This is a really interesting and competitive industry, with lots of product to choose from and at a wide variety of price points. You, the purchaser, have plenty of choice when it comes to espresso gear and it's our job to provide you with our perceived pros and cons of your potential equipment choices so as to assist you to choose what's right for you. When we do this, we are mindful of a number of ethical matters:
If we wouldn't have it as our own, we won't sell it.
There are lots of examples where resellers advertise a product which they don't actually sell, and use it as a method of harvesting enquiries for a cross-sell into another brand which they do have for sale. Some just can't decide what they think:
- "...not a fan and would recommend avoiding these" followed a few days later by "Great machine for espresso and milky coffee drinkers for the price" and later "Excellent". So which was it then?
- "However, older models such as xyz are poorly designed." So why range a product and have it supposedly available for purchase if the business doesn't believe in it? Was that just a con to generate enquiries for a cross-sell?
If we don't actually sell it, we don't list it.
- "Come to us for the best price on xyz." How so if the importer has never supplied the business with stock, or has never even heard of it? Why would a business list product it cannot obtain for sale and list it at a price it cannot be sold for?
- "We used to sell it, but no longer do." So what's the back story? Is it no longer sold because something changed, because something was learned, or because the business is no longer permitted to sell it? Explain...
There are many other examples of shonky business practice.
For you as a potential purchaser, we are mindful that we must provide you with unbiased and factually correct information and then back that up with service, onsite warranty, repairs and a support network. That's ethical, and that's how we do business.
Yes, we need to make money to remain in business, but it's important to do business right to make money. Be careful who you purchase from. If the story and recommendations change rapidly from day to day - if what was great last week is no longer recommended, or what was rubbish days ago is now excellent - you probably are, or are about to become, a victim of a shonky opportunist who cares only about the sale.
Talk Coffee is, and will always be, a shonky-free zone where you can obtain honest advice on equipment which we have actual experience with. If we don't know, we'll admit that too...
This is not just a weekend hobby or plaything. It's not lunch hour or after hours only, and it happens from a real bricks-and-mortar site with a demo bench laden with great gear which you can see, touch and sample.
Coffee is a lifelong passion. Happy shopping. We are here for you if you need us.