What are the pros and cons of buying from Authorized retailers. You may have seen the phrase "authorized retailer" on our site and may have even wondered why some sites don't mention whether or not they are authorized. What does "authorized retailer" actually mean?
An authorized retailer of any product, and in our case the watches and clocks we sell has an established relationship with the manufacturer or the official US subsidiary of that brand. For example, authorized US Seiko retailers such as Princeton Watches purchase Seikos directly from Seiko USA and authorized Movado retailers such as Princeton Watches purchase directly from the Movado group, headquartered in New Jersey.
Sellers of watches that are not authorized may have gotten them in liquidations, bankruptcy sales, distributors of factory seconds and other defective goods, through channels that can't offer a warranty, or through even less reputable channels that can not guarantee that the watches are even authentic.
Some brands of watches also sell less expensive versions in developing countries, by making similar watches with less expensive materials, such as cheaper bands to meet market conditions in poorer countries and then these watches appear in the US at unauthorized retailers masquerading as top quality US goods.
What does this mean to you as a consumer. It means that you can be assured of the following if you buy from an authorized watch retailer:
- The watches are brand new in original manufacturer's packaging. They are not refurbished, distressed goods or seconds. They are the same factory fresh product that you see in other reputable stores such as major department stores and jewelry stores.
- You get a valid manufacturers warranty, so that you will be able to get service if there is an issue with your watch during the warranty. Many manufacturers require not only that you have an official warranty, but that you can prove (with a copy of the invoice) that you bought the watch through an authorized retailer. Some manufacturers will not service a watch even outside of the warranty if it was not purchase from an authorized retailer.
- Manufacturers make sure that retailers they sell to have good reputations and will assist the manufacturer in standing behind the product. For example our manufacturers require that we have an actual store and customer service personnel you can contact for advice about the product. A non-authorized seller may be little more than one guy with a cellphone.
You may sometimes pay more when buying from an authorized retailer, but you get the assurance that you are buying from a reputable business with an established track record and that both the manufacturer and retailer will stand behind the new, genuine product you have purchased. This can be particularly important when buying gifts. You might be willing to take a chance on a possible problem transaction when buying for yourself, but it would be embarrassing if you bought a gift and it turned out to be substandard and couldn't be serviced if needed.
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