After posting my undercover price match video from Nordstrom last week, Grechen from Grechen’s Closet passed along an even bigger discount for the shoes used in my experiment, playfully suggesting a sequel. She didn’t need to ask me twice! If you haven’t seen the first video, you can check it out here.

I didn’t feel as bashful or sneaky heading this time around because I was pretty sure of what the outcome would be. That and the sales associates brought their A-game in customer service. You’d think with the half yearly sale chaos, employees would appear to be more stressed, but they were more friendly than ever - gotta love that.

Total Savings?

To refresh, the Dolce Vita Carter shoes were originally marked $99.95 at Nordstrom. In the first price-match, Nordstrom discounted us the difference between Shoes.com’s 20% off of 109.95 (their price for the same shoe) and we ended up paying $89 before tax; saving about $10.

The second time around, we had a 25% off coupon code directly through Dolce Vita, where the shoes were priced at $99.95 (same as Nordi’s). After the price adjustment, the shoes went down to $74.95. In other words, we got another $15 back for a total savings of $25!

Additional Tips & Tricks

• While this example involves a price adjustment on a price match, it doesn’t always have to be the case. If you make a significant investment on any purchase, it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye out for a lower price. A lot of companies offer amazing policies as a promise to provide the best price. Aside from Nordstrom, Zappos and Endless both have a 110% price match guarentee. If you buy something and find it for less elsewhere, they’ll credit you the difference, plus an extra 10%…even up to a year after purchasing.
• Don’t forget about the little guys. Smaller boutiques are hit or miss, but it’s totally worth a shot. I’ve been casually asking boutiques in Seattle about these types of policies and so far, three out of four stores will even coupon code match!
• If you’re feeling nervous about bringing up the conversation, look for someone who appears to be friendly (e.g. smiles a lot). Seattle friends - if you shop the Downtown Nordstrom shoe department, ask for Carson in BP Shoes (featured in this video). He totally gets it and doesn’t make you feel thrifty in the process!
• Bring a friend! Not only does it help with a confidence boost, but you might be able to help them get a deal too! I actually brought Sara from SPUN with me this time since I used her shoes for my experiment. She ended up finding an additional pair of shoes and as she was trying them on, I found a discount for her on my phone.
• Don’t forget the same rules apply for damaged and flawed items. Ashe Mischief brought this up in a comment on the last post, which reminds me…I negotiated a decent discount on a damaged dress from ArdenB, only to cut it up and use it for my DIY studded oxford project.

18 Responses to “Video: Nordstrom Price Match Part II”

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