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What Are Your Audio Morals?

Assuming:

A. We all want to audition equipment before we buy it;

B. We all want the most for our money;

C. We all can find the same equipment cheaper on the Internet than from high end dealers;

D. We all know that you can't audition equipment on the Internet.

Therefore, the question is: How can you morally audition equipment at dealers when you know you won't be buying there?

After all, the dealer is giving you his time, his advice, the exclusive use of his listening room (all at the expense of customers who may actually biuy from him), a pro-rated percentage of wear and tear on his equipment, and a pro-rated share of his rent, electricity, salaries, advertising, taxes, maintenance, etc.

What do YOU do when you want to audition equipment? Do you:

1. Use your local dealer and buy from him?

2. Use your local dealer and buy elsewhere?

3. Don't use your local dealer, but buy elsewhere as long as you can return it?

4. Take a chance and just buy based on reviews, thinking maybe you can sell it if you hate it?

5. Other?

BTW, I am not a dealer. I'm just aware that if we all use dealers as free audition services knowing we'll buy elsewhere, local dealers will soon be extinct.

Maybe that's OK. Perhaps, with the advent of the Internet, local dealers serve no purpose anymore. That may be a future topic of discussion.
plasmatronic
paulwp
585 posts
 
Well Kev, are you chastising others for discusssing this issue? You bring up a couple of interesting points, and lead to another. Are the mark-ups on some products moral? Should anyone feel guilty about paying the fair market price for something auditioned at a dealer who insists on full boat retail?

Are retail salespople honest about the merits and value of the products they sell? Would they sell anything if they were? Should you care if you stiff them? (The ones I deal with are, and I wouldnt.)

With respect to used gear, I am probably naive, but most of the time I think something is for sale because the seller wants to buy something better or a better fit for the rest of his system. There is nothing wrong with the little speakers I have advertised in the past. In fact, I have turned down decent offers for them because I am so ambivalent about selling them, and happily listen to them every day. I just wanted to raise some cash to buy bigger and better ones. Do you need to tell someone you hate the piece youre selling? We all have different tastes. There is a certain well-reviewed and popular high end small speaker that I hate, but other people think its great. Im not sure my opinion of it would be relevant if I had a pair to sell.
leafs
414 posts
 
Danvetc,I take exception to your comment about no morals.
Its a dealers job to demo equipment to people who want to listen to it.He knows full well that he will not make a sale off every demo.Its called the cost of doing business.If you have the opportunity to sit down at 3 or 4 dealers and listen and decide who desrves your business whats wrong with that.A person who shops and compares a product has no morals .Give me a break.
As long as i am up front a tell the salesperson that I will be shoping for the best deal on the product,I have fullfilled by responibility.The best deal is price and service.How do you find out if a salesperson is knowledgeable if you dont let him Demo gear.
I have found this is the best situation to weed out good dealers from bad.
Know you tell me if this is wrong or am I being a educated consumer.
fpeel
455 posts
 
Whomever was offended by my above comments, probably the weak attempt at humor, please accept my sincerest apologies. Far be it from me to try to interject a little levity into an otherwise perfect, cheerful world. I should know better, am humbled by your greatness and shudder to imagine the power you wield. As a form of payback here's another opportunity to stab me in the back with some faceless negative votes. I'm certain you'll take it. F*cking Pr*ck.

Hey, Arnie. Your children are loose again. Want to get them in hand?
cornfedboy
1,645 posts
 
fpeel: i didn't rate your first post but i did go back and read it to try to figure why you'd be the recipient of negative votes. it may be due to your presumed inadvertent error in referring to "...uninteresting stuff like.." i think you meant "...interesting stuff like..." but then, you may simply be the target, like many of us, of lurkers bent on striking out with random acts of obnoxiously rude behavior. -kelly
tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
Well Kelly I certainly agree but who's responsible for allowing it to happen? I have this vision of the Audiogon staff laughing out loud at our obsession with this subject as Kilroy Pinhead(s) frantically runs from one poster to the next giving his -2 votes at random picking and choosing indiscriminately "f__k that a__Hole I'll give him something to think about...HEE HEE!! And in the meantime the threads discussing this subject seem to get the most attention adding fuel to the fire. "But folks, it has become a kinder, gentler more civil site". What a bunch of bull shit!!! Damn I hate this voting but sure see why Audiogon likes it, it draws attention like this. Had to get that off my chest and promise it will be my last tirade on it.
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