like last week's "Pricebusters Christmas extravaganza'' at BAA Gym should be serviced by local dealers for overseas manufacturers.

Mr. William Smatt, who organised the sale with his wife, Vivian, believes that all authorised dealers on the Island have a duty to service products bought outside their stores.

At the "Pricebusters'' sale, Mr. Smatt's firm sold many products from manufacturers who are represented in Bermuda by official dealers.

Mr. and Mrs. Smatt said they will honour all manufacturers' warranties and have a skilled worker in Bermuda who will repair products. Spare parts are brought in from abroad.

Although he said his company had no problem with repairing goods or replacing parts, Mr. Smatt said official dealers were better equipped and had a moral duty to consumers who have bought products they represent.

"It should make no difference where the product was bought,'' said Mr. Smatt.

"They either represent the manufacturer or they don't.'' Mr. Smatt said he had heard several stories about people who had bought items in the US but had had difficulties getting authorised dealers in Bermuda to service their goods.

However, Mr. John Bento, general manager for one of Bermuda's best-known retailers, Holmes, Williams and Purvey said a firm's primary responsibility was to its own customers.

Mr. Bento was adamant yesterday: "This is only right. Holmes, Williams and Purvey has no obligation whatsoever to service any product that is not purchased from us.

"We will try to help every customer who has bought an appliance elsewhere from a manufacturer we represent but there's no legal obligation to do so.'' He added: "We are going to put our customers first. It's as simple as that.'' He said that some overseas manufacturers' warranties do not extend to places like Bermuda, citing General Electric -- which HWP acts for -- as an example.

But HWP placed its own warranty on products that ensured its Bermudian customers received the full benefit, he said.

"We have a 90-day over the counter replacement policy on all electrical housewares and electronics,'' he added. "If we cannot fix something, we replace it. I don't believe anyone else in Bermuda offers this service.'' HWP looked earlier this year at opening a discount store with less emphasis on service but had decided it would not work.

"Several of these types of ventures have come and gone over the years,'' said Mr. Bento. "Unless you can offer service, it's very difficult to maintain this type of business.

"We found, anyway, that the prices we could offer in a discount store were not that much better than the prices we can offer now with a full service.'' HWP realised that Bermudian shoppers placed a premium on high quality service, he added.

"In this market it's absolutely essential that you can back a product with full service,'' he said.

The "pricebusters'' sale sold many models that could not be found in Bermuda, said Mr. Bento.

"People have to understand that Holmes, Williams and Purvey cannot be held responsible for having parts in stock for models we do not sell,'' he added.

Mr. John Bento.