Happy to pay more in a store then online.

[danny]

Recently I have been going through the process of purchasing a set up to back up all my photos. I needed two hard drives. It being able to link straight into my home wifi network was an advantage. The members of AP were a great help giving me some wonderful ideas and recommendations.

So gathering all I knew I hit the internet and did LOTS of research. Now let me say... I do a lot of internet shopping from furniture to stationary I have bought it online, in the last couple of days I have bought from melbourne, canberra, sydney and china and Hong Kong. I have always said that if a store (brick) could offer me service I would be happy to pay more.

Well the other day I put my money where my mouth is. I was going past dick smith in a shopping centre in Wollongong, I thought I would see if they could help out. The man who helped/served me was exceptionally informative and helpful. So... I bought two hard drives and left with a smile even though I knew that i could have got them cheaper online.


Thanks for listening/reading I just felt like sharing.

Cheers
Danny

[arthurking83]

Yeah, I tend to do the same.
I prefer to try to support the local folks as a priority to the faceless online retailers, and did exactly that with the latest camera purchase.
Cost me $400 more than I could have got online, but that's an insignificant premium to pay in my eyes, in having the security of returning defective items easily and quickly.

Some things I simply won't purchase in store .. stuff like batteries or chargers or whatever other cheapie accessory type of little real importance.
eg. of that, I recently purchased a thirdparty mobile battery charger off ebay. I've seen these selling for close to $50 from the likes of Ted's or Camerahouse, yet cost me $3 online!!(yep! 3 lousy little bucks! .. postage included too! ) that it finally came after more than 2months was also not an issue, as it wasn't an item of vital importance for me. Ebayer was constantly communicating and apologising, which I told her not to worry about .. and then one day last week, it just came.

For me it's a matter of the type of goods being purchased, the store I'm purchasing from and then finally the price difference between the local store or an online retailer.
I have a totally random personal formula for determining what I purchase and from where.

[ricktas]

I will also buy locally, as long as their price is reasonable. I don't mind paying a bit extra for the service, convenience etc of shopping locally. It is when the price is massively different that I go online, and I tend to then search other Australian places first. Most often I can find something in Syd/Melb that is cheaper than Hobart and would prefer to buy from there, than OS.

[danny]

For me it is all about service! There is a particular store (Aus owned) that I refuse to now go into because their service is so bad. I think in this digital age retailers need to provide a service/ retail interaction that online can't. But I refuse to pay more for nothing.

Danny

[ricktas]

For me it is all about service! There is a particular store (Aus owned) that I refuse to now go into because their service is so bad. I think in this digital age retailers need to provide a service/ retail interaction that online can't. But I refuse to pay more for nothing.

Danny

Kniow what you mean, I refuse to go to Myer. I stood in there store one day here in hobart for 30 minutes at a counter, waiting for some service. I then called the store on my mobile and asked to speak to the Manager. Told him where I was in the store and that I was waiting to be served. he told me that they were short staffed and to wait a bit longer. 15 minutes later I called them again and said I have stood here for 45 minutes, I am leaving and never coming back. He then tried to offer me gift vouchers for free as compensation, to which I replied no use having gift vouchers if there is no one here to let me actually hand them over and spend them.

Never been into a Myer since.

[danny]

Kniow what you mean, I refuse to go to Myer. I stood in there store one day here in hobart for 30 minutes at a counter, waiting for some service. I then called the store on my mobile and asked to speak to the Manager. Told him where I was in the store and that I was waiting to be served. he told me that they were short staffed and to wait a bit longer. 15 minutes later I called them again and said I have stood here for 45 minutes, I am leaving and never coming back. He then tried to offer me gift vouchers for free as compensation, to which I replied no use having gift vouchers if there is no one here to let me actually hand them over and spend them.

Never been into a Myer since.

I am doing that next time... can't stop laughing.

[geoffsta]

I do exactly the same.... But when a store is full of "Nuff-Nuffs" like we have here (Except for a owner of an actual camera shop.. Only one for 200 kilometres) You get far more brains from surfing the net for items.

