Copied from rec.audio.pro:
Dear Friends,
You may notice several listings for new, unused Neumann mics on Ebay.
You should be aware that authorized Neumann retailers are not allowed
to sell our microphones on Ebay. What does this mean to you?
It means you are making a choice:
1. Any microphone not purchased from an authorized retailer DOES NOT
come with a valid US warranty. In the unlikely event that anything goes
wrong with your microphone, you will have to work with the selling
party, and the mic may have to go back to Germany. By buying from an
authorized US retailer, you have the full support of the retailer and
Neumann|USA, thus an exchange or any warranty service work can be done
quickly and efficiently right here in the US. They gray marketers may
have you believe that they have a direct connection to the factory, or
similar. They do not.
2. If you bypass the US distribution system, you have cut off any means
of product or applications support. The job of Neumann|USA and our
authorized retailers is to support you with information, service and
knowlege. We provide the marketing, service, advertising, trade show
presence, literature, web sites, all at our own expense. By supporting
us, we can support you.
3. Authorized dealerships are a good place to audition our microphones
before purchase. These dealers keep the mics in stock, at their
expense, for this very reason. And Neumann|USA keeps a tremendous stock
of all microphone models to support our dealer network. To support this
availability of products, please purchase from these same dealers.
4. Neumann|USA keeps a full stock of spare parts for all Neumann
models, and has a direct line to the service and parts department in
Berlin. Together, we can service any microphone made back to WWII. Our
techs have been trained in the factory, and we have a staff dedicated
to servicing you, our customer.
5. Neumann|USA keeps meticulous records of which mics were purchased,
when, and by whom. If we need to contact you for any reason (product
update, special offers, etc. we have no way to reach you unless you
have purchased your mics from an authorized retailer. And by the way,
these records are not for sale to any other parties. If you do not
purchase your microphone from an authorized US dealer, we do not have a
record of your microphone.
Please be aware that Neumann|USA takes no issue with idividuals selling
used Neumann mics via auction sites. Please visit their auctions.
We have in the past, and will continue to use legal means to stop any
gray market sellers from using our images, photos, texts or graphics to
sell our products. This is of course to their distaste.
If you have any questions about this issue, please send me an email at
kwinkler@neumannusa.com. For a list of authorized US Neumann retailers,
please visit
http://www.neumannusa.com
--
Karl Winkler
Neumann/USA
860-434-5220
http://www.neumannusa.com
