In my eyes many dealers in Germany just don't offer the customer service you expect from a brand this expensive, hence I buy mostly used from ebay. I used to buy new/used from the store, but there is just no reason to do so anymore from most sellers. I am lucky to have a dealer that offers me good prices and a good service. I find it astonishing how little technical know-how most salesman have! Most B&O products are sold, in my eyes, by the "one more thing". For example the disks staying in perfect position on the Beosound 9000, moveable stands for televisions, the lights turning on with the Beolab 18s. No one buys B&O because they are the best or they offer great value, but because they offer something special (the "magic" aspect) which you simply can not get elsewhere, and I am willing to pay a premium for that! But if I walk into any store in Germany, no salesperson can tell me the technical specialities that the Beolab 50s or 90s have, so why would I buy them? If I don't see the magic, I am not willing to pay that amount for speakers. B&O should produce products that have more of that magic that I love, and dealers should just know their products and their capabilities and the brand will be great again!

No surprise Lee, and in the modern world it's short sighted and very damaging to the very people they rely on to push their products. My ex dealer friends had similar complaints when Play first launched.  Margins were too tight on them to discount, plus B&O didn't want them to. And B&O forced them to buy a multi-thousand dollar display for the Play brand, and then B&O not only sold Play online but expected the dealers to handle warranty claims and returns! Hi, we're from Corporate, bend over an grab your ankles.

A large part of B&O's problems stem not only from cluelessness but a completely unwarranted arrogance that their **** don't stink.

Beosince98 wrote:

In my eyes many dealers in Germany just don't offer the customer service you expect from a brand this expensive, hence I buy mostly used from ebay. I used to buy new/used from the store, but there is just no reason to do so anymore from most sellers.

I totally agree with that here in France too!

Of course, I'm not (and most likely will never be) a client for a brand new Eclipse or BL50 or BL90. But I can be attracted by more affordable products (Horizon, BS1, BL10, A9). But Here around Paris, dealer not only have no or poor knowledge of the brand and historical products but also very rude commercial methods or near none of them. I was gifted a beoplay headphone pouch which I was never going to use. Not even opened it. It was a long and hard path to have it refund because the store stated that they technically can't even do it! After month of discussion, the original buyer finally got a refund.

From now on I will be buying B&O stuff from wholesales stores which even if they dont know more about the product offer refund in case the product dont suit my needs, and are sometimes offering great discounts, the main brand will never be close to (I paid 169€ for a H4 when the same was labelled 299€ on B&O store. Or of course, second hand.

I understand this is unfair for retailers, but in my experience Parisian B&O retail is not good. Price are uneven on spare parts, service and accessories (beo4 battery cover range from 5€ to 25€), knowledge about products is poor ("I can tell you sir there's absolutely no eeprom in the BS3000, the 3200 has but not the 3000…) and they all behave like if we were still in the 80's when the brand was standing strong and people just had dealers and brochure to have get acquainted with the products. 

Also, and this may be more an answer to the OP topic, the brand act with the same rules than luxury brands or say Apple but with a very smaller footprint and awareness.

Whats gonna remain from B&O when "our generation" will leave? Who gonna buy thoses overpriced "disposable" items?

9 LEE wrote:

So, when Bang & Olufsen's Official Dealer Network is struggling like mad and wants to reach as many customers as possible to make sales which could keep their business afloat - B&O slam the door in their faces

B&O is a strange beast. They are still acting as if they hold ALL the cards and have a bag full of potential new dealers keen to take over your local area if you don't meet their store requirements.

As you see from places such as Bath a) there isn't a list of potential new dealers and b) when the previous Bath store went bust and the new owner took over, they went bust a couple of years later, too. In a city such as Bath, which has oodles of cash and your typical traditional B&O customer! If you can't make it work here, where can you make it work?

Perhaps the US company Tesla are copying B&O, except with the opposite footprint? 

"Changes to their retail model have been made as well, all global sales will now take place online. Tesla factory stores outside the United States will close. Factory owned showrooms in the United States will stay open but will revert to galleries." 

poodleboy wrote:

Perhaps the US company Tesla are copying B&O, except with the opposite footprint? 

"Changes to their retail model have been made as well, all global sales will now take place online. Tesla factory stores outside the United States will close. Factory owned showrooms in the United States will stay open but will revert to galleries." 

I wonder which one will flatline first, B&O or Tesla. As for selling out of "galleries" Tesla wanted to go with an internet showroom only model but in most US states, due to rich auto dealership owners and their political influence, it's illegal to do that, sell via internet without going through a local dealer. Crony Capitalism at work.

No worries as  B&O website claims that the store performance for new retailers will be as follows (a quote taken from the retail parner section of Bang-Olufsen.com);

"Bang & Olufsen Brand Stores

Ideal for major cities and key retail destinations, the Bang & Olufsen Brand stores offer the full product portfolio. And with our new Sensory store concept, customers can immerse themselves in the full brand experience.

Initial investment: €225,000 to €375,000
Expected return: 3-5 years"

I take it, this would be an average figure, so the top showrooms must be making shedloads of cash!!

😕