I went into Hardly Normal a while back wanting a 1TB hard drive for my backup. This winker (As Kiwi would say) came up and asked what I was chasing. I told him what I wanted it for, and that I wanted a 1TB. He asked what I wanted to load on it. I said to backup photo's and other stuff. He then proceeded to tell me that I only needed a 250GB for what I needed to do. He also started to tell me all the rubbish about computers, connection and technical stuff, which was so blatantly incorrect (I have been involved with IT for 17 years. Back when it was called a computer technician. having a business in it for part of that time) That I literally felt like snotting him. Saddest thing is that he is regarded as the computer guru for that shop...

Now that Dick Smiths has changed to a store similar to Hardly Normal, Better Electrical or Retrovision. I do not go there much either. Except when they have a good special, and then I walk in, pay for it, then walk out, without having to talk to a service person.

I often wonder whether in their training for the job. That if the are trained to believe all customers come with no brains???? Well for me internet shopping is prefered. Unless I go to the camera shop for advice.

[bladesp2]

I am after a Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM so I search the net and find that a site I have purchased from before excellent service, Australian warranty ,fast postage and has the lens for $580 odd .so then to not let the country go to the dogs I email several stores to ask for best price and I get $990-$1100 .So I email them back saying how I would rather buy local is that the best they can do ,not one response .Its hard to justify the price difference almost double .That would buy me another lens . For what price do you put service 400 per sale approxamately 10 minutes of their time .

[Kym]

If I get good service and the prices are reasonable (20% + ??) then local is good.

[Wayne]

I won't buy locally unless it is very convenient by way of in stock and priced reasonably.
I refuse to pay any more than I have to, and like many of us don't want 'help' when I go into a store, because most of what you get is sales person BS, not real help. I do my research, am a well armed consumer and simply need someone to operate the cash register and issue my receipt, no further correspondence need be entered into.

I recently bought the Nikon D4, and here in Oz the best price was almost $6400 and I think I called everyone who sells them this side of the black stump. Some were interested in a little haggle, others simply can't do and that's the price like it or lump it. I bought it grey from HK for $5100!!! A good saving? I think so because with the change I put it towards a 14-24/2.8

[Mark L]

If I get good service and the prices are reasonable (20% + ??) then local is good.

As far as camera and electronic stuff goes, in my medium sized country town, there is very little competition, there is no service of any informed quality and the prices are basically not negotiable.
When wanting to buy a 60D, went to the largest country centre (hour and a half drive away), a Good Guy, when I said I had a reasonable idea of online prices he literally left me standing as he walked away raving that they couldn't compete with online prices 'cause of this and that.... didn't give me the chance to say I''d pay more to have the comfort of buying locally etc..
So went up the road to H N, did the sales persons job for them by stating this is the camera I want, what's your best price for body only. He goes and checks his computer. "We don't sell body only, you have to buy the lens as well."
Why wouldn't I buy from site sponsor B&H when just at the right time they had a special for nearly 50% less than those that didn't want to sell me a camera?

[danny]

What also surprises me is that these large places with very bad service still stock cameras such as the D800. Which makes me wonder, who would buy something like a D800 or 5D iii at Harvey Norman or Good Guys? (more of a rhetorical question). Surely if you were looking at that level of camera you would have a camera store that you would frequent or be willing to do the grey market thing and save money. I am genuinely surprised that stores such as these still even stock DSLRs.

Danny

[Papou]

Dick Smith, always gets my $$ if they have what i'm after and seeling within reason as i for one prefer to leave my $$ within the Country and no need to go into a speel as to why as we are mostly grown up and know the reasons why..
but!! like most when there's a price difference of well n truly above 50% for the same product well my pride & $$ sorta goes there.
Been sussing out a Canon SX50 for mainly travel reasons, havent bought one yet as still trying to suss out if my money would be well spent and if i would get reasonable quallity with this compact or not??, but online i can get this Camera for aprox $380..Walked into the local Hardley Norman and the Camera sells for $1200 plus dollars!! !!???. Quite a difference ey??..

