Buy from the name you’ve always trusted.
AV Science® first opened retail operations in western New York in the late 1990s, and was the leader in online home theater and audio video discussions, when we pioneered the famous AVSForum.com. We have the inside relationships and extensive knowledge to provide you with only the best in home theater equipment, and we are dedicated to serving our customers at the highest level, while extending that level of service and professionalism to our online shopping systems.
AV Science® is an Authorized Dealer
We are an authorized dealer for all the products we sell. For anyone purchasing a product online this is an important factor, buying from an authorized dealer gives you the confidence to know your purchase is backed by both the online store and the manufacturer’s warranty.
Buying from a dealer that is vendor authorized is the most important issue you need to consider when purchasing a product online, whether it is from AV Science or any other website. Authorized dealers meet manufacturer standards for sales, follow their guidelines in terms of pricing and language, and only products sold by authorized online dealers come with valid product warranties. This is a critical issue for any consumer to keep in mind because if you buy from an unauthorized vendor, the manufacturer will not honor the warranty.
Unauthorized Dealer Warnings
The first and most serious warning about buying from an unauthorized dealer is that your product’s warranty will almost certainly be void. For any product you wish to purchase online, check and see if the company you are buying from is authorized. Also, check the manufacturer’s website to see their own language about buying from unauthorized dealers.
Unauthorized dealers may also remove serial numbers, remove warranty registration cards, or even replace the mailing address on warranty cards with their own address to provide the illusion that you are submitting a warranty request to the manufacturer. Every purchase you make should ALWAYS include a warranty registration card address only to the manufacturer.
Site Security and Fraud Protection
AV Science® takes site security and fraud prevention very seriously. We implement several layers of technology including, but not limited to: Full PCI Compliance, Advanced SSL Encryption, Multiple Firewalls, Extensive Intrusion Detection Systems, Redundant OC3 Connections, Controlled Bandwidth, and more.
AV Science, at our discretion, will also contact customers to verify their order information.
All the AV Science® policies are clearly written on our website for anyone to view at anytime. You can read our Terms and Conditions page and our Warranty and Return Policies page at any time.
What if You Find it Cheaper?
You may wonder about the websites that sell gear for much cheaper prices. Using a search engine for a product, you may sometimes find much lower prices on products that we carry, and ask how they can be so cheap. The case is almost always due to one of more of the following issues:
1. Unauthorized website. These websites are also called trunk slammers, they find any available product and sell it at unauthorized prices – like the folks who sell out of the trunk of their car. The very cheap price should be your first sign something isn’t quite right. Refer to the authorized and unauthorized sites section above.
2. Expensive added warranty. Often these types of websites will only agree to sell you the product at the really cheap price if you agree, after heavy pressure, to buy an expensive added warranty. If you refuse to buy the warranty, they may create excuses as to why they cannot process your order.
3. Grey market goods swap. Manufacturers create different product lines and warranties for different countries. You might be told that the manufacturer warranty is included, but not be told it is only a warranty that is good on another continent!
4. Standard parts not included. This is a common issue with projectors. The website might offer the projector at a serious discount, only the projector bulb isn’t included! This is also done with the power cord, remote control, filters, or other parts that should be included at no additional charge. By the time you have purchased all these extras, you’ll find that your cost is actually higher than other sites.
5. Return Policies. Sites that sell at a very cheap price often have serious penalties on product returns, and some won’t accept any returns at all. Be sure that you can find the return and warranty policy on the website and that it is fair to you.
6. Unknown charges. These charges don’t show up on your invoice, but do show up later on your credit card statement. Often these low priced sites will add on extra charges such as: unlawful taxes, extra shipping costs, and extra handling fees, all the while not informing you of these charges.
Customer service is our number one priority at AV Science and we look forward to serving you with your home theater and audio video purchases. Thank you for buying from the name you trust!