Charging A Fee To Demo An Amplifier In A Brick & Mortar Store

Never heard of charging for in store demos. While I see the rationale for the charge, kind of defeats it's purpose by decreasing potential customer base. Also, forget the in store demo, doesn't tell you how its going to sound in your room. Seems more reasonable to charge for an in home demo, the store doesn't have to spend time to set up and you can lug the amps out of the store. All they have to do is collect the money, seems like a win win deal to me.

I do business with a class-act dealer in La Verne, about a 15 minute drive from the dealer in question in this thread.  Honestly, I didn't realize this guys business even existed.  Just for the heck of it I'll have to stop by his store and get a feel for the mentality and how he treats potential customers.  I'm not a "stroker", I do buy product and I am a loyal customer to those retailers who treat me well.  No matter the category, weather it be hi-fi or another such as the fishing gear or ski gear that I buy, I remain loyal to a quality, class-act retailer.  I see that the dealer is reading and watching this thread, as noted in his comments above.  My suggestion to him is that he probably should pay attention to the amount of comments in this thread that understand his requirement verses those that hold a rather negative disposition about his requirement.  To me, it seems, the negative dispositions far outweigh the understanding ones.  He may want to make some adjustments to his business policies.
Coincidentally, I am in the market for a new set of speakers.  Nothing terribly expensive but still, a good sale, in the $10K to $15K range.  My timeline is now, not months from now, but now.  I will be very interested to see how he does in convincing me that his product selection is right for me and that his business practices and ethics are also right for me.

This guy is the worst, a disgrace to the local audio community. I walked in several years with a sack of cash intending to buy, and was immediately turned off by his attitude and approach to customer service. Take your business elsewhere! For those of you in SoCal looking to visit a brick and mortar and receive the type of service that spending this type of money deserves, message me and I am happy to provide some excellent suggestions. 

Simple answer no.  A tire kicker today can be a customer tomorrow if you treat them well.

If one has to ask the amount of the fee.......