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

I don't think the fee has anything to do with the setup time required.  Heck, they were setup for the purpose of advertising pictures and getting a sale.  Most people interested in purchases in this price range or better are not likely tire kickers.  The fee does help put pressure on the buyer however to make the purchase rather than lose the fee or use it for something they do not need.

I am puzzled by the majority of the responses. I remember prior to Audiogon and the other"High End" Audio sites you would go to the dealer.
In my travels Mid 1980"s I would look up Stereophonic in the local yellow pages and visit the store. If I found a product I was interested in based on the reviews from various audio magazines I would ask If they would demo the product. I can’t remember when I was refused a demo. Fast forward 2020.......
A friend of mine works in one of the stores that is still in business. He doesn’t own the store he is an employee. He has worked very hard over the past 23 years.
As the online used market grew he has given in store and in home demos countless number of times. He has educated potential customers that have walked away and bought the products online. That training has allowed him to Identify the tire kickers.
We all know the difference between a retail pair of $30,000 mono blocks compared to a slightly used pair.
This is a fantastic hobby that I have enjoyed during my life time. This forum is a great space to research and I would like to thank everyone for their contribution.

If the dealer wants to charge its up to him. You can always take your business elsewhere.
This is a no brainer...... Enjoy.

I live in metropolitan Phoenix and I usually go to a dealer when looking for new components every couple of years .  I never get charged with a demo fee here.  I usually read reviews of the equipment I am interested in buying and then listen to it connected to the dealer's system.  I don't expect the sound to be the same but I do ask for current  issues if any about the product I am buying. He always let me listen to his current components on demo which usually last an hour or so .  We talk about my audio system but my dealer always shows  me a similar component if he has one that I can exchange if the component does not perform sonically and even lends me his burned in cables to use . If I like how he treats me at the demo session , I usually come back to buy other items and he usually calls me if he gets an excellent high end component as a trade in. 
The only reason I would pay a demo fee is if he  brings the equipment I am interested in buying to my house, sets it up, and let me listen to it for a few days and decide I don't like how they sound. 

This dealer has previously been mentioned in posts as one to avoid so stay away.