Has BGE always prohibited internet sales?

j2gram

I bought a large Egg with nest and mate in April 2004. The seller was BBQGUYS.COM. The price was $697.30 including shipping by the Grill Store and More in Baton Rogue LA.

I'd researched many web sites and local (Portland OR) dealers and the online price was ~$140 less than any local dealer. I even asked one shop if he would match the online price and was told, "You can find anything you want on the web. We can't match."

The egg was shipped to Portland from Baton Rouge via truck and arrived well packed and intact. Complete assembly instructions were included and it took me a couple of hours to put everything together. I completed the enclosed warranty card and mailed it to BGE, PO box 29505, Atlanta GA, indicating I had purchased everything via mail order which was shipped by Grill Store and More in Baton Rouge.

I don't remember seeing on the BGE web site in 2004 the dictum that now appears:

"Authorized Dealers & Internet Policy:

There are no authorized internet retailers for Big Green Egg products. Purchasing and shipping any Big Green Egg product from an internet source will void the warranty associated with that product."

There have been no problems with our Egg except for normal wear and tear (gasket and firebox replacement) so warranty was never an issue. My question:

If BGE does not authorize internet retailers to sell their products, where do online retailers get their products? Just curious.

John in Portland

j2gram

BTW, bbqguys.com no longer sells the Egg but it does offer Primo, Grill Dome, Saffire, Viking, Bayou, Meteor, Vision and Big Steel kamado-style cookers.

John in Portland

fishlessman

back in 2003, 2004, maybe some of 2005 they honored internet sale warranties, ive had parts replaced on mine and i was upfront about it with bge, the dealers didnt like it at all. ive had the firebox replaced as well as the base and the old mexican welded spring bands. the warrantee issue didnt appear until around 2005 on any of the lit or on the site. heartland distributers and another one were talked about all the time backed then for folks without a dealer nearby. heartland sold alot of eggs thru the site that bge was watching