Soap Box

[Jazzwyld]

To those it may concern,

I've now read twice on here about people purchasing from the internet to save money on amp or speakers or reciever, etc. I have one thing to say to that. How dare you. There are men and women across this country who work hard being your knowledgable sales staff. Your local store that you go to ask questions find solutions, and then you strip them of their livelyhood just so you can save some cash. To those that honor the local store I commend you, I hope that the customer service you recieve is equal to your loyalty. To the others...there may come a day when you call your local store and it will be gone. There are definite reason to buy some things online and to save money. But think of what you are doing to the people that live in your neighborhood.


Sincerely,

An Audio/Video Salesperson

 

[Takeereasy]

I agree to a point. I'm not crazy about people taking home a product to see if they like it and then returning it to buy elsewhere. But part of making an informed decision to purchase is researching your options. If you go into a store to talk to staff or demo a product and then buy it online at considerable savings I see no harm in that. I recently ordered a receiver online. Does that make me a bad person? I saved over $1000 CAD by doing it that way and that is the only way I could afford this product. Now granted my local store doesn't carry the receiver I bought, despite the fact that they are my areas authorized retailer and repair shop. I did ask them about it and they said it is a great receiver and congratulated me on the price.I love my local shop. When I save up a few hundred dollars they have the DVD player that I want and I'm going to buy it from them. Not from some other shop or online. But this purchase is only a few hundred, not a couple of thousand. I work for a company that appraises heavy equipment and autos. Would you hire us at $170 when you know that you can get the same service for $120? Why not if we're your local shop? Come on, spend the extra $50. Sure you don't get anything extra for the money, but at least you shopped locally.

 

[mcwilson]

Serenity now!

Serenity now!

Serenity now!

CYMFAD!

Which means Calm Down!

 

[sts9fan]

I work hard too

Why should I not get the most for my money?? Your talk kinda sounds like a stupid hippy. Why should I care about others.

:takes off Republican hat:

 

[Takeereasy]

Hey Mcwilson, when does Festivus start?

 

[mcwilson]

Festivus takes place during the last few weeks in December, families and friends gather at the dinner table and have "The Airing of Grievances". Durning this time, family and friends share all the ways they have disappointed each other during the past year.

After the Airing of Grievances, the "Feats of Strength" takes place. This is where the head of the household tests his/her strength with another friend or family member. The great honour is given out to a different person each year. Kramer was given the honor but passed it to George Costanza as he had an appointment. You can turn down a challenge if you have an appointment. Festivus is not over until the head of the household is pinned.

The Festivus Pole, is not a tree. It is a metal pole with no decorations. Frank Costanza believes that tinsel is very distracting. The pole is tall and silver.

 

[Takeereasy]

Mcwilson, that's awesome. I couldn't stop from giggling out loud.

 

[mcwilson]

Yeah, I show my teeth when I read that. I never miss a re-run of Seinfeld. You never know when the "Master of My Domain" is going to run...

 

[bobman1235]

Pfff, good luck finding a new job salesperson. It's called a free market economy. My "knowledgeable staff" is my internet research. I'm a scumbag for finding an alternate means of getting my information? Sure, going into a store and using the resources there and then buying online is ... sketchy at WORST, but if that business model isn't working for the stores, they can change it.

How dare we? Are you kidding? You may like to throw away money on ridiculous markup so a bunch of NOT knowledgable 16-year olds can work at your "local store", but I like to get the most for my money, thanks.

Enjoy the unemployment line, moron.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

You're right, I should have purchased my SVS sbwoofer from a local dealer, instead of the SVS website. And those Telarc CD's. I feel so bad


Wait, no I don't.

