Bigger West Marine Discount?

[bstreep]

Folks do know that WM will match Defender and Jamestown prices, right? If you have an Android or iPhone, use the shopsavy app to find competing prices (just scan the barcode).

[bobconnie]

For you folks out in Nor Cal, Oregon, Washington, I hope ya all know about Englunds Marine Supply. They don't have everything ya might need, but if your looking for fittings, bronze valves, thru hulls ect. And for your rope and line, chain, and stainless nuts and bolts !! ya should get to know them !! worth your while!! I stock up everyyear when we go to see the kids up there !!(and get rain gear lol) I don't have a thing to do with them other then a satisfied customer!!

[rubyjean]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

For you folks out in Nor Cal, Oregon, Washington, I hope ya all know about Englunds Marine Supply. They don't have everything ya might need, but if your looking for fittings, bronze valves, thru hulls ect. And for your rope and line, chain, and stainless nuts and bolts !! ya should get to know them !! worth your while!! I stock up everyyear when we go to see the kids up there !!(and get rain gear lol) I don't have a thing to do with them other then a satisfied customer!!

Englund Marine is the very best to do business with, hands down..Michael..

[Jd1]

A perspective from the great white north: When I go to WM and ask for a price match (invariably from a US merchant) it always turns into a kinda dance. First, you need to talk to a manager on all pricing matches as the 'regular' employees don't seem to have any latitude. After you get a hold of the manager, the normal answer is 'we don't price match against US suppliers'. After a lot of tap dancing you can usually score a bit of a discount.
My latest purchase is a ProNautics charger. WM in the US had a $50 off deal if you spent over x dollars but only on in-stock items. Guess what - the charger wasn't in stock and they were not interested in taking my money now and shipping when it became available. Although I dreaded the song and dance routine I knew I would be subjected to locally, I went to my local WM store and talked to the manager. He agreed to selling me the charger for $50 off the regular price if I paid in advance but of course the Canadian prices are higher than the US prices. I was ok with this particular deal because this charger was cheaper than I could find anywhere else (surprisingly) and I didn't have to pay freight and I got the discount.
Bottom line - I just wish they would realize that giving the customers a hard time is counter productive and that North America is a single market especially with our currency basically at par.
Oh, one other bit: We have two WM stores locally. The second store doesn't seem to know about their own sales sometimes with sale prices not posted at the merchandise and not even the checkout computer knowing about the sale price. Unless the customer knows, they get screwed!

[Renasci]

Ut oh, the thought police..... Hey CPA, Yea, I too go back to the E&B days, I was only crew then and not a fully fledged boat owner, and yea, I've had my ups and downs with WM, but I've had the same ups & downs with others. It always seems to boil down to who it is you're dealing with, and their constraints too of course. WM did me a great job weeding through replacement electronics when I got hit with lightning, and getting a gazillion different $2 parts from the discount centers was really helpful. Because the people working there were boaters like me, they understood and helped me find used parts places and other places like Goodyear Rubber that was just down the road. And, you gotta admit, the internet stores have taken a big bite outta things, which I think is just awesome, we need more free enterprizes, and local ones too to keep the prices of the big stores in check. I'm personally enjoying and often weighting the need versus the best price savings and spreading the wealth. I don't think there's one answer, just thought I'd mention the two discount centers cause I'm not sure how advertised they are.
...go fast.....
Kb

[foggysail]

Jamestown Distributors is a family business that is great to do business with. But getting back to West Marine, I find them very, very pricey. For example, I need a right angle brass fitting when I installed a new fuel pump this season. Their price was $9.95, the local hardware store sold a similar one that I purchased for $2.50.

Also remember that West Marine will match any competitor's price so if you take the time to shop both your local area and on line, you can save big bucks on big buck items. They are all in business to make money! If they make no money, they will not survive. Many purchases I make at West I just pay the counter price. Just having the parts available from someone nearby is worth the price.

Foggy

EDIT: Point of interest! I used to purchase many items from BoatFix. They sold just about everything beating everybody's prices. The site is now down for maintenance although there are posts on BoatersEd that they are history!

[avb3]

Originally Posted by foggysail

Jamestown Distributors is a family business that is great to do business with. But getting back to West Marine, I find them very, very pricey. For example, I need a right angle brass fitting when I installed a new fuel pump this season. Their price was $9.95, the local hardware store sold a similar one that I purchased for $2.50.
..............

Are you sure the metallurgical properties of the part you bought at the hardware store is the same as the marine quality one that WM had? It may not be an issue as the fuel pump probably is not in contact with sea water, however, I would be careful in making a general assumption that it is OK to use brass from hardware stores for anything that comes into contact with salt water.

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by avb3

Are you sure the metallurgical properties of the part you bought at the hardware store is the same as the marine quality one that WM had? It may not be an issue as the fuel pump probably is not in contact with sea water, however, I would be careful in making a general assumption that it is OK to use brass from hardware stores for anything that comes into contact with salt water.

The part needed for my application did not require a metallurgical study. What I needed was a simple brass plumbing fitting. If the part offered by WM exceeded my expectations by having qualities capable of salt water immersion, they should have so stated on it's package to prevent general assumptions!

Foggy

EDIT: I just checked their catalog. The part in question certainly must have been bronze. This is a good example of not clearly marking the package and also maybe offering a less expensive brass part alternative.

