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Demos - To Charge a Fee or to Not Charge a Fee?

One common dealer complaint is that customers sometimes use them to audition equipment only to later purchase it elsewhere.

How much of that is true is not known but it must happen. Such is the nature of some folk.

Therefore, how about abandoning the time honoured practice of free demonstrations (also shared by the car industry) and start charging a fee?

Would $10 an hour be sufficient? 

Surely, even in quiet part of a quiet day it must cost the dealer considerably more than that to provide the facilities and staff to facilitate a satisfactory demonstration.

I don't know how others may feel, but I'd be more than happy to pay for the service.
cd318
jon_5912
605 posts
 
It makes sense for businesses to charge for anything of value they provide.  The ability to demo gear has value.  I really like the idea of charging since people who want to try something out at the store and then go buy it at the cheapest place online would have to pay something.  Dealers have to make all of their profit from those of us who try not to be bungholes so I'm sure we end up paying more than we otherwise would.  

The idea that the dealer should provide a lot of value for nothing via advice, demos, loans, etc. is a relic of a time before the internet and before such a high percentage of people were selfish turds.  


millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
I would pay $10 to watch a video of people's reactions to being told, "Yeah I know I'm in business to sell, but you have to pay me first."   

Brilliant. 
jon_5912
605 posts
 
@millercarbon the people who will have a big problem with this are the bungholes who want to use the dealer services for free and then buy off the internet.  Those of us who would prefer to have and support local dealers won't have a problem with it.  
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
it’s tough running a store when the managerial help want you to send the kids to private school, rent you and Mama a Benz and comp the uptown apartment all under the table. Tubebuffer almost had it right.

Relationships w dealers are crucial. Not the whole equation.
steve59's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
steve59
1,760 posts
 
I demoed a hegel h360 from holm audio  a few years back along with several other products and once I made my decision I asked the salesman for a discount he said no so I asked to pay them for the demo time as I was going to go ahead and buy one used online if they couldn’t budge. On the drive from the store the shop owner called and asked what I was paying for the used one online and after I told him he made me a competitive offer to buy his demo. 

Where there’s a will there’s a way
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