Experience With Dealers In Mumbai

Audio Video Cables Galore
Referring to Vinay's case, I haven't had any such bad experience ever, with any dealer (touching the wood), but I can't help the feeling that Sound & Vision overcharges. Their prices are upmarked and are also somewhat less flexible than many others.

I have dealt with The Soundsmiths and found them nice. They stock a good range are more than willing to help. Also provide in house demo.
 
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ranjeetrain said:
but I can't help the feeling that Sound & Vision overcharges. Their prices are upmarked and are also somewhat less flexible than many others.

I have dealt with The Soundsmiths and found them nice. They stock a good range are more than willing to help. Also provide in house demo.
Click to expand...

Ranjeetrain....Second that about SNV and SS dont have a choice.
BTW Shanti, I am not a serious buyer.
Ciao
 
Audio is a new industry in India.
The majority of the audio shops you go to in India rarely have stock, can barely put together a Demo and advise you sanely on much to do with Audio.
Of course it is difficult to find educated audiophiles to work in these shops.
A2v WHOM YOU HAVE HAD A BAD TIME WITH, IS CERTAINLY NOT ONE OF THESE SHOPS.
From the fact that they changed something for you 3 times , would indicate that they are ok.
They cannot have the best showrooms in the country and survive if they were anything less than excellent.
I have heard only positive reports on these people.
I guess we all have views ....:)
 
Hi,

Offcourse we all have our opinions but the fact remains that some guys just act partially to some and nice to some (why ?? god knows why? ) even I've had so many of these experiences that I've stopped going to any high-end show rooms in my city ( I've got ways to buy now) and the biggest problem is majority of the people have no knowledge of the products they sell or the field in general !!

The A2V in question is a very shabby place I have to agree with vinay,some time back my friend bought a tweeter for B&W 309 ,they charged him 4500 +taxes ( remember they only give diaphragm not the entire tweeter assembly) after coming to bangalore we just enquired with onkyo guys and we shocked to know that the price of the same here was only 2500+taxes.

When we tried to contact them,they never responded properly would be an "UNDER STATEMENT" that bad was their response and attitude,

As with how they are surviving,Very simple my friend They are the one and only people in india for certain brands,so no matter what one has to go to them ( ya I know you'll ask why them go to a dealer,but where the heck the dealer will get them from ??)

So whether one likes or not they buy and these people continue to be rude and rusty !!

One more example I'll give you,when supreme industries were the importers of Rotel there pricing was excellent to say the least, the same rotel now in the hands of this A2V crooks,The prices have doubled !! why ??

Anyone wants to answer ??

One thing that I've noticed over the years is in all these so called high-end showrooms they treat you according to how you dress and look !! yes its true ( no matter how many of you disagree),I've experienced it first hand !!

So it all boils down to so many things !!

Regards.
 
Hi,

Offcourse we all have our opinions but the fact remains that some guys just act partially to some and nice to some (why ?? god knows why? ) even I've had so many of these experiences that I've stopped going to any high-end show rooms in my city (I deliberately Am not naming them ) ( I've got ways to buy now) and the biggest problem is majority of the people have no knowledge of the products they sell or the field in general !!

The A2V in question is a very shabby place I have to agree with vinay,some time back my friend bought a tweeter for B&W 309 ,they charged him 4500 +taxes ( remember they only give diaphragm not the entire tweeter assembly) after coming to bangalore we just enquired with onkyo guys and we shocked to know that the price of the same here was only 2500+taxes.

When we tried to contact them,they never responded properly would be an "UNDER STATEMENT" that bad was their response and attitude,

As with how they are surviving,Very simple my friend They are the one and only people in india for certain brands,so no matter what one has to go to them ( ya I know you'll ask why them go to a dealer,but where the heck the dealer will get them from ??)

So whether one likes or not they buy and these people continue to be rude and rusty !!

One more example I'll give you,when supreme industries were the importers of Rotel there pricing was excellent to say the least, the same rotel now in the hands of this A2V crooks,The prices have doubled !! why ??

