I want to get a Digitakt 2 for quite some time and just waited until my finances where right.
Now i could get one from the shop right around the corner for 999 € or order one from a shop in another city for 925 €.
Usually i try to buy gear for the lowest price but in this case i’m not sure.
On one hand it’s already a huge amount of money for me and saving 74 € sounds enticing.
On the other hand i want to support the local store. And if the screen breaks (or something else) i can just bring it to the shop without having to care about the shipping.
I’m leaning to the local option but i’m not sure. I’ll probably go with my guts in the end but a little advice from this wonderful group of elektronautic musicians can’t hurt.
Tough call. Recently I have been trying to buy from shops I like because I want them to survive, but it’s usually more about buying vinyl these days so the difference versus buying online is not that steep.
Elektron is a bad candidate for this, the 3 year warranty mostly negates any benefit of doing business with a face at the brick-and-mortar store, at least outside of the DOA period in which the shop would do the exchange.
If you have lots of local pride it’s a nice sentiment and I say it’s your call! It’s tough though, especially if the other shop offers free shipping. Hope you enjoy the machine either way!
I try to buy from local (or similar non-local but smaller or specialized shops) when possible myself. Occasionally I’m tight on synth-money and will go with the lower price though too. Just depends. I do really like to support the little guys though when possible, being a little guy in a way myself with my synth building. I like the idea of the small business.
Unfortunately they won’t. I asked about that before and they said they can’t offer the same price as other bigger shops. It’s already hard for them in this business. At least that’s what they said.
What’s strange to me is that at Thomann the DT2 also goes for 999 € while the 925 € offer is from 2 of the smaller shops.
I have never purchased a single piece of equipment from a major retailer without at least receiving a 10% discount, and I usually ask for 15% off and get it without any problem. You just have to call and ask. Don’t ask for their “best price” because you will have placed the ball in their court. Ask for the specific discount you want. If they won’t do 15%, but say they will do 10%, tell them thank you, consider it for a few moments, then ask for 12% and they will almost always accept. Use the euro value, not the percentage, and work out the amounts before calling.
Interesting. I wonder if that works here in germany as well. So far i only heard about discounts given to more famous musicians or frequent customers over here. But i could be wrong.
I am fairly certain that they will play ball with you. I’ve received discounts from Thomann before, as well as retailers in the UK. Things in the 200 euro price range are more likely to only have room for 7-10% off but I just hunt and call around until I find at least 10%.
I try to buy local first, even if it’s more expensive. I am lucky that there’s a local shop that has a great collection of gear, and they are generous with their knowledge, and have floor models you can mess with, so I want them to succeed. Especially cables and other small bits I try to buy there. But I also have the resources to do it, and have no judgment for other choices.
Hi, I would recommend that you just buy the thing from Thomann and be done with it. For all the sentimentality, in reality, the local shop could have also given you a discount. They also calculate their prices and there’s a considerable profit margin. So, I don’t find that statement quite honest. By the way, I’ve stopped believing that I can change anything about the situation in retail. Poor service, no know-how, expensive parking, crowded city centers, and so on. It’s hard for me to write this since this is actually my profession, and I trained for it, but that’s just how it is.
P.S.: Thomann is delivering the Digitakt 2 today Greetings from Stuttgart.
Always give the local shop a chance to match the price, if they dont then thats their loss, I see no reason why you should pay more when you could pay less. The shop won’t be in business for long if they wont be competitive, so why put yourself out financially to just delay their inevitable demise?
Thank you all for your advice and thoughts!
Apparently someone bought the last DT2 from the local shop today. So the universe made the decision for me.
They should have at least offerd some mild discount to show goodwill. If they are unable to match online prices thats fine but at least they could have said 30 dollars for goodwill.
Thomann germany, yeah you could try to negotiate but it always depends if you are catching someone who is willing to do that. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
Is the local shop an independent shop run by enthusiasts?
Would I be sad if it were gone?
Do I think they provide a valuable service?
If yes: I would pay the “local” premium.
Then I would ask myself: who does this money mean more to, me or them? If I really need that extra $50, then I would find a way to save it. (Then again, if the $50 is a financial make-or-break point, I would question why I’m buying something that’s $700.) If it’s a small local shop, the money might mean a lot to them. If it’s a large national chain that happens to have a brick and mortar store near me, probably not so much.
But tips at restaurants or for delivery / service people: who does that extra $5 mean more to? Usually it’s them.
Greetings from Stuttgart.