Prepare to haggle amid wide pricing variations at appliance dealers in Twin Cities

Appliances used to last for decades. But changing trends and features along with shorter appliance life spans mean you'll probably need to replace at least one or two dishwashers, ranges, refrigerators, washers and dryers in your lifetime.

Unlike buying most other big-ticket items, a lot can go wrong with appliance purchases.

You can't easily tote a new defective refrigerator back to the store. And most consumers need help with delivery and installation.

Unfortunately, Twin Cities Consumers' Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org receives many reviews from local surveyed appliance purchasers that indicate delivery and installation are the most problematic parts of many transactions.

To help you separate the good stores from the not-so-good ones, through a special arrangement, Star Tribune readers can access Checkbook's ratings of local appliance stores for free until June 5 via Checkbook.org/StarTribune/Appliances.

Another major consideration: price. Checkbook's undercover price shoppers found the highest price quoted by local retailers for a Whirlpool WRX735SDHZ refrigerator in stainless steel was $2,197; the lowest price was $1,379 — a tidy savings of $818. For a Maytag MGT8800FZ gas range in stainless steel, prices ranged from $1,131 to $1,971, a difference of $840.

Fortunately, Checkbook finds that highly rated stores often quote prices as low as, or even lower than, their low-rated competitors. Also, Checkbook's research shows most stores use fake sale prices to mislead their customers into believing they're getting special deals when, in fact, appliances are on constant sale and at most stores buyers are paying too much.

But Checkbook's researchers found that if they called or e-mailed stores and mentioned they were collecting prices from several outlets for the models they were considering, they were often steep discounts to earn their business.

At independent stores, Checkbook's shoppers found that informing sales staff that they were getting price quotes from multiple stores often spurred discounts, waivers of delivery and installation fees, or both. Getting big chains to be flexible took considerably more effort, but Checkbook's researchers waited and waited on hold to speak with appliance-department sales managers, they sometimes secured better deals.

Call four or five retailers and ask to speak to someone with authority to provide discounted pricing. Tell that person the makes and model numbers of the appliances you want, explain that you are calling multiple companies to solicit bids, make it clear that you will ask each store only once for its best price — and will buy from the store that offers the best deal.

Don't be shy about using this method. Be polite, businesslike, and let stores know that you get competitive bids whenever you make major purchases. Most appliance salespeople are accustomed to providing discounted pricing when asked.

Start by deciding on the models you wish to buy. There are a few excellent sources that provide independent buying advice. Consumer Reports regularly evaluates appliances on a range of quality issues, including reliability, and offers sage advice on the pros and cons of configurations, designs, features and options. The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Star program provides lists and energy-usage data on certified appliances. Salespeople can also be fantastic sources of buying advice — but only at stores that employ knowledgeable, helpful staff.

If you buy from a store that doesn't provide full installation services, and you aren't comfortable with doing it yourself, you'll have to hire a plumber or appliance repair service. Most reasonably priced plumbers charge around $100 to $150 to hook up clothes washers, gas stoves or dishwashers. When comparing appliance prices, take these expenses into account.

It's reasonable for a store to require a small upfront deposit. But making a large deposit deprives you of the leverage you may need to make sure all goes as planned. Whenever possible, pay by credit card. If you have a problem, you can protest the charge with your credit card issuer.