Want to Purchase Denon 1802. No warranty for unauthorized dealers? (1 Viewer)

[Jason Bell]

I've been shopping for a new receiver and have pretty much decided on the Denon 1802. I've found it on quite a few online retailers for around $360, but none of them are "authorized dealers". Every single authorized dealer has this same receiver for $499.99. Is this policy just to price fix for their authorized dealers? Would I be safe ordering from a non authorized dealer? I mean $140.00 is a hell of a price premium. I cant beleive they wouldnt warranty their own product as long as it was in a factory sealed box. Thanks to all who reply.

 

[Brian Treinen]

If you search for denon and warranty you will find more than you ever wanted to know about the thoughts here on this subject.

My suggestion is to call Steve @ 6thave and find out what their price is for that item. They are authorized and VERY reputable. I purchased my 3802 from them and couldn't have been happier unless it were free.

 

[Jason Bell]

Thanks for the fast reply. I called them and they did go down to $429. They were out of stock though:frowning:

 

[Samuel Des]

It may be cheaper to buy unauthorized and get an extended warranty. It would be essentially what you would get for paying an authorized price from an authorized dealer.

 

[Ten_Smith]

I got an 1802 at a local store for $450. I found the store by going to the Denon website and searching for authorized dealers. The local HifiBuys (a/k/a Tweeter) was not at all flexible on pricing, but this smaller store had if for $50 less.

Factoring in the convenience of taking it back to the store if I have a problem, the warrantee, and the instant gratification of paying for it and picking it up at the same time and I decided the extra $, versus online, was worth it.

Basically, Denon can warrant or refuse to warrant whatever they like. So if you get the receiver from an unauthorized dealer, it will not be waranted.

 

[Ash]

I read that Denon only honours warranties for products bought at authorised dealers. So, it may be worth the extra $.

 

[Jason Bell]

It seems like all the dealers listed on Denons website will meet you halfway so you can at least save about $70.00 if you ask them for a better price. I just ordered it and ate the $70.00 for the peace of mind. Now I just need to get some speakers. Leaning towards the axiom m22s. Thanks everyone.

 

[TomH]

Yes, a large part of the "Authorized Dealer" agreement is price fixing. There is very little in it for the consumer and refusing warranty is a legally questionable tactic to force compliance. Denon may be the most hypocritical with product available at almost every etailer and discount outlet including Walmart. It seems that their product is available from more non-authorized sources than from authorized.

As a matter of principle I try to avoid manufacturers that still cling to this shady practice.

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Some of the other posts which discussed this same issue featured another angle on how to get the best price on the Denon receiver and still get the warranty. To do this, you'll need to get an American Express "Blue" card which features price protection. Purchase the receiver from your local authorized retailer at their current selling price. Go home, find some cheap retailer on Yahoo who is selling the receiver for a good price, then go through the claim process to recover your additional money.