Mimiqwerty

Is there a way for the dealer to show you how much the Janome you want has been used? My Babylock Crescendo has a computerized stitch counter to tell how many hours/stitches are on the machine. Perhaps that might be a negotiating point to get him to lower the price to a more reasonable level for a floor model.

caspharm

A floor model is a floor model. If it's out of the box and people have used it, no matter the number of hours, it is a floor model. New in box means no one has used it.

I bought my machine as a floor model and the dealer gave me a great discount plus threw in a package of bobbins, another foot, and threw in a double cone holder that attaches to the machine. I actually went to a dealer that was an 1 1/2 hour away and in a different state.

Either bargain harder with the one closer or go to the farther one, because $1600 is a lot of fabric, notions, etc., especially a better deal if he gives you a new in box for less money.

GrandmaSewNSew

I don't know if there's a way to see how many hours a Janome has been used. Since this seems to be "business as usual" for them, I don't think they'll go down much in price. I asked the woman who let me try the machine about getting a better price from the owner and she said that that was their price and it would be for the machine I tried out. I had to wait to try out the two machines (one Janome and one Pfaff) as they had sold the Pfaff from the floor and were waiting for the new one to come in. At this point I don't want the aggravation of having to go over this with them. They have my phone number and if they call me to follow up, I'll tell them that I can get the machine much lower and not a floor model elsewhere and see what they say. My impression was that they charged lower than MSRP and so that's their price. I'd rather give my business to someone who treats me fairly from the onset as it's more likely that they'll continue to do so. I wondered initially if I was wrong in expecting a new in box machine but now I know that I wasn't and what they tried to do was just not right.

SRHaugen

Let me start by saying I would do the drive. The attitude of the dealer an "That is the way we do business" would turn me off. That being said I would take a demo with full warranty t the right price anytime. Many electronic components are "iffy" when new as testing them (individual components)would not be cost effective and may fail early on. A demo unit can be almost like an extended warranty. I know this from experience servicing high end electronic musical instruments, a digital pianos, keyboards, and organs. Still I would make the trip!

zozee

[QUOTE=GrandmaSewNSew;6620347]The store also sells both Pfaff and Janomes. I don't have any problems with buying a floor model if that's what I wanted. I'd have to weigh the savings vs the amount of time it could have been on the floor. When I was there last week they said the owner had taken it home to try for a while but that could have been a different machine (assuming they sold that floor model and got another). They also have quite a few sewing clubs and sew up lots of quilts so they even could have been using the machine to do that. I guess I don't know.
I just don't want to deal with them. I'm sure they won't come down $1600 (then I'd still have to pay tax on the balance anyway). But I don't like the way they're doing business and I think what they're doing is somewhat deceitful.
The model I am looking at is an embroidery/sewing machine, the Janome 15000. I've also tried out the Pfaff Creative Sensation, Bernina 780 and the Brother Dreamweaver XE. All of these machines sewed beautifully and had in house repair people.[/QUOT


Good for you. If you don't have a good rapport with him, if you think there's some deceit, if he won't budge on price, then you will never want to support him with your money. I say enjoy the drive to welcome spring and get a brand new in the box machine and support the business who practices in a manner you feel good about. I would praise the other dealer up one side and down the other for being a good person to work with.

caspharm

I agree with zozee. I went to the farther Janome dealer mainly because I didn't like the way the local dealer treated me. It was a bonus that it was the floor model with a deep discount, especially since the warranty wasn't affected. They also do the mastery classes and did a special version of their schedule for me, since I was coming out of town.

I believe there is a way to check the number of hours on a machine, but it may be set up that only a service person could see it. Too bad on these computerized machines that it is not as visible as mileage on a car .

patricej

GrandmaSewNSew has wisely decided to take her business to the more distant dealer.

i hope she also resolves to not spend so much as a penny at the closer dealer.

unless, of course, the closer dealer changes her current way of doing business. LOL