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I hate pawnshops.

#81
They're rip off artist with a license. Plain and simple. I know that they're in business to make money, however just like game stores (which I despise with a passion) they can offer at little more of a fair price and still make a decent profit.

For instance....

You come to them with something with 500$ street value.
They offer you 250$
Then they sell it for 500$
They just doubled their money off the transaction and half of what it's worth is still better then getting a third or less which is what they're offering now. I mean honestly the originally offered me 40$ for a bass that's worth roughly 300$ street value. 105$ is what I got and that's better but I was asking for 150$ for it which was half of what it was worth and in my mind reasonable. Espeacially considering they would have sold it for 400$ if I had lost it. And they would have because I saw several basses in there that were total POS going for much more. They had a Ibinez SRX with missing pots going for 600$.

I don't think I can explain this anybetter on why I felt ripped off. And for the record the money I got covered about 75% of what I needed. My fiance' had to get a check advance for the rest.


and....

because I'm getting tired of saying this...

I'm saying it slow....


IT

WAS

THE

ONLY

WAY

I

COULD

GET

MY

STUFF

BACK

jesus, i must have said that a dozen times in this thread concerning why I didn't use CL.

I've also made it clear that this was the last time that I would be taking a loan from a pawnshop and it's been implied, but this I'm going to say it anyway.... this has been my first time dealing with one.

and yes I'm getting a little irritated because I don't like to repeat myself.
 
#85
People don't understand a concept called "Time Value of Money". If you want or need "your" money now, then you're not going to get as much as if you're willing to wait until later. A pawn shop takes your property expecting to get their money sometime in the future, not right away. They are willing to trade money for time, just like the person pawning or selling their property is willing (or needs) to trade time for money. They also have to pay the expenses of the store. Whatever they pay represents the cost of goods sold, when (or if) it eventually sells. I wouldn't be surprised at all if a typical pawn shop's average cost of goods is pretty close to Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc.
 
#87
Music stores pull the same routine. They gotta consider the cost of business, and will flat out tell you they are taking some (or quite a bit) off the top. The bonus for you is it's cash right there on the barrel head. If you can't sell something or need cash, they are the only option. Since they know this, they offer a small amount. It's just business, and life. If you find either one unfair, don't participate.
 
#91
JohnMCA72 said:
And the bad-old pawn shop did what, exactly, to put you in that position where you were backed into a corner, needing cash immediately?
Click to expand...

You don't have to be an @$$. I'm not insulting you, and I'd appreciate the same respect.

or if that's asking to much from a "been there done that, I'm smarter so shut up" jackass then take it somewhere else.

and to answer your question, they didn't have to add insult to injury by low-balling me and knowing that there wasn't much I could do about it because chances are if you're putting something in hock you need the money.

Burlington said:
I'm too lazy to read back, what kind of bass was this? How much did you get?
Click to expand...

to lazy to fill you in on the details.
 
#93
Burlington said:
Honestly, he was lucky to get that.
Click to expand...

it was an ibanez practice amp but that doesn't reall matter.
the bass i only got 105$ the cheapest i've been able to find it was for 450$

Considering that I paid 300$ new I think 150$ would have been reasonable ( considdering that's what I would ask for if I had sold it on CL and that and 45$ would have been enough to fix the car without getting the cash advance). i know it's only 45$ difference but I don't like setteling for less and it pisses me off when I have to settle for any reason.
 
#94
The pawn shops live on risk taking on ones behalf, there's no other place in the world where you can walk in with any kind of item, and almost no matter what it is, you'll get out from there with some cash, even if not a lot, still, if the stuff you bring is interesting, they lend you some cash.

The other alternative is to sell the items, or find another route for getting the needed cash.

There's been times in my life when I was having the pawn shop in my budget, to be able to get around, happily enough, today I am from time to time a customer in pawn shops, and I am really amazed what they may have, and what ridiculous prices they sometimes dream up....


D.Don
 
#95
xxfaux_punkxx said:
They're rip off artist with a license. Plain and simple. I know that they're in business to make money, however just like game stores (which I despise with a passion) they can offer at little more of a fair price and still make a decent profit.
Click to expand...

It's market driven. Their obligation to their shareholders is to maximize return on investment. When they charge too much, they will lose business and have to lower margins or quit. Who are you to say how much profit they should make?

Second, if they sell an item for double what they paid for it, they don't reap the difference in profit. They have to pay rent, labor, taxes, utilities, insurance and other operations costs out of that.

In your case, they did not charge too much. If they had, you wouldn't have agreed to their terms. Unless, of course they held a shotgun to your head and forced you to take the deal.

It's called capitalism.
 
#96
Munjibunga said:
It's market driven. Their obligation to their shareholders is to maximize return on investment. When they charge too much, they will lose business and have to lower margins or quit. Who are you to say how much profit they should make?

Second, if they sell an item for double what they paid for it, they don't reap the difference in profit. They have to pay rent, labor, taxes, utilities, insurance and other operations costs out of that.

In your case, they did not charge too much. If they had, you wouldn't have agreed to their terms. Unless, of course they held a shotgun to your head and forced you to take the deal.

It's called capitalism.
Click to expand...

I needed a running car, and I didn't want to loose my stuff in the process. Just because they didn't physically hold a gun to my head doesn't mean it wasn't like that. I knew I wouldn't get my car fixed in-time unless I took the deal.
 
#97
xxfaux_punkxx said:
I needed a running car, and I didn't want to loose my stuff in the process. Just because they didn't physically hold a gun to my head doesn't mean it wasn't like that. I knew I wouldn't get my car fixed in-time unless I took the deal.
Click to expand...

I doubt they took the condition of your car into consideration when they made their terms.
 
#100
I would try craigslist or ebay before I would ever take anything to a pawn shop. although it's a great place to get deals (sometimes) I purchased a like new squire affinity for $75 at a pawn shop found another shop a few days later with an almost identical bass in worse shape with a price of $299 and another at a $199. so it pays to shop around even if selling, go to the shop that has stupid high prices on the equipment, likely they will be paying more.
 

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