59 replies to this topic

[Shreknos]

Just spoke to JBL/Harmon Kardon australia,

who are a company called convoy,

they havent even HEARD of the MS-8.. i said, look buddy, its just revolutionized in car processing, its taken everyone by storm... he goes, doesnt mean we sell it here...

Oh My God! (OMG) , that is so frustrating, on hold for like 5 minutes of my time, just to be told we're not getting it...

why would i bother buying local?! im getting it from crutchfield, they actually know the product, have it listed, and actually reply to emails...

thats all...

/end rant

p.s just bought a HXD2 off marty, now THERE is a man who knows how to please a customer...

[Stone]

If it's not available here, import it... Looks like you've worked that out during your whinge.

[data_mine]

It's a whinge, but a fair one.

Local shops want us to support them, but it's impossible to do so if they (or in this case the supplied) don't stock what you want.

I'm not going to settle for something else, just because what I want isn't available.

In todays' world, you can buy stuff from anywhere in the world - and often for good prices. The only downside is delivery time.

[Shreknos]

yeah, thanks stone, thats really nice...

i thought it was fair too... everyone always screams to buy local, yet we dont even get one of the most technologically advanced products ever released... doesnt make sense...

[Big_Valven]

Shreknos, on 21 June 2010 - 01:25 PM, said:

p.s just bought a HXD2 off marty, now THERE is a man who knows how to please a customer...

And there inlies the problem. We have excellent dealers like Marty who are here to keep car audio thriving in Australia, and yet in a broader world market sense they are strangled by distributors and availability.

If there is a distributor importing a brand, the only hurdle I see to bringing more specialist components such as the MS-8 in, are warranty servicing and repairs. But let's face it, most of that is a "replace not repair" culture these days anyway.

Who cares if they only sell 50 of them where they might sell 1000 pairs of sikbynines? They already import the brand, meaning they have access to the MS-8. And selling 50 of them is going to do a stack of good for JBL Australia's credbility, compared to trying to ignore the switched on upper end market of car audio who already know it's out there and doing great things, and who are willing to sit on the phone trying to give someone their money to buy it!

I thought car audio in Australia was just generally a bit retarded. But it seems like one facet of the process is letting down the rest. I don't even need to mention recent goings-on for most people to get what I mean.

[Stone]

Shreknos, on 21 June 2010 - 01:53 PM, said:

yeah, thanks stone, thats really nice...

i thought it was fair too... everyone always screams to buy local, yet we dont even get one of the most technologically advanced products ever released... doesnt make sense...

They scream to buy local when the product is available or is going to be available here. In this case, where you can't get it here and the distributor has no intention of bringing it in, then by all means import it.

People don't tell you to buy local if it's not available.

Edited by Stone, 21 June 2010 - 02:07 PM.

[Stone]

Big_Valven, on 21 June 2010 - 01:56 PM, said:

And there inlies the problem. We have excellent dealers like Marty who are here to keep car audio thriving in Australia, and yet in a broader world market sense they are strangled by distributors and availability.

If there is a distributor importing a brand, the only hurdle I see to bringing more specialist components such as the MS-8 in, are warranty servicing and repairs. But let's face it, most of that is a "replace not repair" culture these days anyway.

Who cares if they only sell 50 of them where they might sell 1000 pairs of sikbynines? They already import the brand, meaning they have access to the MS-8. And selling 50 of them is going to do a stack of good for JBL Australia's credbility, compared to trying to ignore the switched on upper end market of car audio who already know it's out there and doing great things, and who are willing to sit on the phone trying to give someone their money to buy it!

I thought car audio in Australia was just generally a bit retarded. But it seems like one facet of the process is letting down the rest. I don't even need to mention recent goings-on for most people to get what I mean.

I think the main reason distributors choose not to bring specialised products in is because they generally cost quite a bit and it's a risk paying for the stock to import it with the chance it will never sell.

Then if the distributor decides to offer those products but orders from the distributor when the customer orders it, you get massive delay issues like with the old DD distributor.

Edited by Stone, 21 June 2010 - 02:11 PM.

