Andy CWS wrote:Gary Slusser WROTE:
"BTW, I have never ordered any water treatment equipment from a supply house. I have bought from the softener manufacturer or the component part manufacturers' distributors. Like you do for your Fleck control valves, resin and tanks... Or are you buying them from a supply house at a "contractor's" 20% off retail discount?"
Andy CWS wrote:Gary, I must be confused, too. I thought you ordered your equipment from Nelsen Corp., out of Ohio (AMONG OTHER PLACES), which is a major dealer outlet offering almost every brand of everything in the water treatment industry. And then it is drop-shipped to your customers wherever they may be.
Andy Christensen
That's true, along with others. My buying from multiple distributors gets me the lowest prices which are passed on to my customers and they get their equipment in the shortest length of time. The majority of online dealers don't have inventory costs etc. that increase the price to our customers. Freight also costs us less because the distributor controls that cost for us.
You go on about this as a negative but our customers laugh at you as they count their savings compared to what a local dealer would have to charge them for a softener etc..
Andy CWS wrote:I guess I read your statement wrong. Nelsen is neither a manufacturer or a component part manufacturer. It is simply a huge warehouse(s) and outlet for dealers to get parts at a wholesale price.
Yes you read into my comments whatever you desire and then reply like this showing ignorance of the industry you are a small part of as a Kinetico salesman.
My suppliers are the manufacturer of complete units. As I was from 1987-2005 when I assembled all my own equipment, the same as Kinetico is a manufacturer of the softeners you sell. Isn't GM/Ford/Chrysler etc. the manufacturer of the car they assemble with component parts from other manufacturers from all over? If you still question that, you can look it up.
BTW, a "supply house" is a retailer of plumbing materials, some sell softeners and other water treatment equipment too, and they give their "contractor" plumbers or pump guys a discount off their retail price. I've never bought any water treatment from any of them. They couldn't compete price and service wise with my wholesale distributors.
Wholesale distributors are under contract from Autotrol, Clack, Fleck, Structural, Purolite etc. (the component manufacturers) to distribute their products and the wholesaler charges their dealers based on their (the dealer's) volume of purchases.
As a Kinetico salesman, you may not be privy to what your employer's (the dealer's) cost is. IOWs, you're always confused because you've never been a dealer and only see things from a salesman's point of view that is against online dealers. But really, other than me in trying to help you, who do you think cares if you're confused? I can only think of other local dealers that are upset with online dealers too. Like Kevin (h2o_man).
BTW Kevin, I'm working on the accuracy of what I was told about you being an Ecowater dealer. The problem is due to you wanting to be so 'anonymous' and all that installing and servicing Rain Soft and Ecowater softeners for years but not being a dealer. How do you install and service without being the company's dealer unless you are an employee of the dealer? Was it your relatives maybe? But I'll figure it out and let everyone know what I find out.; right or wrong.
I will say to others, I don't know if I would buy from someone with only a PO Box address and a business phone that tells you to buy one of the most expensive softeners on the market B U T says he is not a dealer!
I honestly think I'm more confused than you are and that amazes me. 
