West Marine Price Matching!

[Walz]

I went into West Marine this afternoon as I had a $15 coupon and free catalog offer. While there I looked at Hydrocoat paint. The price was 139.99. While trying to figure if getting it with $15 off was almost equal to mail order, the store manager came up to me. He asked if I was going to buy the paint and I said I was trying to decide on the best deal and had seen a cheaper price online. He said that West Marine price matches! Went to the checkout and I had him check Defender Marine online. Bottom line, I walked out with the gallon of paint for 95.33 including tax! And, Pettit has a $10 mail-in rebate on top of that!

 

[Happy Hour IV]

Price matching just bothers me. It seems like "we will gouge you unless you are smart enough to catch us then we can both screw the company that works hard to provide the lowest prices"

 

[LmannyR]

I went into West Marine this afternoon as I had a $15 coupon and free catalog offer. While there I looked at Hydrocoat paint. The price was 139.99. While trying to figure if getting it with $15 off was almost equal to mail order, the store manager came up to me. He asked if I was going to buy the paint and I said I was trying to decide on the best deal and had seen a cheaper price online. He said that West Marine price matches! Went to the checkout and I had him check Defender Marine online. Bottom line, I walked out with the gallon of paint for 95.33 including tax! And, Pettit has a $10 mail-in rebate on top of that!

Nice to know!!! Thanks!!

 

[Jimmy Buoy]

Price matching just bothers me. It seems like "we will gouge you unless you are smart enough to catch us then we can both screw the company that works hard to provide the lowest prices"

I agree however, most of those On-Line sweet deals add shipping at the point of ordering - taking the "sweet" out of the deal.

West Marine had better take this into account of they will be the ones getting hosed and I would like to see them hang around! Our closest store closed 2yrs ago and now the nearest one is 40min drive away.

 

[CougarCruiser]

I tried to get West Marine to price match Amazon.com - and they said they wouldn't.

This is in Seattle.

 

[Leafy Isle]

our local suppliers here are generally cheaper than West Marine but sometimes West has the product when the other guys don't. They will usually price match, it depends on the manager. The Sidney store is great, the Victoria store not so much.

 

[jrock1062]

Price matching just bothers me. It seems like "we will gouge you unless you are smart enough to catch us then we can both screw the company that works hard to provide the lowest prices"

Oh I disagree It make life much easier for people who actually do there homework before buying a product. I can do all the research on line and have a local guy the area in case there is an issue with the best price.If you choose not to worry about price and just go in and buy well then its on you. Just saying :smt001

 

[Skeetobite]

Our local WM stores match prices from ads on the internet, but add back the shipping costs we would have paid. In some cases this still works out well, especially when they have most things marked up 200% to 400% of what you can find elsewhere.

 

[Jackie J V]

I have yet to figure out the pricing strategy at West Marine - especially up here in Canada. They seem to follow the US/Cdn $ exchange rate when it suits them and they went through wide randing price increases last year that just took them out of the market on certain products.

They have had price-matching as a policy for quite some time. I bought a Garmin hand-held GPS six years ago and they matched the best local price then.

I always try first to support my marina though. I find if you support folks, then folks'll support you. I have a standard agreement that if I can get it through the marina and they cang get it for me within 10% of my best otherwise price (i.e., I will pay a premium), I'll buy there. This usually translates to efforts to get me the best price and I know where I can get service (which has come in handy).

Paul

 

[tobnpr]

They've always done it at the store nearby me. I don't bust their chops over a tube of caulk, though...
I've been going there for nearly twenty years and have had the same manager for the last ten or so...when I walk in he always shouts hello (Of course, he now knows he's made his sales numbers for the day)...

As someone mentioned, if it's a large item and they have to special order (rather than pull from the warehouse) I have to pay shipping.

 

[Deckworks1]

Our West Marine matches as well but you have to bring it up. I even got 60% off a Keel guard because I said I saw it on ebay for cheaper. It depends on the manager.