Coupons, Discounts & Rebates
Coupons & Rebates are nothing more than a ploy by the HVAC provider to get the consumer’s attention to make a call to them and request a quote for a new system or repair service. The ugly truth about coupons and some rebates is that they are, more times than not built into the cost of the job or service. So when the “discount” is deducted the consumer feels good when in actuality they paid a relatively normal amount of money for the service or product.
Same thing goes for “Senior Citizen Discounts & Military Discounts”. Providers that offer such discounts at 10% typically already have the “discount” built into the job cost. NOT EVERY PROVIDER does this, but most of them do. I would much rather have a provider tell me that they can’t afford to offer coupons & discounts because their pricing is already as competitive as it can be than to be handed a false “discount”.
Let me call my manager…
You know that feeling you get in your gut when you are given a price for a product or service (like a new HVAC system) that you immediately feel is too high and egregious and the guy or gal standing in front of you in your home who has probably wasted a good chunk of your time sits there and tries to convince you otherwise that it is a great price after your objection?
Many times the next words out of the salesperson’s mouth is, “Would you excuse me for a moment while I call my manager and let me see what we can do to improve the price.”
This is a blatant DOG & PONY SHOW. That salesperson that steps outside may or may not be making a phone call to his/her manager, but they want you think they are. They want you to think they are going to bat for you to get your new HVAC system price down to a more affordable level. Fact of the matter is, they already have the money in the job to take off to make you, Mr./Mrs. Customer, feel good about your buying decision. Oftentimes the price they give you after you object to their 1st price is still overpriced.
If a salesperson comes back to you and says, “My manager said we can knock $1000 off your price if you sign with us right now”, your very next question to them should be, “Why didn’t you offer me that price to start with?”.
You want to be treated with respect and honesty. If your gut feeling is saying something is wrong, then it is probably for a good reason.
Next day installation
“BIG BOX” Contractors that offer you next day installation do so because they don’t want you to get anymore prices. If you got more prices, you would quickly see how much they are ripping you off. There are a few contractors out there that have their entire business model built around “Next Day Installations”. The customers that fall for this sales game are sometimes spending 1.5-3 times more money on the installation because they were SOLD and not educated.
ALWAYS GET MORE THAN 1 ESTIMATE! At least 3 estimates is customary.
Negotiating a price
The quality contractors in the market are offering prices that cannot be discounted. If you are getting offers from a provider to discount your price on a new HVAC system by $750, $1000, $1500 or more than you should be asking why they didn’t offer you that price to begin with.
Buying a HVAC system IS NOT like buying a car. A quality, honest contractor may be able to knock a couple hundred bucks off for you. When they do that they are decreasing their markup % and/or profit margin for their business.
BE HONEST with the contractor when asking if they can come down on their price. Are you asking just to ask or do you like their proposal better, but they are slightly higher than another contractor.
Brands of equipment
The internet and GOOGLE can be your best friend and your worst enemy when it comes to researching HVAC equipment for your home. First & foremost, THERE IS NO “BEST BRAND”. Let me repeat that, THERE IS NO “BEST BRAND”. Every brand on the market has examples of premature failure in one way or another.
The price of the job does NOT make the equipment good or bad either. If you believe spending lots of your hard earned money on a new HVAC system because you believe it is better, YOU WILL BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. An unethical salesperson will pick up on that and they will absolutely take advantage of you if you let them.
The integrity of your equipment will come straight down to the company you choose to install it for you. This choice is critical because you want a company to answer your calls if you need warranty service and/or repair after the installation.
Lastly – THERE IS NO “BEST BRAND”