Bought 11HT direct from Japan, will Sony cover it?

Gus · Nov 30, 2001

I saved a bundle by buying direct from Japan from "The E-Bay Guy". I just had a wicked thought. If something happens to this projector and I wind up with egg on my face, the wife will execute me for certain.

Will Sony stand by their product?

If not, can I buy coverage?

From who?

Please help me, this is BIG!

Gus

ghibliss · Nov 30, 2001

Your projector is considered "Gray Market" goods as it was purchased outside of the U.S.A.. As a result you in effect have no warranty domestically to cover repairs to the product should they become necessary. Worst case you will need to send it back to Japan for repair! Expensive for shipping but certainly better than biting the bullett for a costly repair.

noah katz · Nov 30, 2001

" Worst case you will need to send it back to

Japan for repair! Expensive for shipping but certainly better than biting the bullett for a costly repair."

Are you saying that it will be covered by warranty if serviced in Japan?

I might be going to Japan next year and get a pj there.

Thanks

greggz · Nov 30, 2001

Hi Gus,

I actually asked the guy that very question. Here is the answer straight from the horse's mouth...

"The projector comes with 3-year warranty. This is a world market item, you can contact SONY USA for any problem after you purchase it. At the worst situation, we have an office in Japan to support our customers so you will not have issues dealing with SONY Japan."

So I think the answer to your question is, yes, your projector has a warranty that Sony will honor, but there is a chance you may have to pay to ship it to Japan to get them to do so.

I found a company in North Carolina selling the 11HT for $500 more than the ebay guy WITH a US warranty and bought the projector from them. About 2 days after I purchased my projector, they raised the price to $6,499, and then the following week raised it again to $6,799. Yikes! As of today, though, they have lowered the price back down to $6,200. I guess this projector is priced like the "catch of the day".

Also of note, I hear Sony is cutting the warranty on their projectors. Any projector purchased after today (Nov 30th) now carries a 2 year warranty, not a 3 year warranty.

smchan · Nov 30, 2001

Mind if I ask who the NC guy is that sells the 11 HT? Is it www.soadv.com?

Thanks,

Sam

greggz · Nov 30, 2001

Hi Sam

Thats the one.

Gus · Nov 30, 2001

Actually, I talked to the SC guy also before I bought. His prices were out of my range. I paid $5500 and HE PAID FOR SHIPPING!.

The SC guy wanted $6500 PLUS SHIPPING!.

When I told the SC guy that someone on E-bay (actually there are two dealers on E-bay, one in Ca., one in Hong Kong), he started laughing and told me that I'd NEVER get the 11HT for $5500 so it must be a scam.

Gus

Gus · Nov 30, 2001

Since Sony has not released the 11HT into the US yet, I asume everybody that lives in the US and has an 11HT is in the same boat. Regardless of what the seller may have said. The guy in NC must be buying direct and then re-selling, right?, how does that make him different from the California guy I bought mine from?

Gus

smchan · Nov 30, 2001

Quote:

Originally posted by Gus
Since Sony has not released the 11HT into the US yet

Really? Is this true? The California/Japan guy on ebay said it couldn't be sold online in the US until next year but didn't say anything about it not being available in the US. I'm curious to know if all 11HTs are not "official" US models.

Sam

greggz · Nov 30, 2001

Hi Gus,

That's funny because RKMedia (the ebay guy) told me that HE was the only one actually delivering the 11HT, casting doubt that I would get it from the folks in NC (Southern Advantage).

To me personally, to know the item definitely had a US warranty was important. I live 20 minutes from the Sony US service center for projectors here in GA. If I ever had a problem with my projector, I wanted the peace of mind in knowing that I could drive over there and talk to somebody.

I also considered it a plus that Southern Advantage was in good standing with the Better Business Bureau. Being rather risk-adverse, I wanted all the assurances I could get before I sent $6,000 into the great unknown.

I don't mean to cast any doubt on RKMedia. Everyone I have recently talked to that has ordered from them has promptly received their projector and been very happy. But, at the time I was buying my projector I couldn't find anyone who had successfully purchased from RKMedia. When I bought my projector, there were 3 people on ebay who had won auctions from RKMedia and two of them had backed out of the auctions with cold feet and the 3rd had just complete the auction 2 days prior and obviously hadn't received it yet (he has since emailed me to confirm delivery and satisfaction).

I guess what we really need to do is wait for someone who purchased from RKMedia to have their projector break and see what Sony does. THAT is the $500 question.

smchan · Nov 30, 2001

It *is* a $500 question, isn't it?

Charlotte is a 2-3 drive from my residence, and if the projector has a US warranty, I think I'd prefer to spend a few extra bucks as well.

