiths, I'll do some research

I paid 3k from goldsmiths for a speedy pro, mentioned Iconic and other grey dealers, I was pleasantly surprised they came down that much!!!
Suspect Finance will bugger your hopes mind you

Scottie

[Speedy2254]

I paid 3k from goldsmiths for a speedy pro, mentioned Iconic and other grey dealers, I was pleasantly surprised they came down that much!!!
Suspect Finance will bugger your hopes mind you

Scottie

Scottie,
I think you're probably going to be right but no harm in asking I reckon.
If discounts are out there, saving cash might be quicker than I thought. If that's the case then financing becomes unnecessary. Watch Obsession does both it would appear!

[Speedy2254]

Spoke to Fraser Hart this afternoon. As previous posters have said, it's finance or discount, not both. The chap I spoke with was happy to mention a ballpark figure that was very pleasing & invited me to an Omega event later in the year.
He suggested that I could get the penny & the bun by putting the watch on a credit card that gives 0% interest on purchases for 3 years, thus getting a nice discount & only paying what I would have if I had financed it & foregone the discount.
Definitely food for thought.

[Kuroblack350]

Spoke to Fraser Hart this afternoon. As previous posters have said, it's finance or discount, not both. The chap I spoke with was happy to mention a ballpark figure that was very pleasing & invited me to an Omega event later in the year.
He suggested that I could get the penny & the bun by putting the watch on a credit card that gives 0% interest on purchases for 3 years, thus getting a nice discount & only paying what I would have if I had financed it & foregone the discount.
Definitely food for thought.

Can I be slightly cheeky and ask what the 'very pleasing' figure was..? (will give me something to aim at!)

[jonny]

Spoke to Fraser Hart this afternoon. As previous posters have said, it's finance or discount, not both. The chap I spoke with was happy to mention a ballpark figure that was very pleasing & invited me to an Omega event later in the year.
He suggested that I could get the penny & the bun by putting the watch on a credit card that gives 0% interest on purchases for 3 years, thus getting a nice discount & only paying what I would have if I had financed it & foregone the discount.
Definitely food for thought.

This the best option, it costs the jeweller money to provide 0% finance (so effectively a discount) - maybe 15-20% of the cost of the watch for 3 years 0%.

Negotiate the best price and then pay with a 0% credit card

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cr...-credit-cards/

- - - Updated - - -

[jonny]

Really interested in this thread as I'm planning on doing exactly the same thing over the next couple of months. I've budgeted around 10% based on advice/thoughts on here, but am targeting around 15% - basically any price that starts with a '2' gets the money :)

I'm quite lucky up here as with the Trafford Centre, I've got 3 AD's within a 60 second walk - I'm hoping there's a deal to be had with either the Boutique, Ernest Jones/Goldsmiths etc.

One slightly geeky question for those with more experience - I'd always be happier (and pay more) for a completely new, sealed, not even breathed upon watch - this could either make or break it for me - sounds weird I know, but hey, each to their own. Is this doable, or are the AD's more inclined to sell you the 'open box' version that's effectively their try on, sales tool..?

(Apologies if that's a slight thread hijack, may be relevant to the OP too)

The Omega boutique is the only Omega agent in the Trafford Centre.
Maybe try Harrington & Hallworth in Ashton Under Lyne. (no affiliation - an indpendant jeweller with a few shops rather than a chain)

[Faide]

ahhhhh i fondly remember the day when i got 30% off MSRP for a Speedmaster Pro here in the USA from an AD. But that was over 10 years ago and 25-30% was standard for Omega if you knew which dealers to call.

[Kuroblack350]

The Omega boutique is the only Omega agent in the Trafford Centre.
Maybe try Harrington & Hallworth in Ashton Under Lyne. (no affiliation - an indpendant jeweller with a few shops rather than a chain)

Really? Is there a difference in AD's then? I noticed Goldsmiths and Ernest Jones (both sell Omega, and at the TC) are not listed on the Omega website, however both suggest they are authorised agents. Beaverbrooks also sell Omega as a fourth option - are these in some way not as 'authorised' as the Boutique?

