RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

[AErcen]

This is not a spam, nor is it generated by BOTS.. If you frequent other boating and electronics websites, you may see the same or a similar thread. It is I, AERCEN who is so disgusted with the entire process who is posting it this information on as many boards as I can. i am doing i the hard way...One by one and have no problem to answer questions from those disbelieveing.

I realize the sentiment when a new user or someone with a few posts to their credit comes in and starts blasting away at one manufacturer or another. Sometimes without any basis. I realize maybe my post will be viewed as such.

I will however take my chances and hopefully alert others as well as have the satisfaction of knowing that I did not sit back and take it on the chin and did something about a company who have decided my business perhaps yours is not that important to them.

I won't bore you with the entire details. Suffice it to say, if you are buying RAYMARINE products on line, it is now up to YOU to go to the RAYMARINE website to get yourself familiar with WHO their authorized dealers are!!

At the time I bought my E-120, DSM300 Depth Sounder, ST6001 Auto Pilot, there was no such reference. Even if there was how was a customer to know that?
Everything I bought was NEW, not refurbished, in sealed boxes..

Today I learned RAYMARINE will not honor the warranty in spite of the fact I used their website to properly register each and every component like THEY suggested. If there was an issue THEY could have told me from day one that the items are NOT covered.
Instead they made me provide them with a proof of purchase and register all the items I just bought..I went my merry way thinking I was properly registered and my electronics were all under warranty!
I THOUGHT WRONG!!

Fast forward few months, today they do NOT honor the warranty! I now must pay over $1100.00 to repair the back lighting on the display that went bad. The unit does not display ANYTHING!!

Things do break. I understand that. What I don't understand is a manufacturer like RAYMARINE turning their backs on a customer who have spent THOUSAND$ with them.

Beware who you buy your electronics from, and WHAT electronics you buy.

Lest you think I am one of their competitors or a RAYMARINE dealer who is trying to downgrade online shopping because I have a brick and mortar business...think again. I am neither.

Feel free to contact me for the details of my sordid story if you like.

Aytac Ercen
DOVER, FL



I plan on posting this or a similar post regarding RAYMARINE's warranty policies, and the rude folks manning their phones as many places I can.

 

[HONKER1]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

Thanks for the heads up. Can't say I won't buy their product, but will go in with both eyes open, ask alot of questions, and no purchases from a salesman that saids "TRUST ME".

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

Did you purchase the products from them? Many warranties are only for the original owner. As far as authorized dealers, yea I've heard of that, it's quite common. If their disclaimer clearly states that, then you are just out of luck.

Buying from an unauthorized dealer is like buying from ebay. They won't honor anything when it's bought second hand.

If its in a disclaimer, it is up to you, the consumer, to read and understand the warranty. I'm sorry you went through this but its actually very common.

In fact, being that it was you who messed up and bought something from an unauthorized dealer and expected them to honor the warranty, if I was Ray Marine I would have a lawsuit for you for slander. Be careful what you are doing. It's stepping on soft soil around a lawsuit.

 

[John_S]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

Not sure about marine electronics, but it has been that way with many audio electronics for years. Companies like Denon try to protect their authorized and factory trained dealers, from gray market sellers. Not saying it is right, especially for buyers that wouldn't even think to check. I would check on any expensive item, to be sure, especially if you are buying from a low-price seller. Authorized dealers usually agree to not sell or advertise below a certain price.

 

[AErcen]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

HONKER1,

I like their products, just a heads up warning NOT TO BUY any RAYMARINE PRODUCTS, unless you are buying them from one of their Authorized On Line Dealers. They have that list on their website.
Learn from my mistakes.



WATERINTHEFUEL,

There was no way for me to know if the dealer I bought The E-120, DMS300, ST6001 was an authorized dealer or not. I don't believe they had such a list then. They do now.
My experiences with them is based on fact. If anything I am recommending others don't do what I did. Do not buy any Raymarine products on line UNLESS they are one of their authorized on line dealers. There are not that many of them..Seven or eight total.

I am still troubled with the fact that the unit failed so shortly after purchase. That is more troubling than anything else right now.



imported_John_S,

Same is true in high end cameras. Nikon, Cannon, Hasselblad, Leica always had GRAY market products sold here. Sometimes at the same authorized dealers like B&H, and many other big brick and mortars. They tell you up front that those cameras do NOT have factory warranty. You know it going in. No surprises there. My unit was not GRAY market. It was US version.I didn't even concern myself that the person selling it was not a dealer. As long as I was buying a brand new sealed unit, I was happy. No reason to think the warranty would not be extended to me. Raymarine is not saying that. They are saying there is no warranty period if it was bought on EBAY.