Sam

greggz · Nov 30, 2001

I'm pretty sure that the Sony 11HT was released in the US in either September or October. One of the Sony dealers here in Atlanta has had them for more than a month (at full price).

A lot of Sony dealers who are still sitting on a bunch of 10HT's havent taken the plunge and ordered the 11HT until they clear that inventory, but I'm pretty sure its released.

Gus · Nov 30, 2001

Greg,

What Ray from RKMedia said to me was that he was the only dealer ON EBAY that had SUCCESSFULLY sold and delivered an 11HT. I asked the Hong Kong guy, Mr. Leung if this was true and he agreed that he had only sold 10HT through ebay, but that it would be just as easy to ship me an 11HT. The NC guy is not an EBAY dealer ( Or wasn't when I was looking)

I asked my local Tweeter dealership back in late October, and he said the 11HT had not yet been released in the US. ( I never questioned it, he said it would probably be Nov or Dec release)

Overall, I'm very happy with my transaction with RKMedia, he shipped it promptly and emailed me a tracking number. I had it in less than a week.

The only doubt i have is the coverage issue. And as I understand it ( and I've been know to be wrong quite frequently!), The NC guy is selling by the same method as RKMedia, meaning that if one is not covered, then neither is the other.

Gus

prof_oklitus · Dec 1, 2001

For what its worth, I've just received info. from my friend who lives in Hong Kong on the price of a 11HT. The selling price is 42,000 HK Dollars, which amounts to approx. 5420 USD.

noah katz · Dec 1, 2001

~$4K in Japan

mah10 · Dec 1, 2001

where would i find an 11ht for ~4k in japan? Do i have to go through the ebay guy?

Gus · Dec 1, 2001

The E-bay guy will buy it for around $4k, but he will sell it to you for a profit. By the way, I was looking around on ebay last night and there are more 11HT dealers out now.

-Greg,

You must be right, it must have been released in the US by now.

However, I was poking around the Sony site last night and I couldn't find anything on the 11HT ( not even the 10HT) what gives?

Gus

greggz · Dec 1, 2001

Hi Gus,

If you look hard enough, and I do mean hard enough, you will eventually find the 10HT on the Sony site.

http://bpgprod.sel.sony.com/bpcnav/a...ubcat.BPC.html

It seems that Sony puts a lot of effort into designing these projectors but then falls flat on its face when it comes to marketing them. I guess in all honesty, they are a low volume product. What do you figure they sell, a couple thousand a year at most?

You also mentioned a couple post back about talking to the folks at Tweeters. On a lark, I called them yesterday and asked about the 11HT. They didn't have any in stock but were taking orders for them. I'm guessing they wouldn't be taking orders for them if they weren't available in the US yet.

From what I can tell, the whole distribution of the 11HT is a real mess. People you would expect to have them (i.e. Medical Video Systems) cant get them. And other people have no problem.

noah katz · Dec 1, 2001

@123Y/$,

$4023 here

http://www.disk-group.com/products_l...ojector_9.html

$3984 here

http://www.hot-stage.com/cyumon_all.htm

$3984 here

http://www.cafecom.jp/f_projector.htm

From what I can tell from obscure product descriptions at the U.S. Customs web site, duties would be 5% if you buy there and bring it back

Gus · Dec 1, 2001

Hi Greg,

Actually, the Tweeter guy is the one that interested me in the 11HT. I went to Tweeter in Nashua NH, and they had a 10HT on display. They had it on what seemed like a 90" screen playing The Iron Giant, and I fell in love with it. Later that week I went to Tweeter in Salem NH ( closer to home) and I asked about the 10HT. The guy there told me I should be looking at the 11HT and told me that it had not yet been released in the US ( this was in later August) and he offered to take my order anyway, promising a date of late November. I also went to a local electronics dealer in town ( Malcoelectronics.com) for my cables and he offered to sell me an 11HT for a discounted price, but he said it would be early Dec. at the earliest, citing the release date as the reason for the delay. I agree with you that it was probably released already, but it looks like there is A LOT of confusion everywhere on that.

By the way, I picked up a 25 foot long component video cable at Malco electronics for $34. I thought that price was incredible!

Gus

greggz · Dec 1, 2001

Hi Gus,

I know those places. Went to BU and used to date a girl from Londonderry, NH.

That is a great price on a component cable of that length. I bough all of my cables (4 video cables @ 5 meters each and one .5 meter digital coax cable) from bettercables.com. It was something like $630.

smchan · Dec 1, 2001

Speaking of ebay, I got this just yesterday from a "popular" 10HT seller out of Hong Kong.

"I will sell 11HT on ebay soon. The price is $5189.00 + 125.00 shipping fee I could help you the check the projector against dead pixels."

Sam

Bought 11HT direct from Japan, will Sony cover it?

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