MSRP

Duane, are you allowed to give any MSRPs here? I know you cannot give your own prices price quotes here, but are you forbidden from even giving MSRPs? I have various quotes for the two sofas I am considering and one local store is advertising a %off sale including H&M brand items. I would like to figure out how much off MSRP they were offering before this sale so I can see how much of a "SALE" it really is, and how much more I might be expected to save, if anything. Since the MSRP doesn't or shouldn't change from one store or dealer to another I wasn't sure if that was something you could share. If it really is a significant additional discount, I might be able to consider a higher grade or class of leather in either sofa instead of a "program" sofa only. Thanks!

Sue, you can find the MSRPs here. I believe the 'standard' is at least 35% off MSRP.

Thank you! This was interesting and kind of what I thought might happen. A week ago I stopped in and got a quote for the Rita Sofa. I knew H&M had the 5% sale going on, but I was told the store had a 10% sale on it, so they apparently were matching the 5% H&M was giving. I was able to confirm (Thank you, Danw99!) that with the 10% off I was getting 45% off MSRP. So normal store pricing is apparently 35% off MSRP, with the extra 10% off I was getting 45% off MSRP. All good. I got an email today, that they are offering a big Presidents Day Sale that gives 35% off the first piece you buy, 40% off the 2nd and 45% off the 3rd. Does that mean the price of the first two items you buy have actually gone UP for the big President's Day Sale, lol? So the first piece is 35% off MSRP, or the stores regular price, the 2nd piece gives you an additional 5% off and the 3rd piece gives the 45% I was offered before the big sale. How do I or can I approach this so that if I only buy 2 pieces I get the 45% that they offered last week? This is why I HATE shopping for furniture and am tempted to just go with the lowest price I can get from where ever in the country I can get it. I am trying to support a local store. SMH.

Sounds like a complicated shell game to me. I don't play games like that at my store, it's ridiculous and confusing. My price beats theirs every day and you only have to buy one item....<laughing>

Hi SueCT! I'm not sure what local business(es) you're trying to support, but my word of caution is to not confuse local businesses with customer centric businesses of integrity. Duane may not be near my zip code, but there is no business close to me that will provide the same type of expertise and personalized service, not to mention the best prices. Between this forum and his willingness to communicate through email and guide through the buying process, there is no where else I would consider buying furniture. Similarly, I drive an hour when I need appliances. There is a family run appliance store that reminds me much of Duane's furniture store. Not only do the sell appliances, they service them. So if I go in and say I'm interested in a refrigerator, they pull up the service data and will say, "We're getting a lot of calls for that model. Here's a similar one with far less problems." They'll sell me parts and tell me how to fix things. So they may not be close to me, but they'll get my business every time - they operate with integrity and are customer focused. Oh, and like Duane, they always have the best price. ;-)

As a hard working consumer, I don't think it's unreasonable to spend my money outside my zip code when it's supporting hard-working, honest businesses that focus on providing me excellent products and outstanding customer service.

But that's just my 2 cents....

I don't know what prices Duane gives to local customers who come into his store. I did get a phone quote and he was within 100.00 of what this store gave, which, by the way, is my local Stickley Audi store, and is considered a reputable store around here. But this way of selling furniture is standard around here. There is no one locally that does not do this kind of stuff. To use Duane I would pay approximately the same price and shipping as well. I think he was 100.00 less. I would consider doing that anyway, but 2 things hold me back. One is having a local person to take care of damages or be able to assess the problem in person if I have any problems with the items later on, and a desire to keep a local business in business. There was another nice family owned furniture store in my town for 50 years and they went out of business. I miss them and don't want the same thing to happen to Stickley, so that the only choices left are stores that sell the brands shipping cheap stuff from China. Then I will have no choice but to drive long distance or order over the internet sight unseen. But this kind of stuff makes me mad. If they try to play games with me when I talk to them again, I will revisit ordering long distance. They are offering 18 months of no interest financing and since I know nothing is really free, I would not be surprised if prices go up any time they offering a financing option. If I could make the drive down to see Duane at this point I would be on my way already, lol. But H&M placed restrictions on what he can offer price wise to non local customers. I also have a cat that needs medication every 12 hours or be in pain or risk having seizures. She will not let anyone else near her. Given that she has been with me for almost 20 years now, I couldn't do that to her. So I will do what I can from here. I have not ruled out completely going elsewhere.

I also know that sales do not apply to program pieces, so if I go with the Just in Time program I had originally looked at, the only thing I effected by any discounts would be an ottoman. So its not critical, but it still makes me mad.

I have a two-tier price structure. My local customers get a higher price because I have to pay the shipping to the store (its not an insignificant cost) and handle the product. My long distance customers get a lower price on the item, but they have to pay the delivery company their fees. It comes out about the same at the end.

If you are from some distance away and make the trip, and we are shipping to you - you get the same as over-the-phone pricing.

HOWEVER - no matter where you live if you leave with a piece from my store, you will pay 6% VA Sales Tax.

