|
FAQ:
rec.audio.* Retail 2/99 (part 9 of 13)
16.0 Retail
16.1 Should I use an up-scale retail
store?
This is probably the best place to listen
to gear in a controlled environment, next to your home. This is the best
place to find expensive, high quality gear. This is the place which is
most likely to have a good policy on home trials and a liberal
return/upgrade policy. This is also likely to be the most expensive place
to shop. One exception to this is that these stores have the ability to
sell demos, returns, and discontinued gear at very advantageous prices.
Some up-scale dealers will negotiate price
on large systems or expensive purchases. It never hurts to ask.
There are definitely better and worse local
hi-fi stores. If you find a really good one, it is probably worth the
extra money to buy from them, rather than from discounters. A really good
store will not push you to buy what they want to sell. A really good store
will allow you to take your time with your decision. A really good store
will not distort the truth in describing equipment. A really good store
will help you get the most out of your purchase by showing you how to set
it up. They will tell you what placement works best for the speakers.
(Don't believe them if they tell you to put them anywhere.) A really good
store also selects their lines carefully. They don't want dissatisfied
customers or warranty returns any more than you do. A really good store
will also have technical equipment and/or skilled technical people that
can perform tricky adjustments correctly, such as cartridge and tonearm
alignment.
Due to the nature of the customer, a hi-fi
store in a shopping mall is likely to use high-pressure sales techniques.
They know that the majority of their customers are distracted easily by
299 other stores. Most of their sales go to customers that come in for 3
minutes, select something, and leave. There are exceptions to this, of
course, but if there was a good generalization, it would be to look
elsewhere. There are stores in large buildings, small buildings, private
homes, shopping plazas, and every other conceivable venue. Search from
among these to find one that meets your needs and fits your style.
16.2 Should I use a discount store?
If you need to listen carefully before
making up your mind, discount stores can be very frustrating. If you know
exactly what you want, then this can be a great place to save money. Don't
expect knowledgeable sales help or after-sale support. Be sure to ask
about the warranty (see 19.1 below on warranties).
16.3 Is it right to negotiate price?
Most people feel that it is fair to
negotiate. Some feel that it is fair to lie in negotiating, as the sales
people frequently lie to you also. Others think that lying to get a lower
price is an immoral practice. It may even be illegal, an act of fraud.
Some people feel that if you negotiate over
price, you encourage stores to mark prices artificially high, so that the
stores have room to negotiate. Others feel that in negotiating, you are
asking the store to accept a lower profit, or asking the sales person to
take a lower commission and are directly hurting them.
16.4 How can I negotiate price
effectively?
A great source of information on this topic
is available from books on buying a new or used car. However, some very
helpful general tips include:
Know the competition and the dealer.
Know the gear.
Know the prices available elsewhere.
Believe in your research, not their words.
Stand your ground.
Be nice to the people but hard on the deal.
Be prepared to walk away if they won't agree.
Expect their lines and prepare responses in advance.
For example, expect the dealer to claim
that the Nakamichi deck is the best cassette deck on the market. Be
ready with a reply such as at that price, you can buy a DAT machine
which has better frequency response, lower signal to noise ratio, etc.
16.5 It sounded great in the store. Is
it great?
Never let anyone else pick stereo for you.
Especially not speakers. They all sound different, and you don't need a
golden ear to hear the differences. Listen for yourself and ignore what
the sales people say.
If you are still unsure, ask the sales
people to let you take the gear home for a home trial in exchange for a
large deposit. Home auditioning takes 99% of the risk out of store
auditions.
16.6 Do sales people try to trick the
customer?
Some do and some don't. Some will treat
unpleasant customers badly and treat friendly people well. Most sales
people aren't wealthy. They sell stereo to make a living. If they can sell
you a more expensive piece of equipment or a piece of equipment with a
higher profit, they will make more money. Usually, this figures into
everything they say. Some sales people claim to be altruistic.
Some sales people really are open and
honest. They may starve with this approach, or they may have a nice enough
personality, a good enough product line, a good enough store behind them,
or enough technical background to overcome this "limitation".
16.7 How can sales people trick the
customer?
Often, a customer will trick him or herself
without help. We are often swayed by appearance, sales literature,
position of the equipment in the show room, and our own desire to buy what
others will like.
Some times, the sales person will actively
try to push a particular piece of equipment by demonstrating it against
another piece of equipment which is inferior or defective.
Some sales people will demonstrate a set of
speakers while simultaneously driving a subwoofer, even though they are
not telling you this. With the subwoofer, it probably will sound better.
Some sales people will demonstrate one set
of speakers louder than others. Louder almost always sounds better.
Most stereo buyers go into the store, spend
a few minutes selecting what they want, lay down big bucks, and leave.
They don't need to be tricked. They don't listen carefully. They trust the
sales person's choice as best in their price range. For non-technical
reasons, these people are the most likely to be satisfied with their
purchase.
16.8 What should I ask the sales person?
What do you want to know? Seriously, the
best questions are those which the sales person can answer without
distorting the truth. Don't ask a sales person to compare their brand to a
brand they don't sell. Don't ask "how good is the ...". Ask
questions of fact.
Here are some questions you may want to
ask: If I don't like it can I return it for a full refund? Can I try this
out at my home in exchange for a deposit? What does the warranty cover?
For how long? What do I need to know to set this up for best sound? Do I
get a manufacturer's warranty with this? Where do I take this to get it
repaired under warranty? Where do I take this to get it repaired out of
warranty?
16.9 How do I impress the sales person?
Why would you want to? You have money and
he doesn't.
16.10 How do I get the best service from
a sales person?
Be honest with the sales person. Set some
reasonable request and ask them to meet it. For example, say that you will
buy this if you can try it at home first and listen to it side-by-side
with a piece from another store. Alternately, say that you saw the same
thing at store Z for $xx less, but you will buy it from the guy if he will
match the price.
16.11 What is "street price"
or "list price"?
Street price represents the price which you
would pay if you went to a store and bought the product. It isn't a sale
price or the published price, just the actual, common selling price.
Some manufacturers tell their dealers to
sell right at list price. Others provide a low enough wholesale price that
the selling price can be significantly below "list price". List
price is generally meaningless, so street price is a more realistic
comparison price. |
