Authorized Speaker Dealers vs. Online Speaker Dealers/Ebay

[emack27]

What did you choose? Could you explain why you chose it, were you satisfied with your decison(s) and if you had to do it again what would you do differently.

I am asking these things because I have a decision to make about how I buy my speakers. From whom you purchase your speakers is just as important as what speakers you buy.

My decision is either purchase a pair of speakers from a certified dealer, pay $2000 with taxes and no shipping, plus they allow exchanges for trade-ups within one year and you get the factory warranty and good customer service or I purchase from a non-factory authorized dealer, pay $1600 plus shipping and no taxes, wait for speakers to ship, hope that speakers don't get damaged in shipping, no trade-ups, 30 day money back gaurantee minus shipping, no factory warranty but dealer will warranty for same time and prob. worse customer service.

Given these facts what which would you choose?

[musicman1999]

The dealer everytime,without question.For many reasons,you get to listen before you buy,warranty is important,goodwill towards future purchases,good pricing on said purchases.When they get to know you and your system,the guys at the shop can be a valuable resource as you expand or upgrade in the future.When i started upgrading to a good system i picked a good store and have stuck with them and get many benefits,trying at home before buying and good advice even if it goes against their product lines.A few extra dollars can be worth it in the long run.

bill

[jamison]

I bought my Front speakers via a local authorized dealer.. they were a pair of RF-7 by Klipsch... I paid slightly over 2 grand for them.. well I wanted to eventually replace my remaining rat shack speakers, I looked at the RC-7 center from the dealer,,, $900 they wanted for it.. they also wanted that much for the pair of surrounds (RS-7)
I saw someone on ebay selling the center for $500 and the surrounds for $500. needless to say thats where i went is the online dealer.. this was before Klipsch started going after unauthorized dealers.. Needless to say i saved near $600 by the time shipping was included.. the only bad thing UPS left them sitting on my front porch when i got home... anyone could have stolen them..or if it happened to rain yikes....Ive now had my speakers for 3 years and no problems whatsover with the speakers.
if your concerned about warrenty and service go with the local dealer,,, if you want to save some significant dollars go with the online..you just have to forgo the warenty usually and take some chances with shipping. if it was a difference of say 1-200 dollars i would have gone with the local dealer but $600 I can buy a decent sub or another piece of equipment for that amount of cash.
just make sure you pay for it with a credit card... even if paying with paypal use your card. just my recomendations

[emack27]

Oh, good. Now we've got a debate going on.
Yes, it would be wisest to go with the authorized dealer but at what monetary point do you have to choose to go with the online dealer?

If I bought my speakers online I'd save $400 on the $2000 set. That's 20% savings.

[Jim Clark]

There are some different benefits to whatever route you decide to chose. The only thing I have a problem with is going to a dealer to audition and then turning around and buying the same product online whether it's used or new from an internet store front. If you audition a product at a dealer you should buy it from a dealer. Notice I don't say that you should buy it from the same dealer. I also believe quite strongly that these guys should be competing among themselves. That's not always possible but many times with a phone book and a tank of gas it can be done. Naturally you'll have to factor that into the price as well. A dealer can offer significant piece of mind and that's got to be worth something. Keeping the doors open is also important if you want to be able to go audition products in the future. This comes with a higher price tag. IMO, with better dealers it comes with a "smaller" higher price tag. If someone tells me MSRP is their policy, that's their right, but I won't be going back. There's more than one dealer for a reason.

A lot of times, I already know what I want. This can be based on nothing more than curiousity or maybe even an avalanche of reviews and comments I've read online. In this case I really like audiogon for audio purchases. While it's not like there's never been a scam on audiogon, the odds are significantly better than ebay. For the most part the membership is comprised of like minded individuals all looking to do about the same thing. Unload gear in an effort to move to the next level. There is a downside of course, no auditioning. If however you are willing to make the effort to turn around and re-list the product that you don't like things generally work out nicely. Buying used can usually return substantive savings. Much greater than buying new from an online source. There are some tremendous deals available on audiogon and while it can take some effort and occasionally a bit of luck, doing it in the comfort of your home office makes it seem easier. Heck you can even search zipcodes to see what's available in your area. Not having to pay for shipping is like an added bonus.

Regards,
jc

[Feanor]

What did you choose? Could you explain why you chose it, were you satisfied with your decison(s) and if you had to do it again what would you do differently.
...

The facts you related don't discuss the reputations of either dealer. If you local dealer goes bust or renegs, you might still have the factory warranty, assuming the maker hasn't gone bust too, but you will have shipping costs. On the other hand, a recognized, well-established online dealer, even if they aren't authorized, would be good for the repairs or replacement if that is stipulated.

Any warranty is only as good as (1) its specific terms, and (2) the ability and willingness of the quarantor to honor it.

