Bulk buy is now closed. Thanx to all who are participating. All correspondence will be via private email from here on.

Daniel, I apologise if I somehow caused so much negative noise. I feel comfortable that my word count is still low. ;)

Bruce, I'm sorry if I cut into your revenue stream. My maturity level is too high to allow this to continue.
Thanks again to all!

I would have to side with Bruce here. For whatever reason, and I'm not quite sure what it is, Dobber is taking Bruce's common sense suggestions as a personal attack. I can speak from experience (unfortunately) that you should always use a form of payment that allows the possiblity of recourse, especially when buying from an unfamiliar source. I'm sorry, but if a stranger asked me for hundreds of $$ in cash so that I could be the first to get a new toy, I would be a little skeptical. I see nothing wrong with being a little cautious with my hard-earned $$.

Bruce, tramahound, and steve... I think you nailed it.

Dobber, I think you need to relax and maybe take a look at the situation from a different point of view.
Also, I don't think Bruce will be hurting too much from your little offer here.

i hope i didn't come across as trying to attack the offer being made here, i was simply calling it how i saw it for my money. if this whole deal is for real and nobody gets taken then congratulations to everybody involved and in the end i am truly jealous of your new toy that you managed to snag before any of us. but, like i said, i'm not the type to take chances with such a large sum of money. no hard feelings, and i wish everybody the best of luck with this endeavor

tramahound...

if you have seen the details of the offer as I have, you would know that it is not a good deal at all.

Aside from multiple "errors" in the scenario about the degree of Philips control over the market place... which if true would have the FTC down their throats in a New York minute, the fact that they buyers have to pay around $750.00 plus the local sales tax in the area of purchase, which, if New York City at 9% (I think that's the rate) will add another $67.00 or so, probably plus shipping and handling at an amount that is not predetermined.

So, you are up over $800.00 on a $999.00 list item that will more than likely wholesale for around $600.00 in small quantity.

If there is another 10% added by the "broker", and I am not clear about that, the buyer will start to approach what would be average initial higher end "street" for this through a traditional purchase where there is recourse, return priviledge, etc., not mention the benefit of an extended warranty if the credit card offers it.

I would also be very leery in that from the documents I have seen, Dobber talks about the need to lie and for secrecy because the "Philips Marketing Police" (those are MY words for portraying how he protrays Philips)will close a dealer who does what he calls:

(_quote_) "Trans-shipping"

He defines that as one dealer selling into another dealer's territory and infers that Philips does not want that to happen and would subject the dealer doing the trans-shipping to losing his dealer authorization.

Come on! How could a J&R mail order exist and sell Prontos if this were in the slightest way true. It isn't... neither is there an "authorized dealer" as I am aware of it. There may be larger dealers who buy direct, as opposed to from distribution.

Also, it has been already stated in this forum that Philips does NOT KEEP TRACK OF SERIAL NUMBERS.. e.g.:

=====from the "Nicole" thread around late March ===
Response by Dave B on 03/31/01 00:49.37

This message from "Nicole" is an easy one to shoot down. Does anybody believe that Philips keeps a database of refurbished units? They can't even tell you about new units. They have no information about the units based on serial numbers. I know, I've e-mailed and talked to their customer service regarding serial numbers cross referenced to LCD screens. They said they don't keep databases of any serial number information. Further, it is hard to imagine, that with 273 positive ratings and 0 negatives on E-Bay, alpha2data is selling anything but new, untouched in the box (with warranty card) Prontos. He provides a great service to consumers looking for a good value - I have, and would buy from him anytime without reservation.
========= end of message from that thread ====

It could change that they decide to track the s/n's on the TSU6000 due to higher value, but that as yet has not been factually determined.

Also in his mailing he refers to Philips fear of (my wording except where quoted) stock falling into the hands of "Shady eBay" resellers.

Yes, everyone probably knows that I sell on eBay, but there are a lot of other good companies that also sell Prontos on eBay. That I am faster on my feet and have better prices, and after sale support is what competition is about. This does not make me shady nor is there is anything shady about the other companies that I am aware of that offer product on eBay, especially with the new Buy It Now system that in essence creates a tradition eSale but with triple protection for the buyer.