Anyone wants to answer ??

One thing that I've noticed over the years is in all these so called high-end showrooms they treat you according to how you dress and look !! yes its true ( no matter how many of you disagree),I've experienced it first hand !!

So it all boils down to so many things !!

Regards.
 
Soundsgreat, you are not alone at all. I have experienced the very same thing myself firsthand with A2V. Very lousy, very indifferent, arrogant attitude. When I visited their showroom couple of years back, I literally had to push aside their lackey at the door who was trying to finish off matters there itself with 101 questions and almost blocking my entry. It seems unless you are dressed in an Armani and stepping out of a Mercedes, you are not worth looking at (I tend to dress very simply). One of the employees inside was more accommodating and helpful. Fast forward a year to when they shifted to near V.T. Station, made an appointment to see the 600 series in which I had been interested, was given the distinct impression that I was more a nuisance than a welcome visitor (had made an appointment, mind you). But this is something we can cope with. After all, a deal is finalised in a few meetings and we have to put up with the rudeness for only a short while. The bigger problem is their outrageous pricing. But I have ranted about that many times before so I won't go into it again. Their loss if they wish to focus on the small percentage of Indians who don't raise an eyebrow at 90-100% markup.

But let this not reflect poorly on all. I have had a great time at EVERY other showroom I have been to, even without an appointment. Nova Audio at Bandra and Boom-a-rang at Juhu are absolute champions in this regard. Made me feel like I was visiting an old friend. Took great care to explain and demonstrate, enlighten me about many things, must have kept me for hours on end showing me this or that. Especially Sanjay Thakur at Nova, his enthusiasm exceeded mine. I remember on both occasions it was night when I finally stepped out! What a pleasure these occasions were. One of the reasons I am happy Marantz and Totem is with them, I'll be happy to give them my money. More power to those like them!
 
Hi,

Yes Particleman there's always few exceptions !! otherwise people like us (who dress in Armani,Gucci) will never in our life living in india can buy a high quality component !!

Its these few who make life easy for us !! Am happy that are still few around !! In bangalore well its a different story !! occasionally there's couple of places which you can visit without hesitance !!

As I've already mentioned there are many rude people here who doesn't want to even talk to you.

Same thing happened to me couple years back with a dealer He ( he being the owner of the place) wouldn't allow me to enter their demo room just wanted to send me back from the entrance,not to mention the KBC session (only here he's the one who's becoming richer).


One more rudest person I've encountered was **** ( too tempted but won't name) He just wouldn't talk with you,I had called and taken appointment with him,but the end result was very disappointing!! when asked bout couple of products he said he didn't have any stock nor the details (though he calls himself a dealer of the product) and went on to say people know what they are buying in todays date and hardly need demo !! you have internet and 1000 re-views to read and finialise ( as if entire world blindly buys reading them) !! and when I asked him bout the pricing and any possible discounts
This is what he had to say "Its still a long way so you come with a concrete decision then I'll think bout discounts !!"

Now what more to say ??

Regards.
 
Hi
Supreme as mentioned by u prac are crooks - they were originally bootleggers so naturally their pricing will be great - I have been cheated twice by them - where they have sold stuff to me which was taken back from other clients and passed off as new -
Am surprised to learn that ure friend was charged 4500/- for a 309 tweeter whereas Onkyo who are also B&W dealers can give it cheaper - Did you get this directly from A2V or thru some other dealer in the middle ?? I have heard a lot of nice things on A2V and have even seen their facility 1st hand - Found them to be very courteous ( even had super coffee from the very fancy coffee machine) and mind you I was dressed very casually but was made to feel like a millionaire even though they saw me get off in a rick -
Well maybe u guys went in with a lot of expectations - just like how one feels when India gets white washed in a cricket match
Mickey
 
soundsgreat said:
Hi,

Offcourse we all have our opinions but the fact remains that some guys just act partially to some and nice to some (why ?? god knows why? ) even I've had so many of these experiences that I've stopped going to any high-end show rooms in my city (I deliberately Am not naming them ) ( I've got ways to buy now) and the biggest problem is majority of the people have no knowledge of the products they sell or the field in general !!

