Warranty...good,bad and the ugly

04-16-09: Mrtennis
guys, you're priceless. why isn't there a tv series, the "Audiogon Follies". you have no idea how funny this is. this thread is priceless.the dialogue is funnier than most comedy shows.

keep it going, i'am laughing so hard, i'm peeing in my pants.

The warranty on your laptop won't cover for that. ;)

My recommendation is to not deal with companies that are trying to force the old economy model onto you the consumer. It is no longer a secret wholesale price world and then a big bump up to a retail price for the consumer. The consumer is in charge and can buy from all over the world. Macintosh should be avoided until they learn that their profits come from customers, not dealers. That said, my experience has been great with Krell, BAT, B&W, and Revel. I have gotten fantastic service under warranty. I find most products very reliable but when you need someone to pay attention to an issue, those companies that do so are to be rewarded. I have had some wonderful experiences with dealers but most of my dealer experiences have been negative because a customer simply doesn't buy enough from them on a regular basis. They simply forget you. If you come in a couple of years after buying and want to upgrade they act as if you have the stink on you, and the equipment they sold you is now worthless. It really is worse than car dealers. That is why Audiogon is thriving and we have these forums. Dealers are competing with each other and the customer is merely the playing pieces on the board. It is funny how bad company behavior is always part and parcel to the music business with rare exceptions.

I wanted to buy a $22K tube amp and there was no way from the manufacturer or any dealer for me to audition the amp in my home, in my system. No one would consider any arrangement whatsoever. At any price.
Explain that to me. Would I ever consider this company's products in the future? Not a chance.

Onhwy61, thanks for the tip.

However, what is stated is still not the warranty.

For the Consumer's Protection
In order to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction,
"new" McIntosh products may only be purchased over-the-
counter or delivered and installed by an Authorized McIntosh Dealer.
McIntosh products that are purchased over the Internet, by phone or mail
order are presumed to be "used" and do not qualify for any
McIntosh Warranty. McIntosh does not warrant, in any way, products that are
purchased from anyone who is not an Authorized Dealer or products that
have had their serial number altered or defaced.

Where's McIntosh factory warranty that states the length of the warranty,
terms and conditions?

Do a Google search for "McIntosh Warranty". Nothing comes up. Why is it so
difficult to find a McIntosh Warranty statement?

I have no agenda regarding McIntosh. In fact, I respect the company and its
products, but the lack of transparency regarding their warranty policy is
odd.

From Stonedeaf:

Mac is trying to protect their dealers by protecting their dealers profit margins.Bluntly - their aim is give you a powerful disincentive to not buy from anyone except your local dealer and also give their dealers the confidence to try and make each sale of Mac equipment profitable.

While not disagreeing with your point, a lot of dealers are in fact selling thru eBay in 'violation' of this 'policy'. I've daily seen new Mac gear offered on eBay as 'open box', etc.

Let's say a Mac dealer has an Amp that sells for $3K retail brand new. Well, they're not 'moving' at that price, so they put it on eBay for $2,300. They make a smaller profit, but that's better than none from a unit collecting dust. And this was before the economies 'collapse'.

Perhaps it is because some OEM stuff produced for these companies reaches the market through the back door. While many companies do the industrial design on their products (aesthetics) many leave all the rest to an OEM including the details on where to stick their logo.

Another issue is that products with very large markups may be dealer priced differently for each overseas market (according to competition) - creating an opportunity to import from a lower priced region (an alternate back door).

Canadians have long enjoyed paying about 15% more for their vehicles than Americans despite the vehicle coming off the same assembly line. The same happens in Europe where prices differ significantly between one country and the next for the same vehicle.