I found this dialogue with an Ebay seller quite interesting. Here is the item:
[Link: tinyurl.com]

In his description is this quote:
"1 year parts & labor when purchased from an authorized dealer"

So I asked him if he was an authorized dealer. His reply was "no I am not".
So I asked this: "The reason I asked is because you mention this remote is covered under warranty for one year when purchased from an authorized dealer. So do you provide a 1 year warranty?"

This is the reply I received: "the remote is brand new, the box is sealed, i got the warranty registration card with it, once filled and send to the manufacturer, it should be warranty covered. "

Now I have no intention of buying this remote on Ebay. In fact, I just purchased an 850 from BlueDo. Since BlueDo is an authorized dealer I know I will get a 1 year warranty. This forum has been such a great source of information I felt it was necessary for me to support an authorized dealer.

So my question is, would the buyer of this remote really get the 1 year warranty? Or would it be invalid due to the fact that it was purchased from an unauthorized dealer.

Although you would have the warranty registration card, you would have no proof of purchase from an authorized dealer. A valid proof of purchase is required to get work done under warranty.

Warranty registration card? No URC remote that I have programmed (700, 850, 900, 950, or 3000) has these in the box. Proof of purchase via a receipt is all that is needed. I suspect his warranty registration card would be as bogus as his warranty he is claiming to be valid on the product itself.

They would call it a gift. End of story.

It appears I was accused of letting the cat out of the bag by letting people know that URC remotes can be had cheaper on Ebay. And sayng this should of been posted in the Custom Installers lounge instead.
Well, the reason I posted here was to let Jeff Wagner and Eric Johnson know about this listing. I'm sure they read the other forum as well. But I posted here anyway.
Oh, and the last time I checked anyone can read the CI pages.

Bookaroni you let nothing out of the bag. Ebay always sets the TRUE price of an item. Manufacturer suggested retail price is not retail price. No one on ebay is selling the remote for a loss so if I can get a brand new sealed MX 950 for $379 Shipping included that tells me that $379 is the price that lets this seller make a small profit and still give me a good deal.

EBay is the best place to get a good deal on URC products. I purchased my MX 700 2 years a ago and its been perfect. The ebay seller I purchased from has good feedback claims to be a authorized dealer offering 3 years free exchange and has always answered my question and even helping me in programming.

The cats have been out of the bag for a while. The only people getting upset are those that want to sell it you for hundreds more hiding behind accusations that every ebay seller is selling stolen goods and scaring you about buying without warranty.

I believe there is a forum at this site for Custom installers and I'm not sure why installers feel as though they need to post outside of that forum. For those interested BUY HERE!!

[Link: cgi.ebay.com]

Ask for free shipping and enjoy your remote it’s a great product. Took me a while to get the hang of it when I first received the MX 700 2 years ago but programmed it like a pro when I just got the MX 950.

Phoenix,

I can't blame you for wanting to find the best deal when shopping for something expensive like an MX-950. And as a CI, I don't have a problem with consumers buying from eBay or where ever. It's going to happen because the majority of the buying public are bargain shoppers. But let me guarantee you this - Dougtheaterman is not selling URC product through authorized channels. I'm not saying that he is going into other stores and shop-lifting these remotes, but however he comes across them, he is not authorized to sell them on eBay. My point is this, he is a DISHONEST person making a dishonest buck, and it is at the expense of those of us who have put in the time, effort and money to become authorized retailers. My beef is with guys like him, not you.

Imagine someone acquired the skills you have without going to school or getting any kind of certification. Now they are offering the same services as you but at half the price because of much less overhead. Would you blame people for going to him because he's cheaper? How could you? But would you be upset with him because he is not practicing medicine legally and therefore taking business from you because of his miraculously low prices? Of course. And that's exactly what's happening here with guys like Dougtheaterman.

And that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Sean.

Phoenix, Imagine ten years in the future a manufacturer of professional, high end radiological or imaging equipment introduces a new unit that sells for $400. It can only be sold to end users by trained radiologists (such as yourself) at your medical facility and you make, let's just a 45% profit. Of course you have to order, stock, inventory, pay sales tax etc, as well as pay higher insurance premiums for this new service. All the end user has to do is take that new device home, "image" their trouble area with the new handheld device and the images are then reviewed by you over the internet for a fee. You invest in the inventory, buy the manufacturer's software hire people who specifically do this job, and follow the manufacturer's suggested resale price so other guys like you who invest similarly will have the same opportunity to maintain their ROI (do you know what that means?). You make a profit on the device and the online review. Great business model right? It will take less than year for some online hack to get his hands on the product from some unscrupulous distributor (or the manfacturer may undercut you just for higher sales). He'll claim to offer the same unit for less than you pay for it (think about your investment you've already made), and he'll offer the consultations cheaper than you, say $30 to your $200. Common business sense says he cannot offer the same service for the same price and stay in business. You'll lose business & your investment, risking your financial security just becasue some unauthorized scumbag wants to broom mass amounts of product thru a warehouse for a %10 margin, not giving a hoot about whether or not the client's needs are serviced. I hope this doesn't happen to you but that's what us A/V dealers are up against. Just because you can buy something below actual price on ebay doesn't mean that's the new defacto value of the product. People go to ebay looking for deals knowing there is some risk, we're all aware of the countless scams that exist. There will always be cheapskates like you who don't care about the risks, they just want it cheap. Then you'll go on forums like this, ask for free help from everyone who's spent years working with product like this etc. Your past posts have revealed your true makeup. We have clients that hire us for labor only also because they want the best price. but the times are countless where bad product arrives, and since they're paying T&M, they spend more paying us to put stuff up, take it down, and put it back up again. If they had purchased from us the labor would have been less but more often then not there would have been no product issues. So all that said, good luck to you and may the evil spawn internet resellers never curse you, but may you admit it when it does occur. one last thing, I doubt you own the radiology clinic you work for, otherwise you would never have posted such idiotic comments on my original thread. Any business owner who his invests his life into their service could never say what you've said. try striking out on your own and see how important everything becomes.

