Wow!
This thread is something else. I choose not to jump in all the way, but, as a former "High-End" (HE) dealer during the wonderful 1970's and early '80's when the inventions were a tidal flood, I can tell you that there are as many types of HE dealers as there are anything else in the world of retail.
A customer's attitude has a lot to do with the way they are treated by "normal" (if there are such things) dealers, but of course there are people who behave the way they do whether they are selling or buying, so individual personalities enter into the equation. All my fellow HE (and other) dealers back then were pretty nice. All we wanted to do was make you happy so you would shop with us exclusively. I had tire kickers, discount-seekers (FAIR TRADE was in effect back then--look it up), and everything in between. Once, Bill Johnson paid a surprise visit to my shop and told me he did not think my showroom was conducive to selling his stuff--this is when Audio Research and Magnepan were aligned and selling their stuff as a "system."
Anyway, we sold a ton of it, so kind of proved it was the people not the setting that made the business successful. Some manufacturers had ridiculous rules that small shops could never follow, some could not do enough for you, and others just filled your orders. SO, from the point of view of the dealer, the customer was sometimes the easiest part of the equation.
For those who find dealers today are not to their liking, TELL THEM, politely, what your perception is and then LISTEN to them. Some will blow you off--the fool I sold my shop to was like that--some will try to explain the situation and work to earn your business, and others will just hang-up or walk away. I have no idea why, but if you work with a dealer, more than likely he or she will work with you. If you are a jerk, and there seem to be several on here from the inane prattle I read in some posters who try to dominate the various threads (you know who you are), you will be summarily dismissed and asked to leave. The one thing the idiot I sold my store to did was throw out jerks, and being a large person, he could with impunity. It was not my style, but it worked for him for a while, I guess. I understand some posters' frustrations, and I am sorry you are having that experience. Keep trying to find a dealer who will work with you. I am certain they are out there.
And remember, it is all about the magic of the MUSIC.
Cheers!
This thread is something else. I choose not to jump in all the way, but, as a former "High-End" (HE) dealer during the wonderful 1970's and early '80's when the inventions were a tidal flood, I can tell you that there are as many types of HE dealers as there are anything else in the world of retail.
A customer's attitude has a lot to do with the way they are treated by "normal" (if there are such things) dealers, but of course there are people who behave the way they do whether they are selling or buying, so individual personalities enter into the equation. All my fellow HE (and other) dealers back then were pretty nice. All we wanted to do was make you happy so you would shop with us exclusively. I had tire kickers, discount-seekers (FAIR TRADE was in effect back then--look it up), and everything in between. Once, Bill Johnson paid a surprise visit to my shop and told me he did not think my showroom was conducive to selling his stuff--this is when Audio Research and Magnepan were aligned and selling their stuff as a "system."
Anyway, we sold a ton of it, so kind of proved it was the people not the setting that made the business successful. Some manufacturers had ridiculous rules that small shops could never follow, some could not do enough for you, and others just filled your orders. SO, from the point of view of the dealer, the customer was sometimes the easiest part of the equation.
For those who find dealers today are not to their liking, TELL THEM, politely, what your perception is and then LISTEN to them. Some will blow you off--the fool I sold my shop to was like that--some will try to explain the situation and work to earn your business, and others will just hang-up or walk away. I have no idea why, but if you work with a dealer, more than likely he or she will work with you. If you are a jerk, and there seem to be several on here from the inane prattle I read in some posters who try to dominate the various threads (you know who you are), you will be summarily dismissed and asked to leave. The one thing the idiot I sold my store to did was throw out jerks, and being a large person, he could with impunity. It was not my style, but it worked for him for a while, I guess. I understand some posters' frustrations, and I am sorry you are having that experience. Keep trying to find a dealer who will work with you. I am certain they are out there.
And remember, it is all about the magic of the MUSIC.
Cheers!