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I was looking to upgrade the speakers in my boat. Started with Polk because I have them in my home, outdoors and liked the sound. After looking at polk I went to infinity's web sight which I also considered using. One of the sight's offer on there web sight was Sonic Electronix, Inc. After going to there web sight I ended up purchasing Polk Audio ( 2-sets of DB6501, DB1040DVC and Sub cover. Had a problem with one of the DB6501 crossovers ( Bad screw ) and called them.
Because I didn't purchase them from a authorized seller the warranty is void. After hearing that the following series of e-mails went back and fourth withe polks customer servise manager. What a joke of a manager.
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You know Eric, I now know what a authorized and non authorized seller list is. This will help with any future online purchases from manufactures. But if I was in your position which I am, I would of taken the time to determine if this was a longtime customer that made a error without knowing it and offer a one-time courtesy warranty for a $10.00 part and make Polk Audio look good, But you decided to loose a customer.
Wow
On Thu, Nov 10, 2011 at 1:21 PM, Wong, Eric wrote:
Understood, but if you look in the fine print below, it states If you purchase a Infinity product on the internet, through mail order, or from any other source not authorized to sell our products, we cannot guarantee its authenticity, quality or performance. In addition we will be unable to honor the warranty of any product you buy from these retailers." Thus Infinity has a similar policy when it comes to buying from an authorized dealer as we and other manufacturers do.
While Sonic electronix may be an authorized retailer for Infinity, they are not for us. Thus anything purchased from them does not carry a warranty.
Eric Wong
Polk Audio Customer Service/Technical Support
[protected]
-----Original Message-----
To: Wong, Eric
Subject: RE: HOME: Customer Service
That's there Home speaker link, Try this one for car speakers.
http://www.infinitysystems.com/car/where_to_buy/default.aspx?Language=ENG&Country=US&Region=USA
On Thu, Nov 10, 2011 at 1:04 PM, Wong, Eric wrote:
Dear Sir,
While I cannot speak for Infinity nor Harman, speaker manufactures have similar policies on buying from unauthorized dealers. I'd invite you to take a look at this page from their website: http://www.infinitysystems.com/home/where_to_buy/default.aspx?Language=ENG&Region=USA&Country=US
They have an authorized dealers list just like we do and I quote:
"There are a number of unauthorized Internet sites selling our products, some of whom falsely claim to have been authorized by us. There are also unauthorized dealers who take customers' orders, charge their credit cards, but do not have our merchandise in stock to deliver. Only a select number of sites have been authorized; below is a list of online retailers authorized to sell our products. If you make a purchase from a dealer we've not authorized:
We are not obligated to cover your purchase under our warranty. We may not be able to help you if you have a problem with the unauthorized dealer. You may be purchasing a counterfeit of one of our products."
Eric Wong
Polk Audio Customer Service/Technical Support
[protected]
To: Wong, Eric
Subject: RE: HOME: Customer Service
Dear Mr. Wong,
As you know I did take your advice and checked Infinity web sight and found that Sonic Electronix was a authorized dealer ( You can check yourself if you like ) for Infinity. For your customer service person to say you have had problems with Sonic Electronix in the pass leaves me to believe that you were honoring there warranties in the pass. If they had to go through that I did now & about five years ago with a speaker cover that keep falling off and your customer service person said I put it on wrong, I feel sorry for them. I did call and they will take care of Polk Audio quality issue. It seems they have been having problems with your product also. Please note I plan on telling my story on a few forum's on the unfortunate choice I made buying polk with instead of Infinity. Yes I also have Infinity Speakers and like them just as well.
PS, I will purchase from Sonic Electronix again but it will not be Polk!
On Thu, Nov 10, 2011 at 11:29 AM, Wong, Eric wrote:
Hello Howard, Thanks for writing to us and we certainly appreciate your past business. Be very careful with sellers, especially internet sellers, it's extremely important to make sure whomever you are buying it from is an authorized dealer. We are not the only manufacturer who has a policy such as this, I invite you to check with other manufacturers as well and you'll see this is an industry wide practice.
The reason is, the authorized dealers have spent a considerable amount of time and effort to become authorized dealers. They must pass certain quality checks by us, have the product knowledge and service capabilities to carry, present and sell our items the best. These unauthorized dealers get the merchandise from unknown and unauthorized means, thus undercutting the legit dealers. Not only that, we do not know where these "gray market" items come from, they could be B-stock, used, stolen or even cloned.
We do have an authorized and unauthorized list. They can be found here:
Authorized: http://www.polkaudio.com/dealerlocator/online.php
Unauthorized: http://www.polkaudio.com/dealerlocator/unauthorized-dealers.php
Regards,
Eric Wong
Polk Audio Customer Service/Technical Support
[protected]
To: Jasper, Kim
Subject: HOME: Customer Service
*********Started here*********
COMMENT:
I just spook with a lady in your customer service department and found out
you will not honor the warranty brcause of where I purchase the Speakers from.
I never heard of a unauthorized sellers list.
The Speakers are new and have the registration papers with serial# numbers.
The serial number should tell you where they came from.
I looked at some of your authorized sellers and none had everything I
needed and offered a package.
I have Polk Home, Bike, Outdoor & Boat Speakers and talked my friend into
buying them and we all like them very much.
But if Polk Audio plans on telling me where to shop, I think its time for
me and my friends to change Brands.
PS: Don't buy Polk Audio, Better off with Infinity Speakers because they stand behind there product.
I totally agree. These companies don't mind making the money off selling their products to these so called "grey market" dealers and thus will continue to do so. They pull the old "NO WARRANTY" crap to try and keep from pissing off their main big dealers and make them think the manufacture isn't the ones selling the merchandise to the "grey market" dealers.. They actually want us to believe that someone is stealing thousands of their products off the shipping dock and selling them without their approval OR a company as big as Sonic Electronix is purchasing mass amounts of counterfeit products and selling them at or slightly below what "Authorized" dealers are selling them for. Most of these companies set a minimum advertised price for their "authorized" dealers to go by. This means in order to keep their "authorized" status, they can't advertise a price lower than what the manufacture allows. The manufacture does this to keep the "presumed value" of their products higher, making people think the products are worth more. Apple is a good example of this practice and it's the reason why apple products are so high. The discount sellers don't follow the rules and sell lower, thus not keeping or receiving a status as an "authorized" dealer. This dilutes the products value and the manufacture punishes the consumer who KEEPS THEM IN BUSINESS by neglecting to stand behind the products that they sold...instead of refusing to sell to the internet vendors and strictly selling to their authorized dealers. Kinda like wanting your cake, and eating it too!