Would you Pay $250 to Hear Specific Equipment at a Dealer?

[Holmz]

I wouldn’t pay extra for bread at a restaurant, however if I did I would at least get to eat it. But if the waitress wanted money for her trip to the kitchen and back she would be on the same level as this dealer. I would shame him in relevant forums.

It is more like having a bread line attached to a restaurant, where people rock for a slice and most just keep on the street asking for money and smokes, but occasionally someone goes in for a meal.

Hence I see no reason for the OP to shame.
But the comment does say something, as it is sort vindictive in a passive aggressive way.

My case was a bit different as I started pinging the dealer by phone and email months before, and then on the day was told on the phone to come in after the two hour lunch break.

I was both late and got lost. The first part was only 1/2 my fault as I pretty much found it difficult to extract myself from listening to a Dohmann Helix.

 

[MagnusG]

It is more like having a bread line attached to a restaurant, where people rock for a slice and most just keep on the street asking for money and smokes, but occasionally someone goes in for a meal.

Hence I see no reason for the OP to shame.
But the comment does say something, as it is sort vindictive in a passive aggressive way.

My case was a bit different as I started pinging the dealer by phone and email months before, and then on the day was told on the phone to come in after the two hour lunch break.

I was both late and got lost. The first part was only 1/2 my fault as I pretty much found it difficult to extract myself from listening to a Dohmann Helix.

I’m sorry, my English isn’t very good and I might have expressed myself badly. I’m not suggesting or encouraging the OP to do anything. I just, in accordance with the question in the original post, expressed my opinion regarding the dealer's MO and what I would have done myself. And I think your metaphor is completely wrong since the OP did call to "book a table" inside. But he certainly was treated as a random beggar.

 

[Holmz]

No worries @MagnusG , I got the beggar treatment as well... And I pre booked too.

 

[Gregadd]

We call it "the bums rush."

 

[Zuman]

It's a tough question to answer without knowing the details, such as the dealer's volume, markup, operating costs, inventory cost, etc.
For a dealer to continue to operate (as many here have pointed out), they have to cover those costs and make sufficient profit for it to be worth their while. I could certainly imagine a situation where a dealer can justify an audition fee when their cost of providing such a service is not offset by other revenue streams. It's not always arrogance and greed that drives policy.
If I were considering a "near six-figure purchase," I would consider having access to a convenient, extended audition of a well set-up system as a great benefit. And if I had paid for such an opportunity, I would certainly make the most of it and would not become a Stockholm Syndrome victim.

 

[bryans]

I could certainly imagine a situation where a dealer can justify an audition fee when their cost of providing such a service is not offset by other revenue streams.

Sorry but I can't see any situation where a dealer needs to charge for an audition of gear. If a dealer can't make a living selling gear, I don't believe charging for an audition is going to make much of a difference.

Clearly a dealer can set up their shop any way they want. And hey if they are getting people to pay for an audition, good for them.

If someone is seriously considering a $100k system and there are no local dealers for the equipment he’s interested in, and there’s a dealer in a city that he visits frequently who does carry this equipment and is willing to arrange a demo, then a $250 fee seems inconsequential.

For me the cost of the gear I want to listen to means nothing. The gear can cost 1M+, I wouldn't pay just to listen to it. Now I have no problem paying shipping (both ways) to demo gear in my home. But not to listen to gear at the dealer.

Clearly everyone is different and there isn't anything wrong with that.

 

[ALF]

Only at DDK’s: of course, it comes with room and board

vbw,
a

 

[Robh3606]

So, what do folks think about such a policy? Would you be willing to pay such a fee to hear equipment at a dealer’s showroom that the dealer already has on display? Also curious to hear from members who are dealers. Do any of you have such a policy?

I can certainly understand an appointment but charging to listen?? No

Rob

 

[Whbgarrett]

Two comments.

Bill Parrish / GTT Audio does not charge a fee. He operates out of his home by appointment only, has no attitude and has several rooms of excellent, well regarded hi end gear. Also takes trade ins and has some top notch used gear.

Absent wanting to buy gear from this dealer, what is the reluctance of the OP to disclose the dealers name?

I have both an HRS rack and Audionet electronics that came from GTT.

As far as not disclosing the dealer’s name goes, my thinking is that it is his right to have whatever policy he wants, and, short of some offense involving moral turpitude, it is not my place to take him to task publicly for his choice of policy. Rather, I was genuinely curious about whether this was an emerging trend and, in any event, what others thought of it.

 

[MagnusG]

I have both an HRS rack and Audionet electronics that came from GTT.

As far as not disclosing the dealer’s name goes, my thinking is that it is his right to have whatever policy he wants, and, short of some offense involving moral turpitude, it is not my place to take him to task publicly for his choice of policy. Rather, I was genuinely curious about whether this was an emerging trend and, in any event, what others thought of it.

I would guess that a dealer who is selling high end hi fi products and charges customers for a demo will lose substantial money in the long run. Just one lost deal means a lot in that business. (And the dealer is obviously not getting one extra deal out of it.)

