@russbutton , I was trying to pay the dealer a visit. since it was used, i emailed them to see if i could audition in at their facility which is 2 hrs one way from my house.
Auditioning Used Equipment - Am I crazy ?
I reached out to a well respected dealer to see if I could audition an amp they had advertised on one of the used gear websites. This amp sells for over $20k and they were asking around $10k. This mfgr only has 12 dealers nationwide. I've heard their extreme high end equipment at shows but not this particular line. To my surprise, the dealer responded No. The unit was already boxed up to ship (hasn't been sold yet) and they wouldn't set it up for me. So my questions are:
Am I crazy asking to audition a component priced at $10k ?
For any dealers or dealer salespeople, is there a dollar amount where u turn auditions down at ? What is it ?
For consumers, is there a dollar amount that you would buy a component and roll the dice without auditioning it ?
Thanks !
Showing 12 responses by greenngoldcheesehead
@ntpc4 while I'm a cheesehead from the football mecca, I reside outside of that area now. To your point, I don't think i would have received the same response from a WI or Chicago dealer. Chicago and Milwaukee have alot of fantastic audiophile stores which has got to be very competitive. |
@mahler123 I actually wouldn't have a problem doing that depending on the fee. The only reason I purchased a pair of speakers from them a year ago was because the salesperson spent some time (30 min) with me evaluating amps for a different rig. |
@testpilot hit the nail on the head. Some people complain that the hobby is losing interest. Maybe they are driving customers to Magnolia and on-line? One of their competitive advantages is brick and mortar. |
@immatthewj the fact the unit was $10k is what blew my mind. This isnt a mCIntosh where you can go anywhere to hear it. Who the heck drops $10k on a used product with extremely limited distribution / demand that they've never heard besides a flipper ? I get the points some are making that the dealer may not make as much on used - but then do you want $10k of cash sitting out there for 4 months ? No. You want to churn and burn. Makes absolutely no sense. |
@gents . My request was to audition the equipment at the dealer where the unit is already located. I am not asking for an in home audition. I would be driving 2 hrs each way to be able to audition and purchase. The dealer has refused to remove the unit from its box and hook up 3 cables, spend 15 minutes listening to it and put it back in the box for a $10k sale. |
@russbutton , the D&Ds are a great suggestion. I am seriously considering them. Thank you ! |
@barts , That is f'ing nuts ! You win. That dealer is a heck of alot dumber than my audio dealer. A Viper is nice but no way commands that kind of attitude ! |
@sokogear They are a dealer for the used piece I wanted to audition. I didn't know if I'd like like it which is why I wanted to audition it. I Sent a follow-up email asking if they had a new unit in the store that I could audition and I received no response. Thank u. |