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McIntosh Pricing Policy

panhead said:
Im not trying to argue but im having a real hard time getting my head around why a dealer is so important.

In your case what did your dealer do for you with the Mcd-201 that could not of been accomplished by any owner,once again im not trying to push the buying used arguement but there has been no information presented so far that shows the absolute need of dealer intervention in the event of a problem,except to pay shipping & a free repair,in my dealings with Mac service over the years ive got gear repaired for very little cost & in one case at no cost with return shipping paid by Mcintosh & a free poster to boot:thmbsp:.

Its my understanding that quite a few Mcd 201's had problems & that Mcintosh corrected these problems for most people, free of charge in alot of cases, no matter how they bought their gear.

Repair expense & round trip shipping expenses are not the norm with Mac gear,Mac build quality is second to none as well as quality control & testing,in most cases if the gear works when you get it it's going to live a long & healthy life,i think member ownership of used Mac gear on this site proves this point.

Here is My main interest in this, overstating the need for a dealer is detremental to the brand,people who cant afford to buy new Mac from the dealer,in most cases never will,they will not save up year after year for one peice of gear,instead they will either buy used or be scared away from the brand from no dealer support or no warrenty.

I see this example all the time on another forum i visit,where new buyers get scared off from the brand by people reccomending to not buy anything without warrenty,people who are new to the brand do not realize just how well built Mac gear is and how very few components actually go bad.How on earth can any of us ever reccomend Mcintosh to a new buyer in these threads if the lack of dealer support is so dangerous.
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No worries at all none nada no shipping, replacement ordered right away no questions asked! I am confident that had it taken 6 units to receive a good one that is what would have been done. If I i wanted money back also no problem.

When you have a good relationship with your dealer you get good pricing maybe not the absolute lowest but then again he stays in business for next time! Plus I have bought other things as well like Sonus faber speakers and can home demo products when I please! what is all this worth long term, Plenty I think.

Robert
 
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Daytripper said:
When you have a good relationship with your dealer you get good pricing maybe not the absolute lowest but then again he stays in business for next time! Plus I have bought other things as well like Sonus faber speakers and can home demo products when I please! what is all this worth long term, Plenty I think.

Robert
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If you have a dealer doing this for you then I agree, you have a special relationship with your dealer. I wish I had that kind of relationship with mine. Unfortunately I don't.
 
Maule said:
I have 1 Mac dealer 10 miles from me and another 60 miles. The next closest is over 200 miles. Both of the afore mentioned dealers act like I farted in the place when I asked for a discount. Both of them told me flat out that they were required by Mac to sell at MSRP. Until I started visiting here I believed that.
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I noticed you're in Hickory - I have a home in West Jefferson.


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My advice: Forget these two dealers and consider establishing a relationship with Tom Manley (Terry DeWick's business partner) at Statement Audio in Knoxville, TN - It's only a 3 hour drive from Hickory on I-40. :cool:
 
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It seems to me that it is patently unfair to slam two dealers and one distributor in one post but I guess I have a heightened sense of fairness. To add insult to injury, the slam on the McIntosh rep is only hearsay. It seems it one thing to praise a retailer by name but to slam someone who might not be in a position to defend themselves seems poor form --- Again this is only an opinion.
 
Any more proper name mention of any dealer in a derogatory fashion will get this thread deleted, pure and simple.

The reason for this is that:
8. Audiokarma is not a venue for resolution of offsite disputes. This includes Ebay, Craigslist, other forums or bulletin boards, et al.
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I am not sure why following guidelines set forth by the forum rules is so difficult
but I like this one and will enforce it. :)


Carl
 
IMHO, audioclassics goes WAY and I mean WAAYYY over the top of any dealerships in "ANY KIND OF MARKET" with their honesty, integrity,willingness to share info, attention to detail, ect,ect,ect.... I sometimes cringe cause honestly (lord forgive me) I don't think i would have the patience for "ME"!! I will "always" make purchases from them! Saving a couple hunded bucks here and there just isn't worth it! They are also EXTREMELY understanding when you can (sometimes) save hundreds of $$$ on paticular items and agree that you should not pass it up!! Hats off to Steve, Ryan ,Mike and the crew, they know in the long run I am a LONGTERM customer! Long live audioclassics, and a "Sincere" thankyou for your guidance and money well spent!
 
