I also agree with what Ken said - it isn't worth it to sell routers. Even if you are making a $70 profit, it wouldn't be worth it with what you end up having to deal with from some customers. It's much better to lease them a managed router.
On Tue, Aug 23, 2016 at 11:35 AM, Adam Moffett <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm more on your side of the fence, Steve D. I would not advocate selling > a used router unless it was marked as used and discounted accordingly. > > I get the other side too, nobody made them buy the router. They could > have gone to walmart and bought something for $40, and plugged it in > themselves. The technician connecting it correctly for them and setting up > WPA is worth *something*. Even so, if I did do that I would bill it > differently. Maybe split the line item into a $20 router and $60 > installation, or at least list it as "Router - fully installed" just to > clarify the point. Or even give them the option: "$60 to install a > router...you can buy this used one for $20 or this nice, high powered new > one for $120." If they choose the cheapo at least I didn't guide them into > it. > > I'm also 100% in agreement with Ken Hohhof. If it's my choice I wouldn't > sell a router at all...too many potential customer service issues. > > > ------ Original Message ------ > From: "Steve D" <[email protected]> > To: "af" <[email protected]> > Sent: 8/23/2016 12:22:31 AM > Subject: Re: [AFMUG] WISP ethics > > > Did your feeble aunt who doesn't know the first thing about realty buy the > house? Do you think she felt ripped off after you the expert told her the > house has termites and the golf course is actually a farm with the hay cut > extra low? If she knew about all that, then sure, not much else to be said. > > Remember, this is a question about ethics. It's not about whether you can > make the sale, but whether you *should*. It's a big grey area to be sure > though and all comes down to what lets you sleep well at night. You go all > the way to douche side of the equation and you end up cell mates with some > guy named Bernie... > > On Mon, Aug 22, 2016 at 7:20 PM, Travis Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Something is worth whatever someone will pay for it. >> >> Eight years ago, contractors were building nice homes in a nice new area, >> next to a golf course. They would build it for $600k (total cost for >> everything) and then turn around and sell them for $1.2 - $1.4 million. >> Were people getting screwed? I think so. Did they still buy them? Yes. >> >> Travis >> >> >> >> On 8/22/2016 8:01 PM, Eric Kuhnke wrote: >> >> This is not a WISP that competes with me in any way... >> >> It's actually a family member's new last mile connection, where the bill >> looks like: >> >> NRC >> $several hundred dollars - CPE radio >> $165 - new customer one time installation fee >> $80 router purchase >> >> MRC >> $85 monthly for a reasonably high quota service >> >> I think that the price disparity between the actual market value of the >> router ($11 to $15 on ebay with free shipping included in the price) and >> what they sold it for is so wide that it's just *wrong*. >> >> I can see buying a $75 basic 802.11ac router and selling it for $100, or >> even $110... But not this. >> >> >> On Mon, Aug 22, 2016 at 6:23 PM, Trey Scarborough <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> I agree if they are selling the router along with installing it for $80 >>> and they are not selling it as a new router I don't see the problem. Its a >>> $10 plus say $10 for shipping and $60 to install it. If that was geek squad >>> the bill would probably come out to $300... >>> >>> I agree if this is a competitor just sell a better faster router for >>> less with install. >>> >>> On 8/22/2016 8:07 PM, Lewis Bergman wrote: >>> >>>> If this is your competition, I encourage you to forget about it. Nothing >>>> productive will come of it. >>>> >>>> >>>> On Mon, Aug 22, 2016, 7:33 PM Josh Luthman <[email protected] >>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>> >>>> That doesn't really answer the questions though. Sounds like the >>>> second one kinda... >>>> >>>> Josh Luthman >>>> Office: 937-552-2340 >>>> Direct: 937-552-2343 >>>> 1100 Wayne St >>>> Suite 1337 >>>> Troy, OH 45373 >>>> >>>> >>>> On Aug 22, 2016 7:47 PM, "Eric Kuhnke" <[email protected] >>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>> >>>> A CPE radio was installed and aimed, ubnt PoE injector put in >>>> place, and the router connected to the LAN side of the PoE... >>>> >>>> The CPE radio installation was its own installation service >>>> charge and equipment fee separate from the $80 line item for the >>>> router. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Mon, Aug 22, 2016 at 4:00 PM, Josh Luthman >>>> <[email protected] >>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>> >>>> If it's sold as new? That's wrong. >>>> >>>> If it's sold as a service (go to house, install router, >>>> leave)? That's fine. >>>> >>>> If it's sold as a used product? That's fine. >>>> >>>> >>>> Josh Luthman >>>> Office: 937-552-2340 <tel:937-552-2340> >>>> Direct: 937-552-2343 <tel:937-552-2343> >>>> 1100 Wayne St >>>> Suite 1337 >>>> Troy, OH 45373 >>>> >>>> On Mon, Aug 22, 2016 at 6:57 PM, Eric Kuhnke >>>> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>> Many WISPs rent routers or sell home wifi routers to >>>> their customers. >>>> >>>> Some routers are used pulls from other customers, get >>>> factory defaulted and configured for new customers. >>>> >>>> Nothing wrong with this. >>>> >>>> If you saw a WISP that was taking used routers from >>>> customer pulls and re-selling them to another customer >>>> at $80/piece, and that router was this exact model: >>>> >>>> http://www.ebay.com/itm/NETGEA >>>> R-WNR1000-WIRELESS-N-N150-WIRELESS-ROUTER-RANGEMAX-4-PORT-SW >>>> ITCH-/171392676852?hash=item27e7ccb3f4:g:D8sAAOSwKPNTzDRY >>>> >>>> Would you consider it to be ethically questionable? I >>>> could not in good conscience sell such a feeble, >>>> obsolete $10 router for $80. >>>> >>>> >>>> This is not a 'rented' router, this was an actual >>>> purchase line item on a customer invoice. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> >> >
