Re: Best place to buy parts for those of us who don't have a dealers license ?

[Robert L Bass <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> A while back I had done a quote for home CCTV, quite extensive system. Gave
> the guy my proposal and he calls back the next day and starts quoting prices
> out of the ADI catalog, saying that he was not going to allow me to make
> "that much money" on the system. He'd called ADI and told them he worked for
> me and went by one of the branches and picked up a cat. with prices.
> Needless to say I ripped that branch a new asshole...then I told the client
> that if he thought it was so easy to install the equipment he could just do
> it himself...which he did..or actually he tried. A couple of weeks later he
> paid me HOURLY to redo everything he tried to do properly.

That guy got what he deserved -- not for DIYing the job but for
taking advantage of you and ADI.  In this case, one can
understand ADI's error.  The guy smooth talked them.  At least
they didn't offer to open account for him.

Crash, I don't have anything against installers making a fair
price for their work, their hardware and their knowledge.  Guys
like you and I try to give people what they pay for.  But if you
stop and look at it carefully, the ones doing most of the whining
here about DIY are the unskilled "professionals" who cheat their
clients, lie to make the sale, do slovenly work and (often) bend
the client over a five-year contract that would do old Slew Foot
proud.  The true professionals don't give a rat's Olson about
DIY.  They figure that DIY customers are not their market and
concentrate on the 98% who are.

It's the same for me.  I have no problem with most people hiring
a pro to do an installation for them.  Heck, I occasionally refer
customers to professional installers.  I've referred customers to
Jim Rojas on occasion and he made good money doing the work.  I
also used to refer people to Worthless until he started behaving
like a fool in the newsgroup.

The point is there are distinct segments of the security
marketplace.  Few, if any, companies are equipped to deal with
all of them.  Bob Campbell is respected by every technician in
this forum (well, except one moron from Brooklyn with a penchant
for assaulting children with hammers).  He tried servicing the
DIY market and for various reasons it didn't work for him.  No
problem.  I owned a small but modestly successful alarm company
for ~24 years until I sold it.  At this stage of life I have zero
interest in starting a new installation business.  I'll leave
that to guys like you.  :)

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

Bass Burglar Alarms
The Online DIY Store
http://www.BassBurglarAlarms.com