Sony HVL-58am Amazon and Grey Imports

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geoffbillett
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Sony HVL-58am Amazon and Grey Imports

Unread post by geoffbillett »

I do not know whether double posting across forums is frowned upon but I feel strongly enough to post this across relevant forums as a warning to potential purchasers and to ask for some feedback whether my position is reasonable and my requests of Amazon legitimate. Thank you for bearing with me :

I purchased the excellent Sony 58am flash from Amazon Uk via their Market place trader scheme approx 1 week ago. Cheap price ( £269 ) - made me wonder but in absence of disclaimer regarding grey imports I imagined it was liquidation stocks or something similar. Flash turned out be for the American market with no warranty for repair valid in UK. No indication of this on the advertising blurb. I complained to Sony who offered to re-imburse me but continued to adertise the same product at approximately the same price. I emailed again asking that the sale specifically stated that the warranty was for the USA market or they withdrew the goods. Of course I have heard nothing back and the goods continue to be advertised approx £100 below the normal price with no disclaimer that I can find on that page.

Issues ;

1. Amazon is a worl wide giant with huge selling powers across world markets. They should be an advocate of transparant and best selling practice.

2. Amazon appear to be offering grey imports by proxy, supporting little known companies to provide goodswithout the agreement of major manufacturers who would not condone these arrangements

3.The practice is undoubtedly legal but morally sucks and does not provide potential purchasers with clear and transparent informed choices about these goods.

4.When this flash is 'googled' the Amazon market Trader ( under the Amazon banner ) price appears at the top of the list; how can Amazon justify they have no relationship with this trader other than just to 'fulfill' the order when they are clearly paying Google to promote their goods in the prime position?
5. How many more 'grey imports' does Amazon 'supply' without disclaimers?

Any views? Any suggestions as to how to explore this further?
David Kilpatrick
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Re: Sony HVL-58am Amazon and Grey Imports

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

Amazon marketplace is like eBay - they have relatively little control, anyone can sign up and sell goods. I assume you mean you complained to Amazon, not to Sony. Google shopping searches show the cheapest item as highest rated, and therefore will always tend to show grey imports first. You can usually change the search order to remove the cheapest first option.

But you may be successful in getting Amazon to force the trader to give an accurate description.

David
geoffbillett
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Re: Sony HVL-58am Amazon and Grey Imports

Unread post by geoffbillett »

Thank you for your reply David. Yes I meant Amazon and not Sony.

I posted a similar thread on DP Review and only 4 people or so have read it and none have responded. I will write to local Trading Standards asking them to clarify what other action I can take. I have left a Review for the seller on the Amazon website indicating it is a grey import and that comment has not as yet been removed. I have left a Review on the item itself on Amazon, awarding a high mark for the flash but commenting negatively upon Amazon's trading practices but this needs to be 'processed' and will take 48 hours to appear ( or not ) as a review of the product. My guess is that Amazon will pull my Review.

I will probably keep the flash as the price is cheap and I take the risk of it going wrong without a Warranty to repair it. Amazon have no responsibility under the Sale of Goods Act ( my contract is with the little known vendor ) so I am pretty disadvantaged should it go wrong. Amazon are offering a 3 year additional guarantee for an extra £50 or so, which defeats the whole exercise of buying cheaply. The point is that I probably would not have bought it had I categorically known at the point of purchase it was a grey import. We are all looking for the big bargain.

On another note ( and entirely off topic ) I have seen some of your musical performances on utube and note your musical influences, one of which happens to be a Mr Richard Thompson OBE. You must be catching his latest band tour at some point and I am due to see him in Bristol next Saturday. I do miss some of his previous intuitive songwriting prowess but am very glad he is still touring and am still moved to tears at the purity and intensity of some of his art. Also saw Robin Williamson, Carthy family and Dick Gaughan in last 6 weeks. All of whom are sadly ageing. Enjoy these artists whilst we can. Lastly I have a friend who plays a Davey Graham signature Martin who often stays at Kelso for holidays. On his next visit where can he catch some of the local music and be made welcome?
David Kilpatrick
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Re: Sony HVL-58am Amazon and Grey Imports

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

Your friend can catch us in Kelso any Friday, all year, two venues (open mic 7.30-10, pub folk session 9-1am) - www.kelsofolk.co.uk - DG signature Martins very welcome.

Of course the same Amazon situation exists with instruments and it's only the massive cost of air shipping big fragile stuff which keeps the business in the UK. Fifteen years ago I regularly only bought in the USA and the difference was great that one guitar paid for a week's road trip through six states to collect it and fly it back. Now, of course, they won't let you fly it back free the way they did then. Camera gear can at least be popped into your hand baggage.

David
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UrsaMajor
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Re: Sony HVL-58am Amazon and Grey Imports

Unread post by UrsaMajor »

David Kilpatrick wrote:Your friend can catch us in Kelso any Friday, all year, two venues (open mic 7.30-10, pub folk session 9-1am) - http://www.kelsofolk.co.uk - DG signature Martins very welcome.
My apologies for drifting even farther Off Topic, but since it's obvious that several people - including David - like music very much, I'll do so anyway.

The link below is to a YouTube video of a recent performance of Toto's classic tune Rosanna by the same amateur choral group from Slovenia that did an a capella rendition of Toto's Africa that has had 10 million views on YouTube . Although you may not believe it when you hear what this group does with nothing more than their voices, this is also an a capella version of a rock tune - done with no instruments. Among other things, look for their vocal rendition of the "guitar solo" that starts at about 3:10. As usual, clicking at the bottom right of the window will switch the image to full screen.

The link is at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i_72aI46Vo

If you enjoy this and are curious about what they did to Africa to get 10 million hits, the link to that video is below. The recording is very, very soft for the first 80-90 seconds, so you will need to boost the volume setting quite high or you may think there is no sound. (You may also wonder what is happening at the beginning, but be patient and all will be revealed shortly.) :wink:

The link is at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjbpwlqp5Qw


With best wishes,
- Tom -
David Kilpatrick
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Re: Sony HVL-58am Amazon and Grey Imports

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

Thanks for that link! Facebooked.

David
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UrsaMajor
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Re: Sony HVL-58am Amazon and Grey Imports

Unread post by UrsaMajor »

David Kilpatrick wrote:Thanks for that link! Facebooked.
I'm pleased that you enjoyed it.

FWIW, they have a web site at http://www.perpetuumjazzile.si/en/ and the "Music" tab will pop up a page with links to YouTube videos of additional songs.

Personally, although I enjoy the performances just for the music, I am most impressed by two things.

First - These are amateurs who are performing just for the love of music.

Second - I am impressed by the imagination and innovation in some of their performances. For example, one of the YouTube videos that you can reach from their web site is a medley of Renaissance-era Slovenian church music with Michael Jackson's "Will You Be There?" Reading that description, I would think that this combination could not possibly work, but my opinion changed drastically after watching the video.

With best wishes,
- Tom -
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