The seller in question has been selling Benz cartridges (and now a few others as well) for years. I have always wondered where he gets these cartridges, as they are all apparently new? Yet, the factory(s) consistently deny any connection to him, BUT he seems to have unlimited supplies??? IMO, something does NOT pass the smell test here!
As everyone with purchase experience has been saying, these are quite clearly Benz cartridges made by Benz. From my own examples, they sure seem like A-stock with straight cantilevers, excellent sound, and great L/R channel balance. Haven't gotten a low-rider or lost a cantilever yet. If something seemed even slightly suspect, I'd have said so.
It's also pretty clear they're very much gray market goods. We can only guess as to the mechanisms at play here. Cartridges DON'T have to content with regional voltages or shipping challenges. But they DO have the same old import markup structure (+40-60% distributor, and again +40- 60% dealer). These make the gray-market's risk vs. reward proposition much more enticing than usual.
There is NO implied warranty or guarantee of restitution. From my perspective, the huge price differential covers that. Does that make you nervous? Don't buy it. Installing the Benz (no stylus guard at all, ridiculously powerful magnets that will easily grab any ferrrous tools) should make you more nervous than that anyways 😅
