Re: Grey market imports
- From: "rchiovetti@xxxxxxx" <rchiovetti@xxxxxxx>
- Date: 14 Jan 2006 09:31:39 -0800
moravianus1@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Hi,
>
> there is a warning on Olympus microscopy website -Warranty advisory...
> basically warning against grey imports.
> I am loosing patiency with a local Oly vendor for several reasons. When
> I go to car dealership to spend $20k I get 100x better service.
> I would like at least to investigate how much would my purchase be as a
> "grey import". I have no idea where to turn for info. The situation is
> more complicated by the fact that the order will be coming from a
> governmental scientific entity.
> Comments and insights appreciated.
Are you totally dedicated to Olympus? And are you located in the
United States? It is difficult to advise you on this without knowing a
little more, and there are legalities to consider as well. This is an
internationally read Newsgroup, and I don't think any of us want to get
mired in flaming any particular brand.
In the U.S., especially when government funds are involved, most
institutions and buying groups have contracts with vendors, and those
contracts usually have clauses for "non-performance." This permits you
to not do business with a vendor or a dealer if they aren't holding up
their part of the bargain.
First, contact Olympus directly. I have worked for manufacturers and
for dealers, and I can assure you that most manufacturers want to know
if you're having problems with one of their dealers. You would be
surprised how a little gentle persuasion from the manufacturer can
straighten up a bad dealer situation!
Second, check with your Purchasing Department or your buying group,
explain the situation and ask for their suggestions. If you are
getting lousy service from the dealer, chances are good that others
have similar complaints. Maybe your Purchasing Department can flex
their muscles (and their buying power) to help you.
At the very least, you should be able to use the "nonperformance"
clause to justify the purchase of a microscope from another
manufacturer.
Third, stay away from "gray market" and "bootleg" scopes, especially if
you're using government funding for the purchase. This could cause
some very serious problems not only for you but for whoever signs the
check to buy the scope. In fact, the buyer would probably refuse to
place such an order.
Manufacturers track their microscopes by serial numbers. If the least
little thing goes wrong with the scope and you need service or repairs,
the manufacturer will refuse to honor the warranty if that particular
microscope wasn't sold by an authorized dealer. Your only resource
then is to pay a third-party service group to repair your new
microscope.
If all of this fails, why not simply buy another brand of microscope?
All of the "Big 4" manufacturers (Olympus, Nikon, Zeiss and Leica) make
very good instruments these days.
Another possibility would be to find a reputable seller of good, used
microscopes and to purchase a quality rebuilt/refurbished scope.
Hope some of this is of value.
Cheers and good luck...let us know what happens!
Bob Chiovetti
Robert (Bob) Chiovetti, Ph.D.
The Microscope Works
Tucson, Arizona USA
The Desert Southwest's Microscopy Resource
.
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