Audio Aero Capitole II with no serial numbers?

Bwhite.It has nothing to do with being an AA dealer.All I am saying is,I would not even consider buying a piece that expensive without some sort of protection,ie a warrantee.VAC,Krell,are very good examples of customer service.Each company has a policy,and Globe Audio has suberb custoomer service for those who have purchased from their dealer network.Many companies do not pass on the warrantee on past the original owner and have superb customer service.

To bwhite and Dennis the menace:
Hi guys. I think you're missing the point here. NOBODY said that Audio Aero won't look after people who buy used players. There's a difference between buying USED and buying NEW players through the GRAY MARKET!!!
I have talked to people who bought a used Capitole MK.I or II from a legitimate source, and Globe Audio Marketing in Canada/USA honoured any remaining warranty. So, of course Audio Aero cares about people who bought their products, new or used, in an honourable way.
Why would they care about you if you did an end-run around the retailer/distributor network to buy from some jerk who imported them from another jerk in Europe who is disobeying the dealer network policy?!?

I agree with satothestars and bwhite. Customers should be treated well. Likewise customers must show some intelligence. It's just like cars ... I can buy certified pre-owned, pay a bit over the odds, and sleep easy at night, or I can take a risk and maybe save some money, buying from "joe's cars". You pay your money and take your choice, but you can't have it all ways.

Heya Folks,

My theory is that a manufacturer should take care of ALL it's products it produces. It should not neglect ANY of it's products whether bought on the NEW, GREY, or USED market.

This support helps EVERYONE.
1-It helps the consumer of all products that are bought.
2-It helps the dealers because it keeps the resale of products HIGH. Contrary to popular belief, dealers do make money off of selling used and demo equipment. Look at Jeff's Sound Values.
3-It helps keep their product value high on the used market which causes many people to THINK a minute before buying the product used. If the difference between buying a new or used product is not a whole lot, many people will buy it NEW.
4-It helps the Manufacturer because people want to buy your products.

The big thing manufacturers can do is to make the BEST possible product they can for the money, and control their distribution as well as they can. PS Audio does a very good job of this. They make a great product, and PS Audio gear retains a lot of value on the used market. They also support their products. I find that it seems too many manufacturers mark their products up way too much at the retail level. I know 2 channel may be in decline, but HT is not. There is still money to be made for the company that prices their products agressively (with the best band for the buck).

There are certain products one just does not find used much. These tend to be the serious quality products that people just do not sell once they have them in their system (see LAMM amps)... However, you then get people that go through components like water... heh heh heh.

My 2 cents.

KF

Sattothestars - I wasn't trying to "bag" on you or dealers. I hope you take my comments with a grain of salt. I am simply a bit irritated with a local dealer who told my friend that they wouldn't help him unless he purchased something. I think they know he shops on Audiogon so they put up a road block. This gives me a sick feeling in my stomach.

Golden_ears - I don't think I am missing the point at all. Buying used is okay - there HAS to be a secondary market for this type of gear. IF there wasn't, no-one would spend this much on audio. Its when a customer gets screwed by someone on the gray market that IS a problem for both the consumer (guy who got screwed) and the company (the group who helps to create the situation in the first place). This is a global economy - free market and there are opportunists from foreign countries who want to sell into the US market. Any manufacturer who sells its products to these opportunists is creating a portion of the mess.

Then there is the problem of stolen goods which a COMPANY AND DEALER NETWORK SHOULD BY ALL MEANS ADDRESS!! Ignoring a unit without a serial number and telling the poor sap who purchased it that they are out of luck does bad things for everyone. It prevents YOU from getting your unit back in the off chance it was stolen and it prevents the poor guy who got suckered into buying it from having service.

FOR ALL - in fact, its only the dealers who loose in this gray/used market thing - the company gets its money. So the SOME dealers band together and as a result, screw the consumer.... They are all upset because they don't get their 50% cut on the merchandice so they throw tizzy fits, stop helping the walk-in customers who buy on Audiogon, and make statements like, "you're up a creek without a paddle" in order to protect their business. I'd do the same thing if I was a dealer.... but... I would also find a way to embrace the global economy.

I'm with Tok20000 on this one.