Question For Tom (tboykin)

[tboykin]

14 hours ago, D&P-OR said:

years ago, I purchased Whites detector(s) directly from the Whites Company.------Can that still be done?

Del, yes, you can still buy factory direct. Sometimes on our facebook we have "flash sales" where you can get things at a discount with a coupon code. But local dealers can often get you the best deal.

https://www.whiteselectronics.com/product-category/metal-detectors/

[Gold Seeker]

6 hours ago, tboykin said:

Skip - that "other employee" was me.... 

Well,I stand corrected, good job, but I knew it had to be a dedicated employee, and it was easy  to immediately call on yourself!!

I just wanted to point out you should be given the benefit of doubt, since you do go out of your way to make White's customers happy and I for one appreciate you doing so for anyone that needs it! 

[RickP]

Tom.. I am interested in upgrading from my DFX to hopefully a V3i... But before I buy one I want to actually see one, swing it and turn it on before I spend $1600. I have called every dealer within 100 miles from Omaha Ne, nobody has one in stock, I called and talked to 3 people there at White's and the main distributor for the Midwest located in Tulsa Oklahoma. Nobody has been able to help. How am I suppose to buy one if I can't even find one to look at first ? Rick in Tulsa said they have them in stock and on display, and I could come there to look at them... But I really don't think I want to drive 8 hours each way just to look at one. One dealer in Lincoln Ne is pushing for me to buy the MXT All Pro instead... (because he has one in stock)... Says he doesn't think I'll be happy with the V3i because it is to hard to learn.

all of the dealers around here can order one for me, but only if I am going to buy it.

what do you recommend ??

[Ridge Runner]

Rick

 Most of the time you can't find a dealer that has the high end detectors in stock. The only thing that may help you is post on different forums asking about that detector you have interest in. Lots of dealers got in as a dealer because they coin hunt and their friends do. They help their friends and ones self by buying cheaper then passing it on.

I buy from dealers that I know that is swinging that same gold detector I want.Maybe you can find a dealer that is a coin hunter.

Now unless you just got to spend all that money so you can say I own a Vi3 then buy MX Sport. I've had some of the high dollar detector but for the money you can't go wrong. with the MX Sport. I just ordered the 7 in.Detech DD coil and it should be here soon. I have all the other coils that White's puts out for the Sport and they all great. The thing is people on here has been saying how great the Detech is and I want to find out for myself.

I do believe that Steve had what you want but sold it  That is the man to talk with.

Chuck

[Deft Tones]

3 hours ago, RickP said:

Tom.. I am interested in upgrading from my DFX to hopefully a V3i... But before I buy one I want to actually see one, swing it and turn it on before I spend $1600. I have called every dealer within 100 miles from Omaha Ne, nobody has one in stock, I called and talked to 3 people there at White's and the main distributor for the Midwest located in Tulsa Oklahoma. Nobody has been able to help. How am I suppose to buy one if I can't even find one to look at first ? Rick in Tulsa said they have them in stock and on display, and I could come there to look at them... But I really don't think I want to drive 8 hours each way just to look at one. One dealer in Lincoln Ne is pushing for me to buy the MXT All Pro instead... (because he has one in stock)... Says he doesn't think I'll be happy with the V3i because it is to hard to learn.

all of the dealers around here can order one for me, but only if I am going to buy it.

what do you recommend ??

You are welcome to play with my V3i if you want to drive. I'm just over in Des Moines. Just about any time is good. Let me know if you're interested.

[tboykin]

14 hours ago, RickP said:

Tom.. I am interested in upgrading from my DFX to hopefully a V3i... But before I buy one I want to actually see one, swing it and turn it on before I spend $1600. I have called every dealer within 100 miles from Omaha Ne, nobody has one in stock, I called and talked to 3 people there at White's and the main distributor for the Midwest located in Tulsa Oklahoma. Nobody has been able to help. How am I suppose to buy one if I can't even find one to look at first ? Rick in Tulsa said they have them in stock and on display, and I could come there to look at them... But I really don't think I want to drive 8 hours each way just to look at one. One dealer in Lincoln Ne is pushing for me to buy the MXT All Pro instead... (because he has one in stock)... Says he doesn't think I'll be happy with the V3i because it is to hard to learn.

all of the dealers around here can order one for me, but only if I am going to buy it.

what do you recommend ??

Hey Rick, sorry it's taken me a while to respond. Had yesterday off and am in the process of moving so my computer time is less and less.

