HELP Electrocompaniet stole Christmas


What a mess:
After finally deciding that spending money on the latest EMC-1 parts mod, I contacted Electrocompaniet's distributor back in October to arrange to bring my EMC-1 MkII to him directly in PA so as to avoid RT shipping risks and expense for this 50 pounder. All was set for a Christmas week mod, as I was to be in NJ visiting my relatives that last week.
I called on Christmas eve to arrange a drop-off time, and was told that Christmas Day noon would be fine, but that I had to arrange the deal through a dealer! Yikes! So I remembered Fathers & Sons and called them, arranging for the paperwork and profit to be credited through/to them. Fine. So I drove 2 hours through a nasty winter storm to arrive at Warshaw's house, where he said he'd NOT perform the mod if my EMC-1 didn't have a serial number on it, as there was a grey-market guy in New York who sold a few of these this year. I assured him that mine indeed had a serial number, was produced in spring '01, and bought used by me in summer '01. He said OK, and lugged the player into his house, saying he'd call me in a couple of days to pick it up. Great!..............
I returned to NJ and watched the storm intensify....
Two days later I called to arrange a pick-up hour, and Alan told me that he did NOT perform the mod because the player had been originally sold by a Danish dealer, and NOT through him, so he had made a decision to NOT support any players not originally sold thorough him. No warranty repars, parts, nor mods!..............
I was stunned, couldn't convince him to make an exception since he had never asked me to provide a serial number beforehand, and I went through a total of a half-day of driving through a storm to accomplish this mod.
He just told me to come pick it up at my convenience. I glumly arrived on Saturday and retrieved my untouched puppy, where Alan said that unfortunately I had to share the victimization of the gray-market. I asked if I should contact a Danish dealer to see if a board-swap could be done (of course thinking he didn't really know the answer), but he thought that Electrocompaniet wouldn't support my player either! I asked with some incredulity what was going to happen with all the players that people have when they move from one country to another (!), but he said that this policy was the only way they have of penalyzing the gray market.... I suggested that in THIS CASE he should have installed the mod because of his lack of due diligence in assessing the production/sales history of this particular CDP, ESPECIALLY given my enormous effort in delivering it to his doorstep on Christmas Day.... I left sadly but gracefully.
WHAT SHOULD I DO? I contacted the Danish dealer but he's not responded. Should I contact Electrocompaniet directly and try to arrange a board swap or purchase the parts mod "kit" and instakllation directions (I'm pretty familiar with boards and soldering)? Should Alan have acted differently? Isn't the world getting small enough so that internationally-sold products should have protected lives independent of sales point?
PLEASE HELP!
A Happy and safe New Year to all!
Ernie
subaruguru
Swamp...but how are you going to do that? Ask for a serial number and then send it to BOTH a local distributor AND manufacturer and ask them if they'll support it in the US?
Pretty tiresome, and maybe necessary, but certainly not a model for desired consumer behavior in the 21st century global market, eh?
Didn't notice that the thead was temporarily closed if it was, but I'm glad it's not now - that would be as irresponsible at this stage as what the distributor did. Fingers still crossed...
Ernie - I have been following your frustrating ordeal in this thread (and Audioasylum) closely as I too, have what is considered a "grey market" unit. I bought it used, knowing there was no warranty, but unware that there also was no serial #. I was dismayed to learn through your trials, that the upgrade would not be possible. I am very happy that EC has contacted you and you will hopefully get the upgrade parts. You have exhibited class and patience despite the frustrations and I only hope those of us who also have an "untouchable' EMC-1 will be able to obtain the upgrade kit and continue to enjoy this most euphonic CD player. Cam

Whatever the reason the thread was temporarily closed, thanks to Audiogon for opening it again. Good move. I am sure that we are all pulling for Ernie, but this issue has become bigger than one fellow's bad luck and one distributor's poor judgment. The company itself needs to step forward and take a position, as appears may be happening at last.