Brody, I have to agree with you and was about to respond as well. I live Switzerland and it took me quite a while find a dealer who sells Nevo RCs (Q50 and S70 only) in my country. I have been all over the internet for this. I can find a few dealers that sell pronto's, but Nevo is indeed a rarity. Yes, I have found another dealer in Austria who also seems to offer config services in addition to selling the device. There may be more in the "area", but I have not been able to locate them.

I happen to belong to the DIY type, who enjoys tinkering around and making things work. This is also how I managed to program my RU980, which BTW I was forced to order in the UK since it was near impossible to purchase one in my country at the time.

Pricing is also quite steep. If I understand US pricing correctly, the prices on offer in my country are 50% above those of the US with an S70 costing around USD 1800. Perhaps that makes me a "cheapskate" to be lured by ebay type deals at around USD 650-700. But even if I were prepared to pay a bit more, this difference is hard to swallow.

Have I ordered one on ebay? no, since I would like to know who is on the other side of the fence before I would consider it and I am personally not a big fan of ebay...but I cannot knock it, and I do understand the lure for the ones that go for it.

As you said: the cheapskate will never consider a Nevo nor a pronto...he would go for an off the shelf USD 30-40 remote.

Wrong again, Bozoboy. People who buy a Q50 or S70 on eBay are buying it for a fraction of the price it would be sold by an authorized Nevo Dealer. They don't "think" about warranties, programmming, etc until it's too late. Then they come crying to CI's to bail them out of the mess they are in. Oh, please please, some nice person please help me out!

You're close-minded, judgmental, and just downright unpleasant, and your business probably reflects that. Your rants warrant no further response.

BozoBoy: I don't think that you have time to do anything but be on this forum. Try getting a life and a Job!

is this really how you want to represent your company?  

This should answer your questions: [Link: mynevo.com]

Nevo states that their products are only sold by installers.



Thank you,
Damon
Control Systems Consultant & Programmer

if you still need dealers in Switzerland i can point you in the right direction... cheers.

I also had difficulties finding a good NEVO dealer. NEVO doesn’t have a large base of distributors and the installers I did contact did not respond or appeared not interested in the "small business" of programming a remote.

You get what you pay for. NEVOs on eBay are half the price, but you won’t get any support from the seller. As long as you understand that risk, I don’t understand the problem. Then again, there is no guarantee you will get support from an "authorized NEVO dealer" either. From what I have read and seen, some NEVO installers have gone out of business or are just flaky to say the least. (I.E. The post regarding the installer who wouldnt repair and even kept the customers broken remote). What does it take to be a authorized NEVO dealer? I would guess not much.

I purchased my NEVO Q50 off eBay almost two years ago. I programmed it myself and have had no issues. I like the idea that I can easily reprogram it when I make changes to my system. Sometime I change up the layout just for fun.

I love my NEVO, but their business model sucks for the consumer and installers. It’s funny to see the angry installers like mrhookup. No one told you that you are obligated to "bail" anyone out. It’s CIs like you that helped me decide to buy from eBay. No offense to the professional CIs out there, I know there are many good ones.

There are so many ways to get cheap electronics these days. But, in cases where you are talking about small and fragile high end items with moving parts, you usually get what you pay for. I am trying very hard to not only compete, but to not "piss off" m customers when I give them an estimate for products and services. I usually discount equipment when additional services are purchased as an incentive to the customer. But the everyday customer nowadays is willing to take a chance on warranties, service requests, and other types of things you need to go through an authorized dealer for. You would be surprised at how many people purchase items just to save a couple of bucks through an un-athorized route. In the end it winds up costing them much more.

As a consumer as well, I enjoy the peace of mind when I buy a product and I know that someone other than me will be accountable if it breaks during it's warranty or if I need a repair down the line for any reason. Its almost the differnce between owning an item and renting an item.

To me, Ebay cannot be trusted. There is nothing that protects you outside of a couple of short term clauses. But once you leave good feedback, you better hope that item don't crap out on you. I'm not syaing that everyone on Ebay is crooked, but since they are all human, trying to make money, and basically unknown I won't take my chances.

I agree with most of your points. Like any other professional, a good CI is worth their weight in gold to the customer who wants and expects hands-on service & high-end support.

I do think, however, that installers tend to assume that everyone going through "unauthorized" channels is just being cheap. I respectfully disagree. Some are, of course, but I think the argument ignores two huge factors that drive a great many buyers to eBay or alternate sources:

(1) For many HT enthusiasts, their system is an ongoing DIY project and they actually want to program/tweak/play with the control system.  They do it because it's fun, not because they're trying to save a few bucks.

