How much savings needed to be to buy your dive computer from a non-authorized dealer?

[wanna-scuba]

Suunto D4i sells for $725 from authorized dealers, $465 (42% savings) from non authorized dealers (with good merchant ratings) via Amazon.

Paying on my AMEX also provides me some purchase protection.

Thoughts?

 

[ScubaSteve]

Have at it. This is your decision to make and only your decision. What some stranger on the internet believes should have no bearing on your decision.

 

[wanna-scuba]

First of all, when I have a close decision, even a stranger's advice is worth something. But moreover, I am looking for specific experience from people to evaluate the likelihood of 1) The watch failing; 2) Suunto supporting it; 3)Whether a grey market D4i is more likely to fail than an authorized D4i.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Some retailers who sell gray-market Suunto computers offer their own warranty that may be just as good as Suunto's (that is, repair or replace).

 

[ScubaSteve]

First of all, when I have a close decision, even a stranger's advice is worth something. But moreover, I am looking for specific experience from people to evaluate the likelihood of 1) The watch failing; 2) Suunto supporting it; 3)Whether a grey market D4i is more likely to fail than an authorized D4i.

I saw none of this in your original post. Now you will get more answers . The units themselves are more than likely the same however it is unlikely that Suunto would support them. I doubt they would be anymore or less likely to fail.....IMO anyway.

 

[letterboy]

I say buy two, that way if one breaks you got a second for 16% more then buying just one from the manufacturer...


oh FYI - I have 2 Zeagle computers, one from authorized, one from unauthorized.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

It depends on the failure mode.

If it experiences infant mortality, between the CC and Amazon, you are fairly well covered.
If there is a manufacturer recall, they pretty much have to cover you due to liability issues.
If you flood it after you change a battery, they will probably tell you tough luck regardless of the dealer.

Your remaining exposure is mostly if it fails down the road (say between 30 days old and the one year warranty), then to some extent you are at the mercy of the manufacturer.
I consider the chances of this in the neighborhood of 1%, so for a 42% savings its a no brainer.
If you do buy off Amazon, I would definitely use it a couple of times ASAP so if there is an issue, you can address it in a timely manner. Reporting 6 months down the line that it failed on your 1st dive won't cut it.

 

[muzikbiz22]

It depends on the failure mode.
If there is a manufacturer recall, they pretty much have to cover you due to liability issues.

Not if the item was purchased through a Non Authorized Reseller. Example - If you purchase an "XYZ" from a dealer who is not an Authorized Dealer for "XYZ", there is no obligation on the manufacturers part to Fix/Repair/Service under Warranty. They still usually get taken care of though, out of good faith. With Greay Market and Counterfeit issues, lots of manufactures have really tightened up, which I applaud. And no I do not work for a manufacturer in the Scuba Industry. A good price does not often equate to a good deal. VALUE, VALUE, VALUE !! People "jumping over dollars to save pennies", get burnt all too often. Someone on an above post mentioned "getting an in house warranty" if you purchase something from a Non-Authorized Dealer. Yeah, good luck with that one, in getting parts.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Not if the item was purchased through a Non Authorized Reseller. Example - If you purchase an "XYZ" from a dealer who is not an Authorized Dealer for "XYZ", there is no obligation on the manufacturers part to Fix/Repair/Service under Warranty. They still usually get taken care of though, out of good faith. With Greay Market and Counterfeit issues, lots of manufactures have really tightened up, which I applaud. And no I do not work for a manufacturer in the Scuba Industry. A good price does not often equate to a good deal. VALUE, VALUE, VALUE !! People "jumping over dollars to save pennies", get burnt all too often. Someone on an above post mentioned "getting an in house warranty" if you purchase something from a Non-Authorized Dealer. Yeah, good luck with that one, in getting parts.

I said "Manufacturer Recall", definition=a request by the manufacturer of a defective product to return the product (as for replacement or repair)

When a manufacturer issues one of these, they are publicly admitting they shipped a defective product to many customers, most likely involving safety issues. Legally they have put themselves between a hard place and a rock if they subsequently refuse to correct the problem they just admitted to, regardless of the dealer or even purchased (gasp!) second hand.

For normal repairs, its different, they can refuse. Also, keep in mind the OP was not talking about pennies, he was talking about $100's of dollars.

 

[redacted]

Not if the item was purchased through a Non Authorized Reseller. Example - If you purchase an "XYZ" from a dealer who is not an Authorized Dealer for "XYZ", there is no obligation on the manufacturers part to Fix/Repair/Service under Warranty. They still usually get taken care of though, out of good faith. With Greay Market and Counterfeit issues, lots of manufactures have really tightened up, which I applaud. And no I do not work for a manufacturer in the Scuba Industry. A good price does not often equate to a good deal. VALUE, VALUE, VALUE !! People "jumping over dollars to save pennies", get burnt all too often. Someone on an above post mentioned "getting an in house warranty" if you purchase something from a Non-Authorized Dealer. Yeah, good luck with that one, in getting parts.

Actually, in most cases there is an obligation. It just is not to the guy who bought it 2nd hand. Unless the mfgr is shipping directly to unauthorized dealers, the obligation is to the last authorized owner. As long as the warranted gear goes back through them, the warranty should be good.