Ok, I thought I'd chim in here and give my 2 cents on this subject; Although I know many will not agree with me, and that's ok, we're all entitled to our opinions here.
To me this whole thing on manufacture warranties is way over rated, and I stress manufacture warranties. Not warranties as a whole.
If the manufacture makes a solid quality product, the odds are that warranty is never going to come into play. Now, with that said though, even the best companies in the world will still have a bad product slip through the production line from time to time. So I'm in no way saying that the manufactures warranty is worthless. It's just one of those things you've got to think about and take into consideration on weather or not you feel you need that security.
Now I can only speak for myself here, but I've been in this hobby for a long time, and only once did I ever get a bad product where the manufactures warranty came into play. Yeah, I've been lucky. None the less, I'd rather get the best deal I can verses paying more then I have too just to get the manufactures warranty.
The important thing as far as I'm concerned, is to buy from a reputable company. Weather they're an authorized or unauthorized dealer means nothing to me. If they're a reputable company, or I should say your better companies, will usually back the manufactures warranty themself, not through the manufacture, but the bottom line is you've still got protection.
I know of a few unauthorized dealers who back the manufacturers warranty themself, who have always stood behind their word and always came through for their customers who may or may not have had a problem with the product they bought. Everyone I know personally who has bought from these companies, has never had a problem and has bought with them for years.
Not all companies do this though, nor do all companies offer that, so yes, you'll want to check the company out and do some reseach on them.
When it comes to this hobby, everybody makes something that is over priced to some extent. I say look for the best prices you can find, worry not so much on weather they're authorized or unauthorized, but more so that they offer some sort of warranty to protect the products you purchased.
Sutter Cane