How often have you heard the magic phrase, “We import directly from the manufacturer, cut out the middleman, and pass the savings on to you.”
And it's often true, especially in the fiercely competitive motorcycle business. Some parallel or 'grey' importers can offer the same model as the official distributors at a substantial discount, and you will save a packet - until the bike goes wrong.
The 'middleman' that salesman told you about is actually the official distributor, who is responsible for handling warranty issues - and they will not honour your claim.
There's no reason they should - it's not their bike.
Another problem is that, although grey imports look the same as the local models, they may not conform to South African roadworthy requirements.
For instance, if the bike was imported from a left-hand drive country - for instance Belgium, the source of many Italian bikes in South Africa - the headlight will be focused to the right, straight into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
That's not only illegal, it's bad manners and very dangerous. Grey importers are supposed to replace such headlights before selling the vehicle; the less scrupulous ones don't. And once you've paid for the bike, it's your problem.
Many grey imports in South Africa are UK-spec, so at least their headlights dip to the left, but their speedometers read in MPH, not metric, which also makes the bike technically unroadworthy, and the rider liable to a fine.
Which is why, in terms of the widely publicised Consumer Protection Act, a parallel or “grey” importer is obliged to tell the customer that the product being offered is an unauthorised import.
Earlier this month, the South African importer of Nikon cameras won a landmark case against an unauthorised Nikon importer in Gauteng. According to the ruling, there has to be a conspicuous notice (no more fine print!) on the grey importer's website, on the actual product packaging and clearly displayed next to each item in the showroom.
Yeah, right.
We can just see the grey importers putting a sign on each bike on their floor saying in big letters: “This motorcycle (or camera, or laptop) is sold with no factory warranty.”
Ironically, the more reputable parallel importers actually make a selling point of this, saying that, if there is a problem, they'll fix it themselves without keeping you waiting while a warranty claim is processed. But in most cases, the salesman who sold you the bike will either mutter something about “voetstoets” or refer you to the official importers, with predictable results.
So, whenever you shop around for a sharp price on a new bike, make a point of asking whether the bike is an official import. If you don't like the answer you get, make a note of the bike's VIN number (it's usually on the headstock, just turn the handlebars all the way to the left) and phone the importers. They'll tell you immediately whether it's “official” or not because it is in their interests to do so.
If it isn't and you still want the bike, at least you know where you stand. The money you save on the purchase price may very well justify forgoing the warranty - that's your decision.
And if the dealer you bought it from refuses to support his product, we suggest you contact the Motor Industry Ombudsman or the National Consumer Commission.