Speaker "salesmen" still using a white van (1 Viewer)

[Marty M]

Today, I was in the parking lot of our local Target store and I was approached by two guys in a white Chevy van trying to sell me some tower speakers. I just laughed and walked into the store. After I left I saw them with a potential customer.

It has been years since I have been approached by one of these "salesmen". I would think in that time they would have at least chosen a new color for their van.

 

[DaveGTP]

There was recently a white van thread here (about 3 months ago?). You should run a search on it. Very amusing stories from people.

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Here's the thread where we had some good discussion. In my case, the guy had a grey van.

White Van Speakers - Thread

 

[Brad_See]

I came across a really long thread on a smaller audiophile board in which tons of white van salesmen were actually registering and posting in it (and still are actually). There was some real insight there...pretty interesting. Some just posted to say "yeah we got you and i drive a Lexus" but some posted to defend their product or methods. If I have time to find it I'll post a link here. My friend got duped on some white vans a couple of weeks ago. He realized what happened when he got home and did some research on whatever brand they were. I haven't heard them yet but he likes them.

brad cook

 

[Robert Cowan]

i still dont see much difference between white van speakers and bose. both are poor offerings and are sold to customers with outrageous claims.

 

[Brad_See]

Here's a link to that white van speaker discussion where all the speaker salesmen are chiming in. It's an eye opener!

http://p196.ezboard.com/faudioforum8...tart=1&stop=20

brad cook

 

[NickSo]

I was approached a few weeks ago. The van wasn't white, more of an olive green... and it was a Pontiac Montana

 

[Brad_See]

That's what white van speaker salesmen drive when they grow up and have kids.

brad cook

 

[Johan]

Its funny because a couple a years ago we had the same problem with this "salespersons" in Sweden that claimed that they worked for a studio and orderd "to much" speakers and must sell them before the manager found out.

Yea right, ididnt take long before alot of this speakers showed up on different salesmarket on the web


(sorry about the spelling)

 

[StanG]

While I don't agree with their sales tactics, I really don't see a big problem. If the speakers turned out to be something nice, i.e. B&W, the buyer would be extatic!!! It's sad to read about people actually going after these guys and beating them up (or worse). Do people act the same way when they spend $2K on Bose and realize they sound like crap? I don't think so...

 

[Aaron Gilbert]

You know, before I started my current job, I actually was employed by one of the white van speaker companies. The job description sounded right up my alley, working with loudspeakers, but very few details were given (nothing remotely close to sales). But hey, I needed a job and they were eager to hire.

So the first day, I spent with a couple 'veterans', riding around in their van watching them try to sell speakers. Man was that an eye-opener! We spent all day stopping off at Home Depot, Costco, any other large parking lots where they thought they could find somebody to scam. They actually didn't manage to sell any speakers that day, (perhaps it was the presence of my conscience affecting the potential customers), so they were pretty ticked off at the end of the day. What most impressed me was just how little any of these people know about speakers. At least with Bose, what they say actually seems to sound good and make sense, most of the time. With these guys, it was just a bunch of jibberish and nonsense, on top of outright lies. It was really pathetic on their last sales attempt, when they ran into a guy who actually knew about speakers. They just fell apart in disgust trying to explain things when this fellow asked legitimate questions and pointed out the flaws in their reasoning.

Needless to say, my first day was also my last. All the new recruits got to fill out a survey at the end of the day, detailing the experience. Lucky for them, I really let them have it, pointing out that I noticed far more courtesy, honesty, integrity, and knowledge coming from their potential customers than the salespeople, and as a result, I could not work there again. They seemed shocked at first, but gave me my $5 an hour for the day and I never looked back.


Aaron Gilbert

 

[Johan]

The thing is that here in Sweden they didnt sell speakers like Bose.

No they sold speakers that was fake, they told people that it was JBL but these speakers had another name when it came to speakers sold to studios and as you said Aaron ordernary people dosent know s**t so ofcourse they bought it.

They also showed them a piece of paper with a signature on it, like a bill or something so it looked moore realistic.

They told fokes that the ordinary price was like 2500 $ and a Swedish HiFi magazine tryed them out and ofcource you found better build speakers at any stores.

But I havent heard anything after that, it went on like year and I had customers that not only called us because they had told them that these speakers was sold at the store that I work for.

Everyone wants to do a bargin ofcourse

But then again, if it sounds to good.
Then it probably is.

/Johan

 

[Brad_See]

Johan,

StanG didn't mean that the white van salesmen are selling Bose. He's saying that people get mad when they waste money on bad speakers from a white van salesman and some of them took drastic actions. However, when people spend a lot of money on real Bose speakers from a real audio store and they get home and realize that Bose speakers sound really bad as well they don't take similar actions against the salesman who sold them the Bose speakers. I can see how you misunderstood though with the language barrier!

brad cook

 

[Mike_J_Potter]

/quote
Its funny because a couple a years ago we had the same problem with this "salespersons" in Sweden that claimed that they worked for a studio and orderd "to much" speakers and must sell them before the manager found out.
/end quote

I love when they claim they ordered too much then say they have to get rid of them before they get in trouble. I asked one well won't you get in even more trouble when whoever pays the invoice see's a bill for 10 speakers and only 6 can be accounted for? He couldn't come up with an answer, and just told me they were a good deal. Of course I walked away.

 

[Nathan Bjork]

After reading this I recall that my brother was approched by a "white van salesman" in a gas station parking lot.

I was justing getting into HT and so he had a reason to consider buying them, he was told they were Polk Floorstanders at $500 each. He said he would have bought them if I thought it was worth it, but I was not with him so, that was a good thing. My borther did mention that he couldnt find a Polk logo.

I can't wait to have one of these "salesmen" come up to me, I want to look at the speakers and see what they have to say.

 

[Matt_Smi]

Same here Nate, I want to be approached by them, see their crappy speakers and then shut them down by asking them questions in which they will have not the slightest idea of an answer to.

 

[Brad_See]

Does anyone know where's one can find a comprehensive list of all the white van brands? I know of Dogg Digital and Audiofile but I'm sure there are tons more. I can't remember what the ones my friend bought were called...

brad cook

 

[Johan]

One of them here in Sweden was called simply:
BAS

 

[Seth_B]

Another brand is 'Skyline'. I haven't heard them, but I'm sure they replicate music about as well as a steaming dog turd would. No offense to dog turds.

I have seen these guys hanging out in the parking lot of my bank - right by the ATM. They asked me if I wanted some studio quality speakers. Tried to make up an excuse and told them I didn't have any money - at which point they reminded me that there was an ATM right behind me. How pathetic is that?

 

[Brad_See]

You shouldn't have to lie to these kinds of people or anyone else. If someone ask for money or to buy something I just tell them "No, not interested."

brad cook