beware customer service optoma

[admin]

Not all companies have factories here in oz and the issue is not Aust. manufactures selling OS and not supporting it's products and that's also got nothing to do with Optoma servicing their products.
The days of having the rights to distibute something exclusively are over. We live in a global ecconomy now and every company needs to support their products on a global stage. So if a tick is required for a product then you manufacture to that spec if it meets all requirements in other markets.

Leroy

They generally do support them on a global stage. If you purchase them through the correct channels that is. Lets look at a basic grey import sceanario.

Lets say you can buy a camera for $1000 in Australia through Nikon's dealer network. The Australian Nikon dealer network pays $600 for each camera to Nikon.

Nikon sell the camera for $200 in a third world country.Mr Middleman contacts Nikon's dealer in third world country and buys their stock in bulk for $140 per single camera unit and ships it to Australia. He then offers the camera for sale for $220.

This is cheaper than what the Nikon dealers pays for it wholesale. To add insult to injury, the Australian Nikon dealer then has Mr Middleman's customers ring him wanting them to conduct free warranty and repair on units he has nothing to do with.

So according to what you have suggested Leroy, I could go and buy a Vu Duo off ebay and if anything goes wrong with it I can just send it to you for reapir and warranty because you also sell them ? After all , thats what's happening in this thread scenario.

[hughdman]

Leroy different countries have different requirements, ie safety requirements mainly.

This item has stuff all to do with Optoma Australia.

If your scenario would be the case, Australian retailers would all go under. The premium you pay is generally for peace of mind if something fails,

We all know items are cheaper overseas.

[LeroyPatrol]

So according to what you have suggested Leroy, I could go and buy a Vu Duo off ebay and if anything goes wrong with it I can just send it to you for reapir and warranty because you also sell them ? After all , thats what's happening in this thread scenario.

No it's up to the manufacturer to have something in place like agents as opposed to distributors and resellers where they are guided and paid by the manufacturer for the repair.

Leroy

[LeroyPatrol]

Leroy different countries have different requirements, ie safety requirements mainly.

This item has stuff all to do with Optoma Australia.

If your scenario would be the case, Australian retailers would all go under. The premium you pay is generally for peace of mind if something fails,

We all know items are cheaper overseas.

I think you've missed my point. Manufacturers need to build a global product and I'm sure in this day and age that products electically would meet world standards.
With globalisation we have to be competitive on a world scale and some Aust retailers will go under. People are prepared to take the gamble and buy OS but as mentioned manufactures need to have agents and not exclusive geographic distibutors to support their products.

Leroy

[hughdman]

No it's up to the manufacturer to have something in place like agents as opposed to distributors and resellers where they are guided and paid by the manufacturer for the repair.

Leroy

But the agents salary in Australia would be much higher than that of China, so the costs would be higher for the product in Australia.

How is it fair that the customers money went to the USA but now the store in AuS has to repair it. (not related to this incident)

If you go to ultratune to fix your car, and it fails, would you go to a different store and get them to repair it, these stores are individually owned. I also guarantee the owner would say to go back to the original store.

This isn't new, it always has been to take it back to where you bought the item.

[hughdman]

I think you've missed my point. Manufacturers need to build a global product and I'm sure in this day and age that products electically would meet world standards.
With globalisation we have to be competitive on a world scale and some Aust retailers will go under. People are prepared to take the gamble and buy OS but as mentioned manufactures need to have agents and not exclusive geographic distibutors to support their products.

Leroy

I can't see Indonesian/Asian people paying 2000 $aud for a moped, I can't see them paying $10,000 for a car.

I also can't see people supplying tinted windows over here for $50 as this is what it cost in india.

We are all individual, ie the majority of balinese live on a $1 a day, how many australians can do it.

We can't talk global,when it comes to these items, Iwant my motorbike to have Australian compliance not hong kong phooey compliance. I know that buying overseas has risks,you get what you pay for, but whyshould I expect someone else to take up the slack, I can't have my cake and eat it to.

[LeroyPatrol]

Optoma is an American company. What's China got to do with servicing?

I don't think you understand how an agent works. It represents the manufacturer and of course the manufacturer pays for the repairs and time etc for the agent.

Edit: On a side note I do get asked for support for receivers that I didn't sell but I still help them with firmware and even supplied card readers to some Octagon owners. I figure they may come back and buy a receiver some day as well.

