warranty dispute 2 different ends of the country

Sullivan Co, Tennesee

I purchased a Ham Radio new from a company based in CA. Long story short the radio stopped working, it is under Warranty, their customer service is blowing me off saying its interference from elsewhere and ther is nothing to repair. So I took a nice long drive with it and nope not local interference. I searched the issue high and low on the internet and found no complaints like mine.

I thought about small claims court to for a refund but there is no way I can afford to go to CA, or pay an attorney to be there. Can I submit a detailed affidavit in my place.

What other options do I have?

Contact the manufacturer for warranty issues. It is only a courtesy if a retailer honors a manufacturer's warranty, they are not required to honor it.

How long did you have the radio before it stopped working? If it wasn't working right when you got it home, implied warranty may come in to play. What this means is if you buy something, it only has to be working when you get it home. So a seller can't sell a broken item and tell you you're on the hook. Sellers have to sell items that work when purchased, though, without further warranties, they're not on the hook for making sure it lasts any period of time.

But if it worked fine when you got it home, and then stopped working, you're going to have to try the manufacturer. I'm getting the drift that this is the case.

And NO. If you have to sue them in Small Claims over this issue, the court will not recognize an affidavit in place of YOU. And CA Small Claims does not allow for attorney representation. If you decide to sue, you will have to consider the costs of being there yourself and appearing.