Time will tell if the practice sticks i suppose. I'm also trying to figure out how I would feel as a dealer if someone on the telephone laughed at me and hung up after I mentioned the $ 250 demo fee for a $ 100 000 setup. It would be a really bad feeling in my stomach I’m sure. It’s not a T-shirt at H&M, that sells in thousands a day, I might have missed selling.

 

[thedudeabides]

my thinking is that it is his right to have whatever policy he wants, and, short of some offense involving moral turpitude, it is not my place to take him to task publicly for his choice of policy.

You are very gracious and I respect that. However disclosure could prevent someone else from experiencing this type of encounter.

 

[Holmz]

You are very gracious and I respect that. However disclosure could prevent someone else from experiencing this type of encounter.

It usually turns into the business owner coming on to defend themselves and degraded into something resembling Judge Judy, or countless other daytime TV shows that I also dislike.

Pretty much similar to a divorce court, where the communication break down is the root cause.

Chancy Gardner might like to watch, but the rest of us maybe don’t.

 

[Tuckers]

There is a dealer in my city that is pretty prickly. He carries good gear, some of which I've loved over they years (and also known the distributors and manufacturers). But I haven't seen or heard their products in years. I've spent a good 5 figures in audio the last couple of years, and have bought from dealers if I found something that inspired me. I'd like to see which products he has on display, how he assembles his systems and listening room to see if I might gel with his store. Not something that would take a dedicated appointment or much time frankly. I've worked in high end audio retail so I've experienced time wasters and duplicitous discount hounds first hand. I would not waste his time.

I've stopped by three times when it looked like he was open and not with a customer. He won't let me in the door. He wants to make an appointment and has mentioned that he charges for demos. I don't want a demo, at least at first, as I don't know how much real experience or skill he has. So he has potentially missed out on at least some of that healthy five figures I spent in other directions. I've heard from others that my case is not unique.

 

[Rexp]

As an ex dealer, it gets pretty frustrating when 9 out 10 demos result in no sale but I wouldn't charge for a demo. If I got back in the business I might skip renting a shop and rent out Hi-end gear instead. Would folks be interested in that model?

 

[bryans]

As an ex dealer, it gets pretty frustrating when 9 out 10 demos result in no sale but I wouldn't charge for a demo. If I got back in the business I might skip renting a shop and rent out Hi-end gear instead. Would folks be interested in that model?

Please explain what you mean by "rent out" Hi-end gear? Are you saying I rent a DAC from you for a certain amount of time?

 

[Rexp]

Please explain what you mean by "rent out" Hi-end gear? Are you saying I rent a DAC from you for a certain amount of time?

Yeah, you rent for x amount per week, if you buy it, the rental amount is knocked off the price.

 

[steve59]

No way, I give people free estimates on room additions and that’s just part of the business. We have a shop out here that’s appointment onl. Use that practice, talk to your potential customers and get a day job ffs.

I could understand a restocking fee on a special order item, but asking $250 for a demo sounds like a bad idea

 

[rooze]

I think it’s the early stages of a dealer beginning to resent his or her own potential customers. May be time to switch to an alternative business model.

 

[DSkip]

No way, I give people free estimates on room additions and that’s just part of the business. We have a shop out here that’s appointment onl. Use that practice, talk to your potential customers and get a day job ffs.

I could understand a restocking fee on a special order item, but asking $250 for a demo sounds like a bad idea

Comparing two completely different industries has no legitimacy here IMO. In your industry, SOMEONE is going to get hired to do the job. In this industry, one can simply wait for a used one to show up. Product vs service is a completely different argument. People value the experience and knowledge you have to create that space. Dealers very rarely get that same kind of credit, whether deserved or not.

I think many are looking at it through a consumers eye and not the dealer. He likely feels he doesn’t NEED you as a client. He is making the choice. Is this bad for the brands he represents? Possibly. I assume he is doing quite well though for him to have such a policy. That is the valuation of his time, not a representation of a client.

Clients get fired all the time in this industry. I’ve fired a few myself and I’m generally a very patient person to work with. Once the effort is no longer worth it, the relationship ends. This policy just places value on a relationship at the gates instead of on the track.

Personally, I have no opinion on the policy.

 

[gadawg58]

I would probably rent it for a few weeks if I deemed the price to be reasonable and it came off any purchase. Being able to hear the gear in your own system at home is worth way more than hearing it in a dealer's showroom and even when you can find a local dealer its getting more difficult to get them to loan it to you.

Today I mostly buy 1 generation old used gear to try it out and if I like it make the decision to just keep it or sell and upgrade to a newer version of that same product. Doing that with a pair of REX II amps now. If I decide they are the amps for me I'll sell them and buy a new pair of REX III's. But I'm not going to buy a pair of those new without hearing them in my room connected to my speakers and there isn't currently a way for me to get them on loan so no other options really at this point. Glad I did this first though because I'm learning I'll likely need 4 of those amps and if I decide to go a different direction I'll lose a lot less selling those used amps I got at a really good price than selling a new pair of REX III's. Curious what methods others have found effective or if most folks still have access to dealers who welcome home auditions?

George