Top 5 Ways to Find Cheap Appliances
Major appliances like refrigerators, washers and dryers are very expensive but not something you buy frequently so taking some time to seek out a great deal can really pay off. Shoppers who hunt for great deals know there are several sure-fire ways to get the best deals. Here are the top 5 ways to find cheap appliances in the St. Louis and St. Charles area.
Scratch and Dent Appliance Stores & Appliance Outlets
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Most major towns like ours have an appliance store that carries new appliances which are cosmetically damaged. Some carry new appliances that were returned by the original purchaser or new refrigerators and other appliances that the retailer used in the showroom as a presentation model. These can't be sold as new from the retail store so they are sent to an outlet store. Often these appliances will sell for half the price of retail stores.
TIP: While much of the inventory could possibly be steeply discounted due to damage or age, some could be in perfect shape whilst still being offered at a lower price than you can find anywhere else.
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TIP: Make sure you inspect an item before buying and understand the return policy and the warranty.
Example of local Appliance Outlet / Scratch and Dent Store in St. Louis & St. Charles: St. Louis Appliance Outlet, Saint Louis, MO (http://www.stlapplianceoutlet.com)
Know the best time to buy
In case you plan on shopping at traditional retailers for your major appliances, pay attention to the newspaper ads. You will see that major appliances are on sale every week. But if you can possibly wait for a traditionally large sale event including Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, or Black Friday, you can get even bigger discounts. Retailers are either giving an increased discount or discounting an excellent quality item more than they usually would as a way to attract more attention on these highly competitive dates.
See this calendar and article from the Financial Options Blog: When do things go on sale? Answered: Save Money With A Yearly Sales Cycle Calendar
Find the Clearance Isle
Many of the Big Box Stores have a small section of clearance products with discontinued models. Some even have an array of floor models and returned items - often called Open Box items. These are usually well discounted and you can often find a higher quality item for a comparable price to one of the lower quality door-buster sale items. To find the best deal you will need to continue to visit the retailers until you find what you need. Their inventory changes every day and is different from one location to the next. If you see something one day it can be gone the next and there are not going to be more in stock. Also, retailers don't like to provide a great deal of inventory in these areas. They'd rather ship it off and let an outlet or scratch and dent store sell it instead. Retailers pay a lot of money in advertising to get customers into their store and selling drastically discounted appliances next to their new inventory is not their business model. When customers see the deals from the clearance and open box sections they generally do not shop the items the retailer is trying to sell.
TIP: Be persistent and keep checking the stores in your area.
Big Box Store with Open Item or Clearance sections: HH Gregg (http://www.hhgregg.com)
Big Box Store with Open Item or Clearance sections: Home Depot (look in the back near where the stock room) (http://www.homedepot.com)
Big Box Store with Open Item or Clearance sections: Best Buy (http://www.bestbuy.com)
Find An Online Retailer
While refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers and various other major appliances are large goods, some online retailers are competent and offer good prices and reasonable shipping rates. There are downsides to great online bargains: Some trusted online retailers are set up for the challenges of dealing with major appliance sales online. Be sure to understand the delivery method as well as cost. Some provide delivery to any shipping terminal and you are responsible for retrieving it, others deliver to the end of your driveway with out going any farther. Do your research locally and ensure the item will fit the area you have for it. Get detailed dimensions for width, top, depth, and dimensions with the doors open and any clearances needed for ventelation.
Find A Used Appliance
Some people replace their appliances just because they would like to upgrade their kitchen or as part of a remodel and not for the reason that appliances don't work. People also buy appliances in matching sets. So if the one appliance in the set stops working for example the refrigerator they see it as a reason to get a nice set of stainless appliances or they don't want a mis-matched set of appliances. In many circumstances, someone has a refrigerator go bad so they buy a new kitchen set and then possess a good used stove, microwave, and dishwasher to get rid of. These can be great bargans for the reason that the seller is often happy getting anything for the appliances and they are also happy to have them out of their storage.
Beware: If you buy from a person rather than a business, there is no gaurantee about precisely how long or well the appliances will function. Another way to shop used appliances is to find the scratch and dent appliance retail store or appliance outlet that also carries used appliances. These retailers have appliance repair professionals on staff and usually refurbish utilised appliances before reselling them. Often they will provide a warranty and a return or exchange policy.
Never Pay Suggested Retail
These 5 options will help you find the best deal the next time you need to purchase major appliances. You can always find a better deal than the suggested retail price. If you do your research and determine the features you are looking for and your budget, you will be prepared to shop around and find exactly the appliances you want at a price you will be proud of. Find money saving tips like this and Advanced Financial Management information at the Financial Options Blog: www.financial-options.net