Do not buy any Sonus Faber used

Dtc,

12-05-11: Dtc
Djohnson54 - This is about grey market speakers, not ones from authorized dealers.

I believe I said as much above:

Note in the third to last paragraph they say that it has to have been purchased from an authorized dealer not that YOU have to have purchased from an authorized dealer. This is most likely aimed at the grey-market but I would check with them to be sure if I was about to buy used. After all, you don't really know where the seller originally purchased the product.

At least you understood my second point. I'm glad to hear that Sumiko is not that shortsighted.

This is not new. But I suspect that they just want to be able to say no at their discretion. I take it as their version of the “right to refuse service to anyone” sign in a restaurant.
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1258638486&openfrom&5&4#5

Djohnson54 - Sorry if I seem too aggressive about this. I am a huge SF fan and have had great experiences with SF dealers and with Sumiko. Sumiko is not against the used market but they are against the grey market.

I understand why distributors are sensitive to the grey market. There is not enough volume in the high end to support high end brick and mortar stores and a significant grey market. I have purchased SF both new and used. I just will not buy high end equipment that has come through the grey mark.

Enjoy.

How does one know that the speakers he is buying used, in the classifieds, were originally purchased from a Sumiko authorized dealer?

If a person moves to the US with his speakers purchased through an authorized European distributor, can Sumiko refuse to provide parts?

Dtc,

No offense taken. I just wanted to make sure that you understood I was not attacking Sumiko/SF. My comments were just comments (not an attack) and were aimed at any manufacturer that makes a decision not to support gear purchased on the used market that originally came from an authorized dealer. Again, I understand the need to protect dealer networks as much as possible. Market forces will ultimately decide what works but I believe that a company that doesn't warranty such product will eventually be forced to change that policy or go out of business.

To extend the car analogy - imagine if, when you wanted to buy a new car, you had no market for the old one. :)

Phaelon, I think this should be a lesson to buyers and sellers alike. Buyers should get the original sales receipt and sellers should make sure they keep up with it to provide their buyer with some protection. Maybe it's just me but it amazes me how many ads I see that say they can't find the manual or this or that accessory. If they can't do this what's the chance of them having the sales receipt? Sheesh.