I take your point Bwhite, but I believe the issue is product support by a manufacturer and its distribution chain. Unfortunately there aren't lemon laws protecting consumers on most products like there are in many states for cars, to my knowledge. So we are left with the integrity of the manufacturer and its agents to stand behind its product. This seems particularly true when one's dealing with "high end" gear costing several thousand dollars, IMHO. While Electrocompaniet has a fine rep, even Rolls Royce can turn out a piece with a defect, and it would be nice to believe that the company's warranty means something (I've assumed all along that Liggi's unit was covered, although he didn't specifically say so). While having someone like Heinz available for out of warranty work is great, I wouldn't expect to have to reach into my pocket to fix something that should be covered.
I once owned an out of warranty Sony hi 8mm tape deck that went wrong. Took it in to my local authorized dealer and after a few weeks got a note from Sony saying they couldn't fix it, and couldn't replace it because the unit was no longer being manufactured, with a phone number to call. When I did I received an apology for the situation, and was given a pro-rated credit on my original purchase against my choice of any product in Sony's current product lineup. To me, that's standing behind ones product.
I'll climb down from my soapbox now, which isn't easy for an old grandpa.
Doug