Convincing dealers to carry flagship models can be difficult. The inventory may sit on their shelf until someone like you comes along. So for small time shops carrying more low to mid level units makes more financial sense. But that doesn't really help you out!

The best thing I would suggest is if the local dealers are no help, order online. Many websites have a very liberal return policy. You could also order factory direct (over the phone or go to whiteselectronics.com). If you decide to do that I will vouch for you if the V3i doesn't seem like the right choice. We have other detectors that may fit your needs better, but it's my personal go-to machine when the weather is nice and I'm not after gold. Previous was a DFX, so a similar upgrade path for me.

As for the V3i having a steep learning curve - it CAN if you want to learn everything about it and how to tweak each parameter. It is probably the most customizable metal detector on the market. But at the same time there are I believe 9 turn on and go presets. Really all you'd need to tweak with them is your TX and RX gain. If you'd like a machine with a little less - check out the VX3. It is like the V3i's little brother and you can also use the SpectraSound wireless headphones with that model.

PM me if you'd like to discuss more or could use a little extra incentive to buy factory direct : )

[dbsmokey]

"Convincing dealers to carry flagship models can be difficult. The inventory may sit on their shelf until someone like you comes along. So for small time shops carrying more low to mid level units makes more financial sense. But that doesn't really help you out!"

 

Could this be because White's disallows most of its dealers from selling online, thus decreasing sale potential thus decreasing the amount of inventory a dealer is willing/able to carry?   Is anyone else amazed that in 2017 online sales are still discouraged? 

[AussieMatt]

59 minutes ago, dbsmokey said:

"Convincing dealers to carry flagship models can be difficult. The inventory may sit on their shelf until someone like you comes along. So for small time shops carrying more low to mid level units makes more financial sense. But that doesn't really help you out!"

 

Could this be because White's disallows most of its dealers from selling online, thus decreasing sale potential thus decreasing the amount of inventory a dealer is willing/able to carry?   Is anyone else amazed that in 2017 online sales are still discouraged? 

You would also think that offering dealers any assistance they require to ensure your flagship detectors are on hand for perusal rather than offering "a little extra incentive to buy factory direct" or convincing them to carry flagship models would be more important to overall sales? Jeez if I was a dealer reading that I'd be livid! Hopefully the dealers have other brands that they can fall back on! Obviously Whites don't believe in sharing some of the inventory risk on their own products by allowing dealers to hold consignment stock of more expensive flagship lines or other slower moving ones? 

I don't know how Whites operate in the US but in Australia I'd hazard a guess that online sales make up a fair percentage of the total sales being only one distributor & a few satellite dealers though. I know any Whites detectors or gear I've purchased here has ALL been online. To not allow dealers to do this nowadays is hobbling them & in effect themselves too. I can't believe that they would disallow it?

[Steve Herschbach]

In Whites defense as a multi line dealer for 35 years no manufacturer ever fronted me product. The U.S. is full of non-stocking dealers drop shipping product after money received, etc. The real solution would be for manufacturers to have tighter requirements for being a dealer. Instead anyone with a broke down van parked in an empty lot can be a dealer. That leads to people selling product for near cost, undercutting legitimate dealers trying to do it right.

Worse yet, people want to handle and try display models, then walk out the door to "think about it" and order it for $20 less online. People say they want full stocking, full service dealers but they vote otherwise with their wallets.

It has got so bad I sometimes wonder why some manufacturer does not just give up on dealers altogether. Go factory direct and sell detectors direct to the public, splitting the difference between current retail and dealer cost. Most people these days simply do not have a good stocking dealer nearby and after a couple wasted trips trying to find goods nobody stocks just give up and order everything online anyway.

White's made a huge strategic error (in my opinion) in preventing/controlling internet sales. Believe it or not the rationale was to protect dealers from unfair online competition. Certain models like the TDI were denied to big box online dealers in favor of only face to face sales. Again, to protect small dealers. It eventually backfired by making it very hard for customers to buy detectors. People could buy other brands from places all over the Internet and Whites was near invisible. Perceptually they did not exist online and reality ended up following that perception. Now White's is scrambling to catch up.

Anyway, please remember Tom does not run White's and is one of the few manufacturer reps even trying to help people via the forums.

[AussieMatt]

Yeah point taken. The dodgy practice of drop shipping is becoming more of an issue here too but no doubt on a lot smaller scale. Ironically it's US detectors like Fisher, Garrett & Tesoro that have been dropped shipped here. It should be illegal to take full payment for anything that you don't physically have on hand IMO but that's another topic in itself.