tangramca,
A reasonable approach for the situation mentioned by br3098 is for the customer to agree to pay the going rate for a house call. In my area, that is $120 to $150 an hour. So, it would be something like $840 dollars. If the customer chooses to buy the expensive cartridge, a portion, if not all of that amount could be rebated. If not, the buyer would be absorbing a painfully high amount, but, it would still be better than paying thousands for a cartridge that is not loved. Given how much the value of a used cartridge depreciates, that amount is still much less than buying a cartridge and then selling it as used.
Because I have a very good relationship with a couple of local dealers, I got to buy my cartridges with a right to return them if I did not like them. These were not dealer demonstration cartridges, these where new cartridges ordered for me. I never returned the cartridges so the dealer did not lose out. This sort of arrangement is possible if there trust is developed with a dealer.
When I was in the market for a high-end linestage many years ago, I went to a dealer who carried two of the brands I was interested in. He did not have the flagship models in his store that I wanted to audition. What he offered was to buy the flagship models of both brands on the promise by me to buy one or the other. This would work out for him financially. A dealer gets a substantially lower price for the first purchase of any model of gear from the distributor or manufacturer (this is to encourage purchase of a store demonstration unit). If I bought one of either models, the cost of both would be covered by the purchase. As it turned out, I like the first model he got in and bought it, so he never had to order the model from the other brand. I got a good discount in the deal, even without asking for it. This is how an arrangement has to be--it has to be financially worthwhile for both parties.
A reasonable approach for the situation mentioned by br3098 is for the customer to agree to pay the going rate for a house call. In my area, that is $120 to $150 an hour. So, it would be something like $840 dollars. If the customer chooses to buy the expensive cartridge, a portion, if not all of that amount could be rebated. If not, the buyer would be absorbing a painfully high amount, but, it would still be better than paying thousands for a cartridge that is not loved. Given how much the value of a used cartridge depreciates, that amount is still much less than buying a cartridge and then selling it as used.
Because I have a very good relationship with a couple of local dealers, I got to buy my cartridges with a right to return them if I did not like them. These were not dealer demonstration cartridges, these where new cartridges ordered for me. I never returned the cartridges so the dealer did not lose out. This sort of arrangement is possible if there trust is developed with a dealer.
When I was in the market for a high-end linestage many years ago, I went to a dealer who carried two of the brands I was interested in. He did not have the flagship models in his store that I wanted to audition. What he offered was to buy the flagship models of both brands on the promise by me to buy one or the other. This would work out for him financially. A dealer gets a substantially lower price for the first purchase of any model of gear from the distributor or manufacturer (this is to encourage purchase of a store demonstration unit). If I bought one of either models, the cost of both would be covered by the purchase. As it turned out, I like the first model he got in and bought it, so he never had to order the model from the other brand. I got a good discount in the deal, even without asking for it. This is how an arrangement has to be--it has to be financially worthwhile for both parties.
