Enquiring about the same item at different shops

Buy where you get the best offer as long as they are a trustworthy trader …simples

What’s it got to do with relatives
Can’t really understand what’s worrying you or what you want to have confirmed ??

If it were me I would stick with the one I'd bought from before. People in business are used to getting enquiries that are not followed by purchase. You are the customer - you don't have to be "fair". It's a different situation if you go into a shop, take up a lot of time with an assistant, then buy the same product online. That's unfair to shop, but exchanging a few emails is different.

Eh? So anyone answering an email is entitled to have you buy from them?

I have a lovely wooly hat for sale. Only slightly used. Drop me a line and I'll tell you more about it. I only want £500 for it.

I know at that price range, it is perfectly normal for people to listen to many decks, during booked auditioning times, with several dealers.

your family member is an idiot

What BlueBelle said. Shop around. You are talking about a considered purchase, not doing the seller a favour.
I would look for reliability as well as value for money. If you trust a dealer it is quite normal to go back to them

You owe the dealer elsewhere in the country nothing. Replying to enquiries which lead nowhere is part and parcel of being in business.

You have a trustworthy local dealer. If something goes wrong with your purchase he is nearby. What would you do if you purchased from the other dealer? How would you return the item? Is your ‘helpful’ family member likely to do that for you? No, I thought not.

is this relative the brother who orders you around, by any chance . . .
don't you think it's time to step out of this restrictive dynamic.
you are your own person, answerable to no one, within the law.
you are of age and have agency.
live your life as you wish.
remember, when he gives orders, talks down to you, behave as if he is in charge of you,
he is telling you something about himself.
not about you.
ie, it's his problem, not yours.
don't get tangled up in his hang-ups.
time to wave goodbye to all that nonsense.
you are a free agent. embrace it.

Doodledog

Eh? So anyone answering an email is entitled to have you buy from them?

I have a lovely wooly hat for sale. Only slightly used. Drop me a line and I'll tell you more about it. I only want £500 for it.

😂 👏👏👏. Brilliant.

My parents always trailed around shops seeking the best buy in the 1950s. I still do that online and it usually pays off. From a cost perspective loyalty to any shop is likely to be a mistake. Of course, if your High Street is worth saving a bit of local shopping may be indicated.

If you've had good service from your local dealer and you are happy with the price then it's wiser to go with them. You can also google the item and if you find a much better price then negotiate a better deal with your local place.. You'll probably get much better follow up service as well

I know this isn't relevant, but £6,000 seems an immense amount for a turntable. I did a good search online and couldn't find any turntable, even high end costing, anything like that.

Why not just do an online search for the model you want and after checking reviews, and buying with a credit card. You could save yourself a lot of money.

I agree with Pascal30.
We have an outstanding local dealer for white goods. She will do a deal on items in stock, and order anything she hasn’t got. She has a team who will service or repair items, and delivers free. I would happily pay more than buy online or elsewhere for such service. If your dealer is similar, why look elsewhere.

You are the customer. It's a lot of money. Explore as much as you want. Not being rude you are just spending your hard earned cash in the way that suits you.

I do like hi-fi as a main hobby and yes, £6k is a lot for a turntable, but it is by no means the priciest one around.

I do like my quality sound.

I was seeking advice, as a given turntable, from all dealers, 99.9% of the time is exactly the same price, at that level.

it is worth building a relationship with a dealer. We spent a lot of money with one and now we are upgrading cables he just sent us one to try out on our home system - for as long as we want.

Those who think turntables are expensive should look at cabling prices!!

Don’t just consider the price, consider after sales service if you have a problem. Your local trustworthy dealer is nearby and will be keen to maintain his good reputation. You don’t live near the other one, so what will happen if you have problems? As you haven’t dealt with him before you have no idea if he will be helpful or not give a damn about bad reviews from out of area customers. You are spending a lot of money. FGS do so with a known, trusted trader and ignore your family member’s silly comments about being fair. You’re not spending their money, you’re spending yours. Ignore them and do what the rest of us would do. Buy from your local man.

No, I don’t agree with the family member. Shop around by all means - do your research. Check out other suppliers. Choose the one who offers the best value - not just price, but after sales service, accessibility if you need to contact at a later date, etc. It’s your money at the end of the day, not your family members. Follow your own instincts on this, after doing your research.

Doodledog

Eh? So anyone answering an email is entitled to have you buy from them?

I have a lovely wooly hat for sale. Only slightly used. Drop me a line and I'll tell you more about it. I only want £500 for it.

And I am perfectly happy to knit a scarf to match Doodle's hat!

Seriously??? £6000 for a turntable?? WTF!

I’m tempted to go on an audio/Hifi forum and ask about pee pants.

My dh is also into sound and tv systems and luckily we have a very good local dealer who has an excellent after sales service . So I’d go with the local dealer. Your relative is talking nonsense. It’s your money and time involved and no you’re not being mean .