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[Vanns.com]

Just what is an Authorized Dealer? And what exactly does that mean for me or my customers?

Well, Authorized Dealers have a direct relationship with Manufacturers for one. That means that an Authorized Dealer has a rep from Sony or JBL or Onkyo or any other actual product Manufacturer that they buy product directly from and have a relationship directly with. This is not, under all but the rarest cases, a relationship with a distributor. This means that an Authorized Dealer has access to all the newest products and all the best promotions among other things. It also means that the Authorized Dealer is held to a certain set of standards. (these standards vary by manufacturer) These standards can include such things as:

Being an Authorized Service Center for a particular brand.
Answering emails within 24 hours or less
Ship out products in 48 hours or less
And many others…

It also means that due to the direct relationship with a particular company an Authorized Dealer gets all the best training and training materials. Which translates into helpful service on the phone, intelligent and informative copy and content and all around professionalism.

Well that’s all well and great but what else?

Products from Authorized Dealers are brand new in a factory sealed box shipped directly from the vendor to the dealer. Unauthorized Dealers have been known to do many of the following:

Sell used product as new
Scratch off serial numbers
Sell product that was intended for sale outside of the United States


“So what”, you say. Well imagine getting a user’s manual that was written in Spanish or French for your new product? Or imaging getting a product you were sure was brand new only to find that the box was open, or that the “included accessories” were missing? I can’t imagine that you’d be very happy nor would your customers…if I were that customer, I wouldn’t return to any of the sites that had resulted in a transaction like that.

The worst thing though is this…Many people wouldn’t notice if a product came from an Unauthorized Dealer until they needed to have the product serviced. The problem is, many Manufacturers refuse to pay for service on items that are purchased from an Unauthorized Dealer…whoops, I guess you don’t have that 2 year warranty on your new Onkyo receiver just because it was purchased from an Unauthorized Dealer.

Now most of that sounds like a nightmare for customers and would probably keep them from ever visiting you or us again if they ran into it.

But how can those customers tell whose authorized and who isn’t so they can make an informed decision on where to buy?

Here’s where things get really tough. I can absolutely without any doubt tell you that Vanns.com is an Authorized Dealer for every single product that we sell. Proving it is much more difficult…We are listed on a multitude of sites as an Authorized Dealer (Sony, H/k, Onkyo, etc…) but at the same time we aren’t on others. We’re a JVC Authorized Internet Dealer, you can shop by brand on our site and see our JVC Authorized Dealer logo but if you go to JVC’s site, we aren’t there right now. Further, some Manufacturers are choosing not to list their dealers on line, Canon for one. You can call them and ask but you get a customer service rep in a call center that may or may not be able to find all the information you’re looking for.

So while I’m willing to guarantee to you that we are a Fully Authorized Internet Dealer for each and every product we sell, I can’t prove it without getting you on the phone with each of our Reps. Also, I can’t say for certain that another dealer isn’t authorized in all cases…just because they aren’t listed on a site doesn’t mean they aren’t authorized…look at my JVC example.

What I can tell you is this – checking the Manufacturer’s site is a good first step. If the dealer is listed there then you and more importantly your customers can have that warm fuzzy feeling that you get from shopping with an Authorized Dealer. If not, you might check to see if a phone number for verification is available. Beyond that though it becomes a guessing game…do they have a good rating on Consumer ratings sites? Have you heard of them before? Do they have physical stores? These are things you can use to judge the validity of a Retailer/Etailer.

Below I’ve included some information that I pulled directly from a few Manufacturer’s sites. Take a look at it, it may give you some ideas on things you can do on your site(s) to improve your customers shopping confidence.

Also, if you have any questions or concerns regarding this topic please feel free to contact me.

Sony Authorized Dealers List

http://www.sel.sony.com/cgi-bin/SEL/consumer/ss5/cgi/aid_list.pl

Sony - Why should I buy from an authorized dealer? What do I get out of that?

http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/ss5/AuthIntWhy.shtml

Sony authorized dealers are required to take steps to insure the integrity of your Sony purchase. Some unauthorized dealers have sold products with altered or obliterated serial numbers. Products with tampered serial numbers void the Sony Products Warranty. In addition, there have been reports of unauthorized dealers selling used products as new.

We have not audited unauthorized e-tailers or other unauthorized dealers to determine if they meet the high customer service standards our authorized dealers are required to meet. As we generally have no relationship with unauthorized e-tailers, if you experience any difficulty with their service, we may be unable to help you.


H/K

http://www.harmankardon.com/online_retailers.asp

AUTHORIZED ONLINE RETAILERS
Below is a list of online retailers that are authorized to sell our products. We are aware of a number of unauthorized Internet sites selling our products, some of whom even claim to have been authorized by us. We are also aware of unauthorized dealers who take customers' orders, charge their credit cards and yet do not have our merchandise in stock to deliver. Only a select few sites have been authorized, and they can be found here.

If you buy our products from an unauthorized dealer:


* We are not obligated to cover you under our warranty policy.
* We may not be able to help you if you have a problem with the unauthorized dealer.
* You may be buying a counterfeit of one of our products.


Onkyo –

Because Onkyo is committed to providing consumers with high quality, reliable products, we sell our products through a network of authorized dealers. We train Onkyo Authorized Dealers to properly demonstrate, give guidance on proper installation and provide after-sale support for our products. All Authorized Internet Dealers display the Onkyo Authorized Internet Dealer logo on their Websites.

To ensure that you receive the quality products and service that you are entitled to when you purchase Onkyo products, it is important that all your purchases of Onkyo products be made only from Onkyo or an Onkyo authorized dealer. Only products purchased directly from Onkyo or an Onkyo authorized dealer will be covered by Onkyo's warranty!

A number of retailers that sell our products are not Onkyo Authorized Dealers. An unauthorized dealer may offer our products for sale via direct retail sales, mail order or the Internet. The products they sell may be acquired through illegal methods or questionable business practices. The goods may be damaged, defective, used or even counterfeit. Serial numbers may have been removed. Products may not come with proper warranty information, boxes may not include all original contents as packaged by Onkyo, or the goods may not have been designed for use in the U.S. These goods may not be able to be exchanged or returned if there is a problem. These unauthorized dealers can not offer full warranty support and service.

IF YOU PURCHASE AN ONKYO PRODUCT FROM AN UNAUTHORIZED DEALER, YOUR ONKYO WARRANTY WILL NOT BE VALID, so check your source or contact us - we'll gladly direct you to an Onkyo Authorized Dealer! For more information on Onkyo warranties, please click here.

http://www.onkyousa.com/locations_intdealer.cfm

Matt Ranta
Vanns.com
netProfits Affiliate Program
Manager
netprofits@vanns.net