Archived from groups: rec.audio.high-end (
More info?)
"Wylie Williams" <wyliewill@charter.net> wrote in message
news:cf84890mct@news4.newsguy.com...
> > Stu Alden wrote:
> >
> > > I see some vendors offering Yamaha receivers on-line at
lower-than-list
> > > prices, with a warning that Yamaha will not honor the warranty (and
> > > frequently offering instead to sell you a warranty from a third
party).
> > > My questions:--Is this true (not honoring the warranty), and if so is
> this a common
> > > practice among manufacturers?
>
> "Joseph Oberlander" <josephoberlander@earthlink.net> wrote>
> > Yes. Grey-market imports. They buy them at the factory overseas
> > and ship them themselves to the U.S. I've found they work exactly
> > the same, but - and this is a big BUT - no warranty at all.
> >
> It also happens to products that are shipped in violation of the dealer
> agreement between the maker and the dealer. For instance if your product
is
> a USA product that was sold by an authorized dealer to a middleman for
sale
> on the internet there will be no warranty because there is no proof of
sale
> from an authorized dealer. The same if the dealer uses an assumed name
> online to avoid getting caught by the factory: he will give a receipt that
> not in the name of an authorized dealer.
>
> But why? The makers of higher quality equipment rely on the storefront
> dealers to advertise, demonstrate, and explain their products. The more
> consumers who buy online the fewer dealers will suport the line, either
> because they grow weary of being the showroom for the internet, or because
> they go out of business becsuse too many customers used them without
> supporting them by buying from them. This is a major factor in the
> disappearance of local AV stores.
>
> My point is that these online bargains have a price that will be paid
> somewhere down the line.
>
> Wylie Williams
>
I'm going to be devil's advocate here and say that if all equipment were
sold with 30 day home trial and a 10-15% restocking fee and return shipping,
over the internet, the need for a dealer is almost eliminated. Most
dealers will not *lend* equipment for home audition (they will sell you the
stuff with a return provision, usually), so offer no advantage except their
own showrooms. With the complexity of multichannel setup and home theatre,
relatively few of them have the space / resources to do a good job of this.
And while their advice is important to many, it is not for some. And in any
case, it could probably be offered over the internet both pre-sale and even
post-sale (perhaps via a support contract such as value-added computer
software).
The distribution system that FedEx, UPS, and the USPS offer is second to
none, and combined with the Internet will eventually revolutionize the
marketing of all specialized products, of which unfortunately high-end audio
is one. In my opinion, the world will change despite the best intentions of
all involved...at this point it is a rear-guard operation.
Think on the following changes in retail merchandising and interactions with
the distribution environment for a moment:
(1) pre-1800 local general store, supporting very local population using
horses, distribution provided by stage (difficult)
(2) early 19th century - local general store most places, still local
population via horses, distribution by railroad (still difficult), except
(3) late 19th century - rise of catalog sales (supported by rise of Postal
Service) with product shipped from central locations by train (the freight
depot). Catalogs broadened customer base and product offerings, distribution
could be provided by centralized shipping. (easier, but long waits)
(4) late 19th / early 20th century (with rise of big cities) - centralized
department stores, supplied by rail and fed by customer base using trolleys,
rapid transit, busses and (later) cars. Wide variety of merchandise at
easily (relatively) reached location. Distribution also from central
location either via carry-home or wagon/truck within days. Both population
and distribution centralized (much easier)
(5) late 20th century - dispersed department and clusters of specialty
stores (malls) distribution by truck/interstate, somewhat dispersed
population able to get there by interstate, car (easier still). However,
proliferated stores work only for broadly purchased classes of goods.
Specialty stores easily "overbuilt".
(6) start of new millennium - dispersed specialty stores and dispersed yet
rapid distribution within countries via Shipping Companies - both dispersed
customers and disbursed distribution points...no need for centralized
warehouses, retail stores (certainly no department stores which have
completely lost their reason for being). (easiest yet).
If you follow this history, you will see that specialty items went from
special order by general store, to catalog sales, to department store
availability (remember when Macy's and E.J. Korvette carried components), to
mall availability (and briefly in the sixties/seventies..retail audio
stores), to catalogs again (as dispersed retail proved unable to support a
shrinking specialty user base..in other words too many distribution
points...and the USPS subsidized 3rd class mail), to????...internet
availability.
The reason for the change has to do with the nature of the transportation
and communication systems providing both distribution and consumer access.
This is a natural evolution that will eventually win out.
Again IMO.
Sorry, I guess I'm showing my roots as an economist and marketer.