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by Jd1

A perspective from the great white north: When I go to WM and ask for a price match (invariably from a US merchant) it always turns into a kinda dance. First, you need to talk to a manager on all pricing matches as the 'regular' employees don't seem to have any latitude. After you get a hold of the manager, the normal answer is 'we don't price match against US suppliers'. After a lot of tap dancing you can usually score a bit of a discount.

We have the same perspective in the great golden west...

I avoid WM when possible. order from the 'net, head over to Alameda and shop svensons and blue pelican.

I can remember back in the 80's when there were little marine chandelers near every marina. Boaters Friend in Berkeley was one of my favorites..

WM is for when I am in the middle of something, need it and they have it.

I have had some interesting conversations educating them about retail law in CA and how if you PRICE it at X you MUST sell it at X to anyone who finds it. You can change the price and not sell it for that again... Numerous times I have found incorrect pricing on their shelves, and when it has been in my favour on something I want I have insisted ; -)

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by virginia boy

........I will be spending quite a bit of money between now and spring, and don't wish to haggle over every small purchase to get a lower price.

When I lived in Gulfport, Ms and purchased a new to me boat, I spoke to the manager at the Biloxi WM and told him I intended to upgrade my boat and spend approx. $15K over the next year. I did not get a Port Supply account at the time, however, they were giving me deep discounts. That was probably almost 10 years ago. Gulfport/Biloxi area had a decent amount of WM competitors stemming from the shrimp boat fleets and WM traditionally was higher priced than anyone else.

Since Gulfport/Biloxi area, I have lived several other places and noticed that WM was still the highest priced marine supplier around until I moved to Kemah, Tx. Kemah is more or less on Galveston Bay, Tx. We are arguably the 2nd or 3rd largest boating community in the USA. There are not as many marine stores around as I would have thought and West Marine is the best stocked and usually has the best prices.

I owned a woodworking business in Kemah area and did a small amount of boat work. I acquired a Port Supply account. It is well worth getting if you are doing any commercial boat work at all. In order to get a Port Supply account, generally you must produce 2 forms of ID for your business. I provided them with my business cards, my business license, my State and Local Sales Tax license and my company website and had no problem at all. The more info you provide them, the faster and smoother the process will go.
There is no set discount percentage because they discount you pretty much on the same way they make their purchases. Example would be that there is a very low retail mark-up on electronics so dont expect a large discount with a PS account.
From my personal experience, a PS account can range from only just a few pennies to almost 50%. Also, the more busines you do with them will get you a better discount.

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by avb3

Are you sure the metallurgical properties of the part you bought at the hardware store is the same as the marine quality one that WM had? ......however, I would be careful in making a general assumption that it is OK to use brass from hardware stores for anything that comes into contact with salt water.

Great point. I can give further examples i.e. buy stainless steel nuts and bolts from Lowes or Home Depot and compare them to the same size nuts and bolts from West Marine. First, you can easily feel the difference in weight, and I mean easily. Secondly, put a magnet to them and see how the cheaper ones from the discount houses are much more magnetic.

Another case in point is that I dont know of any major oil company on the rigs in the Gulf of Mex that are allowed to buy any chains or shackles that are nade in China. Chinese fittings, chains, shackles, etc are of dubious quality. I don't know the origin of WM stuff like this, but I do trust WM and I also know that the Chinese manufacturers meet the specs of their buyers. It's just that some of the marine suppliers buy their wholesale goods from China 'off-the-shelf' with their only motivation being cost.

[Northbound44]

Is it criminal to make profits in USA ?

Hoping not!

One thing about WM, it is convenient, they offer good service, they honor the warranty of the products they sell whatever the store you buy it.

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by Northbound44

Is it criminal to make profits in USA ?

Hoping not!

One thing about WM, it is convenient, they offer good service, they honor the warranty of the products they sell whatever the store you buy it.

I failed to see where anyone complained about profits. If one does not like the price, there are other places available to shop.

Originally Posted by foggysail

Also remember that West Marine will match any competitor's price so if you take the time to shop both your local area and on line, you can save big bucks on big buck items. They are all in business to make money! If they make no money, they will not survive. Many purchases I make at West I just pay the counter price. Just having the parts available from someone nearby is worth the price.

Foggy

EDIT: Point of interest! I used to purchase many items from BoatFix. They sold just about everything beating everybody's prices. The site is now down for maintenance although there are posts on BoatersEd that they are history!

[rubyjean]

Originally Posted by Northbound44

Is it criminal to make profits in USA ?

Hoping not!

One thing about WM, it is convenient, they offer good service, they honor the warranty of the products they sell whatever the store you buy it.

Not true...They told me to go to the manufacture and they told me to go through WM....Catch 22
I now use only Englund Marine, or Jamestowne...

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by rubyjean

Not true...They told me to go to the manufacture and they told me to go through WM....Catch 22
I now use only Englund Marine, or Jamestowne...

It depends on the product. Sometimes WM handles warranty directly, sometimes the MFR wants you to send the product to them.

And believe it or not sometimes there is a communication failure, and sometimes you get a not-so-great employee maybe even sometimes they are just having a bad day.

(full disclosure: I do work at a WM store but I am NOT a spokesperson, the opinions shared are my own only.)