Invitation for the
of a complete new range of A V S Y S T E M S
For years we represented AUDIOLAB from UK, a nice range of affordable AV equipment. Once this company was sold to TagMcLaren, for us all the work on AUDIOLAB disappeared like snow in the sun. Another range we promoted for years is Primare. Gone through different ownerships, we don't know what's currently going on with this company. It seems PANIC is around. Shortly (at least) 4 distributors got the message that their services were no longer appreciated. Immediately! The legal period for finishing such a relation was not honoured. The result is that at least 2 distributors are going to court to correct this one way or another. Big trouble! So we think it's the right moment to invest some time and money to create a line which can replace for us the mentioned productranges. Goal is to offer at the smae time a better quality for a lower price.
We invite you, our dealers our customers and also the people from
PRIMARE
to watch out for the invitation to come and join us on the PREMIÈRE
of our new "P" brand.
Anyone who follows what happens in the tiny world of hifi, knows how those small high-end audio brands develop. A certain person or small group of persons comes up with an idea or a product and with help of a group of distributors this product and brand becomes worlwide known. Nothing wrong with that. In case -due to whatever reasons- the manufacturer has some overcapacity, he has to find a tool to keep his people busy and to get rid of the products in stock. Well, he can always find companies and people in the market who, after the initial work for the brand is done, want to take over the distribution. Also in Holland we have such a company who seems to be specialized in it and it's main activity seems to be contacting these small manufacturers and putting pressure to accept their order. And sadly enough, several manufacturers cannot resist that. I feel that this is not in the interest of the consumers who have bought (and that way supported) the products of such a brand. Reason why we want to give as a distributor an answer on that. We want to ask you to follow our actions in this:
PR-PR-PRoject
If you want to be updated on what we are doing, please visit this page or keep an eye on this page with the NETMIND service (http://mindit.netmind.com) which will automatically send you an email if the contents of this page has changed.
"Starmaker" Log Book:
March 27, 2001: Mr. Lars Pedersen (now from Primare, before from Xena and
before that from Target Sweden, pfff... and what's going to be the next, if
there is a next???? I mean, these were all different companies for the same
job!!)) sends out a registered letter to us to
announce that after 10 years he decided to stop the cooperation as he wanted to
have more sales. This all without any discussion or pre-advise. Unprofessional
and what's more illegal according to the European Laws. If I had someone working
for me who cuts off a client who buys for Hfl 600.000,- a year (on retaillevel),
he would be without job the very same day. According to the figure mentioned in
his letter, it seems that Mr. Pedersen does not know how to do bookkeeping, or
he simply doesn't do any bookkeeping ......
March 28, 2001: I send an answer email/fax to Mr. Lars Pedersen ......
March 28, 2001: email from Mr. Lars Pedersen to me ......
March 28, 2001: email/fax from me to Primare ......
March 29, 2001: letter/fax from me to collegue Primare distributors ......
March 30-31, 2001: reactions of some collegue Primare distributors ......
April 6, 2001: we receive a telephone-call from Zlate -one of the most cooperative persons at Primare- to tell that Lars is in China visiting suppliers (hè, I thought this was an European product!!!) and cannot answer in time to my email/fax before the requested time and date. Reason why we send out a fax to advise we gave them some extra days (untill 18.00 april 10, 2001) ......
April 10, 2001: no reaction from Primare whatsoever. This means no other solution than go to court and consider the war as being fully declared.
April 10, 2001: letter is sent out to a number of dealers to explain the situation and to advise about our plans re PRIMARE.....
April 13, 2001: we finished the work on the Primare A20mk2. The full design has been re-entered in Orcad/Layout and is available for service-purposes for current Primare distributors now. The A20mk2 design is basically ok and foolproof. However the routing is absolutely "poor" just like some of the parts used. If you look at it the audiophile way (or if you want to get the best sound out of this design), there is still a lot to improve. Also this integrated amplifier cannot be considered as CE Approved, which means that it should not be sold any longer in this form on the European Market. The Première code for this model will be "Première A 2i". Final brandname and model will be established in due time as well as the Dutch retailprice which is estimated to be a low Hfl 1995,-!
