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Do reviewers pay the full price?

It's fair to say that many well known reviewers are privy to special mates rates
Depends on what camp or gang you favour
Many are encouraged to visit factories and build there own equipment and that becomes very attractive in price
But on the more Esoteric imports usually trade prices apply which means normally 30-40 %
Off retail plus vat everyone has to pay vat
I recently purchased something for myself and paid exactly 40% off retail plus vat
 
Markus S said:
Reviewers generally pay dealer price, i.e. between 25 - 50% off full retail. "Big names" might get a deeper discount if the manufacturer/distributor thinks that having something mentioned in reviews month after month is cheaper than advertising in any given journal. But reviewers will also get a dealer price for most other kit; buying something with your own money is still an endorsement.
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I think reviewers often play the "accommodation" price, which is what dealers pay when buying a unit for their personal use. This price is somewhat lower than "dealer price".
 
This was of course a rhetorical question. I would be very surprised if a reviewer was to say “the XXX was so good I returned it and went to a local dealer and paid the full price!”

The point is that the reviewer is not saying “I bought this with a XX% discount so I recommend you go and buy it at the full retail price”. There is never any mention of the price that was actually paid and nor would I expect to see that.

But therefore it is inferred that this XXX is a best buy at say €1000 although that was not the price the reviewer paid. At €1000 there may well be better examples available.

For me I could not see myself buying something like a Chord DAVE DAC at €8000 but with a hefty discount (say 50%) I would more than tempted and happy to give it a glowing review.

If the review piece is current it is hardly likely that Joe Public will be offered a discount as a lot (not all) manufactures set the retail price.
 
Discounts are fair enough. It gets dubious when the reviewer is given or almost given a cable valued at GBP 1000, gives a 5* review and then sells it a while later for profit
 
davidsrsb said:
Discounts are fair enough. It gets dubious when the reviewer is given or almost given a cable valued at GBP 1000, gives a 5* review and then sells it a while later for profit
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It does happen.
And has always happened even in the late 1970's when I first started in the audio field the marketing men pushed there products to get the reviews.

So if you out of work and have good ears and money to start a web mag, go for it.
 
I expect reviewers get to hear a lot of stuff, and could probably build at least a couple of decent systems from whatever they have lying around at any given time. So I think for a reviewer to say that he actually spent his own money on something should be taken as the accolade it is intended to be. I infer that he means that he didn't want to lose whatever it was that the piece brought to the party, and which by implication couldn't be replaced by the next piece coming down the line.

It is, of course, up to the reader to decide whether the item has value for them, what the reviewer might have paid is not really all that relevant to that decision.
 
davidsrsb said:
Discounts are fair enough. It gets dubious when the reviewer is given or almost given a cable valued at GBP 1000, gives a 5* review and then sells it a while later for profit
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This is how some reviewers live and also have a listening room full of expensive equipment that they could never otherwise afford. The World is virtually totally corrupt, bigger the Firm bigger the crooks VW & the Banks etc.
 
A good game on manufacturer forums is spotting the mugs who paid retail. A tiny number of obsolete magazine reviewers are really small beer now.
 
We typically get industry accommodation prices. This means I can get a deal that is sometimes slightly better, occasionally slightly worse, but usually about the same as someone working in a hi-fi store would get if they want to buy something from a manufacturer for use in their own systems.

Somewhat regrettably, I also have to rely on mid-term to long-term loans because I'm required to use a wide and fluid spread of components at all levels, and I'm also required to review components in the context of systems that could cost the equivalent of about a dozen years worth of my current salary. Even at accommodation prices, remortgaging your house every eight months or so to simply keep current is not a path to long-term financial security.

My personal take on this however, is you should have some chips in the game, even if you can't afford a chip in the big game.
 
zekezebra said:
Sometimes I see at the end of a review (saw one today) “the XXX was so good I bought the review sample for personal use”. Then at the end of the review there is usually the price the consumer would pay.

Does the reviewer pay this price or is there a hefty discount?
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At the very least it is an ex-dem item so for sure they won't pay the full RRP for it.
 
When I was reviewing it was exactly as Alan says above. The odd long term loan + purchasing at dealer price. The kit I bought was sometimes brand new, sometimes ex-dem / review sample.

FWIW I didn't stop once my system had reached a certain level - arguably my biggest upgrades were after I had stopped reviewing.


Jason
 
Bob McC said:
Didn't Ian Rankin say he gave up reviewing hi fi once he'd blagged the best gear he wanted?
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Can't comment on that, but he's just picked his top 10 Scottish bands in today's Sunday Herald, the Scottish part being a bit dubious for some of them!
http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/13926377.My_top_10_Scottish_bands__Ian_Rankin/?ref=mmpg

I recall David Price getting a special edition Marantz CD player created for him by Ken Ishiwata, but I'm guessing whatever he may/may not have paid wouldn't have covered the great man's time. ;)
 
The guy that reviews all the naim gear must have a shed load of the suff as he has never a bad word to say about anything naim make or the way they do business.
 
zekezebra said:
Sometimes I see at the end of a review (saw one today) “the XXX was so good I bought the review sample for personal use”. Then at the end of the review there is usually the price the consumer would pay.

Does the reviewer pay this price or is there a hefty discount?
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If the reviewer were foolish enough to pay the RRP you would not be wanting to take what he/she said in the review seriously.

The only purpose I can see for this thread is if someone is thinking of becoming a reviewer and is extremely naive.

" Is it going to be dark tonight " may lead to a more enlightening debate.
 
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