Has Anybody noticed a concerning trend with The Music RoomsTMR Pricing


I have been an into Hi Fi for the last 50 years and have made many deals with the Music Room and sang their praises on the forum for years. Good kit at a FAIR price. The positive in my experience they always state the condition of the equipment accurately. Shipping and packaging is always first rate. For me it was a great way to trade up for gear I wanted to try. They made money and you were able to find things maybe you could not afford otherwise. Now here is my observation they still offer fair pricing on what they sell, however what they offer for you kit is penny’s on the dollar sometimes. I know that some people will say then don’t shop at a place you don’t like. It’s just an observation on my part and was wondering what others have experienced lately. 
 

cheers

rbyington711

You are far better off trying to sell your own equipment anymore because used gear has increasingly become more difficult to sell due to the economy and the Music Room knows this. So, they will low-ball you as a result.

@larsman They have a 5% restocking fee on returns. Maybe not a huge deal for lower cost items but that can be serious money for some high end products. I've only bought new from them so far.

@willywonka - Yes, that is true; I recently did just that on an amp I returned to them. If you buy something else, they will often waive that restocking fee, though. 

I’d always assumed they would offer a pittance on gear (no such business could sustain otherwise), so I’ve never even bothered to inquire. You’ll get more with consignment but even there I’m sure they take a big chunk. If you can ship it to TMR, you can sell it yourself for real money. Baffles me why anyone would sell to them (other than widows), but here we are. 

I’ve bought quite a lot from TMR over the years, but lately I don’t see nearly as many tempting listings. They’ve been edging their prices up to a higher premium over what I’d consider market rate. It’s really meh now, unless they get in a hard-to-find piece you’ve been looking for. 

It’s true their packing is fantastic and they ship fast :) 

5% restocking fees, I could care less about. That's fine, even generous. People who return stuff a lot annoy me. Probably do need to tighten up before I retire / die though lol

I have traded a fair amount of gear with TMR over the past 2 years; they are 100% transparent in their offers; it is not fair to say it is pennies on the dollar. They very quickly assess (including by using AI aided searches, as I understand it) what they think they can resell your item for and offer about 50% (give or take) of that. Obviously if you want to go through the risk, time and hassle of selling it yourself, you will net more, but they are offering a service and taking on the resale risk and reasonably want to get paid for it. I also love their logistics & shipping team; super helpful and knowledgeable.  

On rare occasions they have been willing to adjust their offer upwards a little, and when they can’t, they will explain why.