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

The fee is to pay his chiropractor after having to schlep around those damn heavy amps!  Although if his chiropractor visit is $500, he ought to seek another chiropractor!

The time wasted on people that don't buy is included in the markup and always has been with stores.   With todays online shopping, these sales people need to make themselves valuable and show why you buy a high price item locally.  

"Then the customer goes and buys online at a discounted price."

Is the dealer allowed to sell new Audio Research equipment online? I know that some brands have restrictions, but I am not sure about Audio Research.

For old and used equipment, I guess anything goes.

tomcy6,

"glupson, You don’t think there’s a difference between getting a bike out from the back and setting up a system with a couple of 170 lb amps?"

I was just pointing out different approaches in enticing a potential buyer.

To answer your question, those bicycles I mentioned were driven from the warehouse, assembled, adjusted to perfection, and then I could take a ride and say "doesn't feel quite right". Setting up a bicycle right, even on a very casual amateur rider level, does require some work. To the extreme of having ten mechanics in a competition team.

I have no problem with this particular dealer charging whatever he thinks is right. Still, I remember one member here who at some point (in another thread) said "your first loss was your best loss". Waiting for the right customer to show up may be a losing game, but I really have no experience with running a store. That storage must cost something. I would really think of keeping those amplifiers as an eternal demo rather than losing money and time on tire kickers and giving it away for only $16995.

If those are the amplifiers on the top of your list, and the price is fair market, I myself would pay a reasonably demo fee. If you don't like their performance, you get them crossed off the list, and just buy something from him for the cost of the fee. Otherwise, you can purchase them with no risk of shipping, damage etc. Pack those monsters in your car and go enjoy.