[jocko_nc]

That's not true, Feanor. Warranty obligations are largely determind by the state in which you live and the manufacturer does business. No amount of boilerplate legal mumbo-jumbo can mitigate obligations, either implied or expressed. Notice, the last line in every warranty says something to the effect that "some or all of the above may or may not apply due to specific local circumstances." Which is not to say warranty can be made easy or painful at the discretion of the manufacturer. The rules are clear, however.

For a $2,000.00 purchase and large, heavy items I would certainly buy locally. For a couple of hundred bucks and something easily shipped, buy online.

jocko

[emack27]

The facts you related don't discuss the reputations of either dealer. If you local dealer goes bust or renegs, you might still have the factory warranty, assuming the maker hasn't gone bust too, but you will have shipping costs. On the other hand, a recognized, well-established online dealer, even if they aren't authorized, would be good for the repairs or replacement if that is stipulated.

Any warranty is only as good as (1) its specific terms, and (2) the ability and willingness of the quarantor to honor it.

Well, to remove a few variables in this equation, let's just say that both dealers have fair reputations, ok Feanor.

[emack27]

i did however leave out the fact, albeit an implied fact, that the authorized dealer is local and the unauthorized dealer is internet.

[superpanavision70mm]

I would give the dealer the business for several reasons. It's always a great feeling giving business to someone local and you can always go back there for any suggestions and they respect your business. Internet won't give you that. You never know down the line what other type of business deals you might work out either. I would definitely go with the local dealer and they will thank you greatly for it.

[Florian]

My dealer is 1200km away but for big items i still drive and pick them up. I rather support a dealer who has a worker then buy online and kill the local stores.

-Flo

[Feanor]

That's not true, Feanor. Warranty obligations are largely determind by the state in which you live and the manufacturer does business. No amount of boilerplate legal mumbo-jumbo can mitigate obligations, either implied or expressed. Notice, the last line in every warranty says something to the effect that "some or all of the above may or may not apply due to specific local circumstances." Which is not to say warranty can be made easy or painful at the discretion of the manufacturer. The rules are clear, however.

For a $2,000.00 purchase and large, heavy items I would certainly buy locally. For a couple of hundred bucks and something easily shipped, buy online.

jocko

So if your dealer is a dork you can take him to court? That's not a pretty scenario especially if he's 1000 miles away in a different state or country.

What I meant to say is that dealers will rarely exceed the terms of their waranties, even if they are great otherwise. So it comes around that the reputation of the dealer is paramount and your principal guarantee.

[2chAlex]

I didn't see any mention of buying from an authorized online dealer. I recently did so and was satisfied. The delivery was Fed Ex which meant a signature, no leaving it on the porch. Have heard of bad experiences with UPS. Downside being once you have the item, no return (unless defective). I will make every attempt to support local, but a close out price just couln't be passed up.

[Feanor]

I didn't see any mention of buying from an authorized online dealer. I recently did so and was satisfied. The delivery was Fed Ex which meant a signature, no leaving it on the porch. Have heard of bad experiences with UPS. Downside being once you have the item, no return (unless defective). I will make every attempt to support local, but a close out price just couln't be passed up.

UPS leaves stuff on the porch, even large boxes . Also, I live in Canada and have stuff shipped from the U.S., UPS charges exorbitant brokerage fees.

FedEx charges lower fees and is less likely to leave it on the porch. USPS+Canada Post is best where an option: CP charges the lowest brokerage and doesn't leave packages on the porch -- at least not larger ones.

[emack27]

However, gentlemen, when it comes to speaker kits I would find it rather difficult if not impossible to purchase one from a local authorized speaker dealer or authorized internet dealer.

After much research I have chosen to purchase a Do It Yourself (DIY) speaker kit http://www.seas.co.uk/acatalog/THOR.pdf . This kit can be purchased at http://www.madisound.com or http://www.zalytron.com or you can build your own box.

Pics: http://www.madisound.com/pdf/Kits/seaskits.pdf

Thanks for all your input.

[emack27]

However, gentlemen, when it comes to speaker kits I would find it rather difficult if not impossible to purchase one from a local authorized speaker dealer or authorized internet dealer.

After much research I have chosen to purchase a Do It Yourself (DIY) speaker kit http://www.seas.co.uk/acatalog/THOR.pdf . This kit can be purchased at http://www.madisound.com or http://www.zalytron.com or you can build your own box.

Pics: http://www.madisound.com/pdf/Kits/seaskits.pdf

Thanks for all your input.

I hope I have made a wise decision.

[jocko_nc]

I think you're going to like THAT kit a whole bunch. I've been wanting to hear a review of it. Let us know how it goes.

jocko

[emack27]

I think you're going to like THAT kit a whole bunch. I've been wanting to hear a review of it. Let us know how it goes.

jocko

Thanks, Jocko.
I'm ordering it after payday (Friday) so maybe I'll get it sometime next week or so.
I'll keep ya posted. I know I'm going to like them. Hell they're just about top of line as good as you can get speakers except for their real low end bass response and that's why they created subs.