Shop Local

SonasRec

Thought I'd share a buying experience with you.

Decided on a Roland RD700GX keyboard last year. Did the usual price check on thomann & was ready to go with them. Decided last minute to check a local music store. They matched the price & had the board for me the following morning.

Couple of months later i had a key velocity problem, the store sorted it overnight under warranty & delivered it back to me. Couple of days ago, somebody knocked it over, gave it a serious bang & 4 keys gave trouble. Dropped it in there this morning & got a text at lunchtime to say it was sorted. (Thanks Nick).

Moral of the story......check your local agent before you send your hard earned dosh abroad. Can't imagine the trouble I would have gone to, sending it to Germany each time.

I still buy from Thomann, they're great for accessories & stuff but next time I'm making a similar purchase, i'll be shopping @ home.

DamagedTrax

stores like that deserve a plug. name them

SonasRec

Hugh Culloty's, Tralee. Nick is the guy who looks after me.;)

11811

Would that be a certain store in Tralee? Just wondering...

But yeah it pays to check your local shop before ordering online, I've often had shops either match or come close to Thomann prices. Even if there is a 10 - 40 euro difference I'd still buy locally as the hassle if sometimes goes wrong is far less than trying to contact and send stuff abroad.

11811

Ah it is.... Yeah Nick's a great guy.

SonasRec

Well sussed 11811. In hindsight, I'd have happily paid a lot more.

studiorat

SonasRec wrote: »

Moral of the story......check your local agent before you send your hard earned dosh abroad. Can't imagine the trouble I would have gone to, sending it to Germany each time.

And don't forget to haggle! There's nearly always 10% to be had straight away. You can' t haggle with the germans!!

Niall - Dahlia

studiorat wrote: »

You can' t haggle with the germans!!

Depends how big your order is. Thomann will discount, quite generously too.

caesura

Aye...shop local is a great way to go imho. My local - who i'l plug since we're plugging here - The Music Outlet in Swords have always managed to match, near match and even beat Thomann when i've ordered. Think i first heard about them on boards actually (don't quote me on that tho) and i've found them great!!

Saying that in the past i've had one or two shops in Dublin (which i won't name) who seemed less than enthusiastic about offering competitive prices...one shop often offering a very friendly but can't be arsed 'nah we don't have that' service.

I do like to support smaller local shops gotta say

studiorat

Niall - Dahlia wrote: »

Depends how big your order is. Thomann will discount, quite generously too.

I asked them recently on an order for just over €900 with no joy. They were handy because I needed lots of bits and pieces from many manufacturers.

They were good value for computer cables!!

eoin5

caesura wrote: »

Aye...shop local is a great way to go imho. My local - who i'l plug since we're plugging here - The Music Outlet in Swords have always managed to match, near match and even beat Thomann when i've ordered. Think i first heard about them on boards actually (don't quote me on that tho) and i've found them great!!

Saying that in the past i've had one or two shops in Dublin (which i won't name) who seemed less than enthusiastic about offering competitive prices...one shop often offering a very friendly but can't be arsed 'nah we don't have that' service.

I do like to support smaller local shops gotta say

In around town due to the proximity of the shops a distributor for a particular product might only allow one of those to be a dealer so that they have a better range and support and the price doesn't end up in a race to the bottom due to over-competition.

If you ask in one shop for a product they don't have the dealership for I can see where the apathy could come from. Of course they should refer you to the nearest dealer but then doing that they're referring you to their competitors where you might buy other things they stock in future. They should still do it though.

caesura

eoin5 wrote: »

In around town due to the proximity of the shops a distributor for a particular product might only allow one of those to be a dealer so that they have a better range and support and the price doesn't end up in a race to the bottom due to over-competition.

If you ask in one shop for a product they don't have the dealership for I can see where the apathy could come from. Of course they should refer you to the nearest dealer but then doing that they're referring you to their competitors where you might buy other things they stock in future. They should still do it though.

Or at the very least see what alternative they might stock...build up a bit of customer rapport etc