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Thread: Interesting "White Van" article

  1. #31
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Two additional "White Van" anecdotes...

    Two weeks ago a friend called... he was in a Home Depot parking lot where a fellow was offering him a pair of "$3500 DiVinci loudspeakers for $400." He was able to get the White Van retailers down in price from their original $400 to $100 plus a broken HP laser printer he had misrepresented as perfect... seems they are as gullible as their customers.

    After having fun with them he left without completing the transaction.

    Last weekend I was driving by a large pawn shop outside of Atlanta... they had a big sign proclaiming "50% off all speaker boxes". I had to stop and go in.

    What I found was a pile of carpet covered home made car junk and a few cheapo Fisher et al POS cabinets, but I did get to see up close and personal not one but two complete theater in a box systems from famed White Van purveyor, Genesis Media Labs. They looked like those fake stereos that furniture stores sometimes use to demonstrate how media furniture will look... they were surprisingly cheesy looking. I was rather surprised that a pawn shop would give any money for such junk... I guess someone will buy almost anything if it's cheap enough.


    Widget

  2. #32
    Senior Member BMWCCA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Widget View Post
    I was rather surprised that a pawn shop would give any money for such junk... I guess someone will buy almost anything if it's cheap enough.
    Pawn shops have become shadowy retailers recently. Whether they have the "white-van" stuff on consignment, or not, I don't know but recently I was looking for an acoustic guitar for my daughter and the local pawn shops were full of "re-manufactured" Fender factory-seconds. Just like Ebay! (Read the fine print.) These are all Chinese-made Fenders, and other brands, sometimes with "2nd" or "used" stamped in the tuning head, sometimes not. All "new" in the sense they still had stickers on the pick-guards and hang-tags where applicable. No Fender warranty or "case-candy" as the guitar players refer to it. And they weren't that much cheaper than the same model from the legit local Fender dealer.

    I ended up paying up and buying a nicer model from our local dealer where I received the personal attention of the long-time owner of that shop, himself. My daughter is happy, and I feel better about keeping another independent shop owner afloat, even if only for another day or so.

    ". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers

  3. #33
    RIP 2021 SEAWOLF97's Avatar
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    Angry Hmmmm.....Genesis is on the list ..manly fiber ?? hah

    CL white vanner ....

    Brand new 4,600 dollar home theater system for 1,500 OBO - $1500 (South East Portland)

    Date: 2009-10-04, 10:07AM PDT
    Reply to: [email protected] [Errors when replying to ads?]

    Brand New Home Theater system from Genesis. This system retails for 4,600$!!!! My brother has one and I liked it so much that I bought one. Trying to move and won't have room for it. Hope to find a happy home for it. Let this superior sound system blow your mind as you watch your favorite BlueRay disks in HD. why not have HD sound? It goes against every manly fiber in my body to part with this but It is time to let it go. I am asking for 1,500 out of it but willing to take best offer. if someone wants to pay some of the accepted offer with a nice laptop I would consider it. so enjoy and call:

    __________________________________________________ ____________

    It is time to let it go ???? I thot it is new ??? Brand New Home Theater system from Genesis

    get the story straight
    Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

  4. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by SEAWOLF97 View Post
    they even have the list price printed on the "white van's white box" - must be a deal
    I particularly like the finish options; mahogany, oak, cherry and 'carpet', which of course is the one marked off.

    Bob W

  5. #35
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    Like PT Barnum once said....

    there is a sucker born every minute. Yet history hails him as a marketing genius. The white vanners are just one example in the long list of street hustlers, which if they are any good at what they do, and they are persistent enough, may have the credentials to evetually become elected or work on Wall Street. Or maybe talk you out of your last dollar if your ignorant enough. Spend some time in the big city and you will quickly learn how to ignore them. The "cold sell" in its rawest form....


  6. #36
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    I can't believe these White Van operators are still out there.

    Back in 2001, a High school friend of mine purchased the " Dogg Digital " speakers from a White Van. For the tidy sum of $700-800.

    He called me over and I couldn't believe it. Stereo Review a few years prior to that ran an article on these speakers so I knew he was duped.

    They were carpeted boxes with piezo tweeters. They didn't sound good at all.

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