In my case this would be... eBay SAFE HARBOR, PayPal's Fraud Protection, and the buyer's own credit card. You can't do any better than that anywhere that I am aware of.

AND no one is going to ask you to lie about the source of your purchase to state that you just happen to be on vacation or some such thing and happen (with 50 of your friends??? Laugh) to walk into that local dealer one day and plunk down some rediculous amount (on hindsight) for the new Pronto.

Ok... that's my $1.02 and I think I will avoid this topic unless directly asked. Everyone looking at the offer is an adult and can decide on their own.

But I do feel a need to comment on the "closing statement" by Dobber above....

"Bruce, I'm sorry if I cut into your revenue stream. My maturity level is too high to allow this to continue"

In a word... BUNK... You cut into nothing. I don't sell these yet. I can't get them yet, AND I will probably not offer them when I can until I feel I can deliver value to my buyers, that I have done due diligence as a seller to identify any potential problems to the best of my resources, and there is sufficient stock in place to meet orders at the moment they are placed.

-Bruce
alpha2data
on eBay

I would add one other thing to the above with respect to when I would sell these. Because of the very large size of my supplier, I should know well in advance.

There is no need to panic and grab one. When they do start to come in, they will not be in onesy/twosy.

I should also have some kind of _firm_ idea as to pricing well in advance.

I am awaiting the info as I type this. However, large elephants don't get moving that fast, but once they do...

-Bruce
alpha2data

Take this crap off line. I'm tired of reading it. Send it to email.

Kinda seems like an awful lot of bantering over a simple offer. Do it or don't. I don't need a soapbox lecture. Now I can't get into the buy, and that hurts this forum.

Looks like you guys at alpha2data got what you wanted.

Bruce, I don't know you but from reading this thread I trust you and think you are right on target. Thanks for your common sense, knowledge, and integrity!

Thank you Tom...

I appreciate the vote of support. I owe the members of this forum A LOT! They are a bunch of really fine decent people. I would go out of my way for any of them, and I think, hope, I have.

I really was gonna just let this whole thing fly by until Dobber, I guess never hearing the expression "let sleeping dogs lay" chose to attack me.

If I am correct, and I don't have exact figures yet, only historical data, the Pronto Pro should be able to be sold for around $680.00-$750.00 low "E_retail street" from decent knowledgeable sources that are well known to all, and I am NOT just trying to blow my own horm with that statement. No one knows where the first shipments will appear.

I am sure that initially there will be a premium that may drive this a little higher, but my chrystal ball is currently in for repair.

One thing I can promise, I will return in spades (read price advantage with an advance edge if I can) all the good wishes and good things that many of the members here have done in taking their time to support and defend my integrity against a bunch of unidentified garbage.

'nuff said... thankx! again _everyone_

-Bruce
alpha2data

hey 'sick and tired', it's called a _FORUM_, not a "lets write only what Sick and Tired wants to read about place"
if you don't like the discussion, go to a different thread and read that one, maybe you'll find one that more properly meets your tastes
because of this very robust and lively discussion i've managed to save me and my family some $700!!! this thread is a gold mine of knowledge for the internet consumer! i'm not saying i saved $700 because i decided not to take part in dobber's offer. as i said previously in this thread i'm just not the type of person to internet shop that way. i'm saying that because i decided against the pronto pro in general, and instead i've decided to go with the "old" pronto model for numerous reasons. some of those reasons have to do with this thread, some to do with this forum, and some still to do with a certain son of mine's college fund :)

oh yeah, and most, if not all of that previously mentioned knowledge i've gained in this thread comes from one Alpha2data. he aparently makes a living selling these things, and he helps the consumer?! WHAT?! What a crazy concept!

count me in!!!!

I've worked with Dobber before in another forum. His dealers are mostly on the west coast. Hard to track down, but once things got moving he hooked me up with the dealer and was pretty much out of the loop. Pretty clean transaction. Saved me over $3500 on a Krell amp several months ago. Don't know about him personally, but he helped me save some cash. I think the dealer gave him an extra 15% off in exchange. I'm in this Pronto deal and it seems to be going the same way. Anyone know of any other sources of info on the Pronto Pro? I'm told the software is still unstable.

TommyGMan please contact me via email or phone regarding your purchase ASAP. Your email is bouncing inbounds.