Negotiating on price - Arcam/B&W
 

"Tim" wrote in message
oups.com...

Nick Gorham wrote:

Go to a dealer, get a demo, ask to take the kit home on a trial.
Normally this will involve swiping a credit card before you get out of
the shop with this kit.

If you decide you don't like it, bring it back, and its cost you nothing
but time, and has saved you from spending money on something you don't
like.

If you do like it. Go back and make the dealer an offer. If he doesn't
like your offer, give the kit back, and you are no worst off, but at
least you have some kit you know you like. Then you can try and get the
same kit elsewhere for a discount. But given the kit has already left
his shop, he may be more inclined to offer a discount on it.

Of course, this could all fall down if they send you home with demo kit,
and not the new stuff you wanted to get the discount on.

--
Nick

this attitude is exactly why HIFI and HIFI dealers are dying. Don't
blame me when there are no shops left to dem at.



Why, what have you been up to? :-)

Anyway, who sez Hifi is dying? I think you will find it's only changing -
relatively good sound (in a digital/SS way) is no longer the province of
expensive specialists, it can be had from just about anywhere at just about
any price these days. Any dealer that can't match his methods to a changing
market will suffer, no matter what commodity he's handling.

The OP was effectively asking about getting a discount for a 'quick grab' in
lieu of the full dealer 'service' (demos and other meaningless ****ing
about) - IOW, he wanted the dealer to perform somewhat like a 'boxshifter'
in this instance. How can it hurt to ask? The dealer in question can only
tell him to **** off, can he not?

(Of course, the old 'We are not allowed to discout B&W goods' horse****
would/will be trotted out....)

Negotiating on price - Arcam/B&W
 

Tim wrote:
Nick Gorham wrote:


Go to a dealer, get a demo, ask to take the kit home on a trial.

Normally this will involve swiping a credit card before you get out of
the shop with this kit.

If you decide you don't like it, bring it back, and its cost you nothing
but time, and has saved you from spending money on something you don't like.

If you do like it. Go back and make the dealer an offer. If he doesn't
like your offer, give the kit back, and you are no worst off, but at
least you have some kit you know you like. Then you can try and get the
same kit elsewhere for a discount. But given the kit has already left
his shop, he may be more inclined to offer a discount on it.

Of course, this could all fall down if they send you home with demo kit,
and not the new stuff you wanted to get the discount on.

--
Nick


this attitude is exactly why HIFI and HIFI dealers are dying. Don't
blame me when there are no shops left to dem at.


1. Wouldn't worry me if there were no HiFi shops at all. I would be more
than happy personally if HiFi went back to being a DIY and small scale
interest it was before the 70's

2. No its not, I didn't say, get a dem, borrow the kit, take it back and
buy online. You may think I said that, but re-read it. What I said gave
the shop every chance to get a sale. if the shop did its job, the buyer
should want to give them money, and the idea of a discount will not seem
so important.

3. The reason that HiFi is dying is far more complex than that, most
people now don't seem to care what they listen too, and what it sounds
like.

--
Nick

Negotiating on price - Arcam/B&W
 

Tim wrote:

this attitude is exactly why HIFI and HIFI dealers are dying. Don't
blame me when there are no shops left to dem at.

I understand the above point but it doesn't really apply to my rather
odd attitude. I didn't buy my last system in a shop 10 years ago, and
they seem to be doing ok without my rather, infrequent, frugal
business. Given the choice between being forced to paying list price or
not buying anything I might even see sense and keep what I've got.

Its not the price per se that bothers me, but the absence of
competition.

Anyway...despite the above I actually went in to a shop today. The sole
hi-fi shop in Sevenoaks, Kent. I was on my way home from work and
glancing at my reflection in the window as I entered I though it might
just have been conceivable to an uninformed observer that I might be in
the market to buy something.

None of the grown up salemen could be arsed to come down to the sales
floor and I was left with the work experience kid to answer my
questions. He had no idea how powerful the Arcam amp was but did tell
me it has some sort of special damping material used in a spaceship to
stop electrical interference moving about and messing with my music. I
asked why it was £150 cheaper than the discontinued model it replaced
but he said this one was much better. This may be true but I'm not
inclined to take his word for it.

The B&W speakers I was interested in weren't in stock but he did point
me to some smaller ones by the same manufacturer. He couldn't actually
be arsed to point them out so had to call out "left a bit" etc. which
made me feel a bit of a tool. Especially since they were right next to
another salesman's desk.

He then clumsily attempted to trade me up to some appropriately named
Spendor speakers about £500 over my budget. Also despite their website
advertising them, apparently they don't sell the Acoustic Energy
speakers I was considering.

The final nail in the coffin (and I had to try hard not to laugh) was
when he went the other way and showed me some sort of tiny bookshelf
speakers. I explained that my room is quite large, around 100m3 (its a
Victorian building with high ceilings) and he said, that's ok, you'd be
amazed how much sound they can throw out. I took his card and near ran
outside.

Rant over anyway. I'm sure there are far better shops independent shops
elsewhere, I might even try to find one. But after that experience any
qualms about negoitating when I've enjoyed "dealer service", at that
chain anyway, have evaporated.

What a miserable young git I am.

Mark