Thanks for all the replys. Excellent information.

I called two Premier dealers today... one said 'no discount' the other said 'come on down to the store and I will work with you' I purchased a new in box C220 and MC2102 below 'list'. Thanks AK.

For the first time, I think I will use one of these...:banana:
 
Cadillac Kid said:
Thanks for all the replys. Excellent information.

I called two Premier dealers today... one said 'no discount' the other said 'come on down to the store and I will work with you' I purchased a new in box C220 and MC2102 for $1000.00 off 'list'. Thanks AK.

For the first time, I think I will use one of these...:banana:
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Congrats on the MC2102. It is simply one of the best tube amps I have ever used, and really I have had plenty. From reliability, to longevity of the tubes, 2102 is on top of the list.

:thmbsp::thmbsp:
 
My dealer also gave me a substantial discount on a new C220/MC275 package. OH, YEAH! Plus, the friendly attitude and overall helpfulness in making a decision were bonuses. :D

I just wish my MC275 would be quiet when idle, but that's another story on another thread... probably just a tube gone bad, but has yet to be determined. :sigh:
 
I don't think we should disclose the amount of discount we got. Not fair to others who paid full price or small dealers who can't afford to do deep discounts. Just my opinion.
 
dj_AmTraX said:
I don't think we should disclose the amount of discount we got. Not fair to others who paid full price or small dealers who can't afford to do deep discounts. Just my opinion.
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I made an edit to my post. Do not want to spread any bad will. By the way, the large dealer would not deal, the small shop did, but by no means a 'deep discount'. Sorry if anyone was offended. Just excited to get what I wanted in my budget.

Robinje..I almost changed my mind and went with the MC-275. That is one sweet looking and sounding amp.
 
With a little planning and help from Mike Shasta at Audio Classics, I purchased all of my current McIntosh gear at significant 40-50% savings off dealer list. Every piece was either NOS or A-1 mint and came with a full 1-year warranty. It was delivered in new McIntosh boxes with new remote controls in the case of A-1 mint gear.

Except for the MCD205, it has worked flawlesly for over three years. The MCD205 needed an adjustment and new part during the first year which was handled by Audio classics in less than 10 days and they paid the return freight. It has worked perfect ever since.

Since McIntosh gear is designed and engineered to last a lifetime (or more) but only comes with a short 3-year warranty, and service from Audio Classics is equal to or better than that from McIntosh, it doesn't make sense to me to pay high dealer mark-ups unless you just want a brand new piece and you want it now. It many cases (I realize there may be exceptions), all the local dealer does anyway is act as a middle man by ordering the product from McIntosh. And even in this situation, there is no guarantee that the product will not be problematic during the first 3 years, e.g., MCD201.
 
While it's encouraging to see so many people willing to pay a bit more to support a dealer who provides superior customer service, in my line of work the same doesn't seem to be the case. I am a dealer in a industry that has some things in common with Mac, namely Harley-Davidson Motorcycles in that it is an American icon and a long history of building things that last. I have customers who tell us all the time that they'll purchase from the dealer with the lowest price and use the dealer with the better service for everything else, mainly warranty issues. I just wonder if human nature being what it is that Mac buyers would do likewise in a similar scenario.
 
I think that we should patronize local dealers whenever possible (but only when they deserve it). While you may not always get the lowest possible price, they give you the opportunity to hear the equipment you are buying. Since we all know that specs and opinions don't tell the whole story, our own ears are the one of the best means in selecting equipment that sounds the best in our own systems.
 
I am trying to buy a new Benz phono cartridge, But my normal audio (Mac) dealer does not represent this brand. This experience has reminded me what it is like dealing with a new dealer! All of the dealers I have contacted want full list price, so I have not bought one yet. I have never purchased any audio product from the web but they are pushing me in that direction. My options are to switch to another competing product or buy from a web dealer,Which I do not really want to do. The local stores will not discount in any way (not one thin dime off list) oh also most do not even have the product in stock! Oh I might add that the web deal is a whopping 10% off list.
These guys sure know how to suck the fun out of a new toy!
So my options are to wait and save up a little longer and buy a more expensive Shelter 501 cartridge, That I can get a small discount on,buy on the web or just keep what I have, After all this is not a true necessity just an I want.

Robert
 
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