Do not buy any Sonus Faber used


Sumiko just announced that
"IN ADDITION, SUMIKO WILL NOT SUPPLY PARTS AND/OR SERVICE FOR ANY SONUS FABER PRODUCT WITHOUT PROOF OF PURCHASE FROM A SUMIKO AUTHORIZED DEALER IN NORTH AMERICA ".

What a curious statement . Can you imagine Volkswagen refusing to provide parts for their own cars, no matter where they were bought? I do hope other distributors will follow. It would surely drive the prices down considerably on Audiogon for used gear.
limono
I have had very good service whenever I have talked to Sumiko. However, I have to wonder how often a speaker will need warranty repair anyway? After all, what's to really fail....the driver, the x-over the connectors...???? I could see that an amp manufacturer or other electronic manufacturer would have concerns, BUT a speaker manufacturer? Don't quite get it! How many times have you bought a speaker and it has had a problem during its limited warranty period...I never have.
I've had a very negative experience with a US distributor who offered NO
service or support of any kind for a NOS cartridge that I bought from a guy
who bought it overseas but never used it. I accept the policy, but I don't
understand it. I simply asked for a specification and was denied any
information when I quoted the serial number.

I have absolutely no regrets about buying this cartridge, though I did not
understand the implications at the time. The seller was upfront, though we
did not discuss possible repair issues down the road. I've had no problems,
so things are fine. It's not really enough money to worry about with
something like a cartridge, but an expensive amp or speaker is another
matter.

If one really wants a particular product and if it's rarely available in the used
market, I guess the choice is to either buy it new or buy it used from
overseas. One just needs to be aware of the risk, and this is what SF is
communicating to its customers.

Sumiko seems much more reasonable about this than was my old cartridge
distributer.
""""12-06-11: Janeb
How many times have you bought a speaker and it has had a problem during its limited warranty period...I never have."""""

dont worry it will happen. as soon as You will get your first system it may hapen. :-)
I would love to see this tested legally. I know that there are some here who think a company has the right to make any condition it wants, but thats not true, and there would be huge problems if it was. Judges like to make rulings based on industry standards. Who reads every document set down before them. Really, think about it. We sign stuff all the time, everywhere, without giving it a thought. What stops companies from taking advantage of that. "Let the buyer beware" is not a legal defense and if it was, the marketplace couldn’t exist. Judges rule against this kind of thing all the time simply because it is unreasonable.