It’s a battleground out there! Make sure you fight smart and get what you want, instead of getting burned.
Looking to buy some new DJ gear in time for Christmas? Ordering online? If funds are tight and you want to make sure you get the very best deal, we’ve got a few guerrilla tips to show you best how to buy DJ gear online.
From sneaky back-door routes to the same products, to flexing your negotiating skills, to ordering from abroad – here are some of the tricks and tips smart DJs use to get the most bang for their buck when buying online…
Our 7 guerrilla tips for buying DJ gear online
First, wise up! Our DJ Controllers: The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide 2013 resource will help you to decide which gear is best for you. Next, take a look at the following:
- Look for the same seller on eBay. Many dealers also have eBay auctions going on. Do a simple search and see if you can find them there too. Compare prices and you may make a decent saving…
- Look for the live chat feature and negotiate down. Many sites have this. Have a few open windows of other stores on your computer and their prices for the same item (even if “not in stock”) and use these to start negotiating. Salespeople often operate on commission and want your money – so you have something to bargain with…
- Go for last year’s models. DJing is DJing, and people were rocking floors last year just as much as they are today – using last year’s gear. Be sure you want the new features that you’re paying a premium for – and go for earlier models instead if not
- Make sure you’re buying from an authorised dealer. Some aren’t, and this may mean that your warranty isn’t valid. DJ gear can and does break, and you want to make sure that your warranty is rock solid
- Check the returns policy. What will it cost you if you change your mind, or the goods arrive faulty, or you need to return them for repair? Find this out before purchase – not afterwards, to your cost. This is especially important if you decide to do what we speak of in the next point…
- Find it cheaper abroad – but be aware of import taxes. Buying from abroad can save you money, but import duty can erase the gain or even end up costing you more. This can still be worthwhile – but find out!
- If it seems too good to be true, it normally is. Spam posts on forums, sites that don’t give you a physical address (there are some quite convincing ones out there), places where you can’t speak to someone by phone… all of these should be avoided at all costs – otherwise, it’ll be you who pays with the non-arrival of good or even worse, card fraud
Shop locally or online?
Many people haven’t got a DJ store near them, which means online is their only way of getting goods. But if you do have a store near you, consider using them instead.
Once you know how to buy DJ gear online, you can apply many of these “rules” to your interactions with physical stores. And having the chance to use the gear, talk to someone knowledgeable about it, and return it easily if there’s an issue can actually be worth far more than shaving a small amount off the price.
Happy shopping!
Have you had success, or a nightmare, shopping online? Got any tips to add to ours? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
Now go to:
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DJ Controllers: The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide 2013.
Tags: Buy Dj Gear, buying dj gear online, Buying Online, dj, Dj Gear, Gear Online, Tips For Buying
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I bought a NI Kontrol S4 at my local store. I’m glad I did, because I had twice problems with the S4. The first one got replaced and the second one also (the one I’m using now is (sadly) the third one).
[ link ]The service of my shop is really excellent, while my S4 was returned to NI they borrowed me one from their showroom, till my replacement arrived. Thumps up!!! They are really good for their costumers
I recently bought my new pair of denon sc 2900s from a company in France. They had a double pack deal on and with that and the exchange rate from euro to pound, I saved £360 on a uk based £1600 package. And cos it’s eu there’s no import tax to pay. Definitely pays to be savvy with your shopping.
Derek
[ link ]Hey Phil,
Thanks for all the tips. Good news for many, I am sure.
I have recently gotten a digital live mixer from the US, hand-carried by a friend that lives both in the US and in Holland. I purchased it through an online source that was out of state for my friend, so no sales tax applied. The difference was a whopping 430 euros on a total price of 750,00 euro! Certainly worth the effort, especially as the power supply didn’t need any adaption (beware of 110V US models if you live in Europe lol, I speak from experience).
Obviously all things came together here and I got lucky. This was a clear exception since more often than not gear is just not THAT much cheaper abroad anymore that it is worth the hassle. Most manufacturers have gone to some sort of global pricing model. Understandably so, since everyone can look up the price of any item anywhere in the world and they can do without the headaches of customer complaints about pricing differences.
Since I occassionally sell stuff as well, I have a dealership with some wholesalers and distributors. Being a small fish, the discount I get is usually such, that I end up buying my own gear elsewhere as it is cheaper than I can buy it for from the official sources.