The A2V in question is a very shabby place I have to agree with vinay,some time back my friend bought a tweeter for B&W 309 ,they charged him 4500 +taxes ( remember they only give diaphragm not the entire tweeter assembly) after coming to bangalore we just enquired with onkyo guys and we shocked to know that the price of the same here was only 2500+taxes.

When we tried to contact them,they never responded properly would be an "UNDER STATEMENT" that bad was their response and attitude,

As with how they are surviving,Very simple my friend They are the one and only people in india for certain brands,so no matter what one has to go to them ( ya I know you'll ask why them go to a dealer,but where the heck the dealer will get them from ??)

So whether one likes or not they buy and these people continue to be rude and rusty !!

One more example I'll give you,when supreme industries were the importers of Rotel there pricing was excellent to say the least, the same rotel now in the hands of this A2V crooks,The prices have doubled !! why ??

Anyone wants to answer ??

One thing that I've noticed over the years is in all these so called high-end showrooms they treat you according to how you dress and look !! yes its true ( no matter how many of you disagree),I've experienced it first hand !!

So it all boils down to so many things !!

Regards.
Click to expand...
Hi ,
Greetings, I am a neewbie on this forum, but not to HiFi.
I use B&W speakers and rotel amps...my story has ben different with these guys.
309's are now some years old, in those days who kept stock of spares ? You needed to wait months to get anything.I wonder where Onkyo could get them from but from them?
On Rotel, the fact that the agency moved from Supreme , there must have been reasons?
Any way I think B&W are amongst the best speakers in the world and they have a great showroom to hear them in . you can also freak out on stuff most of us dream about.....Wilson Audio, Martin logan, Magnapan and now I belive they have just got Audio Research. Just image what investment is needed for all this.
Its good to be able to see this now in our great country.
 
Hi,

I wanted some one to ask this question !!:cool: and you did !!

Now guys did you get what I meant ?? Excatly, I mean yes onkyo has to get it from A2V,then why and how ? they ( for the people who didn't know,Onkyo,LG and B&W had forged an alliance to co-promote each others products) purchase from A2V and quote lesser price is Onkyo a Charity Organisation ?? are they not interested in earning profits ??

Answer to above questions!!

so the point is inspite of their margins and the actual cost ( including shipping) if they are offering to a end user at that price then A2V being the primary guys and having no shipping involved ( he picked up at their showroom in mumbai) shouldn't the price be atleast same if not less ( actully strictly speaking it should be less) ??????

Now what does this show ?? who wants to answer ??

Now coming to Rotel, Why the change, the reason ?? the same reason as to why a dozen brands change their distributers every often !! why Sound of music lost on JM LAB ?? why Sharada lost marantz and Bostons (they created a audio division for this, for god sake !) ?? why Cambridge audio is now with FX ??

You want more my friend ?? coz I'll give it you !!

Regards
 
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The shop in question once quoted me 35k for an Oppo player during the AVexpo in Jan, Blore; the same model if I were to import it here would still be around 10k max.

Dont know why these guys take us for granted so much:rolleyes: I mean, dont they know that we are living in the information age for petez sake?!
 
The So called High End Shops all over India , dont need a customer who knows about audio , they just want a wealthy person who buys equipment without knowing what it is ( and there are still people who buys stuffs without knowledge) . Step into any High end showroom and they will name few famous personalities and claim they are their customers, if this is true why should he be bothered about people like us. We are not their Targeted Customers anyway.

regards
 
Hi,
Yes Buddy you are right !! they don't Us intelligent folks !! they some Yuppies with lots of cash to blow !!


Regards.
 
