Furuno vs Raymarine in Australia

[Sabbatical II]

In speccing a new boat I'm wondering about which brand of electronics to fit. Does anyone has some real experiences to share regarding the service standards of particular manufacturers and dealers in NSW Australia? I've been watching recent threads on the Raymaine story and Furuno pricing, but haven't seen many comments devoted to the quality of their support networks. Is there a stand-out manufacturer or dealer in terms of service quality or are they all the same?

Cheers, Greg

[Sabbatical II]

In doing some more research on the Australian Furuno distributor's own website (www.taylormarine.com.au), they have a significant section dealing with what they term as "Grey Imports". Grey imports being imports that come into the country without them being able to cash in. In it they state that they will not be liable for warranty work or technical support for Grey Imports. However, Furuno's advertising promotes worldwide support through their international dealer network. It would seem there may be implications for overseas salors in Australian waters getting less than sparkling service if they need support while in Australia or is J.N. Talor just trying to play hard ball with Ozzies who buy their stuff overseas?

Greg

[miatapaul]

I don't see how you could expect a distributor to support equipment that they did not import. They may not have the correct parts for the devices. When they determine there price point they are factoring in the cost of supporting it. They likely will do work and only get reimbursed if the parent company deems it unwarrantable, but under the name of good service may still not charge the customer. To expect them to do warranty work on equipment that they have not brought in is like asking for a free lunch. They do not say they will not work on it, just that they will not be liable. So that means perhaps that you may have to front the cash, but if Furno deems it to be covered you may get the cost of the parts back. That to me would be acceptable. Now if you bought the equipment while cruising abroad and then returned with it, that may be where you will need to really understand the definition of "Gray market."

By the way this is not unusual at all. This happens with electronics world wide and not just marine equipment. This is due to the fluctuating currency values and different mark up in different markets. Here in the US Nikon will only work on stuff they imported. They not only will not provide warranty work, they will not even touch it if it is gray market. Even if you offer to pay for the service. Same with Canon. I know this because this is part of my work. The frustrating thing is that Nikon US is wholly owned by Nikon corporation. It is not even a "dealer" but the same company.

[Sabbatical II]

I would expect the Furuno Australian distributor to support any Furuno product. I don't expect them to be liable for warranty costs of Grey Imports. In fact they are not even ultimately liable for warranty costs on the products they do sell because they would invoice warranty costs back to the manufacturer anyway.

I was more interested to find out what level of support there was for owners of Furuno grey imports in Australia. If I purchase Furuno gear in USA and get it freighted to Australia and fit it myself, I would still expect to be able go to a local Furuno distributor and get good service if there was a problem with it. I would also expect that they would bill me for it. It would then be my problem to take that up with the people I bought it from.

However, if a previous thread regarding the price gouging of new Furuno products purchased from the Australian distributors is correct, then I hardly expect that they will charge reasonably for labour and parts for those Aussies who dare to buy from anyone apart from themselves. In fact I wonder if there may even be a significant punitive component.

Unless I can be convinced otherwise, I may purchase equipment in the USA and freight it to Australia and accept the fact that if there is a problem with any component it may be easier to return it to the USA for warranty repairs. It is purely a commercial decision. I am also hoping to hear from local Aussies who can assure me from personal experience that all this is not necessary.

On a boat that will be sailed internationally, I am interested to know how Furuno supports it's products internationally or will I be subject to the quirky attitudes and predjudices of each distributor in each country I visit? I am concerned about the tone on Grey Imports on the Australian distributors website and concede that they may well be a bit tired of being expected to provide warranty without charge on products they haven't sold.

Cheers, Greg

[Pelagic]

I have heard that Taylor marine is disappointing a lot of loyal customers, since they lost their key service manager…Doc and they seem to be more into sales than service these days.

Personally I would still go with Furuno because their MTBF on a commercial level is higher than most other manufacturers including Raymarine

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Eleebana

It is purely a commercial decision.

Cheers, Greg

Greg at the beginning of the year I sent out a detailed order to all the major Furuno suppliers for a large electronics package for a super yacht refit.

The company that won out was Scan Marine in Manila
::: SCAN MARINE INCORPORATED :::

They service mostly the shipping and fishing industry, buy directly from Furuno Japan and can drop ship to anywhere. You pay Furuno Directly after Scan confirms the order and provides a PO.

The order arrived complete and exactly when promised.

In their service shop, they repair and recondition all types of Furuno equipment and their charges were very reasonable .

Unlike the wholesalers you will find in the US, their prices and advice was complete (and cheaper). With things like monitors they were focused on ways to save me money as they make their own

PM me if you want a direct contact person for Scan.

This might be a better solution for your time zone and in reality, if installed properly, Furuno is reliable.

Also warranty support is with Furuno, not the dealers

[miatapaul]

Another thing is that you may want to make sure they are the same model that is available through the local distributor, as you may need some parts such as cables and if it is for a model they never carried then you may be out of luck and down for a few weeks while waiting for delivery from abroad.