Store auditioning and then buying on-line from others. How do you feel about it ?

I do  my best to support local business. I am willing to pay more when provided value added. Its that simple.

Here’s a story. I went to a local shop Monday after Thanksgiving and auditioned headphones with my Chord Mojo DAC. Ended up buying a pair of Grado phones I auditioned. Except none in stock so dealer imdicated they could order it for me from their store on Amazon and have it shipped to me. So they did. All good. I even got a 10% cyber Monday discount

Two weeks later now and still no phones delivered. Maybe tomorrow. Turns out they had to have the phones shipped to the store first which took longer than expected and then ship them to me. They were in the store finally yesterday.

I could probably have ordered them straight on Amazon wih Amazon prime and had them sent straight to me in two days. Now I got an online discount plus dealer has to cover two shipping costs.

Just weird. Where is the profit in that?  Very inefficient process for everyone. 

@zavato. I think, if one has taken the LAS's time to audition its item and it was cool about it, one should then give the LAS to opportunity to match that online 1/2 price before clicking "buy-it."  If it's close, probably better to go with the LAS, particularly if it has a good reputation for questions and support.

"Obligated" to pay double?  No.  Morally obligated to give the LAS a fair shot to earn the business by price or service?  I personally think so.

I suspect some places, if you are up front about it and they aren't busy, will still offer a brief audition even if only to try to establish a relationship or future sale, even if they can't/won't match the online price.  Or offer some added benefit--maybe delivery and set-up or something to justify a slightly higher price.

Ok- so let's put this in concrete terms. Item X available at a traditional store for $2,000, new with warranty, and available on line, new with warranty, for exactly 1/2 the price. As a consumer, are you obligated to sustain the brick and mortar retailer above your own pecuniary interests? 

It is wrong an unfair. It costs them money to have a room, to have gear... It's not only the time spent with the customer. And it is not sustainable behavior. It will kill stores on the long run, just like book stores and Amazon. 

I have never walked into a brick-and-mortar shop without the motivation, funds, and a price in my head that I would be willing to pay if the demoed equipment passes muster and the retailer will negotiate. Otherwise it’s a waste of time and energy all around. Get your jollies at the audio shows; do business with the retailer.

...wrong.

@inna "but who cares, right?"

Only you can answer that ethical riddle for yourself. Others of us may wish to develop long-term business friendships built on trust, knowledge, shared interests, and honest dealing. As we know, lowest pricing isn't always the answer to life's questions. Nor is it always the answer to developing a great audio system.  Top-flight brick and mortar dealers (audio and otherwise) add value for their customers. Those who don't or can't see that value will look elsewhere, of course. Dealers who don't add enough value to enough customers obviously will find other pursuits.

Never say never but I doubt that I will ever buy any expensive piece new. Good things are too expensive and there is a pretty wide availability of used stuff. Buying used from dealers is an excellent way, if possible.

 It is never OK. If brick and mortar stores go out of business there will be no place to demo equipment. Then you are just buying blind. I won't buy a piece without hearing it in my system. Everyone needs to support their local dealers if they can.

 I am not rich and buy almost everything used. I am friends with a couple local dealers. I usually buy stuff that was traded in by other customers. This way I can demo something at home before I buy it. The dealer will also stand behind the piece if there is a problem. My ARC dealer is great, he will call me if he is getting in a piece he thinks I might want. I usually tell him my plans if I am looking for something in particular. One of my local dealer let me buy a pair of his demo speakers at a great price and make payments. Even though I am not buying new, they are still making money off of me and I am supporting their business. 

Of course, turning around to buy used is going to happen.  But those are onesies and twosies kinds of things.  It's really dealers getting their sales poached by other dealers that's a huge burden upon them.

When I imported high-end audio components, and went about building a dealer network, there was no more difficult problem I faced.  It completely blindsided me, and emerged in my mind as a primary reason so many companies struggle to get their legs under them or sustain operations.  Dealer unhappiness represents a far bigger problem than any of us sitting on the sidelines realizes.

After the first year, I evolved into a workable solution; dealer territories.  No dealer could sell a component outside of their area without my consent.  Normally, that exception was provided for long-standing customer-dealer relationships.  At first, the dealers balked.  But as they began to see how it protected them from poaching, they got on-board in a bigger way than I would have hoped.  In fact, before I decided to pull the plug, I had more dealers coming to me than I could shake a stick at.  Most of them said the same thing, I wanted to watch how you handled the line.  The way you've advertised / marketed the brand, gotten reviews, attended shows, and most importantly, supported the dealers who represent you won me over.  Life is about relationships.  Take care of those who you deal with, and it will come back to you, and vice versa

"In fact I bought all my equipment used- a lot of it from Johnny's customers."

In the right circumstances, that's almost as good as buying from him!  I assume at least some of them use the funds to buy more stuff.  I don't know if it works this way, but maybe if he has a customer that waffles because he/she needs to unload something, first, he can say, "Don't worry, I know a guy."  :)

Mea Culpa, 
I heard the Ayre Codex at AudioConnection and bought a used unit here on Agon. I felt bad that I didn't give him a chance to sell me one.
In fact I bought all my equipment used- a lot of it from Johnny's customers. I couldn't afford it otherwise.
I try to buy what I can from him, like cables and accessories, but the big ticket items.... Oh well, you know. 
As a small business owner, I know how hard it is to make a living. Though I do try to steer as much business his way, as possible, through my posts.
For his part, John Rutan has been nothing but generous in dispensing advice and information. When I win the lottery, guess who I am going to buy from?
Bob

I think it's ok, sometimes....

The auditioning wasn't done with the undisclosed intent to buy somewhere else. If price was the issue, gave the LAS an opportunity to come close in price.  "Hey man, thanks for taking the time with me the other day.  I'm about ready to pull the trigger, but I did see X-super-cool-device at Y authorized dealer, online, at Z price.  Can you sell for that?"

Or later found a pre-loved item at a significant discount.

Or the buyer does buy a reasonable amount of stuff from the LAS and otherwise has a good, ongoing relationship, including referrals.  But, then, wouldn't the buyer probably be able to negotiate a deal close to the online competitor?

Or got a package deal that includes "necessary" stuff the LAS doesn't carry.

Or the LAS folks were jerks.  Yes, they exist.

Loathsome to go audition something already seen online, have the LAS give you its best advice, spend all day trying stuff out or even allowing a home audition, and buy somewhere else to save a few bucks, especially without giving the LAS a shot at coming close in price---double especially if the LAS is cool about questions and service concerns.

Exactly. I would offer to pay for their time, I think a fair rate could easily be negotiated.

I guess you can do it once at a given dealer but don't expect them to keep welcoming you back. In my experience treating dealers fairly serves you much better in the long run -- doesn't mean you have to spend all your $$ in once place but at least give them something for their time

It erodes your soul but who cares, right?

There's a special circle in Hell for such vile and loathsome behavior.