Fee for home audition

Ghasley +1, you are good contributor to Agon. Nice post again. True not everyone will be happy how high  audio dealer do their business. Ghasley the only way you can get the attention of those kind of dealers is tell them your speakers are Wilson grand slam or Magico top of the line. And your cables are alll synergistic top of the line and conditioner.You tell the guy you own Turntable Tec das listed on Agon 90k . And you decided to try streaming ? And ask for streamer recommendations.And of course you have to speak in audiophile terms.i will bet you the treatment will be different.

Ghasley the dealer involve here is no longer willing to have a new costumers . Probably he is doing 80//20 principle as long as he keep the 20% rich costumers forget the 80%.Sometimes dealers will do their best to find reason so will not bother them again.They will only deal with their old costumers that they adore and their money.its very sad.

"So many of us in this hobby believe every dealer or manufacturer owe us something, which is unfortunate"

this is the first time I hear this. I have yet to meet one dealer who pays attention to me like car dealers do or somewhere in between. They are always busy, always on their laptop or cutting wires, and that sets the tone that they are running the show. 

whole thread reminds me it’s time to send out cards and drop off a nice bottle of Davis - Pinot to my friends and fellow passionate music lovers : Rutan at Audio Connection, Alan at HiFi Buys, Jon at Ultra Fidelis, Don at Don Better, Robert at Taylor House ( retired ), Arnold at Core Audio, Thom at Galibier, Peter at PBN, entire team at Echo, Bruce and Ray at Stereo Unlimited, Randy at Optimal, Victor at Advanced, Tony at RAM tubes ( RIP Roger ), Andy at Vintage Tube, Brent Jesse at Brent Jesse….

It seems the consensus my some here that the dealer is the bad guy, and the customer is the good guy.

I’d just like to interject a question: Did the dealer let the customer down? Or, did the customer let the dealer down?

I wasn’t there.

When the customer crossed the threshold of the business, there was some value added for the customer. He is free to wander, observe, touch, and listen. He also may get the added benefit of an intellectual exchange with someone familiar with the products on display. IF the customer was introduced to the brand, presented with all the good reasons to consider it, there is true VALUE for the customer.

So, NOW we get to (in this case) the hard part. How do we put this deal together? There is a rational, and reasonable agrument that the dealer didn’t see the "right" buying signs, and felt the risk (of damaged equipment) was not worth the potential benefit. It was his call. We should respect that.

I can also make the argument that his "fee" was reasonable, based on a number of factors. (Details provided upon request)

I’m not a prophet, but I’m going to predict that the OP is going to get the unit from another dealer, love it, and make the purchase. Which would have happened IF he had just agreed to purchase it and take it home in the first place. So, the dealer who introduced him to the brand, let him see it, touch it, and listen to it gets nothing.

Like I said; I wasn’t there. But, as a consumer, I would have worked pretty hard on behalf of the dealer who introduced me to the product and took the time to fill in the details. As one poster stated: "Why not take YOUR current streamer to shop, and do a shootout with the prospective product?" This would have provided a workable solution for all those financially vested in the outcome.