Yamaha Electronics Corporation is taking a strong stand to stop the sales of its products through unauthorized channels of distribution. As a result, the company has terminated its business relationship with several dealers having more than one violation and sent written legal warnings to a number of first-time offenders identified during recent purchases from unauthorized Internet stores.
"We are doing everything in our power to identify violators and terminate business relationships with dealers whose actions threaten Yamahas hard-earned reputation among consumers and our relationships with legitimate authorized dealers, says a Yamaha spokesperson. Yamaha stands by its authorized products and dealers 100 percent, and we want to ensure that our customers retain the full benefit of that promise."
The distribution of products through unauthorized dealers presents several serious problems for consumers and the trade. When serial numbers are tampered with or removed from products in an effort to elude detection, the products are often damaged as a result. More seriously, products purchased from unauthorized dealers are not covered by Yamahas written warranty, whether or not the original serial numbers have been tampered with or removed. This means consumers buying from unauthorized Internet sellers will not receive the benefits of Yamahas written warranty.
To aid in the crackdown on this illegal activity, Yamaha has recently instituted a sophisticated product branding system that allows the company to identify the original consignee of any product after it leaves a Yamaha warehouse. The new system is impervious to the common practices of changing or damaging serial numbers, or falsifying documents to cover up unlawful distribution practices.