Proud provider of anything electronic

Well said.

Phoenix, you are an idiot. Don't spew crap out of your mouth when you have no idea what you're talking about. "True Price", give me a break. That true price is below my costs, not counting lighting, water, rent, gas for vehicles, insurance, and the countless other things you haven't even considered thinking about.

I'm going to go down a different road than some of the others have tried to open your eyes with. In ten years after all the sleazeballs have decided to sell unauthorized equipment on Ebay, all the high-end stores have to close because everybody decides to buy solely on pricing (while not considering if it's stolen, b-stock, whatever). Without the support of professionals who made their companies, the manufacturers are now relying on people like you to tell them how to improve their equipment. Well you just go on your local internet chat room like RC here to ask the questions so you can tell the manufacturers what to do, only to find that no one is here except more idiots like yourself (because all the pros had to go on to other careers). Manufacturers then have no real information to go on so their products get worse and worse. You can't integrate your fancy new remote with your fancy new equipment because their were no pros to beta test the products.

Sounds like a great f'ing future all thanks to the "True Price".

amen brother diesel!

I just worked on "professionals" home, I upped my labor rates 25% as well as all my product prices..I still feel like I under charged him. He was thinking he was all that trying to tell me how to do my job and such, so I offered him my tool belt to attemp to install it himself...of course he declined as My job to him was to complicated...must have been as he hired me to install it all

he asked about a universal remote and I sugessted an RTI, he said he would think about it...about 15 minutes later he returned to the room stating he was just on ebay and was looking at a URC MX3000 and asked my opinion, I explained its a great remote and I have done a few but dont sell them much more due to the internet pricing and price cutting on other sites. he said he would look at them again and let me know.....well he bought one and asked if I could program it for him when it came in...I said sure, asked what he paid for it, then added enough to make it MSRP pricing and my regular programming rate and came up with about 900 to program it...he was floored and asked why so much, I couldnt explain why...since they dont explain their pricing with us just charge us way to much...So my new policy is if your a "professional" (doctor, radiologist, dentist, surgeon and so forth) you get my "Professional Pricing" added 25% for your crap attitude, your smart ass remarks, your non discounts to everyone else...If your going to make money on us...Well damn it..I'm going to make some back from you

Ever notice that "professionals" seem to ask more often than others for discounts??
almost every doctor I have worked for has asked for a discount seversal times during the time Im there...

Better yet, if you have had surgery you'll know what I'm talking about. Ever get your bill with the total amount, then get your insurance bill and see the adjusted amount.

I had two stainless steel staples put in my thumb to repair tendon damage. Hospital charged my $900 a piece (half the size of an ordinary staple), insurance company had an adjusted rate of................................wait for it.................................$75 each.

First off if you can pass all the exams I have to do what I do and spend the number of years I did than you deserve what I make and you deserve the opportunity to undercut my costs. But you cannot compare health care to custom installation of Audio / Video. I'm not putting your profession down. I am an audio /video enthusiast. I also do not expect anything free from anyone. When I ask for advice on this forum I'm asking for advice from all those who participate. If the installers feel I am stealing advice from them please don't answer. As far as my asking for discrete codes for the denon 3806 that was for the MX 700 I upgraded from.

Doug may not be an authorized dealer (I DONT CARE). He is a stand up guy who offers a fair price and stands behind his product. If my remote fails for 3 years he will replace it. Call it what you want Fair price or True price. Bottom line is I work hard for my money and other work hard for their money and we have the right to buy from whomever we want. Restricting product sales by a select few is price fixing. Let the market decide what is a fair price.

As far as selling medical equipment at reduced prices. You cannot the FDA regulates medical equipment and there are strict guidelines into their sale and placement. For instance I had to get CTAB (approving body) approval for installation of my MRI machine which costs 1.5 million.


I respect many hard working and honest dealers here but some are unscrupulous and do not deserve my business. I have many friends I have referred to Doug for the MX 950. Your business works by referrals. If you piss off people like me you will lose lots of business. It doesn't matter you spent 100K on a showroom if you cannot be honest and fair you won't get referrals from me.

Diesel I won't stoop to your child like level by calling people idiots. I do not know you and really don't care what you say. I want a good deal if you can't provide it because or your water bill then I won't buy from you.

You guys are on the money! Those jerk offs have been stealing from us for years and you're right, they're the first to ask for discounts. good luck getting my doctor to cut me a break. I had a pet vet ask me about internet pricing and why my prices were so much higher. I asked him why I shouldn'y buy my dog's heartworm drugs from petmeds.com (of course I already knew the answer). He started railing "Those are all expired meds, that's the only way they can sell sell so cheap!" he was pissed I even brought it up.