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#1
06-06-2002, 09:59 PM
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inquiring minds want to know
ok---- Taylor fans I have a question and it may have already been discussed . First I am a Taylor fan also, owning A 610 AND A 410 K , and think they are the greatest going. MY question is, how can Mr.Bob T. stop a retailer from advertising used Taylor guitars on their web sites or in print?I understand patents and copyrights and such but how can they control a secondary sale. Can GM tell your local Ford dealer that he cant advertise used gm vehicles ?Can Kimball piano co. tell your local music store that they cant advertise used trade in kimball pianos? Whats up with that? My vision of Taylor has slipped a notch with this issue. LOVE the guitar but question their ethics
 If I have missed the point somewhere Please straighten me out on this issue!!
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1995 taylor 810.....2013 taylor dn3 ....1975 gibson rb 250 
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#2
06-06-2002, 11:29 PM
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I'm not a lawyer and don't play one on TV, but....
Without commenting on the merits or demerits of this policy, I think that Taylor can put just about anything in its dealer agreement as long as it doesn't break any laws. If they required dealers to charge a set price for each guitar, that would be illegal because it would be price fixing. But telling a dealer that he can't advertise new or used Taylor guitars on the net or in print doesn't violate any laws I know of. They're not restricting the sale, just the manner in which the public is notified of it. It also doesn't restrict what the dealer can or can't do with other brands; it concerns Taylor guitars only. If a dealer really wants to advertise used Taylors, he has the right and choice to end his dealership arrangement with Taylor, as Mandolin Brothers did, for example. I'm ambivalent about this issue. On the one hand, I like the idea of getting people into the store instead of net-hopping because (a) it gets them more involved in the purchase and (b) it helps protect the independent stores from the national discounters who can afford to undercut them. On the other hand, and on a purely gut level, it strikes me as overthought and controlling. It doesn't make me think less of Bob T and Kurt, however. Instead, I think of it as an idiosyncracy and let the dealers worry about it.
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Chris We all do better when we all do better.
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#3
06-07-2002, 07:05 AM
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I also cannot speak from a legal perspective here...
But just logistically speaking, look at it this way... Selling Taylor guitars is a privilege...just like selling Martins, Gibsons, or Larrivees is. EVERYONE in the industry knows Taylors advertising policy. When people sign on to be an authorized dealer, and receive the perks that come with such a status, or agree to continue being an authorized dealer when a change in the policy comes up, they are fully aware of the restrictions and they agree to them. Bob Taylor can stop people from advertising and he can control the market for Taylor guitars because he gets the choices in who he allows to buy his guitars. Honestly, I envy a business position where you can control your product and still have such a demand. I think BobT put it best when he tackled this issue on this forum and said something to the extent of "You can advertise Taylors all you want, and sell on the net all you want, you just cant be an authorized dealer at the same time" Im sure every company that works with authorized dealership outlets has rules that the vendor must adhere to if they CHOOSE to carry the product, and these are Taylors. At first, it was annoying. It didnt make me mad or upset, but it was just irritating to not be able to do price searches etc...but now that this forum has grown like it has, I think most of the information that you would find on any dealer page (and much much more). Anyway, im sure you will get plenty of perspectives on the advertising policy, but most here (taylor fans) seem to take the "well yeah, its kinda different, but whatever" point of view. Most other brand fans or anti-taylorites usually think of Bob Taylor as a Commerce Nazi. Thats just unfair, I think, but dismissive people like that arent worth our time to listen to anyway.
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Ryan (Insert one line representation of cleverness here)
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#4
06-07-2002, 10:10 AM
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I thinks it's great that Taylor tries to foster a personal relationship between the Taylor dealer and the customer. There's so much more to life than just getting the absolute rock bottom price. Now, if Taylor built their guitars to accomodate only strings it made or play songs it authorized, then that kind of "bundling" would boil my blood.
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#5
06-10-2002, 06:40 PM
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THANKS for the insights! I agree with Chris that it seems controlling but I sure don`t think less of Bob T. or Kurt. Where else could you get a CEO to particapate in something like TGF. I also agree with Ryan ,that it is annoying not to be able to do price searches and that was my main point . He is right about all the info on this forum. You should be able to get any thing answered when investigating TAYLORS. As for ethics still undecided , but dont think it is a big issue anymore. I knew the people at TGF could shed some light on MY issue
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1995 taylor 810.....2013 taylor dn3 ....1975 gibson rb 250
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