I have no specific knowledge of said proposal, but do you know what the markup is for when buying in Aus? It wouldn't be to cover things like doing the warranty work would it?

warranty work for any specific product is billable within an organisation back to the manufacturer. I know in the automotive industry that dealerships bill back specific warranty repairs to the parent brand / company. This is sometimes at a rate slightly cheaper than the rate applicable to retail customers however it definately covers cost's to the point where they still turn a profit. Let's face it no one is in business to lose money.

warranty work for any specific product is billable within an organisation back to the manufacturer. I know in the automotive industry that dealerships bill back specific warranty repairs to the parent brand / company. This is sometimes at a rate slightly cheaper than the rate applicable to retail customers however it definately covers cost's to the point where they still turn a profit. Let's face it no one is in business to lose money.

I'm sure you'd be able to register the product, but when it actually comes time to make a warranty claim, proof of purchase is required. I've bought a few things online due to particular models etc not being available locally and luckily, have never had a problem. The good thing with buying locally, and in particular, at a reputable local store is that a decision regarding a warranty claim can generally be made on the spot, and in a lot of cases, this results in a brand new rod or reel being taken by the customer straight from the store, with no postage or freight charges incurred, as long as a reciept or proof of purchase is displayed.

I think it's pretty simple, either buy locally and have the back up, which in Shimano's case, is generally terrific or buy online at a cheaper price and hope nothing goes wrong. If it does then the extra price of getting it back to wherever the item was purchased and probably the general time and effort required to do this, will possibly work out being equivalent or more than buying the product locally. It's up to the individual to make a decision and weigh up whether or not it is worth purchasing locally or overseas. I guess you could draw (roughly, maybe like a drunk mr squiggle) comparisons to having cosmetic surgery etc in certain places overseas...up to the individual.

 Yeah fair point brody

especially about the plastic surgery part

no big deal from my end as the reels are brand new and currently smooth as silk, I was merely curious as to wether others have had any success registering an overseas model for warranty purposes later down the track

all good

scano

Yeah well thats it, Ive got a Biomaster in the PG model that I had to get from Japan a few years back and it's still going strong. I guess with Shimano reels especially, so few come back for a warranty claim that the chances of a problem happening which would truly be covered under warranty is very small, especially good gear like you've bought, so I guess for some it is possibly a risk worth taking in terms of price or out of necessity if a particular model isnt available locally. But in saying that I know if my Biomaster does have a problem I'd have to send it back to Japan or get it over to Sydney and get Shimano to fix it at my expense, I wouldnt be trying to claim warranty with a company that didn't sell the reel and therefore, obviously didn't make any money and ultimately had nothing to do with the original purchase.

 I'd just call shimano over east. It's still a legit shimano product So couldn't understand why they would say no.