Hi guys,
This pricing issue and the attitude of some dealers is an ongoing problem and am sure will be sorted out in time. I personally have had good and bad experiences with most dealers here in mumbai.
Actually someone mentioned the ill informed rich dude who just goes out there and buys the name. Well that is now all too common here. People walk in with cash in hand and buy WITHOUT hearing the speaker!!!!
Actually a dealer sometime ago ridiculed me for asking for discounts/knowing international prices/and correcting him on the specs of the cdp!!!! Was told that dealing with audiophiles is a problem as they tend to claim to know everything and ask too many questions!!!!!
Some dealers misguide the customer/ offer him something thats not suited to him / make ridiculous claims. I find these practices unacceptable and is nothing more than plain cheating.
Like u tend to hear contrasting opinions on Doctors/lawyers u get various opinions on Audio dealers too. My experiences with AVI,Lakozy,Boomerang,Soundsmiths have been good so i cant complain.
Best regards
 
I don't know wether anyone has mentioned Kshitij Shah of Designer Audio, who not only knows his stuff but helps you to decide VFM products. Similarly have had excellent experience with Vijay Singh of Boomerang and also Pro-Fx at Atria Mall.
 
The other day I was at the Croma in Eva Mall, Blr. Was strolling around the AV section (pretty sad) and saw this very nice guy with his family surrounded by at least 3 salesmen- all trying to sell him an Onkyo 304 + Jamo 405/Sub200 package at a price, you really don??t want to know! He was clearly confused but looked like a genuine buyer. After listening to the ??gyan? the salesmen were giving, I thought enough is enough and gave him some contacts and suggestions as per his requirements.(Can't help it, this is like a brotherhood!) Croma might hate me for this but I really hope he had made a better choice afterwards.

I believe a well informed salesman can definitely impart more confidence and set realistic expectations for a potential newcomer; AV is still an expensive luxury item that many won??t venture into.
 
unleash_me said:
After listening to the ??gyan? the salesmen were giving, I thought enough is enough and gave him some contacts and suggestions as per his requirements.(Can't help it, this is like a brotherhood!) Croma might hate me for this but I really hope he had made a better choice afterwards.
Click to expand...

Ha, ha, I love it! We are like a secret society or maybe like the X-Men. Telling people they are not alone and there are others like them who can help. Then slipping them a card with just a logo on one side and the URL of this site on the other. And disappearing in a cloud of smoke...
 
Dear Serum,

Indeed you have had a good experience with A2V, that certainly does not mean by any standard that others too would have had a good experience with them, it seems you have not read in this forum that some of them including me, who has had a bad experience with horribile people at A2V., we are all talking with hard facts, it is not fiction.
 
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unleash_me said:
The shop in question once quoted me 35k for an Oppo player during the AVexpo in Jan, Blore; the same model if I were to import it here would still be around 10k max.

Dont know why these guys take us for granted so much:rolleyes: I mean, dont they know that we are living in the information age for petez sake?!
Click to expand...

Your writing on 35k, is shocking, but I must tell you the mother of a shocking, the people at boomerang, offered me a dnp fibre screen 72 inches at 1,75,000/-, and the same screen I bought from an another establishment at 1,45,000/-, and than these people at boomerang, told me that they will charge me 20,000 bucks for acoustic treatment consultancy, so in other words that they have to tell me where and how much glass wool has to be put, and that will be 20,000/- bucks, so with these 2 examples, you can see what people exist on this planet.
 
vinay said:
and than these people at boomerang, told me that they will charge me 20,000 bucks for acoustic treatment consultancy, so in other words that they have to tell me where and how much glass wool has to be put, and that will be 20,000/- bucks, so with these 2 examples, you can see what people exist on this planet.
Click to expand...

Car Owner : " You are charging me Rs 200 for replacing a screw costing just Rs 2 ? This is ridiculous.. @#@#**@#.."

Car Mechanic: " Sir, indeed the screw costs Rs 1.50, the balance Rs 98.5 are for deciding which screw to replace"
 
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