Live and learn, Some manufacturers are more generous with their warranty and how they go about looking for ways to cover the item while other look for ways to exclude it.

I have bought a lot of brand new items on EBay. Cameras, Play Stations. XBox360 etc. They are all sealed boxes and you become the second owner. There is never a question from Microsoft, Sony, Nikon or Cannon if you bought it direct from an authorized dealer or an individual.
Question does come up if it was registered or if it was used.

Like I said...Oh well!

 

[dingbat]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

Garmin has the same policy.

Procedure for Claims Under Non-Aviation and Aviation Limited Warranties

To obtain warranty service, an original or copy of the sales receipt from the original retailer is required. Online auction confirmations are not accepted for warranty verification, and Garmin will not replace missing components from any package purchased through an online auction. Garmin retains the exclusive right to either repair or replace the unit with a "newly-overhauled" (NOH) unit or new unit at its sole discretion. The same policy shall apply to software.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

moral of the story, online-- buyer beware. buy from a known source. preferable Iboats Marine Store. the store does not carry all brands, but a wide varity.

 

[John_S]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

If this was purchased from a person off ebay or anywhere, but was new and sealed, I would not have expected a warrantee. If from an ebay store, then they share in the responsibility of explaining the warratee. What was in their ad? Did they indicate there was a warrantee? If so, have you contacted them about the issue? You might have other recourse if the auction indicated a warrantee. and have they updated their current auctions? Maybe you would want to warn people about who you purchased from.

 

[dingbat]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

I went through all this when I was in the market for a Garmin 4208. Some of the e-bay stores are dealers and say that they will supply a receipt for the warranty. Others imply that the unit comes with a warranty but upon reading the offer you?ll notice that the ?warranty? has to be purchased through a 3rd party (E-bay)

In the end I ended up purchasing my unit from a large local supplier that price matches. I took them the best price I could find on the net and they matched it.

 

[orion25]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

In fact, being that it was you who messed up and bought something from an unauthorized dealer and expected them to honor the warranty, if I was Ray Marine I would have a lawsuit for you for slander. Be careful what you are doing. It's stepping on soft soil around a lawsuit.

Actually it would be Libel (Written or broadcast through the media) and not slander (Spoken). Either way there is no chance it would stick. By definition Slander or libel have to be "an untruthful statement that damages reputation or standing in the community". As far as I can tell the OP did not post anything untruthful. He is basically warning everyone to make sure they buy from an authorized dealer.............

 

[tommays]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

I would have to put blame On RAYMARINE for failing to sue US companys who are selling there product illegally

loreal vs quality king

Then again it may be legal to sell the products MY wife works at Quality King which is a huge distributor and while Loreal does not want them selling there products it has been found legal


Tommays

 

[orion25]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

I would have to put blame On RAYMARINE for failing to sue US companys who are selling there product illegally

loreal vs quality king

Then again it may be legal to sell the products MY wife works at Quality King which is a huge distributor and while Loreal does not want them selling there products it has been found legal


Tommays

They can sue the dealers if they want but they will not win. Retailers can sell anything if they can find a distributor for it. This happens a lot in the Golf industry. Mass retailers sell Titelist Pro V1 golf balls on occasion but they are not authorized retailers of the items. Same goes for some high end beauty products. Raymarine cannot prevent selling by unauthorized retailers but they can deny warrantys and stop supplying distributors that sell to unauthorized dealers.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

Actually it would be Libel (Written or broadcast through the media) and not slander (Spoken). Either way there is no chance it would stick. By definition Slander or libel have to be "an untruthful statement that damages reputation or standing in the community". As far as I can tell the OP did not post anything untruthful. He is basically warning everyone to make sure they buy from an authorized dealer.............

Yes, it is untruthful. Read everything he wrote.

What I don't understand is a manufacturer like RAYMARINE turning their backs on a customer who have spent THOUSAND$ with them.

They did not turn their backs on a customer. They are simply following policy. That is an untruthful statement, and the fact that he is seeking out such a broad scope of people to say that to can easily be said to damage their standing in the community. That could EASILY stick in court. The fact that they have it in writing, what they are doing.....he'd be up a creek without a paddle.

Had he said nothing more than be careful when buying Raymarine electronics as they only honor warranties from authorized dealers, both brick and mortar and online, that would be truthful. But that's NOT all he said.

And slander can be proven, if he said this to one person....its slander. Considering how hot under the collar he is, I bet proving that wouldn't be hard.

 

[tommays]

Re: RAYMARINE WARRANTY....Beware

If you look at there dealer list(THERE are 40 within 30 minutes of my house) which includes the BIG BOX MARINE stores it is a silly policy as i am sure the 19 year old selling it is qualifed




Tommays