I apologize for the long post, but I think you guys will get a kick out of it.
I can't stand the dealers that ignore what you tell them you want, and instead tell you want you want. There's one such dealer about 5 minutes away from my house. I've been there 3 times, and will never step foot in there again, especially after the last fiasco. Allow me to elaborate...
The first time I went in, I wanted to hear the NAD 320BEE. I called ahead to confirm they had one on the floor and asked what else they had. The person was very nice and said come in any time. When I showed up, there was a different guy (the owner) who apparently had more important things to do. We were the only ones there. He tried to get me to buy a Marantz stereo receiver instead, saying that "At that level, they all sound the same. They sound like garbage. Pick the cheapest one with the most features and be done with it." I asked "Why do you sell garbage?" "Because not everyone can afford a McIntosh."
The second time I went in, I was looking to upgrade the whole system, and he had a good variety of stuff on the floor. I was hesitant to go, but rationalized it by thinking everyone has a bad day. I asked about Creek, Arcam, and Rega, which he carried. He brought me into a room and sat me down in front of a Mac separates and speakers system which retailed for about a total of $20k. I was looking to spend about $3k before speakers. His response - "Put the 3 grand towards the pre-amp, then get the amp, then the CD player, then get the speakers." My response - Thanks for your time. I walked by the gear I was interested in on the way out.
Third time -
I was interested in hearing Audio Physic speakers. He was the only guy who had them within 50 miles. After I heard just about everything everywhere else, I broke down and went to his shop. I figured if I asked for the specific model by name, he had to let me hear them. After asking me some relevant questions, he brought me into the room with the Mac system. He connected Revel Concerta towers. They couldn't be more the opposite of the Yara bookshelves. I told him I wanted the Yaras, he left the room and brought in B&W towers (683?). His response - "These are smaller than the Revels." After humoring him for a few minutes, I asked again for the Yaras. He brought me into a room and played Maggies. I asked for the Yaras again. He said "I can hook them up, but you don't want them." Without saying anything, I walked out, right passed the Yaras.
I then went to the other shop he owned by the same name about 20 miles away (I was in the area anyway). The gentleman there had them hooked up and let me hear them. He was a very nice guy; the opposite of the owner. I felt guilty about hearing them knowing there was no way I was going to give the owner a dime. I told him the story and apologized for wasting his time. His response "I'd do the same thing."
I ended up calling the next closest dealer and tried to have them ship me a pair. He knew exactly who I was dealing with about 30 seconds into the story. He couldn't ship me a new pair due to territory restrictions, but he had a fresh demo pair that he could sell me. Full warrantee and he also gave me a free pair of stands.
The first guy represents everything that's wrong with the business. Others may not be on his level, but a lot do it to some extent. I have bought more stuff from the guy I bought the Yaras from. He's always been a pleasure to deal with.
Glad I got that off my chest.
