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Mfr/Dealer Relationships

Is it just me, or does the whole world of exclusive dealer relationships suck for the customer?

Top gripes include trying to track down a dealer from a mfrs website and finding out they are some "operate out of their home HT consultant" where I can't audition anything.

Or I find out its the one dealer in the DC area I absolutely refuse to deal with.

Or I find out they don't deal the particular line anymore. Or don't carry all of the line.

Or, my most recent experience. I wanted to try out a $5.5K preamp. Figured if it was a bad match, I'll take a bit of a hit and resell it. But, I've got good reasons to think it will work. All I have to do is find someone to take my money, maybe give me a bit of a break because its a no-hassle deal. I spend two weeks calling my "local" dealer, s/he never answered the phone, and I *never* got a call back from numerous voicemails. Thankfully, I was able to find a dealer a state away willing to ask the mfr for "permission" to sell to me in view of the circumstances, but it was still very frustrating. Do mfrs care about how they are perceived as a result of those who represent them?
edesilva
larryken
537 posts
 
I'm sure the mfg. cares and your contact with them to give feedback would be thanked and useful.
Larry
mcfarland
356 posts
 
A few years back I wanted to purchase a certain brand of tuner. All of the dealers I had contacted, both in and out of state informed me that the tuner was no longer manufactured and none could be had. I contacted the manufacturer who informed me that the tuner was still in production, and, IN STOCK, but that I would have to go through my local dealer. No dealer would even order it for me, trying typically to sell me something else that they had in stock, from different manufacturers! I notified the company of the situation and they told me that there was nothing they could do about it, even after I begged them to give me ONE name of someone who would sell it to me! Go figure that one out.
uppermidfi
277 posts
 
Edesilva manufacturers want to sell gear as bad as you want to buy it. The way a dealers treats a sales rep will not reflect how polite or impolite they are to a customer. You should contact the manufacturer and let them know your experience with the dealer. They really have no way of knowing how their product is being represented to the customer.

Unfortunately there really isn't another good way of selling equipment. Buyers want someone who will service their gear, and offer them the ability to audition something before they buy (not in that order) withou the store these are not possible.

You could do a real service to the manufacturer by letting them know what happened. If it were you, wouldn't you want to know?
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