Has any "non-youtuber" ever got a demo unit from Rigol?

[PushUp]

I asked on the Rigol website for a DM3068 demo unit, as they advertise with it: "Request a Demo"...



https://www.rigol.eu/products/multimeters.html

...and it is the only benchtop DMM, I am interested in. However, as it is +8 years old, I wanted to check the latest firmware, which is also very old, noise and the daily handling in gerneral for my own purpose.

Because I don't want to get a used unit when buying "new", I am no fan of ordering regularly and sending everything back within 30 days, as in this "pyramid game", one innocently trusting buyer is the fool! ...or does anybody believe, that they send back any returned unit??? 

Due to my request, I got an E-Mail from Batronix denying the possibility of a demo unit, but instead of the "advertised demo unit", they offered me a to buy the "Rigol DM3068" for 116 Euro above the normal price?! I should pay 810,84 Euro instead of 694,84 Euro?! I wonder, what they try to achieve with this kind of weird behaviour?  Anybody else with a similar experience?



By the way, I don't want to name the person from Batronix, but the "Special One" was too anxious to answer my response...for me, this is a total killer argument for any further relationship to this kind of "dealer", trying to take the mickey out of the customer by withholding information when being inexperienced! Never ever! 


Cheers!

[Yansi]

Grabbing  ...

[Cerebus]

Well, the wording on the Rigol site is "request a demo". In the absence of anything to suggest otherwise, I'd interpret that as requesting a "demonstration", in the sense that someone arranges to demonstrate it to me, not as requesting a "demonstration unit". I'd guess Rigol pass these on to their appropriate geographic dealer as a sales lead and presumably, they pass this on as "demonstration requested".

And yes, it's a big red flag if the dealer that it gets passed onto goes "can't be arsed to demonstrate this to you, but here's a special elevated price instead". That would certainly get them on my "crap distributors/dealers never to use" list. If you want to add a little misery to their lives, and can be bothered, tell Rigol that they lost a potential sale thanks to the distributor/dealer being so shitty.

[Kean]

Yes, requesting a demontration usually means a sales rep visiting.  Rarely it may involve a loan unit.  A demonstration is generally a no-brainer for a sales rep if the prospect is a large company or institution - they really want to get in front of the customer to do their pitch.

A demo is probably a low priority for the sales rep if it is with a small customer or hobbyist.  I'd suggest in that case you find a seller with a good return policy, and buy the unit in good faith after doing relelvant research, returning it if it really doesn't meet your needs.

Hard to view the prices in your distored screen shots, but it looks like that price difference seems to be VAT?
If there was a special price, highlight it to them.  Maybe they were not aware of it.  It may be a new offer, or it may have expired and they forgot to remove it (in which case they may still honour it).

[ogden]

Hard to view the prices in your distored screen shots, but it looks like that price difference seems to be VAT?
If there was a special price, highlight it to them.  Maybe they were not aware of it.

Seems so. OP can show screenshot posted here to sales rep, get 14% discount. I had business with Batronix couple of times and they met expectations. Sane company will never send demonstration instrument to individual because usually they never come back.

[Yansi]

Hard to view the prices in your distored screen shots, but it looks like that price difference seems to be VAT?
If there was a special price, highlight it to them.  Maybe they were not aware of it.  It may be a new offer, or it may have expired and they forgot to remove it (in which case they may still honour it).

I can see the screenshots correctly and clearly. They have obviously offered higher price, than their own offering on their website. VAT is not an issue here.

[Kean]

Hard to view the prices in your distored screen shots, but it looks like that price difference seems to be VAT?
If there was a special price, highlight it to them.  Maybe they were not aware of it.  It may be a new offer, or it may have expired and they forgot to remove it (in which case they may still honour it).

I can see the screenshots correctly and clearly. They have obviously offered higher price, than their own offering on their website. VAT is not an issue here.

OK, something in my browser (ad/script blocking) must be screwing them up.  In any case this whole discount thing is nothing new.  Obviously they want to make the most profit on each sale, and some customers are not at all concerned about price.

If there is a better price on the website, then surely you just buy it via the website?  Read the T&Cs first of course.

I often get quotes from a well known component supplier where all but one line is discounted based on quantity, but then one item has a price that is more expensive than on their own website.  So I just buy that one item via the website, and leave that line unselected on the order against the quoted items.  The weird thing is that I always send them a list of parts to quote coming from their own shopping cart, and showing their own list prices and stock levels!

[uski]

I did not have any experience with Rigol about this, but I did with other brands.

In general, if you are an established company and they reasonably expect a purchase from you, or even better, they have already an established relationship with you, then it is pretty easy to get a demo unit.
As a matter of fact I already got a demo unit, telling the representative up front that I am not going to do a purchase, but that I had a problem and I needed equipment to solve it, and then they are going to get the unit back after a week.
And they helped me, because they wanted to be nice (and also because they were maintaining the relationship)

As an individual, forget about demo units. But as a company or educational entity, it is pretty easy.

[asmi]

Few years ago Rigol's canadian distributor (Electro-Meters if I remember properly) had no problems sending me fully unlocked demo MSO4054 unit (over $7k USD!!) for almost two months because they scope I ordered and paid for - MSO2202A (about 1.5k$ USD at a time of purchase) - was temporary out of stock. No credit, no colleterial, no nothing, and free two-way shipping too. Very-very happy with that service, and that is one reason I prefer Rigol gear over Siglent.

[Fungus]

I asked on the Rigol website for a DM3068 demo unit, as they advertise with it: "Request a Demo"...

So...did you do that?

