Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/10/29

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: RE: [Leica] LOCAL STORES
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 17:19:01 -0500

At 04:24 PM 1998-10-29 -0500, B D Colen wrote:
>...You're absolutely right that anyone taking up a specialty merchant's time
>has some degree of obligation to buy from that merchant. On the other hand,
>when one is making a Leica purchase in the $ 1500 to $3500 range, and the
>discount is the 10-15% you sighted, we're talking about a saving of $150 to
>$525. That's a lot of money. Enough money for someone to forgo the chit chat
>and expertise of the local merchant and deal instead with the assembly line
>sales force at a B&H.....

This argument is completely specious.  The mere calibre of an improper act
does not make it any less improper.  Support your local merchant:  you
waste his time with questions, you bother him with your problems, and you'd
probably turn to him for your warranty work.  Give him the sale in the
first place.  A savings of $200 simply isn't worth the loss of a good
professional relationship.

Besides, in a lot of cases, the savings on a special-order item such as
Leica will be far less than 10%.  My local store normally runs about 5%
above New York on Leica special-order items:  they appreciate my bringing
the business to them in the first place.

(Besides, while I'm not their corporate counsel, I DO get their
miscellaneous legal work, and that of their staff, as well.  It is bread
cast forth upon the waters.)

Marc


msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!