I found the Iwata HP-CS airbrush for $93 at amazon and the Iwata SmartJet compressor for $208 at amazon. Great prices (better than Coast or Dixie). Now, is it safe to buy from amazon? I can’t see if they’re perhaps not an authorized dealer. Or wouldn’t it matter?
If the items are new and from a reliable and recognized vendor, yes. If used, no. New products carry a manufacturers warranty. Mfrs are not required to honor warranty claims unless their policy is that the warranty is transferable.
Check to see if these items are being sold by Amazon directly or one of their participating vendors. I do a good deal of my shopping on Amazon. Amazon has become such an influence on the mfrs they now include Amazon as a choice of retailer when filling out warranty registration.
I’ve bought some camera gear from Amazon. It was actually shipped from a vendor other than Amazon directly. When one of the items proved defective, Amazon took it back with a full refund ( did cost me shipping).
Regards, Rick
Again its important to read the whole product description and learn the condition of the items and who is the one offering it and if they provide recourse if something goes wrong.
I always buy stuff from amazon, but in this case I was wondering if iwata recognizes them as an authorized reseller. This one (and the HP-CS) ships from amazon themselves and even has free super saver shipping. I think $93.51 for an HP-CS is a great price.
New product…full warranty.
I am a Prime member and the fee is offset by the cost reduction in shipping savings…that is if you order frequently.
I wouldn’t worry to much about the airbrush. There’s nothing expensive that is likely to break. Needles and nozzles are not covered by the warranty. The airvalve is the inly thing that might break and will be covered, but how often is that? In the 20+ years I’ve been having airbrushes, I still havn’t encountered one.
The compressor is a different story. But I would say that Iwata/Sparmax compressors are as reliable as any.