Buying a new machine almost as bad as purchasing a car
 

I just retired (yeah!) and plan to spend more time volunteering at church and the guild making quilts. My little class machine has done well for the last 10 years, but I’m ready for more features. So for my birthday, I decided to ask for a new machine - one with a lot of bells and whistles.

My husband and I ventured out to the sewing store I have purchased several machines from (and I felt very loyal to). I was about to pull the trigger on a machine that had been used in a seminar for $2700. New for the same machine would be $3700 (MSRP $4995). I asked to test drive the open box machine and was very disappointed because the motor had a whiny noise that wasn’t right. I went home and did more research on what others have paid for the same machine and many purchased new in the box for $3000.

The sales lady -someone I think of as a friend- called me a few times with different options - the last one being an abandoned lay away where someone had put down $500 and they would sell to me for $3500. I offered $3000 and she told me “no way”.

The next day I drove to a dealer further from my home, but less than an hour away. Nice store, friendly people - a good first impression. I spent some time with the sales lady and then asked “how much?” It was $3000. When I asked if they could sweeten the deal, they threw in a $300 trolley I had been looking at. Sold!!!

Later the sales lady at store #1 called and told me she could offer me the machine at $3000. It made me sad since I did want to give her my business but on the other hand a fool and his money are soon parted...

Why do we have to play these games?

Too bad the "friend" sales lady at the first place lost your business, but I'm glad you were a wise shopper. You saved $800, considering that you didn't pay $3500 for the machine and you also got the $300 trolley for free, and that's alot of money. Good for you! Enjoy your new baby!

Good for you doing your research. And fortunate that you have multiple dealers within a reasonable distance. But you are absolutely correct in that buying a sewing machine is much like buying a car. I'm not up for the games either.

Much like buying a car. My machine cost more than my car.

Yes, it is too bad that car sales 'tactics' have invaded the sewing machine world. A friend recently purchases a high end machine with embroidery module. The price was quoted with a $5,000 trade-in deal. She had a machine (also fairly high end, but one she used for piecing and free motion work) that she didn't want to trade in. The sales person knew she had this good machine. So, she offered a very old decrepit machine that she had 'inherited'. The sales lady said that the 'trade-in' discount was just 'a come on gimmick' and gave her the discount on the machine anyway-just for the asking! I think this is sad. So, I guess the lesson is to ask for what you want or state firmly what you are willing to do.

And don't be too hard on your friend. She isn't setting the price, the franchise owner is.

now that's a scary thought! Having to haggle to purchase a sewing machine seems so strange, but I will remember that if I go machine shopping. But it makes one wonder what is the real cost of that machine vs.profit? I know no one is in business not to make money, but how much is too much?

I feel your pain! Once I said that I wanted to look at a particular machine and the salesperson directed me to a completely different one for no apparent reason (maybe that manufacturer had a kickback incentive that month or something). I didn't want to have a battle just to get to look at the machine I wanted, so I left and went somewhere else. That's harder to do these days as there are fewer and fewer places that sell machines.

I hate buying cars so much that I hang on to my old ones until they start falling apart. I hope it doesn't get that bad with sewingmachines.

Sometimes paying a slightly higher price works out. When I bought my Bernina I visited the dealer closer to me. I did not feel welcomed when I walked in the store and also felt like the store owner thought I was wasting their time. So I called a shop that was over an hour away. Yes the price was slightly higher, but I was treated like a queen when I walked in the door. Not only that but the slightly higher price included 5 years of service, an extended warrantee, interest free financing and free delivery! So in the end it worked out to be a much better deal for me. But I do think it is sad that all these games have to be played.

I always wonder about the mindset of shops that treat customers like they're an intrusion. I have an older Brother embroidery machine and thought that I might like to upgrade or perhaps buy some newer software modules for it. The Brother franchise is just a couple of miles from my house, so I went there all excited to look at the newer embroidery software. There was a "introduction to embroidery" class going on in the back room and there was someone at the front desk. When I explained that I currently have an older model machine and was looking to buy some additional modules for it, the clerk immediately denigrated my current model and tried to upsell me to a $9000 model, saying the one that I have is "useless". If so, then they should have let me sit in on the embroidery class to see what I was missing so that I'd be inspired to upgrade. I won't be back.