Home Depot Ridgid clearance pricing ranting and raving

[Zappacat]

Over the last several months I've been going into and calling my local HD to try and pick up on some of the clearance pricing you guys have been talking about. I've been successful ZERO times.

First it was the table saw R4511. Local store had 2 in inventory on computer but couldn't find any in the store. I looked around the store in the stacks and couldn't find any there either. Later on they told me the two R4511's still on their computers were actually shipped to another regional store.

Then it was the drill press , band saw , and jointer . They have all of these items in store but NONE of them ring up with ANY discounts in their computers.

Now, today I called them and had them look up SKU # 428428 for pricing on the RIDGID 6 1/8 In. Stationary Jointer/Planer model # JP0610 .

Low and behold they look up the SKU # and the first thing she said was "it's on clearance" . So I get excited and ask what the price is and it's $429.00 . She eventually hooked me up with the manager that explained to me whatever was in the computer they had to go by. He also added that since it just went on clearance that it would PROBABLY start dropping in price but when I told him the about the $ 199.00 clearance price it sounded like he thought I was joking.

I give up !!! Anyone else having these kinds of experiences when trying to take advantage of the Ridgid clearance pricing at HD or is it just me ?

[Ozzie]

Hang in there! When the DW735 Planers went on closeout over a year ago, I went to three of the HD stores in my area. They laughed when I showed them the print-out receipts from other states and said they couldn't match the prices because;

A, They weren't on closeout in this "District",

B, They were a top seller in my area since the sku number on the shelf had an "A" listed on it.

C, The price was ridiculus since, in the manager's opinion, they would never go that low!

For a year, I went to the stores whenever I was in the area and checked the shelves for a markdown. The sales people got to know me by sight because I was there so often. I also started checking the internet site almost daily with the sku number and it always came up full price.

Finally, they did have a clearance!! How did I find out? I checked the sku number on the internet web site at the store closest to me and it said the DW735 was not listed as being available when it had been a day or so earlier. I immediately went to the store and checked the shelf and they had them marked on clearance from $649 down to $274. Not as good as a year previous in other areas but still a terrific price. I got mine at that price, one of five they had in stock! (In the year I was checking, they hadn't sold ONE! Shows how good a seller they were.) LOL Two days later, they were sold out in the three stores in my area!

So! Keep checking! If they have them on the rack at the regular price, sooner or later they will clearance them out if they are doing so in other states.

Good Luck!

[Zappacat]

So, when you looked it up online the last time it didn't give you a clearance price figure it just gave you an "item not available" message ?

[Uncle Cracker]

I think your manager is blowing smoke. I'm pretty certain that all HD managers have some latitude on pricing, although I don't know the official company position. I do know that I have gotten deals several times in the past from several managers, for a variety of items and reasons.

[Zappacat]

When I look up the SKU # for the jointer now online it tells me $429 "available online only" and I know they have 4 of them here in the store.

When I look up the SKU # for the bandsaw it says $417 "sold at your local store"

Do you think I may be getting close to snagging one of the jointers at clearance price?

I guess my only option is to keep going by the store and checking as often as I can.

[Ed62]

I guess my only option is to keep going by the store and checking as often as I can.

You might want to try the phone, although the information you get might be different from what's in the store. But if it's on sale, you should be able to find out on the phone.

When I got my bandsaw, I called four Home Depots in our area. The last one was the only one who had it at clearance. I got the last one.

Ed

[BrentM]

expand the search area

My store had all but the jointer. I did get the r4511 for $299 after they told me no way it would go down that far. That big Tuesday, it went down.

Recently got the band saw. A friend spotted it in a store maybe 45 minutes away from here. I went into my local store, they called, verified the price and still wouldn't price match. So I called the other store and paid over the phone. Picked it up the next day.

Both of these stores now have the jointer. So far, no price drop. One claimed it was a new version. I haven't heard about a new version so I'm assuming it will drop at some point. I keep checking.

I have seen one DW735 in my travels. It was high up on a shelf in a cage. They list it at $475 in the computer. DW734s were on the floor, priced at the normal $399.

Watch, wait, expand the search, wait some more.

[parnelli]

As a general rule with deals, you don't want to call the store. If the person who answers the phone didn't know about the deal and knows someone who want the item- they'll just tell you they don't have it.

Happens all the time

[aggrex]

I cannot figure out what HD's market plan is for stationary powertools. Only one of my 4 local HDs had the BS/DP/TS marked down 184/149/299 The other 3 HDs continue to market their BS/DP at the everyday low price.

