As a consumer, does it matter who you do business with? Does a person or company’s character have anything to do with your buying decision? If not, should it?
I believe the answer is clearly “YES” it does matter. One of the pillars of Pan American is our focus on honesty and integrity. If something isn’t right, we’ll make it right. We accurately describe the capability of each model and we’re consistent with our pricing. We offer a risk free return policy because we believe in our product. We are nothing without our customers so we treat them with honesty and respect.
One of our primary competitors makes low end kick drums for sale at a price that far exceeds their true value. His model descriptions highlight fake or unnecessary features that are there to fool customers into buying their product. He also plays bait and switch pricing games with his Reverb listings. For example, he will offer a 90% discount, wait for notifications to go out, and then change it back to full price. His website even claims that Shakey Graves and Jack Johnson are two of his “Musicians”. According to Shakey Graves’ manager, this is a bold faced lie and they intend to put a stop to it. Lastly, this “company” isn’t really a company at all. It’s just a guy who lives somewhere out in BFE, never registered a company and doesn’t pay taxes. This creates an obviously unfair advantage.
So why do people buy from him? Because they just don’t know or they don’t understand. His customers don’t take the time to check it out. They see his product online, think it “looks” cool and they buy it. Maybe they thought they were only paying $50 for it until their credit card bill comes in and they realize they got charged $400 or $500. Who knows…in the end I believe karma will find him.
I don’t say all of this because I fear competition. Competition is important. It drives innovation and quality and ensures that companies run efficiently or they die. This is why products are always getting better looking, easier to use, and cheaper to buy. We have competition in the marketplace that does beautiful work and we would never say anything negative about them. CaseBass in Washington DC is a great example of a quality company that does things right.
It matters who you do business with. Don’t be fooled by looks or bait and switch pricing, or false claims of celebrity endorsement. Take the time to understand who you are doing business with and avoid those that are dishonest and use deception as a marketing strategy.
- Bill Brill, Frisco TX
