There has been a lot of debates over the years about the Pro’s and Con’s of Parallel Imported goods, in this blog I will try to explain as much as possible about buying Parallel Import Vs buying NZ New.
Lets start by looking it from the distributors point of view
When a distributor receives goods off an importer as NZ New they have already been through the quality control process ensuring they are up to the NZ Standards, and there for are guaranteed for repair in NZ.
Also this means the distributor can have a more hands on approach when it comes to warranty repairs, as it is a lot easier to track progress on a repair in your own country compared having an item repaired off-shore. Making the warranty progress a lot less painful for the consumer.
Buying Parallel Imported car audio to save money?
I have heard a lot of people say they buy car audio Parallel Imported because it is cheaper, but is it really that much cheaper?
In some case’s it can be cheaper but usually not by much, I myself in the past have fallen into this and brought a head-unit because it was $30 cheaper and later on paid for this mistake.
After six months of using it there was a fault (Cd mech stopped working) only to find out the company that Parallel Imported it had stopped trading leaving my self with a head-unit that was as good as a paper weight. Unfortunately this happens a lot more than most people think and if they paid that little bit more they would of saved a lot more in the long run!
And in some cases NZ companies can match of even do the same unit at a slightly better price.
Buying NZ New
When you buy NZ New, you are not only supporting NZ business but also its economy too. You will also find that most of the time the company/person you are buying off will be willing to help you set up your new product and will have a wealth of experience/knowledge in doing so.
What don’t you get if you buy Parallel Imported?
Official local importers usually won’t support goods bought from a Parallel Importer. Manufacturers may view Parallel Imported goods as second-hand and not entitled to the factory warranty.
Local agents say paying the extra price of an official distributor, buys backup support and a warranty. They can also negotiate a deal, and teach people how to use their new purchase. They say customers can’t expect rock-bottom prices as well as excellent service
Most second-hand Japanese cars are parallel imports. When a recall’s announced, the local branch isn’t responsible for repairing vehicles it didn’t import.
We’ve heard claims that Parallel Imported items were supplied with Japanese manuals or plugs that were incompatible.
Your rights
You have the same legal rights whether you are buying Parallel Imports or goods that have come through the official distributor.
The Consumer Guarantees Act covers goods bought for personal use, but doesn’t cover business equipment. It says that if goods have a substantial fault – they don’t work, they are dangerous or they aren’t the goods advertised – then you get a replacement, a repair or a refund. The Act also says repairs must be completed in a reasonable time.
Business equipment is covered by the Sale of Goods Act. If the goods are faulty you may be entitled to a refund, compensation for loss, and damages for losses caused by the fault.
Parallel Imports may need to be sent overseas for repair. It’s probably realistic to expect this to take longer than it would if the problem was solved by the local agent. Retailers can choose to do the repairs themselves, but the work must be done to a high standard.
If faulty goods can’t be repaired, either because the local agent won’t touch them or the cost of repairs is greater than the value of the item, then you are entitled to a replacement or your money back – the choice is yours.
We at ABTEC do not Parallel Import & do provide NZ New products that come with a full Manufacturers Warranty.
Note also as the official importer/distributor of Digital Designs (DD Audio) we know how important it is to have your product backed by the distributor.