Is this normal?
 

I bought an Alpine 4 channel AMP from onlinecarstereo.com.
i received it yesterday.
The amp has a heat sealed plastic bag around it.
On the bottom side, a piece of the plastic has been cut out right around where the serial number is supposed to be. The serial number is missing and there is sticker glue residue still there.
I called them and they told me that since they are NOT an authorized Alpine dealer, that their supplier had removed the serial number to protect himself. Apparently this happens with all products that they are not an authorized dealer for.
My question is, should i keep it or return it? onlinecarstereo offers a 1 year Warranty on the product.
Here are the pictures.
Attachment 24119
Attachment 24120

lol thats kinda ghetto but if the amp works fine then does it really matter?

^^^ Agree

Thats normal for non-authorized dealers, if it works, great!.....if it doesnt, good luck.....also, not sure how often you buy/sell equipment, but lots of people (me included) will never buy an item without the serial number, other than that, you shouldn't have anything to worry about, they are quite reputable.

haha, thats pretty funny.. just use it,

what else can we expect for $129.00, shipping included!
it looks brand new, i guess i will keep it...if it was a $500.00 amp, then i would be concerned.

we all agree?

That is 100% the reason why you do NOT buy online...Buyer Beware!

I am sure there are some very good etailers out there...

i bought my 9855 and cd changer and a few other things from them, while i was on an extended US tour.

all still works good 2-1/2 years later. never notice any serial numbers missing and all the boxes were un-open.

I'd say they bought b stock or refurbished.

(Refurbished is the demo stuff dealers use and abuse for spl comps)

Yes, the buyer is very well aware....

I removed the sealed plastic bag the amp came in. I inspected it very thoroughly. It looks flawless. There are no scratches of any kind, no dings, no paint missing from the screws, etc. :dunno: Just not sure if i want the headaches involved with returning it and fighting to get a refund. I will probably lose out on the shipping cost back to California too :stroke: