Staying in business is what comes first. No one seems to consider the back end.
Start a business, If it's a franchise, that costs. Maintaining a physical presence. Taxes, utilities, payroll, insurance---, get the drift.
The Music Room is Slipping
I cannot recommend doing business with them any longer. They DEEPLY lowball you when you sell them gear and then forget all about the mass profits they made on you when you are looking to buy something from them, They offer to stand behind a purchase, yes... but the reality is that it is all about max profits on used gear and lack of any sort of support or consideration going forward. They are nothing more than a pawnshop for audio gear and I am done with them.
- ...
- 190 posts total
it's a business. By definition, they are into making profit. The ads are BS. Why would they care about audiophiles? It's like when the customer is surprised that the waitress is not into him. She flirts so that she can get a bigger tip. I also agree that the 5% restocking fee and the shipping cost makes it prohibitive to try out gear. I tried it once, for an amp that would cost $1000 on USAM they asked $1800 so I ended up paying $200 for a 2 weeks "trial". Quotes because I would have kept it if I had liked it. |
Their used gear pricing lately does seem to be getting "too spicy". I've definitely noticed that; it felt like I was seeing much better deals with them in past years. I believe they can command a premium over private sellers, but their prices are creeping over "not worth it" territory for a lot of items - more every day. Seems pretty typical - their business grew and so did their overhead. And there's no more "economies of scale" to tap out of scraping the used gear churn. That said, their margins will stop growing as soon as we (collectively) stop selling so cheap and buying so high ;) |
@nooshinjohn - I understand your perspective but, unfortunately, you can't make it up on volume. Their sales have to be profitable. |
- 190 posts total