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Charging A Fee To Demo An Amplifier In A Brick & Mortar Store

I Saw a pair of pre-owned tube monoblocs for sale on an onlline forum for around $17k.
The seller has a retail store for hiigh end audio. The seller mentioned that there will be an up-front fee for the demo if a prospect comes to the store the amps are not purchased. The demo fee may also be used for credit towards any purchase in the store.

This is the first time I’ve ever heard of this. Is this now a common occurance in high end audio stores? I sent a note to the seller asking what the demo fee amount was....two weeks and I didn’t get a response.

Does anyone know what amount of fees are charged for a demo?
128x128mitch4t
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
WOW ! This is amazing. To make things clear this is a $60,000.00 pair of Amplifiers. This has been put into storage. We have to setup a complete vignette and connect everything. This is the reason we asked the customer who was interested to call us. We could set them up with Vandersteen, Vivid Audio, Martin Logan, Stenheim, Egglestonworks etc. To do this custom for a proper audition that makes sense, we need to be compensated. Simple as that. Hope this makes this clear.

Then you are in the wrong business. 


slaw's avatar
slaw
22,063 posts
 
Had a dealer wanting to charge me $500.00 to audition a Mac 275 in my home. That's why I've still never heard one.
ashoka
99 posts
 
A good move, businessmen also have to survive in e-commerce world. A nominal fee per hour is welcome both customer & industry doesn't feel guilty. Everything costs to run demo in a business.
p05129
518 posts
 
this is a joke! He owns a store and has the amps packed up already. The pic shows the amps out in a system, he should leave them hooked up to attract potential buyers.
Can you imagine if car dealers would charge for a demo run? They have to do more sanitizing than an amp would require.
Run, don't walk away from this place
user_name
11 posts
 
As a consumer, I would expect the seller to demonstrate that the units actually work. At his expense.  If I purchased them untested, lugged them home to discover something was wrong then have to return them, is the seller going to compensate me for my time?  I think not.
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