Sattothestars - I wasn't trying to "bag" on you or dealers. I hope you take my comments with a grain of salt. I am simply a bit irritated with a local dealer who told my friend that they wouldn't help him unless he purchased something. I think they know he shops on Audiogon so they put up a road block. This gives me a sick feeling in my stomach.
Golden_ears - I don't think I am missing the point at all. Buying used is okay - there HAS to be a secondary market for this type of gear. IF there wasn't, no-one would spend this much on audio. Its when a customer gets screwed by someone on the gray market that IS a problem for both the consumer (guy who got screwed) and the company (the group who helps to create the situation in the first place). This is a global economy - free market and there are opportunists from foreign countries who want to sell into the US market. Any manufacturer who sells its products to these opportunists is creating a portion of the mess.
Then there is the problem of stolen goods which a COMPANY AND DEALER NETWORK SHOULD BY ALL MEANS ADDRESS!! Ignoring a unit without a serial number and telling the poor sap who purchased it that they are out of luck does bad things for everyone. It prevents YOU from getting your unit back in the off chance it was stolen and it prevents the poor guy who got suckered into buying it from having service.
FOR ALL - in fact, its only the dealers who loose in this gray/used market thing - the company gets its money. So the SOME dealers band together and as a result, screw the consumer.... They are all upset because they don't get their 50% cut on the merchandice so they throw tizzy fits, stop helping the walk-in customers who buy on Audiogon, and make statements like, "you're up a creek without a paddle" in order to protect their business. I'd do the same thing if I was a dealer.... but... I would also find a way to embrace the global economy.
I'm with Tok20000 on this one.
Golden_ears - I don't think I am missing the point at all. Buying used is okay - there HAS to be a secondary market for this type of gear. IF there wasn't, no-one would spend this much on audio. Its when a customer gets screwed by someone on the gray market that IS a problem for both the consumer (guy who got screwed) and the company (the group who helps to create the situation in the first place). This is a global economy - free market and there are opportunists from foreign countries who want to sell into the US market. Any manufacturer who sells its products to these opportunists is creating a portion of the mess.
Then there is the problem of stolen goods which a COMPANY AND DEALER NETWORK SHOULD BY ALL MEANS ADDRESS!! Ignoring a unit without a serial number and telling the poor sap who purchased it that they are out of luck does bad things for everyone. It prevents YOU from getting your unit back in the off chance it was stolen and it prevents the poor guy who got suckered into buying it from having service.
FOR ALL - in fact, its only the dealers who loose in this gray/used market thing - the company gets its money. So the SOME dealers band together and as a result, screw the consumer.... They are all upset because they don't get their 50% cut on the merchandice so they throw tizzy fits, stop helping the walk-in customers who buy on Audiogon, and make statements like, "you're up a creek without a paddle" in order to protect their business. I'd do the same thing if I was a dealer.... but... I would also find a way to embrace the global economy.
I'm with Tok20000 on this one.