[JeffG78]

I have three HDs within 10 minutes and I don't even bother getting excited anymore when you guys post about clearance items. I have never seen any major tools discounted at all. They do have a "clearance" section, but it consists of some crappy Kwikset door sets and other useless stuff. They also got rid of all floor models of the big tools. Want a jointer? Look at the bottom shelf and you might find an old dusty box. It has been at least four years since they had a drill press, large table saw, or CMS setup on the floor.

[cwsmith]

From my experiences at the local Binghamton and Corning area Home Depots, and conversations with a couple of people in Atlanta, the so-called "Clearance" pricing is pretty much a "regional" decision. If a product isn't "moving", the regional manager alledgedly allows the local store manager to establish "clearance" pricing. Basically, this is a loss to the store, but it does remove stock in order to make room for more popular, faster moving, items.

So, as I read posts from all around the country on items such as the Ridgid jointer, I am somewhat miffed by the factor that my local region is obviously a bit miserly, too say the least.

Here in the Binghamton-area (NY State) they tell me that they have sold several of these in the last year, and therefore there is no way it is going to be "cleared". Obviously, it's a popular item. Out in the Corning-area store, the manager is about as miserly as you can get. Service desk tells me they haven't sold a jointer in over two years... but, I've also talked to a few of the veteran orange-aprons, who tell me their manager never puts anything on sale, unless he's forced.

My own experience with him has echoed that sentiment. A few months ago they finally got the 4510, the first one out of the box has a severly twisted tubular frame.... the best that this guy will do on that damaged saw, is 5%!

So, with lots of very happy guys around the country who have been able to buy these great tools on "clearance", there are so many more of us who are stuck in areas where their is no such thing!

But that said, I have been able to get some great deals at Home Depot in past years; but that seems long ago, and I wish they'd find a couple of new managers in my areas of travel (My very last deal was my BT3100-1 for $135 when it was closed out.)

CWS

[herb fellows]

I cannot figure out what HD's market plan is for stationary powertools. Only one of my 4 local HDs had the BS/DP/TS marked down 184/149/299 The other 3 HDs continue to market their BS/DP at the everyday low price.

My experience when looking for these deals is that the people in the store who are in charge of getting this info and changing the prices are mostly inept.
I have 4 HD's within 30 minutes, and 3 of them are worthless, it's like pulling teeth to get them to check anything beyond the computer.
The 4th one almost always has the sales as mentioned here pretty much on schedule. I'm sure they're all in the same district, so it's just a matter of who's paying attention and who's not.
As far as having latitude in their pricing, the managers do, but I don't know how much. I p'd and moaned to one about never having anything on sale and he sold me a $379 tool for $179, just to get rid of me! Sometimes, it's good to be the squeaky wheel!

[LinuxRandal]

My HD and Lowe's, generally, when a clearance happens, it is something like $20 off.

A prime example of a good deal at Lowe's. When they clearanced the PC Biscuit jointers, My local Lowe's had 1 left, at $150.

[chris64]

I am in Houston and am still awaiting the rigid planer to drop to 199. I have almost given up - I just drop in once a week or so to check the prices.

[iceman61]

Hang in there! When the DW735 Planers went on closeout over a year ago, I went to three of the HD stores in my area. They laughed when I showed them the print-out receipts from other states and said they couldn't match the prices because;

A, They weren't on closeout in this "District",

B, They were a top seller in my area since the sku number on the shelf had an "A" listed on it.

C, The price was ridiculus since, in the manager's opinion, they would never go that low!

For a year, I went to the stores whenever I was in the area and checked the shelves for a markdown. The sales people got to know me by sight because I was there so often. I also started checking the internet site almost daily with the sku number and it always came up full price.

Finally, they did have a clearance!! How did I find out? I checked the sku number on the internet web site at the store closest to me and it said the DW735 was not listed as being available when it had been a day or so earlier. I immediately went to the store and checked the shelf and they had them marked on clearance from $649 down to $274. Not as good as a year previous in other areas but still a terrific price. I got mine at that price, one of five they had in stock! (In the year I was checking, they hadn't sold ONE! Shows how good a seller they were.) LOL Two days later, they were sold out in the three stores in my area!

So! Keep checking! If they have them on the rack at the regular price, sooner or later they will clearance them out if they are doing so in other states.

Good Luck!

This is almost exactly what happened to me before I scored one. Keep checking!