[Boo53]

I'm afraid I've given up on Dick Smith as well, unless it something small and I'm out and about anyway.

For a backup system like the op's (NAS RAID. etc a couple of years ago I rang site sponsor Scorpion and got very good & easy to understand advice and a very good price, delivered to the bush very quickly.

Mid december I wanted a Gary Fong diffuser and couldn't wait to get it from OS so did a google and scorpion were the cheapest, even beating ebay, for a genuine article (it was on special I believe). Placed an order Sunday morning on line. About 4 hours later the hard disk in a PVR died so I had to replace that as well. Rang Scorpion first thing Monday morning, explained what I needed, got good advice at a good price (when you're on the phone you can be googling comparisons as you speak). It was added to the order, no extra freight charge and arrived the next morning.

[fess67]

I won't buy locally unless it is very convenient by way of in stock and priced reasonably.
I refuse to pay any more than I have to, and like many of us don't want 'help' when I go into a store, because most of what you get is sales person BS, not real help. I do my research, am a well armed consumer and simply need someone to operate the cash register and issue my receipt, no further correspondence need be entered into.

I recently bought the Nikon D4, and here in Oz the best price was almost $6400 and I think I called everyone who sells them this side of the black stump. Some were interested in a little haggle, others simply can't do and that's the price like it or lump it. I bought it grey from HK for $5100!!! A good saving? I think so because with the change I put it towards a 14-24/2.8

Well Wayne you certainly live up to your tag of 'Telling it how it is" I like that and I understand how you feel. My personal experience / preference is to give the local guys first offer and if they can come close they get the business. By close I mean price and service. I am willing to pay 20% more but I expect the product within a week. Seems to me that is where many local companies fail. They can get there with the price but sheesh, only if you are willing to wait 3 weeks.

[ricktas]

Dick Smith, always gets my $$ if they have what i'm after and seeling within reason as i for one prefer to leave my $$ within the Country and no need to go into a speel as to why as we are mostly grown up and know the reasons why..
but!! like most when there's a price difference of well n truly above 50% for the same product well my pride & $$ sorta goes there.
Been sussing out a Canon SX50 for mainly travel reasons, havent bought one yet as still trying to suss out if my money would be well spent and if i would get reasonable quallity with this compact or not??, but online i can get this Camera for aprox $380..Walked into the local Hardley Norman and the Camera sells for $1200 plus dollars!! !!???. Quite a difference ey??..

Not sure about where you are, but for stuff that Officeworks sell that Dick does, Officeworks here in Hobart is cheaper nearly every time.

[Xenedis]

I won't buy locally unless it is very convenient by way of in stock and priced reasonably. I refuse to pay any more than I have to, and like many of us don't want 'help' when I go into a store, because most of what you get is sales person BS, not real help. I do my research, am a well armed consumer and simply need someone to operate the cash register and issue my receipt, no further correspondence need be entered into.

I'm in exactly the same boat as you.

People like to give the Aussie battler a go, which is noble and all; but the reality is that Australians are ripped off for just about everything, and we're in an online world in which information and good prices are both readily available, and B&Ms cannot compete with their retail overheads.

[nardes]

If I have to touch/inspect it in-store to see if it meets my needs, I will always purchase the item in the bricks and mortar store regardless of the price variation. If I know exactly what I want and there is a considerable price difference, I usually buy on-line.

Cheers

Dennis

[Willow5075]

Unfortunately the " service" part is sadly lacking in most Aussie stores and the technical knowledge of most sales staff in the big chains is woeful. I only ever go into them knowing what I want, how I want to use it and all I want from them is help on where the article is and what the best value is if their is a choice - even that's like getting blood out of a stone sometimes!

[bladesp2]

It seems that if they lowered their prices they might sell more volume and make more money, but it seems like the bricks and mortar stores wait for a sucker to arrive and then fleece him for all he/she is worth IE: extended warranty ,SD card etc ect.......