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Trade-ups revisited
#382946 09/19/12 02:25 PM
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Ian Offline OP
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Brent, Amie, and I were going through customer requests earlier this week to see if there were any frequent requests that we were not addressing as a company. Clearly there seems to be a desire for us to have some sort of trade-up program. We have made a few attempts at this in the past, with limited success being about the best term I can apply to it, but I can’t help feeling there is some formula that can make this work.

Key to a good trade-up program is a good channel to sell the trade-ins, which could be the creation of a Refurb store on our site. We could bring the traded in products back to the factory and give them a full rework and testing. We could then offer them in the Refurb store at great prices with a new warranty, perhaps 2 or 3 years.

If you have any thoughts on this subject I would love to hear them. I would like to take all the feedback on this idea and put together a pilot program to test it all out.


Ian Colquhoun
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Re: Trade-ups revisited
Ian #382947 09/19/12 02:28 PM
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While from a customer standpoint, I like the idea of tradeups, but from a company standpoint, I see the discount on a pair of, say, original M50tis to be too large to be sustainable. I mean, to sell those, you'd have to cut the price to something like $2 or 300, which means to the customer, it would have to be may be 100, 150, plus there's the work and cost of refurbing them.


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Re: Trade-ups revisited
Ian #382952 09/19/12 03:26 PM
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Awesome idea!

I think most people would take advantage of this service, I would wink


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Re: Trade-ups revisited
Ian #382964 09/19/12 05:09 PM
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It's the damn shipping that's going to kill it financially.

I've always liked how Axiom just absorbs shipping into the product cost. As a consumer, that makes me feel "better". But I know it's not free.

Let's say I want to upgrade my M60's to M80's. I don't have my shipping boxes anymore. So, even if I pay for materials and delivery of the shipping boxes, I'm still sending two, big, heavy boxes thousands of miles so that Axiom can send me two other big, heavy boxes.

I'd like it if you could make it work, of course. I'd certainly trust "refurb" products from Axiom but would expect them to cost somewhat less than B-Stock, especially if they are not current versions.

What I'd REALLY like is an upgrade kit so that I could convert my ti models to v3. Shipping drivers and a crossover costs a lot less, would help scratch my upgrade itch, and might help Axiom obtain refurb parts for previous generation speakers.


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Re: Trade-ups revisited
tomtuttle #382965 09/19/12 05:25 PM
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Originally Posted By: tomtuttle
What I'd REALLY like is an upgrade kit so that I could convert my ti models to v3. Shipping drivers and a crossover costs a lot less, would help scratch my upgrade itch, and might help Axiom obtain refurb parts for previous generation speakers.


Oooooohhhh... I like this!

+1 to the Pirate!


::::::: No disrespect to Axiom, but my favorite woofer is my yellow lab :::::::
Re: Trade-ups revisited
tomtuttle #382970 09/19/12 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted By: tomtuttle
What I'd REALLY like is an upgrade kit so that I could convert my ti models to v3. Shipping drivers and a crossover costs a lot less, would help scratch my upgrade itch, and might help Axiom obtain refurb parts for previous generation speakers.


This is my line of thinking, too. I think this is my best chance of staying current with Axiom's offerings.

Re: Trade-ups revisited
Ian #382971 09/19/12 06:22 PM
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Well, but that solution doesn't help people "upgrade" to bigger speakers. And without a refurb store, there's no reason for Axiom to want the old drivers back. I think it could be part of a revised, overall strategy, though.


bibere usque ad hilaritatem
Re: Trade-ups revisited
tomtuttle #382973 09/19/12 06:49 PM
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Ian Offline OP
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The success of this really does come down to the numbers and we really won’t be totally sure what the right numbers are going to be until we have some experience with the Refurb store. The pilot project will certainly involve some guesses. I think we can say with confidence that the version is going to have a big effect on the number but again we will have to try it to know the delta for sure.

We can send cartons and pack for the traded-in product along with the new product to save some shipping dollars but there is still the reality that we are shipping the traded-in product back here and then back out again (not something that would work outside of North America). So the number that we could offer on the trade would end up being what we could sell it for in the Refurb store less the cost of the freight back and out again and a bit for the cost of the rework.

On the subject of up-grade kits there are a couple of wrinkles. One being that the cabinet has probably changed from one version to another so those upgrades would be sacrificed. The other is mainly related to M60s, M80s, and the VP180 in that the wiring going to the 5.25” woofers has to be changed at the crossover. This involves a lot of soldering and extreme care to get them in the correct place on the board. This said our parts are available to purchase so it can be done now. Different parts would be required depending on the model and series to bring them to v3 but we can assist in making that determination. In some instances the upgrade kit will end up being more expensive than the trade-in option.


Ian Colquhoun
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Re: Trade-ups revisited
Ian #382976 09/19/12 07:03 PM
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I'd certainly be interested in refurbs if there were savings to be had. I would have every confidence in an Axiom refurbished product. I like the idea of trade ins as well.

I'm an operational guy so I leave the marketing/product placement discussions to those who have chosen 'The Dark Side' but I like the concepts if it works financially for everyone.


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Re: Trade-ups revisited
Ian #382977 09/19/12 07:05 PM
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Would you allow trade-downs? For example (purely picking items out of the air here, no bearing whatsoever on reality) would you allow an M50ti to M3v3?


I am the Doctor, and THIS... is my SPOON!
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