Andertons no longer offering price match on their listings?

Philtre

Andertons used to have a link something like "Seen a better price?" for each of their listings next to the item's price which would link you to a form for requesting a price match. That is no longer there but you can find a generic contact form if you Google it. I submitted one and have yet to hear back from them. If they can't be arsed to offer a reasonable price in line with other retailers and take 3 days to get back to you then, fuck it, I'll buy elsewhere.

/rant

ten77guitar

Exactly, who cares? Plenty of other places to buy from.

Musicwolf

If you have found a better price elsewhere then why do you want to buy it from Andertons?  Presumably you see some additional benefit to shopping with them (delivery? service?).  If so, why do they need to be the cheapest?

As you say, they're not offering a price match promise so I'm not surprised that they haven't prioritised replying to somebody who emails them and says that he doesn't want to pay the asking price.

mrkb

Andertons give 1% back into your account, so if they price match it’s cheaper than anywhere else. That’s a benefit worth having.

Philtre

Musicwolf said:

As you say, they're not offering a price match promise so I'm not surprised that they haven't prioritised replying to somebody who emails them and says that he doesn't want to pay the asking price.

What? The "asking price" for this particular item is lower everywhere else. I asked for a price match because I have loyalty points to use up.

Funkfingers

From a dealer's perspective, Internet price matching is better than losing a sale altogether. 

From an accountant's perspective, any price lower than full MSRP is giveaway (i.e. lost profit).

There is a limit to what any retail business can afford to give away, even if it does help to shift older stock.

It will be interesting to see whether Anderton's Seen A Better Price? feature returns to their website at the beginning of the 2020/21 financial year.  

Philtre

To be clear, the price match I'm asking for is simply to match the price that every other retailer is asking, except Andertons who have it priced for around £30 more. I asked them to price match to what seems to be the going rate for this item so I can remain a "loyal customer" of 16 years and use up my loyalty points. Not, I feel, an unreasonable request for a company that invites you to price match (or at least, used to).

hollywoodrox

I would phone them up  can’t beat talking to an actual salesperson . I suppose if you have loyalty points you are kinda getting some money off in a way but that’s debatable really. I just bought a dimarzio cliplock with mine 

Wazmeister

Andertons are usually cheaper anyway... my go to for pedals

ArchtopDave

Ring them up. I did this 2 weeks ago -  I wanted a pedal from Andertons as I had some loyalty points accumulated. GAK had the same pedal in stock but £70 less in price. The guy at Andertons just checked for himself that my info about GAK’s stock and price was correct, and price matched without quibble.

Jez6345789

With the recent investigations into price-fixing in the UK music internet market and big fines for Fender, Casio etc. I suspect the prices are more diverse than they were this time last year so stores may no longer want to get into the race to the bottom that an unmanaged market leads to so are not actively pushing the price match.

Also, I have seen with a lot of online firms they are starting to want people to buy on total service they offer rather than the lowest price. So the stuff in stock, well packaged, smart delivery options good support. All of which costs to do. My friend has in the last 18 months realigned his online business to incorporate higher standards across the whole user experience rather than chase the lowest price and has seen 30% growth and margins improve. In the end, online has to grow up and not rushing out the price matching argument may be the start of that trend.

skunkwerx

They still do. Fill that out. 

https://help.andertons.co.uk/hc/en-gb/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360000313620

Or call em. 

I asked for 2 prices to be matched in the last couple weeks. 

First one was an Ltd guitar that they had at the going rate, but some random store I'd never heard of had one in stock for £100 less. 

They didnt match it but dropped it by £50. 

The second one was an Orange rocker 15. Most places have it at £519, but Andertons price is £659.. almost £150 dearer. 

Anyway they again wouldnt match £519 but offered it to me at £554. 

Thing is, I'd pay the £554 because I can see on their website what stock they have in the warehouse, which is the new sealed stuff and What they ship to you as standard. 

Pmt, guitarguitar etc often only have 1 in stock at any given store, and thats the display model.. my experience with display models is that they're well used and abused and personally I'd want a decent discount on to consider. 

For the guitar and amp I mentioned above, that was/still is the case. 

Recently I had no choice but to buy from guitarguitar, and of course having only 1 in stock each at 3 stores, they were all out on display. 

Ordered it, arrived, few little scuffs but nothing major, no allen keys either. 