Leroy

[hughdman]

Optoma is an American company. What's China got to do with servicing?

I don't think you understand how an agent works. It represents the manufacturer and of course the manufacturer pays for the repairs and time etc for the agent.

Edit: On a side note I do get asked for support for receivers that I didn't sell but I still help them with firmware and even supplied card readers to some Octagon owners. I figure they may come back and buy a receiver some day as well.

Leroy

I know how an agent works but an Australian agent doesn't cover the products sold in America.

[fandtm666]

There are less and less companies who now have what is classed as a full international warranty.as mentioned already this is because of people buying products from overseas and then attempting to get warranty in their own country.

if you bought a unit from overseas they are more than happy to full fill their warranty obligation in the country it was bought from.

for instance i am looking at a new sounder now this unit is worth $3200 in auss but $2100 in the usa , now i have spoken to them and i am covered by warranty BUT ALL REPAIRS ARE DONE IN THE USA so i will have to send it there and pay for return postage.
so they have international warranty but the repairs are done in the country of purchase and is something i can live with considering the savings i will be making.

So instead of complaining you should have looked and asked about their international warranty and restrictions.

i would just send it to them get it sorted then have them ship it to a postal forwarding company to get it home.

You saved money buying it so you can use some of those savings sending it back for repairs.

[LeroyPatrol]

I know how an agent works but an Australian agent doesn't cover the products sold in America.

Like I've mentioned.....you've missed the point. I'll make it simple and call them "international manufacturing product service agents covering products purchased from anywhere in the world and backed by the manufacture and will cover all costs by the agent including labor" stops.

Anyway we'll agree to disagree on how one thinks products should be supported.

Leroy

[hughdman]

I haven't missed the point, You've dreamt up an idea where people can buy overseas and get it covered over here. It doesn't happen and nor it should.

You then say manufacturers need to build a global product, that would meet world standards, last time i checked there wasn't anything called world standards.

I would love for your concept/dream to work as, in this world we will all get bargains and we

[hughdman]

can just expect the local guy to fix it.

I could then buy my cheap taiwanese fender then complain and tell them to repair it so it sounds like a USA Fender. Its still Fender.

[admin]

There are less and less companies who now have what is classed as a full international warranty.as mentioned already this is because of people buying products from overseas and then attempting to get warranty in their own country.

if you bought a unit from overseas they are more than happy to full fill their warranty obligation in the country it was bought from.

for instance i am looking at a new sounder now this unit is worth $3200 in auss but $2100 in the usa , now i have spoken to them and i am covered by warranty BUT ALL REPAIRS ARE DONE IN THE USA so i will have to send it there and pay for return postage.
so they have international warranty but the repairs are done in the country of purchase and is something i can live with considering the savings i will be making.

So instead of complaining you should have looked and asked about their international warranty and restrictions.

i would just send it to them get it sorted then have them ship it to a postal forwarding company to get it home.

You saved money buying it so you can use some of those savings sending it back for repairs.

That pretty much covers it. Like in the BST forum here , Buyer Beware !

[LeroyPatrol]

can just expect the local guy to fix it.

I could then buy my cheap taiwanese fender then complain and tell them to repair it so it sounds like a USA Fender. Its still Fender.

Now you want your cloned product repaired by a genuine authorised dealer??? You want it all ways.

Leroy

[weirdo]

Yep , it happens a lot. And what it comes down to is if the person selling you the item cant perform warranty and service, you should think twice about buying.

All sounds good in theory but usually you don't find these type of things out until it becomes time to claim.

[mandc]

I think what Leroy means is what HP has.

"Products purchased in one country/region may be transferred to another country/region, where HP or its authorized service providers offer warranty service for the same product model number, without voiding the warranty. Warranty terms, service availability, and service response times may vary from country/region to country/region. Standard warranty service response times are subject to change due to local parts availability.

Products that are sold exclusively in a particular country or region will not be honored outside the country of original purchase. The customer must return the product to the country of original purchase for warranty repairs or buy a service agreement in the country to which the product has been transferred."

Now that is a decent warranty which I feel should be more widely available in this global environment. Obviously only a limited number of companies could do this but Optoma sounds like it could (should). The local service agent would not be out of pocket as they would be re-imbursed by the main manufacturer of the product

[ShaK]

1. it was not cheaper it was about the same price as buying it local here, about $1400,

Well why didn't you just buy local and buy Australian model in the first place ??