 

[shokhead]

To those it may concern,

I've now read twice on here about people purchasing from the internet to save money on amp or speakers or reciever, etc. I have one thing to say to that. How dare you. There are men and women across this country who work hard being your knowledgable sales staff. Your local store that you go to ask questions find solutions, and then you strip them of their livelyhood just so you can save some cash. To those that honor the local store I commend you, I hope that the customer service you recieve is equal to your loyalty. To the others...there may come a day when you call your local store and it will be gone. There are definite reason to buy some things online and to save money. But think of what you are doing to the people that live in your neighborhood.


Sincerely,

An Audio/Video Salesperson

Better get a new job or get lower prices. Its MY money and i'm going for the best deal. I have on reason to go to a store just for bad or wrong infomation. I get just fine service from the internet and i dont have to be eye to eye with a salesperson.

 

[Shinerman]

I think the problem is mainly harming stores that carry lower end to mid level audio video gear. The high end shops are always going to be there. Can you imagine spending $10K plus for a pair of speakers you have never heard? Look at Axiom. Their top of the line speaker is what? $1200 a pair? They know they can't sell any profitable quantity of speakers that are say $3k. Most people are not going to shell out that kind of money for something they can't listen to. I think there is a price point for various products that will discourage people from buying from an internet company and these companies know this. Maybe I am wrong but I can't think of any internet speaker companies with speakers over about $1500 or so?

The internet is a fact of life that is not going away. Sales people will continue to lose their jobs and new jobs will continue to be created by internet based companies. It all equals out. Sucks for you personally, but in the big picture all is well.

Brick and Mortor stores will never disappear. They will reduce in number but they will always be here. They serve a purpose. Speaker companies that make good products want a potential customer to hear their product. They need brick and mortor stores and don't want to compete in the internet market. It's then a crapshoot as to who can market better and becomes about marketing over quality. Some companies are willing to do this. Look at Bose, and then look at their quality.

Shinerman

 

[RMK!]

Retort

I think one of my posts may have instigated this rant (can you hear the Carly Simon song "Your so vain, you probably think this song is about you"?).

I agree, that this occurs in the mid to low market sector. That is where I was shopping when I started out on my HT quest. I was looking for that level of equipment. My point was (well one of them) that the quality of sales person in the larger chain stores is, IMHO, abysmal. These people are trained to close the sale and many have at best, brochure knowledge of their products. I even had to figure out how to switch the components to get the combo of receiver speaker I wanted to hear because my sales person did not know how to do this. This level of person does not foster much loyalty. They are order takers and in a commodity market, this is what you get. When I got home with my impulse buy hardware and did my after the fact due diligence, I found that I could purchase the same exact hardware B stock for half the price so I did. Am I guilty about this? Should I be?

After I had purchased the rest of my equipment (via the evil Internet) I went into a high-end AV store and described what I had purchased, that I was just interested in what the next level of system was, and what the audible differences were. A very knowledgeable professional spent an hour with me showing me beautiful equipment properly setup and demonstrated. I was very impressed and when the inevitable up-grading occurs, I will be more than willing to spend my hard-earned money with these people. I actually agree with the ranter, I think it is good to support local value add sellers (I don’t like Wal-Mart) and I commend real industry professionals who are product and market knowledgeable.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

To those it may concern,

There are men and women across this country who work hard being your knowledgable sales staff. Your local store that you go to ask questions find solutions, and then you strip them of their livelyhood just so you can save some cash. To those that honor the local store I commend you, I hope that the customer service you recieve is equal to your loyalty. To the others...there may come a day when you call your local store and it will be gone. There are definite reason to buy some things online and to save money. But think of what you are doing to the people that live in your neighborhood.

Two Points:
1) The internet sales staff that I'm buying my stuff from (in many cases several HUNDRED dollars cheaper) is hard working too.
2) I have found that most of the sales staff at these local stores aren't any more knowledgeable than I am and since I found this website, even less knowledgeable. They are there for one reason, to sell me the most expensive product -- not the best mind you, just the most expensive -- so they can get a healthy commission. How else do you explain that when I go in and tell them I have such-and-such a budget they invariable bust the budget by several hundred dollars. (The same amount I'm actually saving myself by buying online.) How else do you explain that one store will tell me Intregra is the best, another will tell me Denon, and a third place will rave about Marantz? They can't all be the best, can they?