The two killer’s in online sales are Bax-shop out of The Netherlands (not sure about their policy on foreign shipping though) and Thomann from Germany (they do ship abroad for sure). I usually look there to find the best street price on gear. Very seldom can I undercut that price via any other source. Still, the more expensive the item, the more it pays to at least search for lower prices. For cheaper items I just go ahead and order it from them. Shipping usually free above 50 or 75 euro (with my distributors I have to order 600 euro+ to get free shipping) and you have it the next day. Warranty and returns are handled hassle free. Credit notes come quickly and are paid promptly, no complaints there either.
So for the latest gear, these two are often the best choice. Sometimes you can wave their prices in the face of a local dealer and they might be able and willing to match it. Mostly they won’t be able to match it though and it is up to you how much of a price difference it is worth to you to keep your local dealer alive.
Also, be sure to take into account the potential saving versus the estimated time spent to earn that saving. I don’t know about you, but I value my time highly and usually can spend it more wisely than shopping for two hours to find something 10 euro’s cheaper (I could be spending that time taking the Phil’s spinning lessons
).
Greetinx & keep on spinning,
[ link ]Chuck “DJ Vintage” van Eekelen
one of the best things with Ebay is their “best offer” feature….. i managed to find a seller who had a track record of accepting offers made for his products so i put in a cheeky bid of £500 for a Numark 4 Trak promising same day paypal payment and he accepted within the hour….
the unit was brand new sealed in box and probably one of the best buys i’ve made all year!
[ link ]I should have gone to a local shop here in the DC area. My Novation Twitch started going wonky 2 months after I bought it. Of course Guitar Center does not service what they sell. Novation tech support has been helpful, but they are on the other side of the country if I need to ship my unit back to be fixed or replaced
[ link ]There are a lot of local shops that sell gear but I still prefer to get my equipment online because it is always cheaper. Local shops have rent and employees to pay no-wonder why they charge more.
I would say go wherever you can get the gear cheap & you’re right always go for last year’s models. These are some really great tips.
Many Thnx!!
[ link ]I enjoy buying things on no-interest payment installments, really helps if you don’t have all the cash right then and there.
[ link ]I recently found myself killing some time browsing the local home entertainment all in one store’s website and lucked upon a pricing error, which they happily stood by. I am now the proud owner of a NI Traktor Kontrol S2 for only 277 dollars!!! Big winner! Now to sign up for your online course…looking forward to learning from you, Phil. =)
[ link ]Sounds like you’ve got off to a good start!
[ link ]Signing up for these online retail store also offer special coupons and holiday discounts. One other option is the forum on some of these websites.
[ link ]Here in Sweden everyone (almost) get their gear from Thomann in Germany. Better price, better webshop, better warranty too.
[ link ]Got RCF 18″ neodyme woofers (4) for half the price they cost in Sweden.
Next up for me is the Pioneer DDJ-SX for 8500Skr that is less than I payed for my Numark NS6. I never buy from my local dealer. Too expencive, they don’t know shit about dj-ing and you never know when they are going out of business….
When a new product comes out, wait a few months before buying. I.E. controllers.
[ link ]Good example iDJ Pro by Numark. Preorder $499 US…. Came out in November, can now buy as low as $379 US. I’m being patient on the Pioneer DDJ-SX, betting it will drop $100-200 US after the holidays.
Anyone have recommendations for a good online store in the UK?
[ link ]We like Westend DJ and Juno.
[ link ]phase one DJ have excellence customer service whenever I’ve used them.
Also, I use Thomann a lot. They’re based in Germany but huge and very reputable. Devivery is always £10 no matter how big or small your order and if you spend over a few hundred they do free delivery. I recently had a problem where something I ordered hadn’t arrived. I emailed and they replied withing 24 hours – turns out it was just waiting for me at my post office just around the corner!
[ link ]Don’t forget another great source is each other. Don’t forget to ask other djs for advice on where to get your gear. The record pool I work in gets a percentage off from Odyssey. I’ve shopped at a dj store since I started to dj and have gotten price reduction and no sale tax added to my purchases. Also, don’t take reviews for granted. Don’t just read the ones from the store you are planning to purchase from but look at other websites. I got a 18″ powered sub for about $325 with free shipping when the cheapest I could find was about $400 plus shipping for a 12″ powered sub. I trusted the reviews and got an excellent product for a great price.
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