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Struggling to spend 13k with three dealers

Is anyone else running into this? I've been trying to buy a used pair of Wilson from a couple of dealers in the NY area and from one in the Chicago area- each has a pair I've been interested in yet all are super slow to respond to emails, quote a final number, give a clear number on a trade I have etc. Each have their own wrinkle, high shipping charges, high pick up charges, avoiding doing a set up etc. Super frustrating - I've literally bought a car faster than trying to buy a pair of used speakers. I've thrown in the towel after a month of endless emails and conversations. Weird. I used to run a retail audio chain. We chased every deal, quickly determined if we could do it and made it work- or nicely declined the deal. Is business so good that there's no interest in selling 13k speakers that they're holding in inventory? 

128x128cowan217
curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,678 posts
 

Cowan217,

I can vouch for the high shipping costs. When I started looking at the KEF Reference 5’s, the shipping costs we’re about $350 to my door.  When I bought a pair just two months later, the shipping cost went up to $1200! 
so for them to ship to you is expensive and who’s paying to ship your trade-in back to the dealer?

All the best.

JD

 

plinko
256 posts
 

If you really want them, don’t give up.  Sell the Klipsch on your own and remove from the equation.  You will save money and reduce a complication for the dealer.  Verdantaudio’s post is right on point.

However, do agree that many dealers are clueless about the products they sell or lazy or forgetful.  Hobby or not, I wonder if some dealers get into it without any real knowledge on how to run a business.

cfarrow's avatar
cfarrow
92 posts
 

I live 3 hours from the Chicago dealer your talking about and couldn’t get him to respond either when I had interest in Wilson’s he had.  I ended buying from my local dealer with setup included.  Some of these dealers have deep pockets and big ego’s to go along with it so it’s a hit or miss when trying to buy expensive audio gear.  

cowan217's avatar
cowan217 OP
112 posts
 

Yah, weird though. The Chicago dealer constantly posts Wilsons on Audiogon- today he must have 8 ads at least for various models. Call him and try to buy a pair and he denigrates them immediately making you feel like an idiot for wanting to buy them. I really wonder if he has any in stock at all or it's a bait and switch move. Same thing when I then asked if a JL woofer would integrate well- "why would you want JL, it's too boomy" (def not the case with an F113 V2), have you tried REL? I'll never shop with him again (I did buy a couple of things from him a couple years ago). 

 

mekong56
137 posts
 

Sorry if I missed it, but who is the Chicago dealer you are talking about? If it is the one I am thinking of, good luck buying anything from him...It's a lost cause. There is a current ad for a Rea G1 sub offered for sale by him that has been rolling over for at least 3 years. I know as I tried to purchase it back in 2018. All of his ads roll over continuously whether he still has the item or not.

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