[uski]

Few years ago Rigol's canadian distributor (Electro-Meters if I remember properly) had no problems sending me fully unlocked demo MSO4054 unit (over $7k USD!!) for almost two months because they scope I ordered and paid for - MSO2202A (about 1.5k$ USD at a time of purchase) - was temporary out of stock. No credit, no colleterial, no nothing, and free two-way shipping too. Very-very happy with that service, and that is one reason I prefer Rigol gear over Siglent.

That is very good customer service and Siglent should definitely listen here if they don't do it
In Canada I had excellent support from the Rohde & Schwarz rep too

[noreply]

@PushUp

I can only speak for myself, but here in the UK I was fortunate to find a Rigol distributor who - if you are already a 'trusty' customer - will be happy to send you a 'new' unit on a sale or return basis.

This is not exactly a 'demo unit' for you to play with and then send back - it goes a little further in the sense that you should be 'keen' to buy this product - but have some reservations and perhaps some hurdles which the product must jump - to your satisfaction BEFORE you commit to buy the product.

This works very well - because if you are a serious buyer - then you have the piece of mind that you CAN fully test the product to your satisfaction - if happy then you keep it and pay for it - if not happy then you can return the product and no further commitment.

Obviously there must be some kind of 'trust' here - otherwise this type of arrangement can be easily abused by a not so ethical potential customer - at the expense of the distributor.

But if you ARE an ethical & 'trusty' potential customer - then this is a great way to evaluate a product before you purchase.

I don't believe that most distributors will openly advertise such an offer (sale or return) simply because it will most likely be abused.

However, there is absolutely no harm in asking nicely, explaining what your reservations are in buying the product outright and if it is possible to 'test' the product on a sale or return basis.

Anyway - just saying ...

Your milage might vary if you don't have a 'decent' Rigol distributor

[Dwaine]

Few years ago Rigol's canadian distributor (Electro-Meters if I remember properly) had no problems sending me fully unlocked demo MSO4054 unit (over $7k USD!!) for almost two months because they scope I ordered and paid for - MSO2202A (about 1.5k$ USD at a time of purchase) - was temporary out of stock. No credit, no colleterial, no nothing, and free two-way shipping too. Very-very happy with that service, and that is one reason I prefer Rigol gear over Siglent.

I live right next to them.   I walked in with cash and bought the DM3068 from them.  I really like the meter.

[Dubbie]

I am no Youtuber and have had no trouble getting demo units of several Siglent models.
I am in NZ however, where Siglents' hardest working and most enthusiastic salesperson lives.
 

[RoadRunner]

I am no Youtuber and have had no trouble getting demo units of several Siglent models.
I am in NZ however, where Siglents' hardest working and most enthusiastic salesperson lives.
 

Indeed, helped me getting a Siglent SA with a great deal halfway around the world.

[Pinkus]

If you live within the EU, you can (by EU law 'right of withdrawal') reverse a purchase within 14 days of receiving the device and receive a full refund. Consider this as your demo period where you can put the device through its paces.
With an expensive measuring instrument I would always keep this option open. Above all, you can buy e.g. two instruments from the shortlist and compare them directly - the worse one will be returned.

[Fungus]

If you live within the EU, you can (by EU law 'right of withdrawal') reverse a purchase within 14 days of receiving the device and receive a full refund. Consider this as your demo period where you can put the device through its paces.
With an expensive measuring instrument I would always keep this option open. Above all, you can buy e.g. two instruments from the shortlist and compare them directly - the worse one will be returned.

I don't think people who would be horrified "to get a used unit when buying "new"" should be allowed to do that.

[Pinkus]

I should add: the law says, that during this 14 day period you are only allowed to test the unit as you would do in a shop. This means: the unit need to be like new if sent back. Otherwise the reseller is allowed to deduct some Euros.
I know that there are people who buy a dress, wear it e.g. at a wedding party and then send it back for a refund (often dirty). That is horrible, disgusting and dishonorable.

In case of a $3K expensive test instrument, this 14 day period is exactly for what the legislator intended: to allow you to check the device and then keep it or decide against it. As you do it just once in a 5 or 10 year period, this is acceptable. The reseller makes approx. $1000 by selling it, thus even if they sell it then with 'signs of usage' for 10% less, they still make enough money with it.
And it shall be noted: because you CAN send it back, the decision of purchasing such an expensive device is much much easier - at the end more devices are being sold.

People who use their right extensively and send back too many products, are usually excluded from the customer list of mail order houses (e.g. Amazon) which is absolutely OK.

[tom66]

In the past, we've had no difficulty arranging for distributors to send us loan units on 2-4 week terms.  However, these sorts of arrangements are usually only made if you are a large and trustworthy organisation and they think you will buy it. They have shipped them next day (order at 4.30pm received next day sort of thing) by FedEx from Germany before, which must be expensive, so I imagine they want to be fairly sure they will win a sale.

There are usually dedicated demo units that have a few bruises on the packaging or the probes are not included.  Usually the units themselves are in good condition but I think this is not like phones, people don't just drop bench multimeters on hard concrete floors all the time!

There is also nothing wrong with using the return period to evaluate. As a distributor these items are sold with a markup. It is this markup that accounts for cost in distribution, including the returns process.  I would not be disappointed to receive a returned unit as 'new' provided the unit is identical to how it would leave the factory and the warranty is identical.

[Fungus]

I would not be disappointed to receive a returned unit as 'new' provided the unit is identical to how it would leave the factory and the warranty is identical.

Yep, "Is it clean, complete, and with full warranty?" should be the criteria but OP specifically said that was unacceptable to him.

I don't think a dealer is under any obligation to send him anything under the conditions he's setting.

[radiolistener]

Tried to press that button, they contacted me and proposed price list