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General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

Depends.

First of all, if a manufacturer trusts me enough to let me represent him, then I should honor his requests. If I really don't want to, then I should terminate that relationship and find another manufacturer whose policies I am willing to live with.

New gear offered by a dealer at a big discount on Audiogon sends the message that the gear either has an overinflated price tag or isn't very good. New gear advertised at list or close to list price is a grey area, as there's still nothing to stop a dealer from selling for a lot less than his posted price. If new gear is advertised with an asking price of "$CALL" or "$9999999.99", I can see how a manufacturer would object. Some of my manufacturers forbid internet advertising and some do not.

Used gear is another matter, and I think it would be fair for a dealer to sell legitimately used gear. Some manufacturers prohibit a dealer selling used (trade-in, returned, older demo, or discontinued) pieces of their gear on the internet, and I think that's going too far.

And sometimes unusual circumstances arise. For instance, a retailer can be "stuck" with an expensive item that a customer ordered and then returned or cancelled. Customers have the right to do that, you know. If the manufacturer is unwilling to take the item back under those circumstances (and I can't say that I blame them), I think the dealer should be free to sell the item on Audiogon. I have known of dealers going out of business because a major sale was cancelled; there's a big risk attached to a big ticket sale, particularly for a small dealer.

Personally, I think Audiogon is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Sure I lose sales to used stuff on Audiogon sometimes, but very often when a customer of mine wants some big ticket item that I peddle he has to sell something first, and Audiogon makes that happen.

Duke


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