Do not buy any Sonus Faber used

I agree with Swampwalker. Well stated.

Swampwalker, Peterayer - that is why Sumiko put up the warning on Audiogon. So people would not be caught unware. If anyone has any doubt, get the serial number and call Sumiko. There used to be a guy who sold SF under the name American Home Theater or something like that. It was clearly grey market. I called Sumiko and they said he was not an authorized dealer. End of my involvement with him. With Internet sales (new) I always check on whether the seller is an authorized dealer. I do sometimes buy from unauthorized dealers or from owners who cannot guarantee were it came from, but I do so knowing I may be trouble for parts later on. I certainly do not make significant purchases when I cannot trace the orginal. Just good buying sense in this day and age.

I agree with Peterayer and Swampwalker. Not covering warranty repairs should be perfectly appropriate.

Just imagine going with a 10 year old VW Jetta, which was imported from, say Canada, by the previous owner, and the dealership refusing a full paid rapair work. Not a warranty work, since the car is long after warranty, but a full paid service.

I think that under EU law you would be able to sue such a dealer.

And car dealers are no different than hifi delaers (techs) - thay also have annual training sessions, had invested a load of money into the shop etc.

Good analogy Elberoth2; esp. since SF speakers can easily cost as much or MORE than I have ever paid for a car! The only motive that I could impute to VW if they were to implement such a policy, would be that they wanted to eliminate the private re-sale market. Now you may ask, how does that translate to our hobby? i believe that you would have a situation like the "bad old days". The only outlet for your used gear would be your local high-end dealer. He/she controlled the second hand market and would give you $0.10 on the dollar for your gear in cash (re-selling for $.50 on the dollar) or maybe $0.20 in credit toward a trade priced at full retail!!! No wonder they want to eliminate the re-sale market. Given that gray market is a small portion of total sales (of course, since margins are slim, its significant in terms of lost new sales), and re-sales would be a small portion of that portion, I don't think that the refusal to sell parts unless you can verify proper purchase is definitely aimed at restricting second hand sales. IOW, Audiogon!!!!

The day may soon arrive when we buy direct from the manufacturer or an arms-length specialized mail/internet dealer. They will demo their gear at trade shows near big cities, or through small, home-based hobbyists, advertise on sites like this on the net and in some paper magazines, and then sell direct and offer great service. Forums will discuss the quality of the components and level of customer service.

Wait a minute, this is already happening. There is one really good dealer in my area and many good quality, carefully assembled home systems where I have heard some great components. Specialist set-up guys go around charging a fee to set up systems and consult with audiophiles. The industry is changing.