Viva, no longer a fan

One of the things you give up when you buy used, is being treated by the manufacturer as if you had purchased it new. There are some manufacturers who, as a courtesy (Roger Sanders, Jeff Rowland, Loyd Walker, Nelson Pass, Ralph Karsten and others) go out of their way to offer their support to the user of their gear without question.  I'm not sure if those courtesies would be offered to me if I were overseas, or if the manufacturers sales were exposed to gray market competition.  

Read literally, the distributor’s note implies that the company will not service any equipment "purchased on the used market from anyone that is not an authorized Viva dealer." I wonder if they really intend to proscribe that broadly? Say you are in the States and want to buy a used piece of gear from a private seller (or even a non-Viva dealer who received it as a trade-in) -gear that was originally sold by an authorized dealer in the U.S. market. No service or support because the (used) purchase was not made directly from an authorized dealer? Even though the product was originally sold by an authorized dealer within the territory?
I do understand the grey market issues- and those are legitimate concerns both to protect the marketing/distribution system and the integrity of the product (especially if there are regional product differences that may involve legal compliance).
I like the ViVa gear I’ve heard. I doubt that the company intends to foster ill-will among existing owners or prospects. I’m not entirely sure of the facts in the OP’s situation--he says the amps are in Manchester (England?) and wants to upgrade and use them Stateside? (Thus the response from the U.S. distributor addressing a voltage change, among other things?)
If the gear had been purchased from an authorized dealer in one country, and the owner (whether or not the original purchaser) wanted to relocate to another part of the world, the customer ought get support. That would seem to have little direct impact on the grey market unless the customer’s objective was to "flip" the gear- but in that case, why bother with the voltage change? Why not just resell in the "foreign" territory?
My bet--the company might revisit this broad statement of policy to ward off grey market issues without alienating or limiting their customer base. If it is the company’s intention that all resales of equipment have to go back through an authorized dealer, that should be made clear. I had experience with this at one point with a car- I was required to sign a contract that said I wouldn’t "flip" it privately but if I wanted to sell it, must resell it to the authorized dealer--this was to prevent premiums for a then "hot" product that had limited allotment. I didn’t have a problem with that and the time frame was limited to a year after purchase. (Even in the case of cars that are built as "world market," there are compliance issues that vary by country, but that’s a separate matter).
I know that sometimes, posts like this are constructive, because they bring attention to a situation that has put a customer in an untenable situation. Sometimes, it is the communication process- frustration leads to annoyance which leads to unintended outcomes for both parties. My experience with big companies- and ViVa as far as I know is a small company (unless they are owned by a large operation) is that the wheels of bureaucracy are frozen and almost impossible to turn. Let’s hope this situation is clarified for all concerned.

Consider this. A customer purchases a product from the dealer and would like to upgrade it. The dealer and manufacture would have an interest in maintaining that customer relationship by providing that services at a very "reasonable price." That is the key "reasonable price."
On the other hand someone picks up a product used, perhaps abused, or modified. Should the dealer or manufacture offer the same degree of service to that person and at that same "reasonable price." I think not. 
I think that situation must be approached with a great deal of caution. 

soundsrealaudio - you posed the question: 'Should the dealer or manufacture offer the same degree of service to that person and at that same "reasonable price." I think not". I think I have to disagree. The manufacturer should support its product to anyone. They aren't losing anything by doing it, they are actually gaining a sale. They will still make money by doing the repairs and they will make a user very happy. Especially for those users who cannot currently afford their new gear, in a few years, maybe that user can now afford to buy it new and remembering the goodwill of that manufacturer, that user may someday buy new. The manufacturer has now expanded its customer base instead of getting negative publicity like Viva is doing here. Being in business a lot of years, I have learned it is best not to burn any bridges, you never what effect its going to have.

Soundsrealaudio, yes they should offer service. Goodness, it's just more income for the shop! No warranty work is being asked for here.

They don't want to support older units that have been sold, resold etc... They will hurt their brand image in the long run. They will shrink an already small market for their gear. As a used Viva owner, I may well buy a new one from the dealer if my experience has been good with both the dealer and Viva. However, when my pre-owned Viva amp gets old, and they treat me like this, then no way I would consider a new Viva amp. Lost me as a potential new Viva owner. 

I talk all to my audio friends about how Viva only wants to help me with brand new gear ONLY and they also have a bad taste in their mouths. Yes, rancid is the flavor the brand will take on.