Quote Originally Posted by emaidel
I'd suggest a good deal of caution when looking for a "deal" on the Marantz SA-8003 (or many another piece of gear). Most retailers offering very low prices on the 8003 aren't authorized Marantz dealers, and you'd be in for a real nightmare should the unit ever require servicing. Marantz will either flatly refuse to service the unit at all, or will charge you an arm and a leg to perform any needed repairs.

Marantz, and others, are deeply commited to supporting their dealer network, and are quite selective in choosing just who does, and does not, sell their products. Non-authorized dealers obtain the merchandise from other authorized dealers, and then resell the items at discounted prices just to take business away from others. This is a longstanding "dirty trick" used by retailers in the audio industry, and is referred to as "trans-shipping."

Marantz routinely checks for non-authorized sales of its products and does everything in its power to stop them. Ultimately, without such an effort on Marantz' part (or others), prices would erode, initially offering consumers better "deals," but ultimately, at the cost of resepectable retailers dropping the line and leaving the consumer holding the bag when it comes time for service.

Be careful.
Thanks for the info! I always wondered how non-authorized dealers got their paws on high end products... the sad part is to realize that 'carefully selected' authorized dealers are the ones who willingly supply the shady internet dealers...