HEGEL - Is it really made in Norway ?

09-05-15: Sabai
Zd542,

The overseas dealer and Hegel stood shoulder-to-shoulder on this. As a result, I was between a rock and a very hard place.

I'm SHOCKED! Now it's Hegel and DEALER have bad customer service. Do you see a pattern ... Hmm!

Zd542,

Regarding casework, this distracts from the issue of where the units are made and that Hegel consistently avoids being straight about it.

Knghifi,

Please note that I never said the agent's customer service was bad. When I said the dealer went shoulder-to-shoulder with Hegel I was referring to their not standing behind the product. But they were not disrespectful or insulting -- unlike Hegel from their Head Office whose service was abysmal i.e. non-existent. The dealer did what they felt they could based on their point of view which was in agreement with Hegel's. It was up to Hegel to step up to the plate and let the dealer know they would stand behind their product and make good -- which they did not do. Hegel simply walked away -- and the dealer followed.

This thread prompted me to email the TAS editors requesting country of manufacture with reviews. Got a reply the same day agreeing that it would be helpful.

Let's hope it's implemented soon. And I urge all to email the editors as well.

Now for my personal view

I believe quality can be built anywhere. However the manufacture MUST disclose the place of manufacture in order to let the customer decide whether the price is acceptable using their own criteria. I urge others to add criteria other then price to that equation. I list a few below and welcome other suggestion:

Environment
Labor practice
Free speech
Product brand track record for performance repair etc
Design r n d
Use of new technology or circuits

Manley goes so far as to use their US-based manufacturing status as a mantra:

"Built in Chino, not China"

It's used in advertising and printed on their boxes.