[Luke352]

The sad part is Convoy probably sit there wondering why there Car Audio range doesn't move alot of stock, I'd suggest due to a combination of lack of supporting the industry and a pricing structure that has shifted most of there product lines up into the price bracket above where they are targeted. I'd suggest contacting VP Electricity over on DIYMA, he is doing a very good price and I'm sure he'd be happy to send one your way. I'd also suggest contacting Andy Wehmeyer and let him know about your experience with Convoy I'm sure he'd like to hear your feedback.

[mosoto]

Quote

they havent even HEARD of the MS-8.. i said, look buddy, its just revolutionized in car processing, its taken everyone by storm... he goes, doesnt mean we sell it here...

It's also possible said distributor really doesn't know the product exists because he doesn't trawl forums all night. Until such time as JBL decide they will release it here he probably won't get any "industry news" on it either. Just looking at it from the other side of the fence
As Stone said, If it isn't going to be released here buy offshore but I suggest if possible, buy direct.

[Shreknos]

yeah, i think i might contact andy, im pretty sure hes the bloke who designed it isnt he?!

and stone, although emotion is hard to convey over the internet, u seem pretty ubrupt and dry whilst stating the obvious, if people cant share experiences on relevant products and such without a mod telling them theyre whinging then wtf... great attitude bud...

i asked convoy if they could at the least cover warranty if i bought it from harmon direct... no go there either..

i may email andy himself and ask fro one off him, and work out like a half price shipping warranty maybe! blokes who design stuff like that, like the dude who made hybrid audio and steve mantz are generally very eager to please customers all over as they realise marketing by way of word of mouth is very important...

treating customers well is a first priority, and should be a number one for any company..

[Shreknos]

would anyone know where to find ady whemeyers email address at all? a search on jbls site, and a google search didnt bring it up...

that failing, i think crutchfield is the go..

[Luke352]

Andy is the Global Product Line Manager for JBL. If you go to Diyma there is an option to email him on his profile page

[Captn_Awesome]

It is a PITA especially when a distributor has NFI about a product that one of their brands makes. Im sure if convoy said "yeah look we arent bringing them in because we dont see a huge demand in australia" then shrek would have been fine with it.

Convoy (and IMO ALL distributors) should give the option that they will import the item and provide local support for the item should the enquirer wish. Obviously then, in this case, shrek could've weighed up the options:

Does he import from crutchfield at a cheaper rate and risk no local support
or
Does he pay a premium for the product to be shipped to convoy who then on ship to shrek but have the warm fuzzy feeling that convoy will provide product support/local warranty and that he has supported the local distributor rather than some mega giant american business.

Realistically if convoy imported say 3 of these processors themselves offering two forsale in the market and one for their marketting and tech support they could afford to import one to replace every one thats sold. Three isnt a massive number to be caught with and its not an huge outlay finacially and being that they wouldnt be an item running off the shelves (at least according to Convoy) on the local market there would most likely be little delay between a public or wholesale order and delivery. Plus if they did stock it - who knows, people might actually buy a product when its available. If you build it, they will come. If you sell it, they will buy it?

I mean realistically this is a case of the distributor letting down no only consumers - but also its retailers. A product well known of is un available locally so consumer goes looking for an OS source. Has a good dealing with OS supplier who also has other product consumer is interested in. Comsumer goes "screw you" to the local dealer and starts buying all his gear online from overseas. Retailer goes tits up because the internet killed to local specialist store. Whos to blame? the consumer who wanted to spend his money? or the retailer who couldn't (without breaching trade conditions with the local distributor) supply the goods the consumer wanted? or is it the distributor who not only is ignorant to products one of their brands manufactures but is also unhelpful in sourcing the item in question?
Id say the latter...

PS Stones not a mod, he just a cranky bastard.

[TEGBOY]

I'd be keen for one. If you want to import one.

[Luke352]

I'll be getting one as well though not at this time, kids kill disposable income so I'll have to squirrel away some cash.

In this thread alone Convoy have 3 potential customers and the thing is this item isn't even marketted at people like us, but people who just want to leave the stock speakers/HU or even make some minor upgrades whack this thing in and get a very impressive result that you don't need to have any acoutic knowledge to acheive.

JBL have been marketing this device quite extensively world wide and there is considerable press about it spread all over the internet, and the fact that the importer hasn't even heard of it shows how little attention they must be paying to there parent company, since I find it very hard to believe they wouldn't have received some kind of press release.