Not really up for paying full price for that, but that is just me. If I'm paying best part of a grand, I don't want some other dudes dickbeaters having ravaged it and taken the tools. 

So even when Andertons are a little more expensive but show more than 1 in store in stock, then they'll always win the money. 

Philtre

Jez6345789 said:

With the recent investigations into price-fixing in the UK music internet market and big fines for Fender, Casio etc. I suspect the prices are more diverse than they were this time last year so stores may no longer want to get into the race to the bottom that an unmanaged market leads to so are not actively pushing the price match.

Also, I have seen with a lot of online firms they are starting to want people to buy on total service they offer rather than the lowest price. So the stuff in stock, well packaged, smart delivery options good support. All of which costs to do. My friend has in the last 18 months realigned his online business to incorporate higher standards across the whole user experience rather than chase the lowest price and has seen 30% growth and margins improve. In the end, online has to grow up and not rushing out the price matching argument may be the start of that trend.

I can't see what a retailer can do to provide "total service" other than to fulfil their legal obligations and your statutory rights. One sells me something at £100 and another at £80. I go for the cheaper seller, my rights are the same. All I'm looking for is a good price and the right to return it if it's a dud, not a blow job.

fretmeister

Philtre said:

Jez6345789 said:

With the recent investigations into price-fixing in the UK music internet market and big fines for Fender, Casio etc. I suspect the prices are more diverse than they were this time last year so stores may no longer want to get into the race to the bottom that an unmanaged market leads to so are not actively pushing the price match.

Also, I have seen with a lot of online firms they are starting to want people to buy on total service they offer rather than the lowest price. So the stuff in stock, well packaged, smart delivery options good support. All of which costs to do. My friend has in the last 18 months realigned his online business to incorporate higher standards across the whole user experience rather than chase the lowest price and has seen 30% growth and margins improve. In the end, online has to grow up and not rushing out the price matching argument may be the start of that trend.

I can't see what a retailer can do to provide "total service" other than to fulfil their legal obligations and your statutory rights. One sells me something at £100 and another at £80. I go for the cheaper seller, my rights are the same. All I'm looking for is a good price and the right to return it if it's a dud, not a blow job.

Always Going for the cheaper one is not being a loyal customer.

symphonytech

Philtre said:

To be clear, the price match I'm asking for is simply to match the price that every other retailer is asking, except Andertons who have it priced for around £30 more. I asked them to price match to what seems to be the going rate for this item so I can remain a "loyal customer" of 16 years and use up my loyalty points. Not, I feel, an unreasonable request for a company that invites you to price match (or at least, used to).

But if they're not inviting you to request any more, it isn't unreasonable for them to not price match.

You're only wanting to use them to claim your 'loyalty' points; and then cynically claim that they should reasonably dance to any tune you give them. There is likely a good reason they want £30 more (cost price increases, margins too low, wishing to remove themselves from the bun fight on that particular product).

And so, if you feel the price isn't right for what they are offering, buy somewhere else. If you want to remain loyal and use the loyalty points then use them.

But don't expect that all the stars must align in your favour and you should be able to get what you want, at the price you want, with the terms you want, from the place you want: you have their offering, and you have other offers. Take your pick.

As an aside: I always find the term 'loyalty' very disingenuous. Quite often I have the 'loyalty' of a customer thrust in my face because they really want to buy something from us to 'support the local store' and want to give us the opportunity to get the sale by matching a price. By all means, give me the chance of making a sale, and if the price doesn't align with what they want then fair enough. But don't shroud it under the bollocks of 'loyalty'. There is one reason they want to buy it - because I have it there and then, and they can check it and compare it. Their loyalty conditioned on an unsustainable price isn't loyal. It is what it is: someone getting the deal that is best for them. I don't have a problem with people doing that; I do have a problem with it being portrayed as loyal.

RiftAmps

symphonytech said: 

As an aside: I always find the term 'loyalty' very disingenuous. Quite often I have the 'loyalty' of a customer thrust in my face because they really want to buy something from us to 'support the local store' and want to give us the opportunity to get the sale by matching a price. By all means, give me the chance of making a sale, and if the price doesn't align with what they want then fair enough. But don't shroud it under the bollocks of 'loyalty'. There is one reason they want to buy it - because I have it there and then, and they can check it and compare it. Their loyalty conditioned on an unsustainable price isn't loyal. It is what it is: someone getting the deal that is best for them. I don't have a problem with people doing that; I do have a problem with it being portrayed as loyal.

have a Wis’d mate, spot on

prowla

symphonytech said:

Philtre said:

To be clear, the price match I'm asking for is simply to match the price that every other retailer is asking, except Andertons who have it priced for around £30 more. I asked them to price match to what seems to be the going rate for this item so I can remain a "loyal customer" of 16 years and use up my loyalty points. Not, I feel, an unreasonable request for a company that invites you to price match (or at least, used to).

