What Are Your Audio Morals?

my audio morality is simple: if you can satisfy me i'll do business with you. here's the trip... when i started buyng separates 30 years ago i made myself a rule: buy the top of the range from any manufacturer. in this way i'd never feel like i got second best. but as my tastes matured so did the price tags and this philosophy became difficult to rationally implement. but with the advent of online used shopping i've refound my compass. sure the stuff i dig now is ten years old, but i can rest easy knowing it was once the best of its kind. however... when only new will do, i research on my own and go to a dealer fully intending to buy from him; back stabbing never enters the picture. otherwise i wouldn't be there and this is why i am... over the years, roughly a third of my new purchases have been defective right out of the box. beyond that i have never suffered a malfunction *knocks wood* in any 'high-end' piece of equipment, new or used. so besides acting as the means of my instant gratification, the primary service a dealer provides me is making good on defective new units. so ok, who wants to sell me a cherry threshold fet ten/e with a silver faceplate? *s*

Jhunter, those are the guys. I've found them to be the most helpful and upfront reseller in the area. My initial joke aside (note the smilie, morons), they carry a good variety of excellent products, don't mind answering questions and keep reasonable hours. They even have a smidge of used equipment for sale. The owner, whose name escapes me, is especially pleasant. BAA does have a BIG focus on custom installations of HT systems which according to the owner is really their bread and butter. Hey, whatever keeps the doors open, right? Highly recommended store.

On the subject of the negative voting, I checked yesterday before allowing myself to get good and agitated. From a high of over 70+ in both categories I'm now down about -10 in each. My goal now is to irritate Arnie's Kids to the point that Agon kicks me off their site. At this rate it shouldn't take much more than a week. It'll certainly free up a lot more time for listening! Hang on Tireguy, I'm coming! (There's a joke in that line somewhere...)

Fpeel- From what I can gather, - votes alone don't get you booted (not sure anyone other than flagrant abusers have actually gotten booted). I think it just puts you on the radar screen and Big Bro (aka Arnie) keeps an eye on you. Hard to believe that anyone would get booted for honest opinions, civilly expressed, or even an ocassional outburt (warranted imo).

I truly believe in supporting my local businesses ( local auto parts, car dealers, book stores ) because I do like to browse. It makes for a relaxing afternoon. But I have already discontinued my business to one of the local stores in my new area because of there comments about customers every time that a person would leave without buying anything. I finally realized that I received the same treatment. My last visit was when I was looking at buying a rather expensive speaker and they were not willing to move the speakers to a room with privacy and similar equipment. But the biggest deal is the very inflated prices of these shops and they refuse to discount. There is only one shop, 40 miles from me that I will still travel to and purchase from because I still desire the service. But I will never buy from the 10 other dealers, that are mostly a closer drive, because I would never treat anyone the way that they treat people. Sometimes I do forget that these people do need to make a living and this is not my lively hood but my passion. So I try to cut some slack. But the brick and mortar businesses are destined for death unless they realize the "Angel of Death" is at their door and start offering either some very useful services above and beyond, including good attitudes or start offering some competitive deals. I can afford to pay $500 more dollars for an amplifier that I can't live without but not $3000. So they have better wise up. If I treated my customers like most highend dealers do, I would not have a highend budget. I did the same with my car purchase this year. I recommend both my car dealer and my audio store. And that is what keeps these businesses going. Not products. You can get those on the internet for major reduces prices. I the manufactures do not change their practices, then there will not be anymore highend in a few years. Only what companies like Harmon international will keep over. Maybe that’s not a bad idea. Then all of my old equipment will really increase in value.

To press my myoptic view even further, here is a reply email from a cable manufacture when I was seeking a trade-in or a discount. Now, I already know that my request were self ingratiating. But the response against my grain.

regarding the issue of discounts, I'm sure you've noticed that any legitimate and conscientious audio manufacturer does not discount their product when they sell direct(quantity purchases are probably the only exception). Some manufacturers may find this an easy way to a quick buck,
we see it as a quick and easy way to upset other customers and dealers alike, because somehow, they always find out that someone else got it for less, for no good reason. This generally pisses people off while at the same time lowering the value(perceived or actual)of a product. Many of these discounted items end up on Audiogon or Ebay for pennies on the dollar, and low resale value is something that no company wants to be associated with.

This company has every right to do business any way they like and I will not interfere. But I will certainly do business elsewhere where I can get a deal on the first cable I buy, and then get hooked, and sell all of my cables to get the new ones. Of course, I will sell the used cables with the title, "The best cables that are on the planet!"
Dale