I have noticed that on this forum and others that when a member asks for advice about connectors etc. (and sometimes even equipment) people direct them to-ards companies such as:

Skytronic
Electrovision
Adam Hall
Giraffe Stands
Leisuretec
New Horisons
Batmink

...and a few more....

Does this mean that these companies are selling directly to you guys? because what they should be doing is redirecting you to your nearest dealer...

How many of you have a direct account with our suppliers and who or how many suppliers and what exactly do you buy from them and what discounts do you get.

This is quite a serious piece of research so please don't post unless you actually have bought directly from one of our suppliers in the past or do so regularly...

Other shops' coments on this matter would also be appreciated, as I have also had people on the phone recently telling me they can buy it cheaper from electrovision!

I buy direct.

This was a question that I used to ask myself all of the time. I think it all depends on how much you are buying and from whom. Some suppliers have more robust policies than others. Some trade suppliers will always ask you for an account number to check that you are a bona fide distributor, others may not be too bothered as long as the order is above their minimum order charge.

I remember when Makro, Matalan etc was exclusively trade only, now it appears that everybody can get a card I hope that the trade suppliers are not following the same path, or taking the Constella route. To be fair, I can see why Constella went down the Factory Direct Route - a UK manufacturer with UK wages and manufacturing overheads trying to compete with Far Eastern bulk manufacturers in such a competitive industry as this one, just isn't possible with Middlemen taking a cut.

The best thing to do to put your mind at rest is to try and place an order as an End customer with each company mentioned and see who will ask the question and who won't.

If you think that suppliers are going to be squeaky clean, then your being a bit niave.

The older and more established ones, maybe yes, but anyone can open an account with Electrovision and the likes. Its actually very easy as long as you are credit worthy. Come to think of it, many will deal "Pro forma" too.

Even Music Factory, who have an established dealer network, now sell all their products direct to the end user.

To be honest, I am glad I am out of retail. I feel sorry for retailers. It now seems to me that since the new regulations from europe about restrictive selling practices that any one can virtually sell anything, and "suppliers" have to have reasons for not supplying to you!

Loyalty, I think, has died! There are now 4 retailers in my immediate area all selling electrovision stuff. One being Cash Converters!

I have trade accounts with most of them.. and you missed proel off the list.

I can do this because I have a business address which happens to be on a trading estate so they dont ask questions...

In effect I am a trade coustomer I am VAT registerd and I sell the gear on at cost plus a few pints to two of my mates but I dont retail disco equipment...

I found that the shop front retail side of the Disco business has had its day, the world wide web has killed it off.

and as said above , companys are selling direct because thats the only way to get close to some of the online retailers in pricing.

Behringer products are a great exsample. there is an online price for the UK but its cheeper to order the product from europe and have it shipped than it is to walk into a UK dealer and buy it...

the same is happening in all areas of the consumer electronics market...

I have bought spares from Skytronic for smoke machines twice. tried dealers etc and was getting nowhere so I contacted them by email and they supplied the parts direct upon receipt of a cheque.

If dealers can't supply parts (at a sensible price, without a phenominal markup) then I see no problem with this.

I've bought occasional items from 2 or 3 of the above companies normally on a "Cheque with Order" basis. The orders were few and far between.

Then CSL came along, or rather I found CSL and I bought virtually everything that way.

Now that CSL is winding-down, I'm buying items that I'm 100% sure about from simply the cheapest internet source. However, if its something which I need advice on, which I've not been able to get fully answered here on DJU, then I'll phone or visit a retailer and use their knowledge to iron-out any remaining glitches. If the retailer has helped, then I will buy from the retailer there and then, as long as their prices are "Fairly" close, in percentage terms, to the best e-price I can find.

Isn't it safe to assume that over 50% of DJ's, act as "retailers", most of which I believe do something called "drop shipping".

Just look at e-bay

I dont have any accounts direct with suppliers, however i do have an account with a local electrical wholesaler, who does carry electrovision, abstract,denon etc etc etc as well as tv's , dvd's and so on. So i can benefit from wholesale prices.

How did i get this account....simple i did the sales managers engagement party, and as a thank you he set up my account.

as the Amway reps used to say "free enterprise works"

As a bona fide trader I've been mildly annoyed in the past by end users posing dishonestly as resellers just to enjoy distributors' discount. (Leisuretec still prints on its catalogues 'we never supply to end users..') Of course, they do, (knowingly or not, I'm not sure) and I know many nightclubs who kit out their venues with Leisuretec (and others) stuff direct. Lets face it, traders have overheads and premises to pander to so can we blame the end user himself?

Some distributors of course are wise to this and can make it difficult for genuine resellers to open accounts at a realistic discount level: (eg monacor, lamba) whereas others (E-vision, Prolight etc) will give accounts to anyone with a fax machine. My advice to other traders is to attend the trade shows and get a rapport going.

Bear in mind that the sell-to-anyone companies are not doing anything illegal but just compare their quality of dealer support compared to someone like Fuzion or Peavey.

I feel calmer these days, its a reasonably level playing field after all and many large DJ shops were founded by DJ's buying direct....

The only bulk discount I get is from Cadburys, Durex and Guinness

andy you left viagra off the list surely your age is catching up with you now