Do not buy any Sonus Faber used

Sounds more like an effort to help the NA dealers stay in business. Think ahead: no dealers, no distributor = what? mail order from Italy? Good for the Italians and nearby countries, not so much for NA.

That would be the case, if only US weren't #1 exporter of second hand equipment worldwide.

I do not have any statitics, but I would guesstimate that US citizens export 20x more used hifi gear than they actually import.

Just ask yourself a question - how many times have you been approched by non US buyers here on AgoN, and how many times have you sourced anything abroad ?

There are many reasons for that - US have the biggest s/h market, lowest prices, having AudiogoN, speaking langueage everyone can understand etc.

If it wasn't for US export sales of second hand gear, the possiblity to sell brand new gear to US clients through US dealers would decrease substantially.

Why ? More time needed to 'unload' used gear and even lower s/h prices. All that would mean that customesr would have less money at their disposal to invest into new stuff.

Sumiko is the US distributor. As a distributor, Sumiko plays a substantial role, and incurs considerable cost supporting their product line. A friend of mine is a Sonus Faber dealer. Dealers have to go to California for training about the product line and how to properly locate a speaker in the customer's room (dealers are expected to provide such service to customers). The regional representative for Sonus Faber also gives my friend substantial help on a variety of issues, including proper design of home theater system (e.g., number and location of subwoofers), and has actually come to the job site to troubleshoot home theater installations.

This kind of support means a lot of cost. Grey marketers don't incur such costs and can undercut the distributor. Why should Sumiko (the distributor) support the grey marketer's activities?

Why should Sumiko (the distributor) support the grey marketer's activities?

Couldn't agree more, but what about the innocent poor shmuck who buys a used pair under assurance that they were NOT gray market. Not covering warranty repairs is perfectly appropriate. Having to prove the provenance of any item for which you are ordering a apare part is draconian, IMO.

I agree with Swampwalker. Well stated.

Swampwalker, Peterayer - that is why Sumiko put up the warning on Audiogon. So people would not be caught unware. If anyone has any doubt, get the serial number and call Sumiko. There used to be a guy who sold SF under the name American Home Theater or something like that. It was clearly grey market. I called Sumiko and they said he was not an authorized dealer. End of my involvement with him. With Internet sales (new) I always check on whether the seller is an authorized dealer. I do sometimes buy from unauthorized dealers or from owners who cannot guarantee were it came from, but I do so knowing I may be trouble for parts later on. I certainly do not make significant purchases when I cannot trace the orginal. Just good buying sense in this day and age.