Must buy from auth. dlr? (1 Viewer)

[Dan Graz]

Looking around for various components. Mfr websites generally say their warranty applies only if bought from an authorized dealer. Am I rolling the dice if I buy from an unauthorized dealer. How can a product be sold legally and not have mfr's warranty. I don't want to end up with a Marantz or Yamaha 'doorstop' if it craps out.

 

[Geoff S]

If you have an authorized warrenty, and your equipment breaks, you'll get it fixed by the manufacturer and having it fixed right. This is also a speedy way to send it, get it fixed, and get it sent back at little or no shipping charge to you.

If you buy from an unauthorized dealer you run a risk of anything from it taking longer to repair, to you getting stuck with a broken machine.

Sometimes the store will fix it by simply replacing the bad part they get from the manufacturer and it'll be done by their own people who are lisenced to do so. Or they'll send it back to the manufacturer and it'll take longer.

If it ends up you can't get it fixed by them raise hell with the BBB and see if you can be compensated somehow. Or you'll end up taking it to some local repair shop to get it fixed for hundred of dollars, and it'll possibly still have defects.

I would advise you to do the following if you're going to buy from a non authorized dealer:

* Check with the BBB for any complaints against the company.
* Read the fine print and details concerning warrenties, returns, and repairs.
* Read reviews based on the companies. This is something you'll have to look for. Look for things like Service, Warrenty, Quality, etc etc.

If you get your equipment and right off the bat it has defects send it right back to be EXCHANGED for another one.


If anyone else has some advice to add to all this please do so! Hope you find what you're looking for at a good price.

 

[Ron AZ]

Quality & Service is long remembered, long after price is forgotten...

I believe the old saying is so true....'buyer beware'...

It is like dealing with a used / new car salesperson or real estate person, try and get them to help after the sale is final... you'll be lucky if they even return your calls or recognize you. Ron AZ

 

[Mark R O]

Dan-
The authorized dealer policy was set up to protect mfg.'s from having to honor warranty work on used or b.k. auctioned gear, to keep equipment made specifically for overseas markets out of the country and of course control marketing strategies. It also protected you from things like getting a refurbished, used or even counterfeit unit,
a product made to lesser standards for other markets and
ass****'s like the guys in the white vans selling speakers.
As important as any of those, it helps maintain the value of the product after you buy it. If you invest a couple grand in a piece, you prefer not to see used ones selling for $200.00, or when the model is updated, see your version
new in box at "Crazy Middle Eastern Guy's" warehouse for $399.00. NHT just pulled that move. They are blowing out disc. and overstock at discount houses for as little as 30% of orig. price. I loved and bought their top model, which was almost 5,000 a year ago, won't fetch $1500.00 on the used market. I'll NEVER EVER buy an NHT product again.
So bottom line, support authorized dealers! They will almost always treat you better, help you with problems, offer advice you can trust, etc. Buy from someone who is in business because they love the gear as much as you, not from some chump that just wants to sell you box and will be selling time share's somewhere else next week.

 

[Josh Lowe]

I bought a Denon receiver from an "unauthorized" dealer. It's a brand new receiver and came in a sealed box from Denon. If anything happens to it within the next 2 years (or whatever period the factory warranty is good for) I cannot wait until Denon tries to deny me service because I refused to buy it from a willing participant in their price-fixing scheme.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

We've discussed this here before, but to make a long story short, if you receive a piece of gear as a gift, you cannot prove where you got it from - - but, if it is in the original carton with the standard written warranty, they would have to honor it unless it was on a 'hot' list or they could prove that it wasn't actually their gear (like if it had a phony label on it). Any authorized repair shop should accept it, and if they don't, then I'd call the BBB up.

Glenn