01.29.2008 — The Internet has done a lot of good connecting people and information, but for custom installers and manufacturers with closed product lines, it has opened up some undesired distribution methods.

Yamaha is cracking down on unauthorized Internet resellers by going after the dealers who are selling their products to these online shops. The company says it has terminated “a number” of dealers thanks to its new product tracking methods.

“Until now, transshippers have covered their tracks by replacing the manufacturers’ real product serial numbers with inaccurate ones that were difficult to trace,” says Yamaha’s Tom Graham.

“Now, even if phony serial numbers are used on Yamaha products, we know with absolute certainty to which dealer those products were originally shipped.”

Yamaha’s $25,000 reward for information about dealers changing serial numbers will continue until at least this spring, the company says.

“Altering a product’s factory serial number is so serious because it defrauds consumers and voids the product warranty to which they are entitled,” says Graham.

“We clearly know we still have a substantial amount of work to do. We won’t reduce our efforts until the job is finished.”