Finally pulled the trigger!

[The J-Man]

Just got an update today. Sounds like the earliest I can expect my Kronos is mid-April (barring a miracle "expedited order").

I've already waited this long...what's another month?

[Rich Z]

I just got mine delivered today from Kraft Music. According to their website they've still got them in stock right now. Are you getting an exceptionally good deal from Sweetwater?

[The J-Man]

Congrats!

Nah, I'm not getting a great deal from Sweetwater. I'm just going be patient, maybe they'll get them in sooner than mid-April.

[Ashe Corvin]

Congrats!

Nah, I'm not getting a great deal from Sweetwater. I'm just going be patient, maybe they'll get them in sooner than mid-April.

Not sure if everyone does this, but it never hurts to negotiate with vendors. I used the "Chat with Salesperson" feature on a vendor website and asked them to match the Kraft bundle deal. They went into my Shopping Cart and dropped the price of the K2-88 by $200 instantly. Sadly they did not have it in stock. So I went to another online vendor, and they matched the price with almost no hesitation.

You pretty much just have to get someone on the phone or in a chat window and ask.

If you go to a brick-and-mortar store this is pretty much the norm. Never pay the going price for ANYTHING in a music shop. I've done this at Guitar Center for 20 years. It's expected and you don't get a lot of fight, unless you're asking for a ridiculous discount.

I suck at negotiating, and maybe could've gotten it for less, especially since the first vendor didn't even bat an eyelash when giving me the $200 discount.

So pro-tip... ask for a better price if you haven't already. Worst they can do is say no.

[benny ray]

I always talk to a manager or asst. manager so i go straight to the source and always try to get a price match deal. Its not very hard to negotiate prices unless you just have the extra money but my experiences is most working musicians are looking for the best deal. When shopping for my Kronos if i bought the first price i was quoted i would have paid about $400 more.

[The J-Man]

I've been a retail manager for over 10 years now. I can say, wholeheartedly, that one of the worst parts of my job is dealing with people who come in and ask for a discount for no reason. Because of that, I never ask for a discount unless there's a good reason for me to do so.

I think Price Matches are good reasons, but as far as the Kronos is concerned, everyone's selling it for the same price.

[GregC]

I've been a retail manager for over 10 years now. I can say, wholeheartedly, that one of the worst parts of my job is dealing with people who come in and ask for a discount for no reason. Because of that, I never ask for a discount unless there's a good reason for me to do so.

I think Price Matches are good reasons, but as far as the Kronos is concerned, everyone's selling it for the same price.

i buy quite a bit of stuff, so does my wife ( a teacher). So we always ask if there is a teacher discount or a senior citizen discount

[The J-Man]

That makes sense, I wouldn't have a problem with that. I work by an Army base...I get asked about military discounts all the time, and that's cool too. I think what I have a real problem with is literally no reason. I get this one all the time:

"I want to buy this ________ but was wondering what kind of deal you can give me"

I'll show them our current ad and tell them that those are the current deals. The item in question is not in the ad, so they'll persist. That's the kind of thing I can't stand.

Having said that, 9 times out of 10, I usually knock off 10% or something because I understand the value of keeping customers happy...I just personally have an issue with it.

I'm a disabled veteran, and I never ask about discounts.

[Ottawa58]

I think Price Matches are good reasons, but as far as the Kronos is concerned, everyone's selling it for the same price.

I find it interesting that everyone has posted exactly the same price. It almost sounds like price fixing. I see no harm in a customer negotiating with the salesperson. The music industry is not famous for it's transparency. This is especially true with acoustic pianos, where straightforward pricing information is impossible to get. Better yet, in this case I see absolutely no value add in going through a dealer at all. Just added mark-up. They don't have floor models to try, so why not purchase direct from manufacturer on-line? Or Amazon.

[Ashe Corvin]

I've been a retail manager for over 10 years now. I can say, wholeheartedly, that one of the worst parts of my job is dealing with people who come in and ask for a discount for no reason. Because of that, I never ask for a discount unless there's a good reason for me to do so.

I think Price Matches are good reasons, but as far as the Kronos is concerned, everyone's selling it for the same price.

I can see your point. I guess I look at these types of big purchases a little differently, almost like buying a car. Buying a keyboard, case, etc... you can easily spend $5000+. I've always understood that for these types of purchases negotiation is expected. Even if it's just throwing in a few free cables or a pedal or whatever.

As for the Kronos specifically, as is the case with most electronics, stores cannot advertise anything other than the agreed upon price with the distributor/manufacturer. That's where the BS "$5000 list price / $3699, 27% off!!!" or whatever that EVERYONE advertises comes from. But you can pretty much always get these types of things for less often just by asking. At least where I live. Hang out at any Guitar Center and you'll see this just about every time with large purchases.

In my experience about 5% is the norm. J-Man I would be thrilled with a 10% discount!

[Ottawa58]

The ability to buy an Apple computer online, configure it the way you want, buy more capacity, pay online: and have it delivered to your door in a few days is the model needed here. Dealers only add customer value for (1) trying something out - which you can't in this case, and (2) warranty work - which could be dealt with easily. When you buy a computer online there is no negotiating - you pay what they charge.

Imagine going online with Korg, buying your Kronos, with extra memory and your choice of EX already loaded. You watch it's progress online. Then Fedex shows up 5 days later at your door. Why do we need the guitar centre? Much of the non value added goes away with online purchasing.

[The J-Man]

Better yet, in this case I see absolutely no value add in going through a dealer at all. Just added mark-up. They don't have floor models to try, so why not purchase direct from manufacturer on-line? Or Amazon.

I think it makes sense for Korg to sell through retailers. All Korg's distribution network has to worry about is getting it to the retailers. They don't have to be on the phone with customers about shipping prices/methods, returns, or any of that...the retailers are sort of the first line of defense, if you will, for Korg.

I remember watching an unveiling video (I don't remember which one), and Rich F said that the NewKronos88 was going to retail at $3699. Korg have already worked the retail margins into their selling price. I think if Korg were selling it themselves, it would still be for $3699 but that's just me speculating.

[Ottawa58]

Both Apple and Amazon still have to deal with customers, returns etc. in Apple's case you can go to a Apple Store if you want to try it, but you can buy completely online if you want. (Same price)

Dealers have physical locations. That means extra handling, staff, real estate, more trucks, more potential for damage, mistakes, storage costs, inventory costs, etc. retail staff need training. The front line is a myth in 2015.

This year I did 3/4 of my Xmas shopping on Amazon. It's the way of the future.

[The J-Man]

I did too, I love Amazon.

You happened to compare Korg to 2 of the largest and most profitable major corporations on the planet.

I don't disagree that it would be more beneficial to us customers to buy directly from Korg...but I don't think they have the manpower or infrastructure in place to pull it off.

[Ottawa58]

Actually, based on my experience (i'm retired now), it wouldn't be that hard. Step 1: build and ecommerce module like Apple's, Step 2: sign a logistics fulfillment agreement with a company like Fedex, Step 3: link the ecommerce module to their production control system. Voila! Round the world reach, easy returns and warranty work, and customers that can buy online, customize their orders, and see them as they prgress, with a known delivery date.

Sweetwater and Kraft already have eCommerce - but it is un-lean because they are in the middle of the supply chain. Customers get no visibility. Yamaha would be the natural company to start this because of their size, but their thinking is still in the 1980's.