Is this rude?

I would hope the high end audio salesmen are a lot better than car salesmen. I've been to Tweeter and they are car salesmen. Be honest and up front. I good dealer should be more interested in developing a customer than making a quick sale. I cup of coffee and some donuts goes a long way with most dealers (atkins diet - slab of red meat and a hunk of cheese). Most dealers can tell the tire kickers from the serious buyers in about 30 seconds.

Example: I made an appointment with a dealer to audition som soliliquy speakers last week. I told him that I had no intention of buying when I made the appointment and that I was just helping a friend. He told me he didn't mind and he had the entire afternoon available. I walked in and the dealer was polite and answered my questions. We had some lite conversation while I was auditioning. He didn't try to sell me anything. 90 minutes later he was loading the complete Von Schweikert VR4jr theater package in the back of the SUV.

As a former "straight-commissioned" electronics saleman, I remember wasting a lot of time and potential money on people who were just there to waste time. It is very frustrating to work for nothing.

Well, the essential question is this; how do you feel about using the time of someone who makes his or her living, working by selling. He or she puts food on the table, pays the mortgage, and so on with the money made selling. These people are almost exclusively straight commission.
A better approach would be to tell the salesperson straight up: "I am wanting to buy so and so product, but only have this amount. I can buy it used for 'x' amount. What do you think, can I do better, or do you have used gear like this, or access to it. I really want to be straight up with you."
If they are any good, they will be helpful in hopes that their help will lead to a 'next time' sale. Or, best possible, they may have exactly what you want, used, or know a customer selling the product, allowing them to sell THAT customer, something even more expensive.
I have done this for my customers in the past. I would have someone wanting a new piece of gear, but holding the old, which I couldn't do justice for them on the price. By negotiating the first sale, (which the seller may pay him for) they make the second sale possible.
You can NEVER go wrong with honesty.
Good Luck, and please respect your sales persons time.

omains,IMO here is the best advice that a person can give you,demo every speaker that is hooked up at every dealer you can find, dont ask them to hook up anything just listen to what is ALLREADY ON DISPLAY.

how much of a dealers time could you possibly waste if all they do is turn on a rig,insert a disc, press play,im getting exausted just thinking about all that work.

while im reading the responses from dealers who WASTE ALOT OF TIME WITH TIRE KICKERS it occured to me, audio is fun for us & work for them.

if anybody feels an explaination is in order the next time they go to see the dealer try this.

tell them that you are the guy who is gonna make it possible for them to land the next big WHALE beacuse your buying used gear at an honest price & that makes it possible for the real big spenders to buy.

then as you leave ask them for a show of grattitude beacuse without the used consumer their store shelves would be full of used gear like all dealers shelves were 20 yrs ago .

if dealers need to feel that a sale is behind every audition then i pity them, talk about PURE GREED.

only in hi end audio do the rules of being a consumer not apply, you have what i want to look at, lets try it out, its that simple.

dont get me wrong on this, im not knocking dealers as a whole, i visit 2 dealers on a regular basis & they are great but i do feel that alot of dealers have a condesinding attitude twords the used buyer & so do alot of people who buy new gear.

both new buyers & dealers need to remember that its places like audiogon & buyers like omains who fuel the industry from the sidelines.

mike.

NO!!! For all the rudeness, arrogance and ignorance I have suffered at high end dealers over the years it makes perfect sense to me.