where to buy elk.. ?

[forgets]

so i've been looking at home automation stuff recently.. and after almost buying into a HAI OMNI II .. i've seen the elk m1g can do pretty much all i wanted in home automation.. but they chincher is.. where do i buy one.. i've been seeing them online at ebay.. pretty much two sellers have them.. and they're going for about $100 less than home automation stores even with discounts applied.. like the current 15% .. however being able to update the elk is a big deal to me... and getting support.. and traditionally most manufacturers won't do that with a product off ebay.. will elk ? it'd be a lot less of a debate for me if a reputable online store threw out a 25% discount, but a $100 discount would buy me an extra zone expander and some change.. someone let me know if they've seen any places i can get it for less than about $450 for the elk m1g + can + transformer + keypad.. or maybe if any sales or discounts are coming up soon.. i'm a pretty patient guy.. but i'm trying to finish up a lot of wiring.. so ideally i'm looking into buying an elk this month...

thanks for any help..

forgets.

 

[Scrambled]

Buy it from Martin at Automatedoutlet.com

That is where I purchased mine from.


Steve

 

[forgets]

Buy it from Martin at Automatedoutlet.com

That is where I purchased mine from.


Steve

yeah see basically what i'm looking at there is the Part Number: M1GSYS4 .... and like i said, i'd want the warranty, and tech support and all that.. but they're charging $600 whilst i could get it cheaper from smarthomeusa.com (599 - 15% = $510) or ebay it for about $450 .. still a good $60 less.. now if someone was offering a 25% coupon like i missed out on a little while ago .. then i could get it for $450 (599-25%) and then i'd buy it from a store like smarthomeusa.. however as no stores are currently offering that discount that i know of.. i wanted to know if elk would treat me like a normal paying customer if i got it off EBAY for cheaper.... like i said, i'm willing to pay more if it means i get the support / updates .. but i'm not looking to pay more cause i'm not willing to shop around.

 

[Mike]

While I can't argue with a discount, Martin at AutomatedOutlet has been a great firm to deal with. For example, when Insteon support for the elk came out, a specific firmware version of the powerlinc was needed. I called up and they verified what was being sent out.

I have also ordered from SmarthomeUSA with positive experiences as well. On tech support with the two firms (if you went that way) I know AutomatedOutlet has hot shots on staff. SmarthomeUSA may, I just have no experience with them.

Cocoontech is of course a great resource for getting started as well.

If given the same situation I would look closely at the source on ebay, the cheapest is not always the best choice. I also don't know who you are referring to.

Representatives from Elk frequent these boards so they may comment on support items (not sure if there is a black or gray market for elk gear...). They have always provided excellent support here and on their boards.

I bought my Elk (and many, many related parts) from AutomatedOutlet by the way.

 

[mustangcoupe]

I also purchased mine from AO. But before I did I went through the EBAY delema.... but thought about the same things you are now. I never asked because once I read the auctions carefully then some of them were NOT including all the items.... the picture was of the ENTIRE system but did not include the can or did not include the keypad ect...

ex. sample

This Kit comes with a KEYPAD, BATTERY, TRANSFORMER, RJ31x Jack and cord, SPEAKER, and SOFTWARE.

Does it come with the encosure it is pictured with? dont know... I wouls hope so seeing as it is pictured.

I think the same seller is hoping the price is going to be driven up... it is an auction but they also have a buy it now for $579 that looks like exactly the same listing

 

[Steve]

The ebay seller(s) are acting illegally, period. No Elk dealer is allowed to publish pricing other than retail, which is $599. If you buy from the ebay seller you are buying from someone who is in violation of their agreement with Elk and my suspicion is you would not get very good support. Support is not cheap, you can not expect someone to sell you a product with no profit in it and still offer good support - that place would not stay in business very long.

All that being said, I have no experience with Smarthome USA but Ralph frequents the forum and seems nice and competent and I would not hesitate to buy from him. But my favorite is still Automated Outlet as well. Martin bends over backwards to make people happy and his main support guy, Jim, is VERY competent. AO is known to match other sale prices or may give you a discount if you call and speak to Martin, but don't expect him to match ebay prices AND support you. His shipping is also cheap at only $7.50 flat rate. There are other places that place shopping cart tricks as well to offer you discounts but that technically violates Elk agreements as well.

I would call Martin and simply ask for his best price for a Cocooner. You will be assured of a square deal and great support. In the end you will be very satisfied and the first time you need Jim's help you will be glad you spent a few extra bucks.

 

[johnnynine]

I would call Martin and simply ask for his best price for a Cocooner. You will be assured of a square deal and great support.

I sent an email to AO a few months ago asking if I could get a quote for 80+ insteon switches an Elk M1 and maybe some other stuff so that I could include it in my mortgage... never got a response.

However I have decided against Insteon for the time being (I REALLY wish they'd fix their switches) and I took advantage of a recent sale to get the Elk system so I suppose it turned out in my favor.

edit: typo

 

[IVB]

I got my elk from Brian @ tech-home ( has a forum here), and my supporting devices from toymaster (pro installer who also does some extra design guidance that I need). Both guys are awesome.

 

[electron]

I would call Martin and simply ask for his best price for a Cocooner. You will be assured of a square deal and great support.

I sent an email to AO a few months ago asking if I could get a quote for 80+ insteon switches an Elk M1 and maybe some other stuff so that I could include it in my mortgage... never got a response.

However I have decided against Insteon for the time being (I REALLY wish they'd fix their switches) and I took advantage of a recent sale to get the Elk system so I suppose it turned out in my favor.

edit: typo

If you did not get an email from Martin, then something went wrong with the email. Martin answers every single email from what I can tell, but I recommend you call him instead.

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

Johnny,

If I missed an email, I'm very sorry about that. Please resend it if you still have it or feel free to call.

Yes, we do have full support here and will also at least match any advertised price if you find one lower (very rare!).

Thanks,

 

[johnnynine]

Johnny,

If I missed an email, I'm very sorry about that. Please resend it if you still have it or feel free to call.

Thanks for the response, no worries.

 

[shenandoah75]

asihome.com... pricing is almost as good as ebay if the bidding goes high

I searched high and low before i bought - not only the M1 package level, but each module i was planning to buy down the road. If you go by webstore it appears as though they don't have all the expansion modules, but call them to order. They can get anything - though you may deal with backorder on some items (i.e. HAI thermostats)


anyway folks are very friendly to deal with

good luck
-brad

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

As always, we will at least match, if not beat, any published pricing.

 

[forgets]

yeah i'd seen asi home.. they were going to be who i was going to go with, but i didn't want to create more of a stir because of what steve said.. i mean i can understand everyone needs to make their buck, but a little price competition isn't all bad... besides asi home is a link from elk themselves..

anyway, now i've got to mull this over.. you're saying you'll match asi home's price ... ? you're willing to discount it to 468..? + 7 bucks shipping.. let me know.

 

[Steve]

Why don't you just give Martin a call, he doesn't bite.

(214) 245-4594, (407) 517-4780, (408) 239-4043, (713) 574-5931, (817) 539-1705

I don't dispute that discounting is ok, my point is that some places create unfair advantage by advertising low prices that according to their contract they can't. There are many companies that prohibit this. If 1 company always advertised a low price but everyone else stuck to their contract and advertised retail pricing, don't you think that creates an unfair advantage? It's just that Elk does not enforce it as much as others.

Anyway, Martin will always take care of ya, but you should call him and negotiate individually.