Hi everyone,
I have been spending a lot of time in this forum learning about Montblanc pens, the Montblanc corporation, and fake MB's on the internet. Because of all of this, I have a question about some of my MB pens. I have three Montblancs from my local jeweler who advertises as an authorized MB dealer. However, I see that in the back of the user's guide where the warranty is located, there is nothing filled out. However, my 145 that I bought from a MB boutique has the warranty filled about along with the MB logo embossed on the page. Because of this, I am wondering if Montblanc will validate the warranty of the pens I bought at the jewelers should they ever need repair. I've read that MB can be picky about their warranties so I am just curious to learn more about this matter. Thanks for looking at this.

Thornton,

Wouldn't worry about it as long as you have a dated receipt(s) for your MB purchase(s). As you're in the US, these will be sufficient; it's the law.

Now, if you're a bit obsessive (or perhaps, if outside the US), you could return to your MB dealer and ask that the certificate page be stamped; the vendor should gladly comply.

Frankly, in making a recent MB purchase at FPH in NYC, I asked that the book *not* be desecrated with a stamp. They laughed.

In a way, 'non-compliance' is an expression of contempt for the hint of abusive trade-practice.

Remember, MB needs no documentation to establish when it manufactured the product. Requiring *any* proof-of-purchase for warranty-support, while legal, is a conceit. (And some would argue that, in view of MB's "precious" value-proposition, buyers of its instruments deserve a limited-lifetime warranty...)

If it were still permissible (alas, it once was), MB, along with many other consumer-products firms, would likely demand product-registration--a wholly bogus contrivance--in order to honor a warranty.

And worse, it would deploy an anti-competitive policy of what's called "resale price maintenance." Such a practice would preclude dealers from setting their own retail pricing and terms of sale.

In the current climate, the closest MB can come to controlling the retail marketplace is to keep its franchised dealers from posting actual (discounted) selling prices on the Net, or in ads or direct mail materials/catalogs.

One might call such restrictions the legacy of a once-anti-competitive era now overcome by the rule of free markets.

"In God We Trust."

--BAM

Thanks BAM you're advice is much appreciated. I have all of my receipts so that won't be a problem. I'll see about having the jewelers fill out the warranty. I'm glad I have everyone here to answer my pen questions