(2) The Nevo distribution/dealer network is extremely limited and "dynamic," for lack of a better work. (Think "high turnover.")   Too many who look into Nevo and decide it's the perfect remote for their needs quickly discover that there is simply no authorized dealer in their area.  If they really want a Nevo anyway, they don't willingly forego warranty coverage and service because it's cheaper, but because that's the only way to get the remote they want.

Again, I agree that some people are just cheapskates.....(most of them buy Harmonys ).  But it's not accurate or reasonable to presume that all Nevo owners who didn't hire a CI have that motivation.

I don't like to call people cheap - for one, times are hard and everyone is trying to save money. As far as the rich, they are always trying to save money for the most part so status quo there. In any event, the bottom line is that regardless of the reason, there are good decisions and bad decisions. If you go through an unauthorized channel it could bite you in the ass. It's a gamble - a risk. If you want to program the remote yourself that's fine - but can you fix it yourself also? These are questions people need to answer. I don't like Ebay because it has little boundaries. Tax evasion, illegal sales, stolen property, dishonesty, scheming, and other types of actions like such are widespread. I am not talking about the mom and pop stores selling stuff, or the piano teacher who sells sports memorobilia. It takes the human element out of a sale which is important.

Nevo will be coming out with new software fery soon that I think will put them in a much higher class than where they are now. I think as long as they crack down on Ebay and illegal sales they will have a product that will be great for buyers and sellers.

Couldn't agree more about eBay. You really do have to be careful, even cynical, there.....not just as a buyer but as a seller, too. (I got scammed to the tune of $550 on some baseball tickets last year only to discover that it was through a very commonly-exploited loophole that eBay/PayPal are well aware of....live and learn, I guess.)

Not a fan, but I do buy off eBay at times. However, I have only bought new products and I try to purchase mainly from power-sellers with loads of ratings close to 100% positive. I am not after the cheapest deal, rather the one I feel I can trust the most.

As I mentioned above, I live in a country with few authorized dealers (I have located one or two in the meantime). I trust my ability to program the remote control myself. I do not, however, trust that if I buy from one of these dealers that they will be there for me when I need help or have questions with the programing itself...and why would they given that the business model actually looks for this being provided as a service (i.e. chargeable).

If I needed someone to program the remote for me, then I wouldn't be buying a remote control, rather I would be buying a solution...and for this I would need a long term relationship with a custom installer since I periodically add and/or replace equipment that would necessitate re-programing. But that only really works when you have someone close to your home with the appropriate capabilities (...and you can afford it).

What's left really is the warranty issue in case of a technical problem. That is an issue, no doubt. For me, however, it is the only real issue as this is the only "support" I require.

So, the question becomes: should these remote controls only be reserved for the ones lucky enough to have a CI close by and with the required funds to procure programing/periodic re-programing services? Or is there a place for the DIY types who actually only want the device and potentially require a warranty claim to be taken care of should the remote break down within the warranty period...

This is why I can understand why some people buy these remotes off eBay. If all they are after is the remote itself, and they have the ability to program the device itself...then why not? Many of these people would not necessarily purchase the remote otherwise since the price point may not work for them. But does this really kill the CI market?

Having said that, I did not buy my TV, Surround system etc. on eBay, nor over the internet. Why? For the simple reason that I wanted to be able to talk to someone, get advice, listen to the equipment etc. I was willing to pay premium for that experience...but I am not sure I really need that for a remote control...

Asked and answered a million times. If you knew in advance what you might likely know after buying on eBay and having a problem, would most end-users buy again from eBay? Maybe that is the question and the answer can only be answered by those who have had problems.

Of course, the answers here may not be truly representative. Forums like this tend to only get a certain type of buyer who might take the time to respond.

If you don't mind not getting a warranty and then if it breaks and you suddenly find that UEI(Nevo) will not talk to you and will only talk to your dealer than I guess you would not buy again on eBay.

If it breaks you are basically out of luck. No warranty, no dealer to carry your flag forward to get a replacement, etc. No dealer to ask questions of, etc.

I replace Nevo's during the warranty for free with new product. That is what you get when you buy from a dealer who cares and knows the system. An eBay seller doesn't likely care and will not do anything for you.

Not every manufacturer is willing to work with the end user. Nevo is one of them who does not want to talk to the end-user. You must have a dealer do the leg work for you.

So, if you feel lucky, take the chance. If you prefer to have a more professional relationship and know you are covered, find a good Nevo dealer and pay the extra to do business with them. It is worth it in the longer run.

DD
RemoteQuest.com
Expert Nevo reseller

I think you're still missing the point, Dave. Everything you said about the risks of eBay purchases is true...these risks are widely-known and nobody has disputed that these are big drawbacks to buying that way, AFAIK.

But you continue to completely ignore the fact that "Find a good Nevo dealer..." is simply not an option for many people......finding any kind of Nevo dealer just isn't possible in many areas.