As far as thinking about what I"m doing to the people in the neighborhood, I'll think about them the moment they think about me and start giving me competitive prices.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Maybe I am wrong but I can't think of any internet speaker companies with speakers over about $1500 or so?

A couple Onix Rockets and the Onix Refrence. But yes, internet direct is largely a low to mid-fi market.

 

[Resident Loser]

Well maybe...

To those it may concern,

I've now read twice on here about people purchasing from the internet to save money on amp or speakers or reciever, etc. I have one thing to say to that. How dare you. There are men and women across this country who work hard being your knowledgable sales staff. Your local store that you go to ask questions find solutions, and then you strip them of their livelyhood just so you can save some cash. To those that honor the local store I commend you, I hope that the customer service you recieve is equal to your loyalty. To the others...there may come a day when you call your local store and it will be gone. There are definite reason to buy some things online and to save money. But think of what you are doing to the people that live in your neighborhood.


Sincerely,

An Audio/Video Salesperson

...If one could find a salesperson who actually knew what the were talkin' about, things might be different, but...

Whether it's cars or audio gear or anything in between, you deal with salespeople(for the most part) not enthusiasts ...pure and simple...ask a techie question and ZAPPP!! it's lights out...and not even a REAL techie question, just maybe something that might indicate at least a casual acquaintance with the product they sell...zero...zip...nada...a real turn-off, so I can sympathize with those who buy online.

Anything I buy is researched 86 different ways before I step into a shop...I tell 'em what I want...ask the price and either it's thumbs up or I take a hike. I'm a great customer, no sweat, no tap-dance, just write it up.

The only place I ever felt that I was among enthusiasts was LIs Bill Colbert's Audio Exchange...even though I was a regular there, I would simply listen to what they were showing other folks. Once in a great while, I'd ask to listen to something(I had read about or researched for possible purchase) or one of the guys would show me a new piece of gear...they knew I was rarely in the market, but when I was, I bought there...yeah, they were salesmen, but they knew what they were selling, to the last man...

While I don't shop online(just a Luddite at heart), I do comparison shop, look for sales and go for the lowest price...for the most part, I avoid the "salons" and their limited distributorship(read: high priced gear). By doing so, I need not listen to the "expert' who tells me I need to upgrade everything I own and allow a certain percentage for "wiring"...or get the hard-sell on the high mark-up items...or on stuff their moron boss over-ordered.

So, while I do buy local, it's only because it suits me to do so...plus, if there is a problem, I have someone to intimidate in person...much more effective than an irate phone call!

jimHJJ(...plus I get antsy waitin' for stuff...cash & carry is my motto...)

 

[shokhead]

If you buy a receiver and after 2 months it goes bad,where do you go? Either where you got it or an authorized dealer. You do the same if you buy online. I'll take my denon to an authoriozed dealer if its still under warr. Before online,i did just what you did and if i was lucky,i'd get an open box or display.

 

[Tex-amp]

A couple Onix Rockets and the Onix Refrence. But yes, internet direct is largely a low to mid-fi market.

Yep the Ref 3 from Onix is $4500. Off the top of my head add Salk Sound, ACI, GR Research, Carolina Audio, Omega(?)and Tyler Acoustics to that >$1500 list.

 

[Shinerman]

Yep the Ref 3 from Onix is $4500. Off the top of my head add Salk Sound, ACI, GR Research, Carolina Audio, Omega(?)and Tyler Acoustics to that >$1500 list.

You guys just have to rub it in, don't ya!

I guess I was referring to the larger more popular companies.

Shinerman

 

[Tom Andry]

Shinerman,

Don't you know better than to speak in generalities on the net? People LIVE to find the exception that proves the rule!