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I've never really understood the value of price-matching. Unless you have a gift card, or one store offers free shipping, why both with a price match? Just buy

by awill 5y ago

I've never really understood the value of price-matching. Unless you have a gift card, or one store offers free shipping, why both with a price match? Just buy from the cheaper place.

Osiris 5y ago
Some places used to offer price match plus an additional 10% off so it was beneficial to search for a cheaper price. I once did this at Lowe's by finding the item at home Depot for just a few cents cheaper and after buying 100 bundles saved a bunch of money. They recently stopped doing the extra 10% off.
yencabulator 5y ago
It's useful if you have a local store you like, with good customer service, that does price matching. It means you get the cheaper price but the better experience.
FractalParadigm 5y ago
If one place is walking distance and will price-match, it doesn't make sense to even start the car let alone drive elsewhere. In a different vein, when I was younger my mom price-matched a TV at Best Buy against a lower price at the Future Shop across the street, it was about $50 on a $1100 unit. We went to Best Buy first, found the TV we liked, then went across the road to see if there were any better/cheaper options. We ended up going back to Best Buy because the sales people actually seemed to give a damn about their job and the customer, and the fact they were not paid commission (unlike Future Shop), all combined with the price matching made it the more appealing decision. IIRC the BB extended warranty was a better deal.
Closi 5y ago
> I've never really understood the value of price-matching. Unless you have a gift card, or one store offers free shipping, why both with a price match? Just buy from the cheaper place. Simple: * You might trust one place to provide better ongoing service after sale - for instance in the UK John Lewis used to offer a price match ('never knowingly undersold') which would include a 2 year store warranty, while most other retailers only offered a 1 year warranty. On top of that, over time you find out which retailers will just sort your problem out when you bring it to them, while others will require you to deal with some helpline and will fob you off. * Price-match often also applies after the sale (i.e. we will match to 14 days after the sale) which provides the promotional message of 'you don't have to worry about shopping around now - you can complete the sale and if you would have got it cheaper you can get the difference back anyway'. This is also an additional customer price guarantee if an item goes on sale or is discounted immediately after purchase. * If you see a store online nearby that has better pricing, you can avoid the trip to the other store, or alternatively you may be able to visit your local store. If price-matching and buying multiple items, this may also mean that you can get all your items from one shop without having to visit multiple. * You might be able to get a better sales experience from a certain store - for instance I used price-match the other day on a monitor I was looking to purchase, because my local electronics store was more expensive but I knew that they would have a working sample out on display (while the other cheaper shop would just have it in the stock room, and it would be a faff to actually see the item). For the stores, it is also about 'loyalty'. If a customer always buys their electronics from your store, you don't want them going and shopping with your competitors.

by awill 5y ago

I've never really understood the value of price-matching. Unless you have a gift card, or one store offers free shipping, why both with a price match? Just buy from the cheaper place.

Osiris 5y ago

Some places used to offer price match plus an additional 10% off so it was beneficial to search for a cheaper price. I once did this at Lowe's by finding the item at home Depot for just a few cents cheaper and after buying 100 bundles saved a bunch of money. They recently stopped doing the extra 10% off.

yencabulator 5y ago

It's useful if you have a local store you like, with good customer service, that does price matching. It means you get the cheaper price but the better experience.

FractalParadigm 5y ago

If one place is walking distance and will price-match, it doesn't make sense to even start the car let alone drive elsewhere. In a different vein, when I was younger my mom price-matched a TV at Best Buy against a lower price at the Future Shop across the street, it was about $50 on a $1100 unit. We went to Best Buy first, found the TV we liked, then went across the road to see if there were any better/cheaper options. We ended up going back to Best Buy because the sales people actually seemed to give a damn about their job and the customer, and the fact they were not paid commission (unlike Future Shop), all combined with the price matching made it the more appealing decision. IIRC the BB extended warranty was a better deal.

Closi 5y ago

> I've never really understood the value of price-matching. Unless you have a gift card, or one store offers free shipping, why both with a price match? Just buy from the cheaper place. Simple: * You might trust one place to provide better ongoing service after sale - for instance in the UK John Lewis used to offer a price match ('never knowingly undersold') which would include a 2 year store warranty, while most other retailers only offered a 1 year warranty. On top of that, over time you find out which retailers will just sort your problem out when you bring it to them, while others will require you to deal with some helpline and will fob you off. * Price-match often also applies after the sale (i.e. we will match to 14 days after the sale) which provides the promotional message of 'you don't have to worry about shopping around now - you can complete the sale and if you would have got it cheaper you can get the difference back anyway'. This is also an additional customer price guarantee if an item goes on sale or is discounted immediately after purchase. * If you see a store online nearby that has better pricing, you can avoid the trip to the other store, or alternatively you may be able to visit your local store. If price-matching and buying multiple items, this may also mean that you can get all your items from one shop without having to visit multiple. * You might be able to get a better sales experience from a certain store - for instance I used price-match the other day on a monitor I was looking to purchase, because my local electronics store was more expensive but I knew that they would have a working sample out on display (while the other cheaper shop would just have it in the stock room, and it would be a faff to actually see the item). For the stores, it is also about 'loyalty'. If a customer always buys their electronics from your store, you don't want them going and shopping with your competitors.