----- Original Message -----

From: JM Casey

To: main@jfw.groups.io

Sent: Friday, September 27, 2019 11:29 AM

Subject: Re: Any advantage to buying through a dealer versus direct?

 

Of course. Unless this has changed recently, this is exactly what happens when non-US customers go to the VFO/FS/whatever site and attempt a purchase.

 

 

From: main@jfw.groups.io <main@jfw.groups.io> On Behalf Of David Griffith
Sent: September 27, 2019 6:24 AM
To: main@jfw.groups.io
Subject: Re: Any advantage to buying through a dealer versus direct?

 

 

Sorry to be clear.

I would love to be able to purchase directly from VFO.

However, there are, as far as I am aware  still, absolutely  no options for buying direct from VFO in the UK.

This is probably for reasons for support etc.

This is a cause of annoyance on some occasions with UK residents being forced to pay through local distributors even when products are electronic.

On a similar if not VFO case, I remember trying to upgrade Kurzweil 1000  but being redirected to a local UK Supplier. The catch was that the local UK upgrade price was vastly inflated compared to the price  available if I had been able to download from the US site. As soon as I entered my serial number it recognised I was a UK resident and refused to allow me to proceed with purchasing the upgrade.

 

David Griffith

 

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

From: Brian K. Lingard
Sent: 27 September 2019 09:31
To: main@jfw.groups.io
Subject: Re: Any advantage to buying through a dealer versus direct?

 

Dear Robin, David & List:

An SMA is pretty basic, you normally take delivery via the Internet. I agree with David’s reasons for buying through a local dealer. However, your dealer nay not be local, so you have to pack up stuff to return it to the dealer.

 

 

The big advantage with buying direct is you know the software publisher received your money, when you buy through a dealer, you expect the dealer to in turn, order an SMA for you. Should the dealer go broke, your money may be used for other purposes, leaving you high and dry. If you put the ;purchase on a credit card, you may dispute the purchase with the card company or bank. Will probably go in your favor, but until it does, your money is tied up.

Will your dealer do this to you? Probably not, but he nay finds the gas company has shut off his natural gas due to a delinquent bill, or the software publisher cuts him off for unpaid bills. Have seen this happen with what looked like a thriving firm. Electric utility shut off his electric, he was out of business.

These are all points to consider.

Brian k. Lingard

 

From: main@jfw.groups.io <main@jfw.groups.io> On Behalf of David Goldfield
Sent: Friday, September 27, 2019 3:16 AM
To: main@jfw.groups.io
Subject: Re: Any advantage to buying through a dealer versus direct?

 

Robin,

I'm afraid I can't offer much regarding the specifics of purchasing an SMA from a dealer as opposed to Vispero. However, here are what I think are some likely benefits to working with a local dealer.

 

A dealer may, from time to time, offer some discounts on certain products which might not be available from Vispero.

A dealer can provide a physical space for a customer or potential customer to try out a product before purchasing it. This could be done either in a public showroom but, in many cases, the customer's home. This can be very nice for, as an example, a customer who needs to try out several video magnifiers but would like to do so in their own space with their own reading material, such as their mail.

Along with that a dealer may be able to loan a piece of equipment to a potential customer to provide a trial period to ensure that the device will meet the user's needs.

A local dealer could offer additional services that you wouldn't be able to receive from Vispero, such as a promise to install JAWS or ZoomText on the user's computer after a purchase or maybe even installing a demo before a purchase.

A dealer might offer some complimentary free training or getting started services, such as some basic training or configuring the customer's computer to ensure ideal use with JAWS or ZoomText. Apple provides similar services with its own products.

A dealer might offer some paid training options with on-site service.

If hardware such as a video magnifier needed to be returned or replaced a dealer could make that process easier by picking up the device from the customer's location and dropping off a replacement. The user wouldn't need to box it, ship it, pick up the returned item or set it up all over again.

A dealer might be able or willing to offer technical support beyond standard business hours, including weekends for emergency assistance that might be needed.

A dealer might offer products from multiple vendors, both adaptive as well as mainstream. This would allow you to customize a complete package. As an example, you might want to purchase JAWS, a Dell laptop along with a Victor Reader Trek. The dealer could then set up the laptop, install JAWS and get the Trek ready to use. Once he or she is at the user's location the dealer could then configure JAWS and Windows to meet the user's needs as well as giving them some basic training on how to read and download books on their Victor.

I don't know if any dealers do this but I would personally conduct free webinars or local training sessions which I'd make available for any customer who bought a product through me.

 

I'm not saying that all dealers will offer all or any of these services but your local dealer could let you know if these or other benefits are available. I'm not a dealer for any product, mainstream or adaptive, but if I were a dealer these are things I'd certainly do, particularly when it comes to custom configuration. In my opinion, a dealer worth his or her salt should be so responsive that you wouldn't even be tempted to deal with Vispero unless you had to do so. That's not a knock against Vispero; I love the company and feel that JAWS is a phenomenal screen reader. I'm just saying that a dealer should do more than to just sell a product. They should be a part of the customer's entire journey from deciding which product is right for them up to and including training and support way after the sale, similar to Apple's philosophy.

David Goldfield, Assistive Technology Specialist JAWS Certified: 2019 WWW.David-Goldfield.Com

On 9/26/2019 6:11 PM, Van Lant, Robin via Groups.Io wrote:

Hi,

I have always gotten my licenses for speech software directly from the company such as Freedom Scientific. For U.S. customers, is there any upside or downside to purchasing my next SMA from a third-party dealer, other than supporting a small business?   I’m not bundling the purchase with anything, so maybe this isn’t even really a thing anymore, but just thought I’d ask.

 

 

Robin Van Lant, Sr. Program Manager, Strategy & Performance Management

Key Equipment Finance | 720-304-1060 |  www.keyequipmentfinance.com 

 

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