+1.
I'm suspicious of the 'It was an online purchase and can't be returned.' If it's a real retail store and not that 'bay' or 'list' 'store', there should be no problem.
If you bought it thru legitimate channels, get over it and return/replace it thru them. If you purchased it thru private channels, well, I guess you are out of luck. Caveat emptor.
I was and still am suspicious too. When I wrote my post, I made of point of hinting at that.. I could have been more direct but I was trying to be tactful. I guess I will come right out and say exactly what I was thinking as there is further fuel for my fire based on other responses from the OP.
This smells of a gray market purchase, especially with the evasive nature of the OP's posts.
"It was an online purchase and can't be returned"
"This is more of a point I'm trying to make"
"Understand but it's a sale online"
"I'm not even going to bother the store about this"
"I don't care about the store it's that there isn't a defined channel to take"
"What about the people like me that buy multiple things on a group buy online? Then resell at that cost to other reefers they now become the dealer"
The responses and logic above regarding dealing with the reseller speak volumes. Caveat emptor is exactly right! Had you bought through a legitimate reseller it should have been a no brainer! If you did buy from an authorized reseller, then you are barking up the wrong tree. The fact that you acknowledged that Eheim was in Germany and expected to deal with them on the warranty is even more suspect. Why would you even expect a company in Germany to handle your replacement when you could have just returned it to the dealer.? Shipping the defective part back to Germany alone probably be more costly than the heater itself. Granted you now know Eheims NA office is Canada. The ONLY reason for that is because you probably bought it grey market from a fly by night source.
Manufacturers have a channels setup for a reason and with international manufacturers, the retailer almost always acts as the first line of support. While Eheim should have responded, they are based in another country and are several hours ahead in time. My guess is that he will get a response at some point but again, they should not be expected to be the first line of support on a DOA product. If this was bought outside the channel, then buyers beware should have applied.
This thread should really be closed. The OP has an axe to grind with the Mfg when in fact he should have been dealing with the reseller or perhaps himself for choosing to go to an unreliable or illegitimate source. Every legitimate Eheim dealer stands behind the product and acts as the first line of support. They can return defective products back the their distributor for full credit during the warranty period and as such are authorized to provide a replacement for most products on the spot with proof of purchase from their establishment.