I'm really sick and tired of seeing this, I was on the phone with a dealer today that actually condoned the practice. Basically it was stated that these companies are doing a service to the manufacturers by getting these boxes in areas of the country that do not have a concentration of dealers.
I say bull^&%$, how the heck can manufacturers let a non-authorized dealers get away with selling new units. Especially in a territory where there are authorized dealers that have a service staff?
Here's what will happen to you, if it not has happened already. You have an existing account, that existing account upgrades every three years and you make a decent payday from upgrading the equipment every three years. During those three years you also supported that account with follow up phone calls, return phones and maybe even a visit or two because they needed something.
Renewal time comes up, you give them the same pricing you've always gave them, they call you and ask why you've been ripping them off for all these years. You weren't, but the customer now has the impression that the price they saw on a non-dealers web site is the around the same price they should pay from you.
We've got to call out DSM's and make noise, if we don't were going to see more of these places pop up.
The flip side is that some will say, well now their a price buyer and they don't value service. That's wrong, they were not a price buyer and valued service!
Anyone have any comments, is this going on in your area, have you been hurt by this practice?