new polk speaker without serial number

dd_notorious

hello......I have a question...
I have spend a tons of money purchasing a set of polk speaker (rti6, csi5, fx3) online...I got them (still not connected waiting for the av receiver) and really looks like new speaker BUT, none of them has the polk audio serial number sticker, the speaker has the mark on it, it seems to be like some one take it off before shipping...
Do you know the reason fo this ?
are these original polk speaker ?

Im really warried about this situation.........please enlight me.

thanks !!

shack

Similar topic from another thread:

Typically authorized retailers will buy large quantities (greater than what they can sell) to take advantage of volume discounts and then dump their overstock out the back door to whoever will buy it. The buyers of the overstock have no contractual agreements to sell at or near the MSRP since they are not dealing with the Mfgr. It is the GREY market and most of the unauthorized net sellers operate this way. Many of the mfgs. try to find out who the dumpers are by tracking the serial numbers. This is why many online products will have the original serial #s removed and/or changed.

It means you have no warranty from Polk. I hope your e-tailer will stand behind them if something goes wrong.

dd_notorious

Sorry shack, im new............nevertheless THANKS !! for your msg
speaker looks and smell like new, hope nothing goes wrong with them....lets pray........

nadams

Where did you purchase them from?

sbpolk

Was this an ebay seller? There is one on there always selling NIB stuff, and have tempted to buy from him before. Would be good to know if he is selling them without serial numbers!

McCelery

Even with serial numbers, Polk reserves the right to only service products bought from authorized dealers. A company like Polk would probably help you in most situations, though, I'm guessing. I bought some grey market R15s on Ebay a month ago and they have the serial numbers on them. I wasn't worried because it was a small purchase.

Jer_ry

There is a major polk ebay seller called acousticsounddesign the prices are good but they clearly state no warranty through polk. They have a 90 day warranty and claim they will repair it after that but who knows. I was going to buy from them untill i saw that. What would be the reason to have brand new polk speakers but have the serials taken off? Why would one take them off and not just leave them on?

dkg999

Yep, bought a set of FXi5's through that eBay seller. Serial# stickers peeled off. They are getting the overstock from an authorized seller. You are going to get a good price, but no warranty from them or Polk. Make sure you know how they will handle shipping damage prior to ordering. Lots of manufactuers turn a blind eye to the grey market because it keeps product volumes up, and increases margin due to no warranty costs. I went through an issue with Panamax with a grey market seller who claimed they were an authorized seller, and they unit was drop shipped from a Panamax warehouse. The Iowa Atty General was not impressed!

mwaarna

dkg999 wrote:

Yep, bought a set of FXi5's through that eBay seller. Serial# stickers peeled off. They are getting the overstock from an authorized seller. You are going to get a good price, but no warranty from them or Polk. Make sure you know how they will handle shipping damage prior to ordering. Lots of manufactuers turn a blind eye to the grey market because it keeps product volumes up, and increases margin due to no warranty costs. I went through an issue with Panamax with a grey market seller who claimed they were an authorized seller, and they unit was drop shipped from a Panamax warehouse. The Iowa Atty General was not impressed!

I am looking to buy LSI 15's off that seller off ebay. They state on their website that they will honor the manufacturers warranty them selves.

http://www.acousticsounddesign.com/company/aboutUs.cfm

dkg999 are you happy with their service, shipping etc..?

beardog03

I have a new pair of 9`s, one of which has no sticker..

I didn`t think anything of it, as it works flawlessly..

any problems I may encounter later on down the road, I will deal with at that time...
Not much to go wrong though, and parts can`t be that expensive........I hope

pblanc

I have purchased speakers from acousticsounddesign and had no problems. I have not had any warranty issues, but I have not heard a bad word said about their service.

SuperDave

it all depends on what you want

polktiger

Is anyone ever worried that these products are fakes? That is one of my concerns with ebay. I have gotten some really good deals on building supply type things (sinks, hinges, cabinet hardware), and I can't find any real brand on them, and they all clearly come from China. I suspect they are likely copies of name brand items.

Has this entered the electronics market? I know better than to buy a $50 Rolex, but how about $300 for $800 speakers from a high volume dealer on ebay?

danger boy

I guess if the high volume dealers sell on Ebay.. they usually state they are a authorized dealer. OF course not all do. I guess there is also those sellers who sell "gray market" items too. usually they have slight defects... so they can't be sold as new and in perfect condition. most of these are usually ok to purchase.. but you have to know and keep in mind they may have defects such as scratches or the seams may be slightly off.. ie: not perfect.

Monster Jam

I got a grey market Velodyne SPL1200 Series II sub about two years ago from the internet. Brand spankin new. Only when I got to where the serial number was did I realize that something wasn't quite right. After registering, a Velodyne rep called me back informing me what I already suspected - they wouldn't honor the warranty.

But my speaker has performed flawlessly, looks and sounds great beyond the manufacturers warranty. That puts me in the same boat as the legitamate purchases and I got to save a little coin.

Would I do it again? Hell no!