It's GREAT when the salesman really knows the product!

[Meryl Arbing]

I wanted an MDLP MD receiver for my car. (A lost cause here in Canada but I didn't know that at the time!)

The first place I went was FurtureShop since they were a Sony dealer; had a large car audio secton and could do the installation.

After loitering around the car audio section for some time, a sales person finally noticed me. (It helps if you boost the volume up to ear splitting levels as your are pushing buttons!)

I said that I was looking for a MiniDisc receiver for my car..preferably the Sony MDX-F5800.

"A What-kind-of receiver?" he asked.

"Minidisc" I answered and, moving over to another counter where there was a display of entry level MD players, "Like these!"

"OH", a light had come on, "MP3!!" and then the light went out! He proceeded to give his pitch about all the various MP3 compatible receivers that they offered. "You just download your tunes onto a CDR..."

"No," I interrupted, "not CD...Minidisc...MD!"

"What does it look like?" he asked.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my 810 and removed the disc.

"You sell them here", I said, pointing to the MD blanks hanging on hooks across the aisle.

"Mini-CDRs? I don't know of any CD receiver that takes those!"

"No, these are different from mini-CDR...these are minidiscs"

He called over some other salespeople but nobody knew anything about them until finally the manager (I suppose) of the department arrived!

"Finally, I'm going to get somewhere!", I thought....WRONG!

"Oh yeah", he said, handing the MD back, "They only have these over in Japan but you can't get them here!"

I took one more shot!

"I have the Sony Canada model number and the SKU for the receiver that I want...can you order it for me?"

He went over to the computer. "No, it's not on our system! We can only order things that are on the system!"

Needless to say, I fled...sadder and wiser.

What other horror stories do other people have?

[crazeybt1]

LOL :laugh: now that's poor knowledge..

my experience well..

i went into a "Sony" store (authorized dealers for sony products)

and one of their clerks were arguing that minidisc players can't do drag n drop..n that was uhh..a few months after the drop of the MZN 1 Net MD...

so i went in the store requesting the unit and he's telling me that Minidisc can only record the traditional way..... ..the bad experience there was that i'm a customer who knows what he was talking about ..more than that sales man even knew beyond the name of minidisc...bcuz of that experience i never wanted to shop at that store again cuz quite frankly ur not supposed to argue with customers right.. :grin:

[Meryl Arbing]

Today the same store published its newspaper adverts and showed (what looked like) a Sony 710(?) player with the caption "MP3/CD player, $199". It even comes with 'music management software'.

There is no doubt that it is an MD player since there is even a picture.

[Meryl Arbing]

As you have heard, it isn't any fun trying to get a minidisc receiver for your car in Canada. If I knew back in February (when my ancient cassette player died) what I know now I would have simply got a CD receiver and an MD changer...but that was then.

As you have seen, North American salespeople are not always the most knowledgeable about minidisc BUT, I finally found a Canadian dealer who was finally able to get the MDX-F5800 MD receiver for me....BUT it was HELL!!!!

I won't mention the name...but it is a major Toronto audio dealer. I called them first in April asking if they could look into getting me one. They said they would get back to me. After a month, nobody had called back.

In May, I went into the store. They had never heard of a MD receiver BUT they took down my name and address in a little notebook and said they would get back to me. I should have been suspicious when they didn't ask for my phone number so I gave it to them and they wrote it down. As soon as I left the store, I am sure that they totally forgot about my request and me because nobody ever phoned me back!

In June, I went back into the store again and talked to a DIFFERENT person. This guy was willing to take a $100 deposit and to write up an order. "No problem. I'll order it on Tuesday; be here on Thursday!" I asked, "Can we setup a date for instalation because I might have to take time off work?" "No", he said, "I like to wait until I have the unit in my hands. We'll call you when it's in!"...fair enough.

Thursday came and went...no call. Two weeks later, I called them. "Don't call us...we'll call you!"

In the end of June, I went into the store again and talked to a 4th person. Nobody had any heard of any order for an MD receiver...I had a piece of paper though! They'll call me when it comes in...right!

In the first week of July I GOT a call!!! Were they telling me that my MD receiver was in? No. "We were wondering if you were still interested in the MD receiver that we have here because we have a REALLY GOOD customer who wants one and, if it is OK with you, we would like to install THIS one and we will get you another one for next week!" I called them back and (because it wasn't possible for me to have the install done that weeken) I said that it was OK to take the unit. BIG MISTAKE!

As soon as I hung up the phone, they forgot all about ordering a replacement unit for me.

I called them a week later after hearing nothing and, after a lot of stammering, said that "The unit HAS been ordered but hasn't come in yet! But we WILL have it for installation by July 31!!" Somehow, I doubt that it was ordered at all!

On July 31st, I took time off work and went in to have the unit installed. After a lot of stammering, they said that the unit was ordered but hasn't come in yet. I lost it! I am sure everyone in the store heard my tale and how they have p*ss poor service and no concern for their customers. I was assured that they would call me without fail on Tuesday to confirm when the unit would be installed. Tuesday came and went! No call!

On Thursday, I got a call. The unit WAS in and ready for installation. I called to book the time. I had to bring it in on the following Saturday at 9 am and LEAVE the car until 4 pm (SEVEN HOURS!!!). A bit long for a standard install I thought.

When I brought the car in, I asked why they just didn't tell me to have the car there by 3 if they knew they had installs booked ahead of me? No answer.

In the end, the install was done and I have the unit in my car. It sounds great but getting it was HELL!!!

[sony_man]

this may not seem like a huge problem but its somewhat annoying at times. i almost regularly go into a radio shack to braowse around, you know see whats knew (i couldve checked the internet but im a visual learner, i have to hold and see for myself). as soon as someone steps into the shop one clerk after another is on you. its a s if their only pay is to see how many customers they can serve. they should take a hint when the first one leaves me alone. ill ask them when i need the help lol.