Who buys from an authorized dealer? (1 Viewer)

[DaveJB]

and why? I'm just curious to see who forks over that extra cash and why

 

[Legairre]

I just bought a Rotel amp. The only reason I bought from an authorized dealer was, because like Paradigm and some others. No one else is allowed to sell their equipment(no internet dealers at all, not even one). The down side was that the six dealers in my state would not budge an inch on the manufacturers price. I ended up driving an hour to the next state, but I did get 15% off.

 

[JohnMW]

If you have a local dealer that you know, and have dealt with several times, you are usually in for some special treatment. My local dealer in San Angelo, TX cut me a nice deal.

Hitachi 53UWX10B w/ 5yr warranty & delivery for $2850.00

Denon 3802 - $750.00

Klipsch Reference RF3 II, RC3 II, RS3 II - $1312.00

 

[Chris Derby]

I'm not going to pay for the privilege of shopping at an authorized dealer. If they wan't to make me a deal, I'll consider it. But buying online and getting a service plan "just in case" is probably going to be less expensive.

 

[Thomas_Berg]

well, you can be sure you'll get the warranty from an authorized dealer. many manufacturers will not honor warranties if it wasnt bought from an authorized dealer.

its also good in case something goes wrong and you need a quick replacement. always buy big stuff like TVs locally from authorized dealers, or you'll regret it.

 

[Bernard L]

I do plan to buy from authorized dealers when I finally make my decision on which components to buy.

Just keeping it nice and safe for my first REAL ht system.

 

[Zbigniew]

Me.

Extra cash ? Every time I want to buy something, I will set a price I am interested in, and search for a dealer which will meet this price.

For main part of my gear you cannot buy new from anyone else - Paradigm keeps a tight allocation on reference line; Denon is almost exclusively sold via authorized dealers.

I have a default dealer - 70 miles from my village; I am on the phone with Craig at least once a week, and usually visit him once a month. If I can buy from him, and he is inside 10% of what I want to pay, we usually do a deal. He knows what I am shopping for, and if he can find a unit I need - sometimes, a demo, sometimes open box, or trade-in - he will hold it or call me if I am interested. If he cannot mach or play, he will tell so and I will shop somewhere else - no hard feelings.

Why ? Because I learn from him; I can get repairs through him (one tweeter blown, he gotr replacement and fixed it in 30 minutes). He does not bs or try to upsell me - and in last 3 years he got few k$ from me. Sometimes I borrow gear from him for Sunday, to test at home, see how does it fit into my setup. That is how I found that I do not like Anthem AVM-2, but love Lexi - etc, etc.

There are few more folks around the coutnry I bought gear from - spread from New Brunswick to Utah. How do I got their names - word of mouth. I am uaully very up-front when talking to a dealer - I will tell if am just looking, learning or ready to buy. If a dealer tries to upsell, does not know hios stuff, or simply do not listen - I walk. That is best way - and then I do support folks I like dealing with.

You know, it is my hobby. It is not only money, but how much pleasure I take from it - and how much I am giving to to others.

Regards,

_zjt

 

[Randy G]

Possible reasons to buy from an authorized dealer?
1) advice or suggestions
2) warranty guaranteed
3) quicker to get from store, or return if there's a problem
4) you actually can see or demo a product instead of relying on anonymous internet or magazine reviews
5) sometimes you can get an inside scoop about upcoming products from the dealer
6) my dealer gives loaners when necessary
7) the ability to throw a brick thru the storefront window if the dealer screws you. Also, it's much easier to sue a local dealer.
When all is said and done, you'll have to determine HOW much the extra services are worth to you. If interested my dealer gives 25% off on speakers, and just a bit over 20% off on electronics(shipped).
Regards,
Randy
[email protected]
Sherbourn, Velodyne, Lexicon, Denon, Onkyo, Integra Research, Mission, PSB, Monitor Audio, and many projectors.

 

[Luke_Y]

7) the ability to throw a brick thru the storefront window if the dealer screws you.

Mans got a point... LOL

 

[John Morris]

Authorized Dealers ARE worth something. Depending on what you want to buy and the cost spread between them and the online guys... ya just gotta make a decision.

If my local authorized dealers come within 10%(including tax) or so of my best price, I buy from them. Sometimes, when I want a product NOW, I have no other choice... as long as they have it in stock.

 

[Ken Seeber]

I just bought an Onkyo TX-DS595 yesterday and had to make this very decision. Onkyo's warranties are void if the equipment is bought from an unauthorized dealer.

There is only one Onkyo dealership in my area. Not only would he not budge on the price one dime, he takes three days to get the equipment in, because he maintains no inventory. Add to that $37 in sales taxes.

I looked at the seven or eight Internet dealers that are authorized to sell Onkyo. All had the same price on the 595, except One Call, which was having a 10% off sale with free shipping. No sales tax, because One Call is out of state.

So I got the 595 from an authorized retailer for $449 shipped, a savings of almost $90 from buying it locally. I could have gotten it for about $365 online, but for a component I plan on owning for several years, that extra few bucks is worth the peace of mind that a two-year warranty brings.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[KeithH]

An important point that must be made is that some discount mail-order dealers are authorized dealers for everything they sell. Examples include OneCall, J&R Music World, Sound City, and Oade Bros. I got most of my gear from these dealers, and the customer service and products I received were first-rate. All components came in factory-sealed boxes with all paperwork. No gray-market items here, and the savings were substantial. Buying from an authorized dealer should not be equated with overpaying. Below are the prices I paid for some brand-new components from authorized mail-order dealers. The brick-and-mortar-store prices at the time of purchase are in parentheses.
Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player: $1500 ($2500)
Sony STR-V444ES DD/DTS receiver: $640 ($1000)
Sony TC-KA2ES single-well cassette deck: $320 ($450)
Sony MDS-JB930 MD deck: $320 ($400)
Sony SCD-C333ES SACD changer: $600 ($800)
Sony SCD-C555ES SACD changer: $800 ($1200)
Harman/Kardon CDR 30 CD recorder: $450 ($600)
NAD C 370 integrated amp: $525 ($700)
NAD C 350 integrated amp: $325 ($430)
Sony CDP-CX333ES 300-disc CD megachanger: $400 ($600)
I think you can see why I advocate buying by mail whenever possible.