Session 6: Closing the Deal

At long last you've finally made up your mind and you're ready to go buy the machine. Today's the day. But there's still a couple more questions that you need to ask your dealer. And they're very critical for getting the best deal for you. First of all, ask what's included, besides just the machine.

"Do you offer classes? Is an orientation complimentary? Are there ongoing classes where I can continue to learn about my machine and its capabilities? What's your return or upgrade policy?" This is important because most dealers, will not let you return a machine for refund. Once you've bought it, it's yours for better or worse.

But most dealers have an upgrade policy where if its within a certain time period, 90 days, maybe a year, you can bring the machine back and get full price of your machine that you paid toward an upgraded machine, if you choose to upgrade. You might wanna ask what is the dealer warranty? There will be a manufacturer's warranty but does the dealer put any type of warranty on it? If for some reason you're buying a used machine from a dealer, most of them have done a service on the machine and will warranty it for maybe 90 days, maybe 180 days. So always ask about the dealer warranty.

"How about my support after the sale? Do you have card punches? Do you have, you know, buy three threads, get one free if you're a machine customer? Do you have customer appreciation sales? How responsive are they for letting you drop in with questions or a spontaneous demo of a task that you need to do and aren't comfortable with?

Or maybe even just one more time can you show me how to thread the machine? What kind of a field you get for that?" Ask about financing. Most dealers do offer financing or they have special sales where, with approved credit you can get the machine for say three to five years with no interest. The catch on those is don't dare be late even on one payment because if you are you are gonna be paying an extraordinary amount of interest, typically around 24%. And that really adds to the cost of that machine.

And that was not included in that cost analysis that I did. Ask if there's a discount for cash. A lot of dealers are willing to do that. They're paying about two and a half percent for the credit card. So if you give them cash they'd be maybe more than happy to credit you back for that.

It is okay to ask, is this your best price? But don't haggle. It's not a car dealership. The price is what it is for the part but sometimes you can get a little bit extra off especially if you're doing a trade and that's where you might have a little more room to negotiate. Or sometimes when you ask it, they'll say, "no the price is firm, but I'll be willing to throw in some thread or an accessory or whatever." There you go.

If they do offer the orientation class make sure that you sign up right away for it. That's something you don't wanna miss out on. It is invaluable. And that's something you won't get, is dealer support and training if you buy off the internet and I really recommend supporting your local dealer it makes a difference. And you'd be surprised at how important that ongoing support is.

Now it's time to take the baby home. Be prepared though because some dealers won't let that machine go on the day that you purchase it. Some of them like to run it, check it out, make sure everything's just fine. Other dealers trust the manufacturer. And they're fine.

It's really okay either way. Just be advised, It is a dealer preference there. I really recommend if it doesn't come with one that you pay the extra and invest in a hardcover, it truly will protect your machine while you're traveling. Before you leave the dealership, take a piece of fabric folded in four, put it under the needle and put the needle down into the needle plate. Especially if it's an electronic or computerized machine.

This will help eliminate some of the vibration when you're traveling. And I really recommend this when you're taking it in for service or going to a class or sewing retreat make sure you put that needle down in a piece of fabric. Never, ever ever put your machine in the rear of an SUV. You always, always, always want to either put it on the floor behind the driver's seat or the passenger seat because there's usually less room for movement. If you have to put on a seat, belted in.

It's a baby belted in because machines do fall out when you open the door and if it falls onto the asphalt and the frame is damaged, which it most likely will be. It's dead in the water. There's nothing your dealer can do to repair it. And you will be out the cost of the machine and have to buy a new one. It's a fact of life.

Once you get home I want you to take the owner's manual out and read it. Yes. Oh, my God. I want you to read the owner's manual. Literally cover from cover.

It will save you a lot of time and frustration and help you understand your machine a little bit better. Once you start sewing on the machine give yourself time to adjust. Every machine has its quirks. It's going to be different than your last one. If this is a replacement or upgrade machine give yourself time to bond and once you do, you'll find that you really are enjoying your machine.

One way to bond quickly is to start easy, no pressure projects and just feel your way around the machine. How to get to the different screens, the different stitches. If you have an electronic or a computerized machine how to adjust the knobs what makes the best stitch take your time? Easy projects, have fun and most of all, enjoy that new machine. You've earned it.