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Demos - To Charge a Fee or to Not Charge a Fee?

One common dealer complaint is that customers sometimes use them to audition equipment only to later purchase it elsewhere.

How much of that is true is not known but it must happen. Such is the nature of some folk.

Therefore, how about abandoning the time honoured practice of free demonstrations (also shared by the car industry) and start charging a fee?

Would $10 an hour be sufficient? 

Surely, even in quiet part of a quiet day it must cost the dealer considerably more than that to provide the facilities and staff to facilitate a satisfactory demonstration.

I don't know how others may feel, but I'd be more than happy to pay for the service.
cd318

Showing 2 responses by mofojo

mofojo
2,197 posts
 
I would pay 50 an hour to demo. I’m sure there are many looky lous who have no intention of buying new which I am one of. 
I don’t normally demo  it but I am always gonna buy used. So for that demo on what I’m buying I would pay fitty. 
mofojo
2,197 posts
 
If a dealer is willing to go 20+% off list I will consider buying from them. Most of the time they do IME. I would likely pay a fee to hear something I was really interested in so I would feel like a dick if I bought it used or elsewhere for a much better price. 
On the other hand I get Prof’s point. Where is this actually done in reality? I think it would turn a lot of people off from the dealer. 
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