April 14, 2001: we started to re-enter the data in Orcad/Layout of the Primare A10 integrated amplifier. It is quite obvious that this amplifier is a better design than the A20mk2. However, also here we have already found immediately several points to improve. The Première code for this model will be "Première A 1i". Final brandname and model will be established in due time as well as the Dutch retailprice which is estimated to be a low Hfl 1695,-!
April 15, 2001 - May 6, 2001:
In this period several things happened.
We entered the data in Orcad/Layout of the Primare R-20
Phono-prepreamplifier and the A30.1 integrated amplifier. These schematics are available free of charge for the current Primare distributors that
may need these
tools to repair the Primare products. Until now Primare has not provided these
tools. Files are also available in PDF-format.
We have invoiced Primare for the damages and costs involved in this affaire for
our company. As expected, Primare did not pay this invoice before the requested
date.
We received a large shipment (5 skids) of Primare goods from another supporting
Primare distributor. Unloading was a heavy job, but the pictures we took of a
"street full of Primare cartons" is for sure a nice memory once we
have fully entered the "Première" business. Once the picture are
developed we will publish the nicest ones on this page. New -lower- retailprices
have been calculated for free delivery in Scandinavia.
News from Primare! Through their Dutch lawyer we received the message the
Primare company feels it is normal to finish a 10-years businessrelationship
with a simple registered letter without any further discussion. No word about
warranties (thank you consumers), no word about solutions for problematic
products, no word about rules and laws to follow and for sure no word about CE
..... Their Dutch lawyer also writes that Primare does not like the fact
that we inform the world about this dispute. Well, I fully understand that they
prefer their behaviour to be unknown to other parties in this business! If
Primare feels we distribute incorrect information, we would like to be informed
and will correct and stop this immediately. Primare also understands that we
have to protect ourselves and our clients by making schematics necessary for
future service-purposes. They noticed we intend to start selling products under
the brand name "Première" and that these products might compete with
their products. Their conclusion is that that might damage their business for
which they also hold us fully liable and responsible.
Reason why they ask us to confirm in writing within 5 days, that we will stop
informing third parties about this dispute and will no longer give incorrect and
misleading information.That we will stop marketing any products under the brand
name "Première" and that we will respect Primare's right to their
trademark. That we will stop immediately publishing schematics or other
confidentional information. Well, what to think about that?
My comments: We think that a manufuacturer is not entitled to change a
relationship the way they did, reason why their is a liability of Primare. We
think we have the right to inform 3rd parties about this dispute. Nor Sweden,
nor BeNeLux is known to be a dictatorship, even if Primare seems to like to play
the dictator in this case. If Primare feels we have provided incorrect
information, we would like to see that specified and if they are right we
will immediately correct that. If providing schematics is a tortuous action we
will immediately stop that. We received by the way, an email from a Swedish
student who advised us of the fact that he already created a schematic of the
Primare A20 and D20 and that he was working on the other models. As everyone
knows, there are no
secrets about all this! If the full world has the right to manufacture and sell electronic
products which all compete with each other, why would we be not allowed to do
so? Because of the name "Première"? What to think about Audio
Research, Audio Fidelity, Acoustic Research etc etc. Do they own the name
"Première"? Fine, we will NOT use it. Do they own the name
"Primavera"? Ok, we will NOT use it. Do they own the name "Mi
Prima Aria"? Ok, we will NOT use it! Does Primare feel we will do all we
can to take their (and other company's) place in the market for their range of
products? Fine they understand that. That
is what we call competition! And that's what we are going to give them!
PS For the time being we will not publish more detailed information about this affair. In due time you can be assured that all info re this affair (as well as some other interesting information from this industry) will become available.