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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
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.
danvetc
527 posts
 
Leafs, I fear I was not specific enough. I meant to refer to those who intentionally take advantage of a local dealer's overhead, knowing full well they have NO intention but to buy from the cheapest source, (and they know that it will not be the "brick and mortar" shop they are enjoying the air conditioning in.) You know the type shopper I meant now, don't you? I encourage those who can to support their local tax base by shopping close to home, when possible.

Now if the shop is run by an arrogant ass, I guess all bets are off. What goes around, comes around. Charlie

swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
It seems that the inability to express sarcasm effectively by email, coupled with some folks with anger management problems, has raised its ugly head. But on subject, it seems to me that if you're just looking and say so, there's no moral problem with taking as much of dealer or salesperson's time as they are willing to give. But if you are using them to demo something that you plan to buy on the web, (unless you have a long-standing relationship and make it clear up front) then you are using them; taking the value they add to the sale (overhead plus profit plus expertise) and buying at the lowest price. Its all about your intention. And if you have to rationalize it, then its probably unethical.

Thats the tradeoff from buying on the net; you pays your money (less) and you takes your chances (more).
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