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What's your experience with snooty HiFi salesmen?

I began my Hifi journey in 1976 at a shop in Birmingham MI called Audio Dimensions. He was a Magnapan and ARC dealer who was kind to a 15 year old kid who bought a set of MG 1s with paper route money. The ARC amps he carried were about $4K back then- a LOT of money in 1976. In the beginning I drove my MG 1s with an old Fisher Studio Standard integrated amp. Since those lovely innocent days I have encountered some real buttholes. They act like they are doing me a favor as they quiz me about what gear I have and if I'm listening to "approved" recordings. Needless to say I don't buy from those guys. Several wives and businesses later I'm back into the hobby with a much vengeance as a 61 year old  can muster given only so many free hours in a day and only so much cash to apply due to my other vices: Classic cars and salt water fishing. 

Have you ever encountered a really good or really bad dealer (or employee) that changed your buying actions?

Darko posted a video on this topic which I found really enjoyable. Many of you have already seen it but for those (like me) who discovered it much later here's the link: 

https://darko.audio/2022/09/audiophiles-are-snobs-with-money-to-burn/

yesiam_a_pirate

Showing 2 responses by mulveling

mulveling's avatar
mulveling
2,126 posts
 

Can't really recall any. But then I just avoid people who are likely to annoy me and try not to dwell on it. It's like 2nd nature now. Also helps to do due-diligence beforehand, so I can provide my context and targeted questions from the get-go. 

Funny enough, I've encountered a couple big dealers via Facebook friends - not for audio related business - who turned out to be real sh*t-heads. Fortunately there are PLENTY of dealers and manufacturers I really do like. And I've maintained a good relationship with my main dealer for some 15 years. 

So, no problems with bad salespeople here. If anything, it will be entertainment if/when it happens. 

mulveling's avatar
mulveling
2,126 posts
 

I knew a  snooty salesman that used  the ploy of asking customers how much they wanted to spend then demonstrating a well matched system that was much more expensive before saying -But of course you can't afford that -before moving to a bad sounding poorly matched system .It was surprising how many people fell for having their ego challenged and ended up buying the expensive products or system.

😂 I mean I can't hate that guy. I admire the hustle. And if those customers are so easily led - ending up with a rockin hifi is one of their better possible outcomes. 

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