Non-authorized dealers (1 Viewer)

[David Balan]

Can someone tell me more info about non-authorized Denon dealers? I'm looking into purchasing a Denon AVR-4802, and am wondering why I would pay $800 more from an authorized dealer, than a internet dealer. I can get the above receiver for $2300 from an Ultimate Electronics store, or pay $1500 from Dealznet. Dealznet states that manufacturers warranties are still in affect, so what am I missing?

 

[Brian Johnson]

Well, I can try to answer

I purchased the avr1602 last night. After cutting the tape on the box before even getting to the inside the warranty info was right there. Let me quote from it.

"This warranty on your DENON audio product which is distributed and warranted by DENON ELECTRONICS,a Division of DENON Corporation remains in effect for the following periods from the date of the original consumer purchased from an AUTHORIZED DENON ELECTRONICS, a division of DENON Corporation Dealer."

Later in the sections: What is covered it states:

"The following are not covered by the Warranty

(1) Any product which is not distributed in the USA by DENON ELECTRONICS

(2) Any product which is not purchased in the USA from an authorized DENON dealer."

SOOOOO, I guess its like a game of chance, pay the less money & buy unauthorized and possibly getting a large paperweight OR buy from a dealer (if you goto Denons website-the first thing you see is "you better buy from an authorized dealer"

I am just quoting my warranty card, I could be totally wrong.

 

[Brian Corr]

David,

You have mail.

 

[Todd K]

I have often wondered this myself. If these people are not authorized dealers, how do they get the enormous quantities of products that they get? Some online retailers are more reknowned than others, and get a great deal of exposure. How could the companies allow this to continue?

And what do most waranties cover, anyways? parts or service or both?

-Todd K.

 

[John Morris]

Here's the way I look at it: if Denon only sells these units to their authorized dealers, then when you buy any brand new in box Denon unit, from any dealer, you should be covered. The non-authorized dealers are, in effect, acting as agents and distributors for the authorized dealers. Denon knows that their authorized dealers are doing this, and are doing nothing to stop or voice their opposition to this practice by their authorized dealers. So, just by Denon's sales policies with regard to their authorized dealers, and their lack of opposition to their authorized dealer's practices, they are condoning the practice. Therefore, all units which Denon has registered as being sold to an authorized dealer is covered under their warranty regardless whom you bought it from. I've had a Denon receiver serviced under warranty and had no problem. All I had to do was explain that I got the receiver as a present. They looked up the serial number, and boom, no problem.

YMMV.

 

[Brian Johnson]

Just an addition, the difference between me buying from an authorized dealer compared to a non-authorized online dealer was only $75 bucks, not 800 like the original poster. Its worth(too me) the extra money & now I can sleep at night not having to worry about it. But for $800 I might be wanting to ask around.

 

[Kevin_Kr]

Email me privately and i might be able to help.

 

[Charles Wan]

You may want to check out Link Removed
to see the kind of experiences people have on
the on-line dealers you are interested in.
There are several other web sites similar to
Link Removed but I can't recall at the moment.
Maybe somebody can fill in?

 

[Bryan Acevedo]

One thing to remember, too, is that a lot of times, these e-tailers are just web fronts for truly authorized brick and mortar stores.

Think of it like this: I own Bryan's HiFi Stereo, and I make great markups on my gear by selling locally and offering great service. But I want to sell more units, so I can maybe get volume pricing (and still keep my local prices higher, or even pass on the savings, either way). So I decide to open up a web site, I will call it electronicscheap.com. I don't use BryansHiFi.com because no one has ever heard of me across the country, and don't really care about my local business. When people buy from me, either locally, or on the web, they are buying from an authorized dealer. However, Denon (or whoever) only knows me by Bryan's HiFi Stereo, so their online system doesn't say that electronicscheap.com exists as an authorized dealer. When you order from me, your receipt would say cheapelectronics.com a division of Bryan's HiFi Stereo, or something similiar, so that when you needed warranty work, it would show up as an authorized dealer. As another example, have you ever seen a credit card receipt from a restaraunt, that has a different DBA (doing business as) name? You go to Alexander Steak House, and the receipt could say Homeland Restaraunt Group, because it is owned by a totally different company. Similiar concept - the name is only part of a business.

What's my point? Try to find out the actual parent companies of the web sites you are looking to buy from. A lot of times, the parent company is an authorized dealer, and this whole point is moot. My interpretaion of an unathorized dealer is Guido selling open box items out of the back of his van, or some pawn shop selling stolen goods.

I would be very surprised if anyone here actually bought something from an e-tailer, and the manufacturer wouldn't honor the warranty. I would also like to hear the FULL story on the people that had warranty service denied. I think a lot of times we only hear half of it, they don't say that the real reason it was denied is because of abuse, or because they didn't have any receipt to prove when it was purchased (not who it was purchased from). I have not seen any posts of people being denied service, although I have heard that somewhere, someone was denied service. But I don't give that much credence.

Also, if a web site says it is authorized, then it better be, otherwise, they are false advertising, and can get in a whole lot of trouble that wouldn't be worth it to them if they are selling items with such low margins. I just think when they manufacturer says they aren't, they just don't know them by that name.

Bryan

P.S. I don't own an audio shop, nor do I work in the HT business. I was just using me as an example. But I am a web developer, and know that most (but not all) sites are operated by company with a true brick and mortar presence.

 

[John Morris]

Bryan: Great Post! A good example of this is OneCall.com and Huppin's B&M stores are the same company.

 

[Bryan Acevedo]

Yes - onecall.com is a great example. I just ordered a Velodyne SPL1200 from them - $749 factory refurbished. They are an authorized Velodyne dealer, and it includes a full 2 year original warranty. When I received my receipt, it said Huppin's on it. It totally makes sense, since to me, onecall.com means, one call and you can get your merchandise, where as Huppin's makes me think it is a local retailer somewhere that I have to go in and buy stuff from. I have no name recognition with that, so I would most likely skip over that site. It's all about the marketing!
Bryan

 

[Todd K]

This is some good dialog here. The online retailer I am currently considering is Crazy Eddie. This is simply because he offers hands down the cheapest prices, and will match prices. I think they do have one brick and mortar store, but I have no idea if they are an authorized dealer for Sony (manufacturer of some of the components I am interested in). Sony does not list them as an authorized retailer on their site.

So, if I tried to use the waranty, it would be shown that it was not purchased from an authorized dealer. But of course, I would have an authentic serial number. And I know Crazy Eddie wouldn't have gotten his products illegally. It is quite possible he bought them from somewhere else, but I don't think I would ever have any way of knowing this.

And from Sony's website, it would seem the reason they encourage buying from authorized dealers is for customer service, not repair related issues. And from their language it's as if they seem to say "Yes, we know about unauthorized dealers, and we don't really care."

I'm sure the same applies for other companies. I just wonder when it comes to the warantees, if they even care from where it was purchased.

 

[Ralph Summa]

I just went through this with my Yamaha receiver. I had my HTR 5490 DELIVERED in less than 48 hrs for $569 from B and D Electronics, a "non-authorized" Yamaha dealer. It arrived in perfect condition. The cheapest I saw it priced at an authorized dealer was $809 + shipping. The box was factory sealed with the Yamaha Preferred Customer "gold seal" on the box seams. I emailed them about the warranty and B&D said they sell the same, new in box, factory sealed units that the authorized dealers sell and their website says all items backed by manufacturers warranty. Check your Credit Card policies too. Mine backs up the manufacturers warranty and doubles up to one year. That was enough for me.

Ralph