ELK PRODUCTS - Retal Distributor - Reseller

"Beware of the Gray Market"

The "Gray Market" is where a product is sold by a company not authorized by the manufacturer to do so. Here are some of the problems with purchasing from a Gray Market seller:

• Many manufacturers will not honor the warranty of Gray Market goods. (Proof-of-purchase must be supplied for warranty repair. The name on the receipt must be that of an authorized reseller.)

• The equipment is, by definition, of unknown origin. You have no way of knowing if it's new, and no manufacturer's assurance that it will function correctly.

• Even if the seller of the Gray Market goods assures you that they will honor the warranty, they may not be able to. The manufacturer may find and plug the leak, thereby depriving the Gray market reseller of replacement parts.

• Gray market resellers often do not stock much, if any, of the goods. They simply wait for orders then procure the goods through their back-door channels. This usually results in a "3 to 5 day" delay before shipping.

• Gray market resellers often discourage direct telephone calls. Beware of websites that allow only on-line ordering and provide no phone number.

• Due to the "unauthorized" nature of their business, Gray market operators often do not last long.

• Lastly, what does it say about the moral and ethical character of a person or company when they make a conscious decision to:
   

  • make money by knowingly causing others to violate their distribution agreements,

  • by operating against the wishes of manufacturers,

  • and by hiding the "Gray" nature of the products from customers?

How do you tell a Gray Market seller? Even if a reseller states in writing (or on a web page) that they are an authorized reseller for a manufacturer, they may not be. Of course this is outright fraud, and should disqualify a reseller from consideration. One way to find out for sure is to check with the manufacturer or the manufacturer's website.

AlarmSuperStore.com is proud to be a reseller (Retail Distributor) of ELK PRODUCTS. You can see our listing on ELK's web site, under New Jersey.