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My Thoughts re: Dealers Posting on Audiogon

I originally posted this in a thread in the Speakers forum.  It's more appropriate here:

As a former audio dealer and long time Audiogon member who has walked the tightrope I will say that, while I do not have a problem with dealers posting on Audiogon, I do feel that there are some basic rules that should be observed, both by the dealer and by everyone else:

For dealers:
1- Clearly announce that you are a dealer
2- Try to be helpful, objective and educational
3- Understand that an Audiogon forum IS NOT a sales venue
4- If you mention or recommend on of your products, mention again that you are a dealer for this product so that it's clearly understood that you have a finalcial interest in your recommendation
5- Don't trash the competition or other brands

For Audiogon members:
6- Don't complain about dealers posting in Audiogon forums. They are A'gon members like anyone else. If you don't want to read dealer posts them just don't read them
7- Just because a dealer makes a recommendation in which he/she has a financial interest does not automatically make it a bad recommendation. If the dealer comment is in the spirit of the discussion and or answers a question then it's probably appropriate, IMO
8- Dealers, well *many* dealers, have a lot of experience that most just audiophiles do not have. If a dealer is posting to be helpful to the group and not just trying to sell stuff then take advantage of that experience. Their answers to your questions will guide you as to whether they are interested in being helpful members of the Audiogon community or just pushing gear.

I hope that this is helpful guidance. Just my opinions...
br3098
br3098 OP
1,012 posts
 
OK, so you're coming at this topic as an ex-dealer yourself??
@twolefttears, I clearly identified myself as a FORMER dealer in the first sentence of the opening post.

Are you asking me if I am biased?  I don't think so.  And what constitutes bias, exactly - that, as a FORMER dealer I made suggestions for full disclosure and fair conversation on these forums?

IMO an unhelpful, uneducated or clearly biased comment is equal whether it came from a dealer or from an audiophile.  Isn't blanket vilification one set of participants biased and prejudicial?


nonoise's avatar
nonoise
11,226 posts
 
You gotta love the purity tests being advocated here. Nothing more than a perfect example of political correctness gone amok. As long as a dealer stays within the guidelines proposed by the OP (which had always been the de facto approach here), then there's nothing amiss. 

To put such strictures on a dealer, what about someone who has all the knowledge and experience of a dealer who's not one? That would apply to many a poster here. How would their advice differ from that of a dealer who abides by the rules?

A closer look would likely reveal an animus between advocates who want to deny a voice to those who may have crossed their paths in the past.

All the best,
Nonoise
cleeds
6,271 posts
 
nonoise
As long as a dealer stays within the guidelines proposed by the OP (which had always been the de facto approach here), then there's nothing amiss.
Quite so. But it might be nice for dealers to have the option of an identifying symbol.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
11,226 posts
 
Quite so. But it might be nice for dealers to have the option of an identifying symbol.
A very good point and one that I believe has been advocated before. It would inherently put a poster and those who read them on notice and would be self policing.

And to any alarmists out there, it wouldn't be a modern day Scarlet Letter and should be looked at no differently than the avatars we presently use.

All the best,
Nonoise


twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,327 posts
 
Picture this.  An OP posts stating his dissatisfaction with a certain model of a certain brand of loudspeaker.  A dealer who sells that brand jumps in and, instead of recommending he upgrade three models higher up the line or change to a (more expensive) different brand, he offers to talk him through optimal set up of the speakers he owns.
That's why dealers should continue to be welcome and to post.
(And, btw, yes, that happened just today.)
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