Sounds like you bought a demo unit, which is why the warranty had already started, so your gripe is with the dealer not the manufacturer. You got a great deal. I'm guessing the dealer would rather take it back than deal with you anymore.
Getting what I paid for - gut check please!
All - I purchased an expensive (for me) DAC a few weeks ago from a small but well known high-end manufacturer close to where I live. It was a previous-generation model made available at a price significantly lower than the current generation model. I paid for the item in full prior to pick up. Upon pick up, I discovered the item’s faceplate and remote were a different color than what the manufacturer had indicated prior to purchase. Upon getting it home, I learned by reading the materials that the warranty period had started at the date of manufacturer, not the date of sale, meaning the warranty period was about one-third the length it would normally be.
The manufacturer is offering to replace the faceplate with the correct color for a fee. He says the warranty "is what it is."
Is any of this standard practice? This was not advertised as a used or demo unit when I agreed to purchase it, and there was no mention of a different warranty period than what would accompany a normal retail sale. Was I wrong to expect that a previous-generation model would be sold with the same warranty as a current-generation unit? Am I wrong to expect that the manufacturer replace the faceplate free of charge to make this unit the color that I agreed to prior to sale?
I’d appreciate a gut check before I press the issue or ask for a return. Thanks!
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- 51 posts total
@lousyreeds1 - You have received helpful feedback from people here with many collective years of experience with this stuff. At the end of the day, we all make our decisions and live with the results. IMO, you are being very generous to this vendor, as is your prerogative. As I read through your description of the experience, my "red flags" kept popping up with my end conclusion being that none of the excellent vendors I have purchased from over many years would have practiced as you described. Consider your comment, "I do wish they had explained before I paid (which I had to do via bank transfer prior to pickup)". Who requires a "bank transfer" before you would be able to pick up a component? Also, consider how all the things this vendor didn't explain to you ahead of time contributed to outcomes in their favor, not yours. @bigdoghoss - the consumer protection bureau primarily deals with financial issues such as regulating banks, lenders, and financial companies, and enforces laws and practices related to mortgages, credit cards, and loans. I doubt they would have offered any tangible protection related to the timing of when an audio equipment vendor decided to initiate a warranty period or whether the vendor accepts a return. |
I don't know who the manufacturer is, its not important, but would be nice to know. Regarding your issues, I would return it. You will never be happy with it, even if it performs as well as you hope. Warranty does not start at date of manufacture. Warranty starts when sold, for the first time. Dealers who use a piece of gear for demo purpose effectively start the warranty, unless they have a special relationship with the mfr/distributor. I am sure some storefronts use gear as demo, and then sell it with full warranty. As far as the bait and switch on the faceplate.. definitely an operation I would avoid. I wonder about how good their warranty is? Its a shame, buying new gear should give you a good feeling, not this. |
- 51 posts total