I always suggest you buy where you are most comfortable doing so. Using the forum doesn't obligate anyone to make a purchase from my store in the least.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KelliP

Hi SueCT! I'm not sure what local business(es) you're trying to support, but my word of caution is to not confuse local businesses with customer centric businesses of integrity. Duane may not be near my zip code, but there is no business close to me that will provide the same type of expertise and personalized service, not to mention the best prices. Between this forum and his willingness to communicate through email and guide through the buying process, there is no where else I would consider buying furniture. Similarly, I drive an hour when I need appliances. There is a family run appliance store that reminds me much of Duane's furniture store. Not only do the sell appliances, they service them. So if I go in and say I'm interested in a refrigerator, they pull up the service data and will say, "We're getting a lot of calls for that model. Here's a similar one with far less problems." They'll sell me parts and tell me how to fix things. So they may not be close to me, but they'll get my business every time - they operate with integrity and are customer focused. Oh, and like Duane, they always have the best price. ;-)

As a hard working consumer, I don't think it's unreasonable to spend my money outside my zip code when it's supporting hard-working, honest businesses that focus on providing me excellent products and outstanding customer service.

But that's just my 2 cents....

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KelliP, Hear Hear ! I couldn't have said it better myself..
I live in NYC and I researched leather furniture to death ! That's how I found The Keeping Room. After obtaining a serious amount of knowledge here. I went to every any/every store in Manhattan and Jersey just to shop for recliners. I went to Stickley Audi first as it's around the corner, I also went to the Jersey store. I was dealing with "Sales People" and I knew more about their product then they did...Thanks Duane !

The Keeping Room's price for my recliners were considerably lower. I drove from Manhattan to Virginia to buy my recliners from Duane and I'm glad I did. I knew the obvious logistics of transporting a piece of fine leather furniture from H&M, North Carolina to anywhere USA is a challenge to say the least.(you need someone that's reputable and will answer that phone after you paid for your delivery and, lets face stuff happens..)
I got LUCKY, Duane had a huge order going to Long Island and his guys delivered my recliners on the way !! Doesn't get any better than that, door-to-door TLC ! We love our recliners and now Duane and I are designing a Simone Sofa to join them. I wouldn't spend this kind of money with any one else but "Duane Collie AKA Hancock and Moore Expert" LOL. Just my two cents LOL

Since I already have prices from both my Stickley Audi store and Duane, whether or not they are close together or not is not a mystery to me. I am truly glad you all got much better prices than you were able to get locally. I did not, and you will, I guess, just need to take my word for that. I too appreciate Duane's help in this forum, and I did speak to him first and his opinion was that my offer locally was a good one, but I also took his statements at face value that it is not required to make your purchased through him. While I appreciate your words of caution and that you wouldn't spend your money anywhere else, I will reserve the right to make those decisions for myself as well. Thanks for your concern.

BTW, since Dmarie really would like my delivery team to bring her future-new H&M sofa to NYC for her rather than using a delivery service (like we did last time with her recliners) but NYC city is 5 hours from my store and I can't send my guys up there in the truck for less than $ 900 (with one stop in downtown). That's what it costs me to do a round trip with my two men, Tom & Jim). Tolls alone are about $ 150 in that corridor plus three tanks of diesel fuel. The reason I mention this is that I told Dmarie that if we can get a few more orders in the metro NYC region during the same delivery window, we can split the costs of the run. I don't use my delivery charges as a profit center - just need to break even on them.

So if any of that are in the I-95 corridor from Baltimore to NYC and want to share a trip, let's talk and see if we can coordinate that trip. Last time we did this, by chance we had (5) stops between NJ, NYC and Long Island, and it worked out really well for all.

Will you be going through Connecticut? :)

Last time I checked, Connecticut is on the OTHER side of NYC ! But hey, we can pretty much go anywhere if the customer is willing to pay for the delivery. We have delivered as far south as Atlanta GA and as far north as Maine, and as far west as Chicago in years past. For long hauls though, its usually for a customer that is buying twenty or more pieces.

Hmmm. I don't think so. Many people commute from CT to NYC.

But I don't suppose you currently have a City sofa in Cavalier Mocha in your store, do you?

Yes I do. In fact, I have one on the showroom floor and also a brand new one in the H&M carton in the warehouse. Both # 9840 models in Cavalier Mocha. Both ready to go.

I was looking for standard cushions, which you probably have, and black or silver nails, which you probably don't. So I would need the details. I am also on the other side of CT, near the Mass line, 133 miles from NYC. It seems unlikely that it would be cost effective to pay for shipping from the factory to you and then you to me, but you never know. You would have to figure out a route, how much out of your way it would be and how much it would cost. Maybe with enough people sharing the cost. If it seems reasonable cost and time wise for you, I would certainly consider it.

Nails are a custom order only on the City series - and when I order for the floor its not something I put on those pieces.

You are correct, 133 miles from NYC would not be cost effective to deliver! That's another 5 hours and tank of fuel round trip....

FWIW, I would not really have any concerns getting delivery from Sun Delivery. If someone is really picky I think they could pay extra to have it kept in the original factory box.

OK, my math was wrong. The price I got on the Rita sofa was 55% off MSRP (3888.00) before the President's day sale. I will probably still go with the City Sofa, but it doesn't seem likely I could get better than that, although I will check it out just so I don't regret not finding out. I am picky about long distance sellers I would use, but I would certainly be happy to order from Duane if it made sense. I kind of agree that having only one sofa, I should probably go for comfort over style. Thank you for all your help and opinions.