New to Omega, but assumed it would be as the Breitling setup, you get the Boutique, and a selection of AD's - both of which are 'authorised' routes to purchase...

ETA; Omega website is a bit odd, for Manchester it lists the Boutique, and WoS - it misses out Fraser Hart, Goldsmiths and Ernest Jones. Other cities however list these stores, my assumption therefore is that they're ADs - odd website though, quite why it doesn't list all outlets for a city is weird.

[MartynJC (UK)]

Just got an easy 20% off MRP for an Omega watch from Swiss Watches Direct. They also offer finance (not interest free though). If that helps any.

Martyn.

[Kingstepper]

It's funny that finance is a big negative in this industry. If you were buying a car they would be shoving finance down your throat so they can get their cut. Do the sales people at ADs not get anything out of the finance?

Good point, wonder why the difference.

[harvey121]

I have, on occasion, seen references to getting, often fairly substantial, discounts from ADs.
What's the protocol here? I assume there's more to it than "what's your best price"? Can anyone who's done it successfully enlighten us?

Recently went into my local AD's for a discount on an Omega Aqua Terra. 2 shops offered a token 5% of MRP but one tried to get close to a price I had seen online from the grey market.

I did however get told that if I wanted a discount on Tag etc then they would be much more open.

[Speedy2254]

Can I be slightly cheeky and ask what the 'very pleasing' figure was..? (will give me something to aim at!)

No dramas. He reckoned he could do it for "a bit" under £3K. Depending on the size of the "bit" I reckon the discount would be 15 to 20% (probably 15 to 17 realistically).

[NigeG]

It's funny that finance is a big negative in this industry. If you were buying a car they would be shoving finance down your throat so they can get their cut. Do the sales people at ADs not get anything out of the finance?

Remember that the big Jewellery Chains all offer 0% finance so the salesperson may well not get any commission or bonus on that element. The finance obviously costs the retailer but if it removes the discount question then it’s good for them, especially if you’ve a big margin (around 40% perhaps?) in the metal.

Car finance on the other hand is very much pcp driven focussing on the monthly payment, gives the salesperson a reasonable commission and retains an ok margin in the vehicle, where the dealer may well have less than 10% front end margin and a stack based on hitting other “quality” hurdles for the cream, including finance penetration.

[Ticker]

Remember that the big Jewellery Chains all offer 0% finance so the salesperson may well not get any commission or bonus on that element. The finance obviously costs the retailer but if it removes the discount question then it’s good for them, especially if you’ve a big margin (around 40% perhaps?) in the metal.

Car finance on the other hand is very much pcp driven focussing on the monthly payment, gives the salesperson a reasonable commission and retains an ok margin in the vehicle, where the dealer may well have less than 10% front end margin and a stack based on hitting other “quality” hurdles for the cream, including finance penetration.

This ^^^

I was just going to reply with the same sort of answer.

There are also lots of little add-ons that car dealerships throw into the mix as added value, like service plans, diamond bright paint protection (I think that's what they call it), gap insurance etc. None of these are applicable to watches.

[Devonian]

No dramas. He reckoned he could do it for "a bit" under £3K. Depending on the size of the "bit" I reckon the discount would be 15 to 20% (probably 15 to 17 realistically).

I think a couple of members here can get 20% off so you ideally want at least that. Cheap finance on a credit card and you’ve got a good deal.

[Speedy2254]

I think a couple of members here can get 20% off so you ideally want at least that. Cheap finance on a credit card and you’ve got a good deal.

20% is £700, I'd be on that like a tramp on chips! Do you think that's realisable?

[ddm27]

As others have mentioned, there is a dealer giving 20% off Omega to TZUK members. I called last week and they were straightforward with the discount, and very nice too. Should take you about five minutes to find.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Devonian]

20% is £700, I'd be on that like a tramp on chips! Do you think that's realisable?

