Scam Alert – Unauthorized Websites

 

There are a number of unauthorized websites offering Arcam products for sale.  Please note that Arcam products purchased from these sites (or any other unauthorized source) are not covered by Arcam’s U.S. or international warranty.

 

One of the largest offenders is a ring of websites which appear to be separate businesses but all can be traced back to Uncle’s Stereo in New York.  We have documented cases in which some of these sites have been caught selling used Arcam products as new, and selling Arcam products on which the serial numbers have been fraudulently modified.

 

Uncle’s Stereo websites include, but are not limited to:

 

 

While a great deal of effort appears to have been put into these sites to make them appear to be different businesses, they all share some common link.  That might be the same telephone number or the same address listed on the website.  But in many cases we had to research the actual domain name registrations to find the connection.

 

The moral of this story is clear.  If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.  You can see by the number of “currently not active” listings, these sites seem to come and go on a regular basis.  So, just because we didn’t list a particular site in this list, that does not mean it is not part of this same ring. Your best protection from scams like this is to always buy from a reliable local retailer.

 

Here are some additional comments that we found while searching for these websites.

 

 

Another unauthorized website is HiFiTrader.com.  However he does clearly state that Arcam products purchased on that site have no manufacturer's warranty.  He also has Arcam products listed with his "Certified Mint" logo (rather than his "New" logo) clearly indicating that you are not buying new products.  So, rather than being a scam, like the Uncle's sites, this website just appears to be a seller of used products.