I went to a dealer last week and listen to some really sweet pieces. I was ready to throw down some coin but am confused about the dealers approach. He comes in the room and says how is everyhting. I say it is amazing this is just the sound I am looking for. He says okay and leaves. Comes back in 10 minutes and I am ready for hardball. I sit back with my hands above my head in an inviting posture and say- can you beat prices that I see on Audiogon? He says he will be right back- great i think he knows- I know my stuff. Another guy comes in and says he needs to use the room for a client. I say where is the other guy and he says he's on the phone. So I wait in the lobby for 20 minutes and don't see anyone. I left my name on a paper and put it on the desk and ask him to call me with the best he can do on the system because I can buy some of it on AUdiomart. I asked my wife and she thinks that's too hardball- maybe i should have lied and said I'm shopping around for best price. Any info on how to speed pitch softballs?
Ouch. You tried to sound like you were in control and they dissed you like a bum. They’re probably turning over kit with five figure net profits and don’t need or want your business. I hate that high-end snob bs though and wouldn't give them the time of day for that rudeness.
+1 @jayctoy I agree with the other analyses here (about tire-kicking, etc.), and I do understand why the salesman would have felt like their time was being wasted. BUT...the customer has at least come into the store and how long could it take to say a sentence or two? Simply ghosting on the OP doesn't really do anyone any good, though it might have felt satisfying.
Tubebuffer go online don’t go back to that store, Music direct has 60 days trial, many do have 30days trial, But please don’t abuse them, Call Tom he is a nice salesman, he can help you..
Salesman like that will not make anyone go back to their store, If Iam the salesman , I will direct this future audiophile to the gear , he can afford.All this salesman have to say, we can’t match Audiogon and audiomart, and say thank you for visiting us.My experience going to a highend audio store is even worse than tubebuffer, Iam from Asia , live in the states for 45 yrs , I remember being treated like this without even opening my mouth, the truth salesman asses those who can afford and those who can’t, It hurts because , the guy saw me driving Sentra Nissan.Since I started Benz I get more respect on any audio store I go.Now that Iam capable of buying , I never go back to those store, they end up close 5yrs ago.
In the late 70's/early 80's I worked in the high end audio business, before the internet. When I started out, learning the ropes of selling on straight commission, before I learned how to better qualify customers, I'd spend so much time with "tire kickers", who basically wanted me to teach them what I knew about the equipment, so they could go elsewhere and snag cheaper equipment. I worked at a shop that had to rent the space, purchase the inventory, pay the utilities and hire people to run the store, and these "tire kickers" were just using us. On two occasions I spent a lot of time with customers only to find they'd head to the "schlock" places and buy lower-quality equipment with no service, and they actually had the audacity to ask for help when they had problems with that equipment they bought elsewhere. I just had to say that I wasn't familiar with those brands and recommend they ask the people they bought the items from for help.
I see two problems. 1: "I was ready to throw down some coin". They are interested in dollars. 2: "I left my name on a paper". When toilet paper is offered for you to leave information on .... that is a red-flag. Just having some fun here, but good luck.
Just a couple of observations... asking dealer to match the price of new equipment to used equipment on Audiogon is kind of a silly request; second, putting your "hands above your head" can be seen as insulting the salesman by saying whoa! don't rob me now, dude.
You made a BIG mistake mentioning Audiogon as soon has he heard that he figures your a cheapskate so you should move on.If you want a good deal at a dealer come in with cash or tell them if i bring you cash what can you do.If you give a charge card he looses 4%.I always send a check or buy with cash you will get a better deal.On Audiogon every one wants Paypal because they think they will get beat so those dudes love to pay 4% extra.The guy that invented Paypal was very smart as they get 4% and do next to nothing.
Whether this really happened or not, I have no clue, but if I owned the store, the sales person would probably be looking for a new job at some point for one of two reasons. One, because they were not good (or smart) enough to qualify the customer up front before investing too much time, and two, because they were too lazy to explain their value position to a ready to purchase customer who appeared to be offering right of first refusal.
People who have enough money to afford an expensive system generally value time and experience, but they are not going to just give their money away, they make you work for it.
If you really are serious and really do know what you want, and their market prices, and really are prepared to buy, then you could hardly have picked a worse way to handle it. Because the reason I say really over and over again is there's what people say, and there's what people do. And what you did was perfectly in line with a totally unserious buyer. Saying things like speed pitch softballs only serves to heighten my skepticism. The icing on the cake is your one post. Do this a lot, do you?
Still, other people (not trolls) can learn from this. You do your research, find your component, and then weigh the price they want for the bird in hand you can actually see, touch, and hear with the bird in the bush you can't.
Sorry if that's too grown up for you. But that's the way we do it.
You are a tire kicker, using his facility for demoing gear that he has purchased, setup in a paid for venue that employs people. In your mind, did you include shipping costs to the prices you see on AudiogoN? Remember, he has already paid the shipping to his store. So, what stuff do you know? He now knows where you are coming from and doesn't want to deal with you.
" maybe i should have lied and said I'm shopping around for best price." But that is what you are doing and your actions bear that out.
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