restocking fees

I would be willing to pay a 20% restocking fee If I could buy direct from the manufacturers at distributor price. I think Manufacturers should cut out the middlemen (Brick and mortar stores) and deal direct with the public. Even if I paid a restocking fee on 2 items I would still be ahead of the game because I would not be paying full blown retail prices.

Onhwy61, Shoppers are potential buyers. I'm both a shopper and buyer, and I'm afraid I have the bank statement history to prove it.

I was looking for a cable recently and budgeted $150. I narrowed my choices to 3. One manufacturer bragged that his cable was the best, and he would gladly sell it to me but did not take returns. That left me with 2 choices. Another manufacturer agreed to give me a 30 day trial saying he would recredit my card minus shipping if it was returned. The 3rd manufacturer asked lots of specific questions about how and where I was planning to use the cable. He said he had a cable for $100 more that would be absolutely perfect. When I said I wouldn't go there, he asked if he could send me the cable for audition at no charge, and asked me to evaluate it against the competition's cable.

Sure, he's trading me up, but I respect a guy who is confident in his product, and is unafraid to take a risk. He isn't worried about getting screwed or feeling sorry for himself for maybe working for free, and he's not counting pennies thinking about a restocking fee. That's a real sales person!

Granted, speakers and components are different from cables, but the principal stands. Of course it's safer to get the fee, but does it cost you more business in the end? It would be intersting to hear from dealers and manufacturers.

Boa2, I see your point, but this "chump" isn't giving away anything if I buy the cable. Maybe he is sure of what he has, and knows it's much better than the competition. If it's a losing proposition for the manufacturer, I trust he won't make the deal.

There are many roads to success. Plenty of dealers and some manufacturers offer in home trials with no restocking fees. Others charge, and If you are willing to pay them that's great!

I'm not in the audio industry, but I work daily with sales people in a high pressure situation. The most successful sales people are those who are confident and unafraid. They don't count hours and whine about working for free, they understand their market, and they go out and make something happen.

While I enjoy high end audio, I'm out of my league about that market. Let's not pretend that buying and listening means we understand how it's best sold. The high end dealer model is going away, and my guess is that manufacturers who charge restocking fees will eventually suffer. Granted, I'm shooting in the dark--who can really say. Again, I would really appreciate any dealers or manufacturers thoughts.

Thanks

There are many roads to success. Plenty of dealers and some manufacturers offer in home trials with no restocking fees. Others charge, and If you are willing to pay them that's great!

I completely agree.

On the other hand, I'm willing to bet that the majority of folks who protest a re-stocking fee aren't buying anyways unless they first establish that the product can be had at a significant discount. In this case, they are not the type of customer who can contribute to the growth of a business. They are good PR ONLY when they are given something for free.

We are not talking about taking a salesman's time. Most salespeople don't own the business, and they have nothing to do with steering the ship. We are talking about when the salesman OWNS the business. If a salesman isn't good at his job, two months of measly pay will force him to look elsewhere for a better paying job. However, if an owner gives away his time and product without enabling himself to offset his costs, he too will have to look elsewhere, with failed company in tow.