[Speedy2254]

As others have mentioned, there is a dealer giving 20% off Omega to TZUK members. I called last week and they were straightforward with the discount, and very nice too. Should take you about five minutes to find.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My computer skills are not as good as yours. Give me half an hour, then come looking!

[spluurfg]

It's funny that finance is a big negative in this industry. If you were buying a car they would be shoving finance down your throat so they can get their cut. Do the sales people at ADs not get anything out of the finance?

It's because they are referring to interest-free finance. 3rd party finance companies are contracted to provide the finance, and the watch retailer pays the interest (presumably, since the customer isn't paying and the 3rd party finance company doesn't do it for free)

Car companies pushed finance because (1) they charged interest and (2) they owned the finance companies.

[jonny]

Really? Is there a difference in AD's then? I noticed Goldsmiths and Ernest Jones (both sell Omega, and at the TC) are not listed on the Omega website, however both suggest they are authorised agents. Beaverbrooks also sell Omega as a fourth option - are these in some way not as 'authorised' as the Boutique?

New to Omega, but assumed it would be as the Breitling setup, you get the Boutique, and a selection of AD's - both of which are 'authorised' routes to purchase...

ETA; Omega website is a bit odd, for Manchester it lists the Boutique, and WoS - it misses out Fraser Hart, Goldsmiths and Ernest Jones. Other cities however list these stores, my assumption therefore is that they're ADs - odd website though, quite why it doesn't list all outlets for a city is weird.

The Omega boutique is operated by beaverbrooks . The other jewellers Goldsmiths etc dont sell /stock Omega in the Trafford centre branches.

[5avvy]

You should be able to get 20% off at some of the smaller ADs.

[Rob153]

Sorry just seen this thread- If the OP doesn't need finance then I can put you touch with a friendly AD who should be able to help(PM Me)

[Speedy2254]

Sorry just seen this thread- If the OP doesn't need finance then I can put you touch with a friendly AD who should be able to help(PM Me)

PM sent thanks.

[Speedy2254]

Update on my quest for a Speedmaster Professional - I have received very helpful advice from some members & I will, hopefully, be getting a Speedy on this coming Wednesday.
Following the advice I got here, I've been accepted for a credit card giving 0% on purchases for 36 months. This will obviate the need to finance the deal & thus allow me to seek a discount on the purchase.
My local AD are helpful & amenable to the idea of a discount. Should they not feel sufficiently generous, I've been given a couple of alternative contacts.
The card is due to arrive tomorrow so I'm looking forward to a smooth purchase midweek.
Thanks to everyone who's replied to the thread, I'll hopefully be able to give a positive update later in the week.
This will be my first purchase of a watch from new so I'm really looking forward to it!

[Boss13]

Good luck, keep the thread updated will be interesting to read how you get on.

[Speedy2254]

Will do. I'm getting ridiculously excited about being the first person to have owned the watch, rather than buying preowned.
I'm thinking of getting the bracelet sized but asking them to fit the OEM NATO strap as I really like the look although I hope there's enough strap left to make a decent fold back through both keepers...

[Fezz]

Update on my quest for a Speedmaster Professional - I have received very helpful advice from some members & I will, hopefully, be getting a Speedy on this coming Wednesday.
Following the advice I got here, I've been accepted for a credit card giving 0% on purchases for 36 months. This will obviate the need to finance the deal & thus allow me to seek a discount on the purchase.
My local AD are helpful & amenable to the idea of a discount. Should they not feel sufficiently generous, I've been given a couple of alternative contacts.
The card is due to arrive tomorrow so I'm looking forward to a smooth purchase midweek.
Thanks to everyone who's replied to the thread, I'll hopefully be able to give a positive update later in the week.
This will be my first purchase of a watch from new so I'm really looking forward to it!

The best way imo to opinion to finance a watch :)

[Speedy2254]

The best way imo to opinion to finance a watch :)

Yes I think so too, I get the same financial convenience plus the bonus of a discount on the price! That works for me!