But if they're not inviting you to request any more, it isn't unreasonable for them to not price match.

You're only wanting to use them to claim your 'loyalty' points; and then cynically claim that they should reasonably dance to any tune you give them. There is likely a good reason they want £30 more (cost price increases, margins too low, wishing to remove themselves from the bun fight on that particular product).

And so, if you feel the price isn't right for what they are offering, buy somewhere else. If you want to remain loyal and use the loyalty points then use them.

But don't expect that all the stars must align in your favour and you should be able to get what you want, at the price you want, with the terms you want, from the place you want: you have their offering, and you have other offers. Take your pick.

As an aside: I always find the term 'loyalty' very disingenuous. Quite often I have the 'loyalty' of a customer thrust in my face because they really want to buy something from us to 'support the local store' and want to give us the opportunity to get the sale by matching a price. By all means, give me the chance of making a sale, and if the price doesn't align with what they want then fair enough. But don't shroud it under the bollocks of 'loyalty'. There is one reason they want to buy it - because I have it there and then, and they can check it and compare it. Their loyalty conditioned on an unsustainable price isn't loyal. It is what it is: someone getting the deal that is best for them. I don't have a problem with people doing that; I do have a problem with it being portrayed as loyal.

It is a condundrum, isn't it?

I will go to a local shop and buy if I think I am getting a good price, but not necessarily the best I could find on the interweb.

However, when I ask if they have something I usually get told I should try the internet, so I can't win.

As for haggling/comparing, there's no harm in asking, but you may or may not get as good a price; it could be that the more keenly priced site has managed to get a deal on a consignment which the other can't match.

It's not an insult to try and get the best deal for your money, is it?

The last time I was in Andertons I asked them about a product and they said they thought it was some amount, but checked on the systems and it was priced less, so they got excited and said they could get me one; however, I'd already done the homework and it was available for less; I'm not sure if they tried to play me, but I didn't buy it.

symphonytech

Absolutely not.

I'm never insulted by anyone wanting to get a deal.

I'm just bemused by those spending an hour trying different kit, before they dig out some web links and conditioning their 'loyalty' to us matching the best price out there.

It isn't 'loyal'; it is just a savvy consumer circumventing the cost of physical retail whilst enjoying the benefits.

We are already seeing the end-game unfold for specialist retail with retailers finding the single-most efficient way of delivering an acceptable price whilst satisfying dealership requirements: a single centralised store with warehoused supply (Andertons/G4M/Gak etc.). GG and PMT seem to buck the trend, but the market isn't in their favour. Only their size keeps them out of harm's way.

I fear for the mid-sized multiples with high costs, and smaller independents with no relevance to manufacturers. They are victim to the status quo of current property taxation and myopic competition law that is rendering them obsolete. (I reckon there's a likely big casualty in 2020 forthcoming)

Polarisation to a small number of key dealers is the inevitable result.

Prowla:

It's not an insult to try and get the best deal for your money, is it?

Dominic

Anyone can ask for any kind of discount on anything.........and good luck to them
 Anyone can stand firm and not offer a discount...................and good luck to them too
  I quite understand that all business entities have their own reasons/margins and relative overheads that enable their price policy but if a stock carrying retailer as opposed to what is basically just a drop - shipper are not jumping to get in a race to the bottom then that's hardly surprising.

Rocker

[stuck record] There is more to the word ‘value’ than mere selling price. [/stuck record]

skunkwerx

There are a couple exceptions. 

For example breakdown cover. 

Last year I paid Aa £97 annually. 

Renewal came and they offered the same package to me for £250. 

Zero claims. 

There was some speil at the bottom about how they provide extra 'value' for this price. It includes member discounts for eateries that dont sell gluten free, and various other shit that no one cares for which is why it's being pushed as part of another service. 

Oh and an app, which isnt really value, because you can just call them anyway. 

So absolutely zero value for me in that instance.