Gray market and US exports

Living in Canada I find that many retailers choose not to compete with
the international market on price. Specifically, US mail order prices are
often a lot cheaper for top end equipment. I do wonder, however, if I ever
had a warranty problem on US purchases how it would be managed. Most of the
equipment I have bought to date has been from authorized retailers although
I did buy a gray market lens on one occasion. I have the US warranty cards,
not the Canadian cards. Does anyone have experience with this? I have Canon
equipment though it would be interesting to know about other companies as
well. It is interesting to see that the shoe is on the other foot here, with
the 'official' US product actually our 'gray market' item.
Dave

Dave

Re: Gray market and US exports

That is an unusual way of looking at it. I see it as the price of admission
to a number of support options after the sale, not just repairs.
1: You get manuals in ENGLISH
2: You receive all factory-packed accessories, such as cables, straps, etc.
3: You receive equipment that complies with all applicable safety
certifications for the US
4: You receive software that is up-to-date and is in ENGLISH
5: You are entitled to firmware upgrades
6: Cameras have menus in ENGLISH
7: You may qualify for rebates that narrow the initial price differential
with the gray market importer
8: You have some degree of assurance that the equipment was properly shipped
to the US, and did not spend time in a tropical warehouse, or was not
salvaged from a fire, flood or other disaster that befell its original
importer.
9: You have access to parts and factory-authorized repairs, presumably by
technicians that specialize in your brand of equipment and who have access
to all factory service manuals and technical bulletins.
10: In-warranty repairs are available, with factory parts and done by
factory-trained techs, not subcontracted to some unknown repair company with
an uncertain track record.
11: The warranty period may be longer than that of the gray market item
12: You get cables that are appropriate for America. AC adapters are
designed for our 110-volt AC, and power plugs are designed for North
American electrical mains. You don't have to buy a plug adapter to plug
into our current.
There may be more reasons, but the ones above are good enough for me. I
personally have no time to play with equipment from questionable sources and
uncertain repair and warranty prospects. I can think of other ways to
economize. Everyone must decide the merits of this issue for himself.


Jeremy

Re: Gray market and US exports

been
INITIAL
Of course it's the top complaint; there's a bunch of
them in B'klyn and they ship all over the world. But just because a
repairman has a job for Nikon doesn't mean he can repair any thing, or is
motivated to do so or that Nikon is going to make any upgrades. I say that
for any co.But charging for the repair beforehand is no guarantee that it's
going to get done. Besides, any reputable repair shop will give you a
guarantee on any repair if and when it needs to be made. But after all this
I still wouldn't buy a camera in B"klyn. Bob Hickey


Bob Hickey

Re: Gray market and US exports

If they were Nikon official USA warranty cards, of course they would honor
them. Whether Nikon Canada would honor them is another question.
Be careful of the term "USA Warranty," which is ambiguous. Some sleazy
camera mail order dealers (I guess that accounts for the bulk of them)
advertise cameras as coming with "USA Warranties," even though they are gray
market merchandise. Just because a warranty covers US buyers does not make
it an official warranty from the official importer. One needs to check
these things carefully before buying.
Better yet, shop through Adorama, B&H or amazon.com, and you won't require
eyes in the back of your head, so as to spot the tactics of unscrupulous
dealers. If any of these three sources offer gray market goods, that fact
is clearly disclosed right at the outset.
The NYC Department of Consumer Affairs was quoted as stating that CAMERA
DEALERS were THE NUMBER ONE object of consumer complaints. This has been
the case for years.
It seems as though the prospect of saving a few dollars causes many buyers
to abandon common sense and to be taken by those sharks. I myself have been
victimized by a couple of them, but I learned my lesson years ago. The
sight of a low-priced deal generally causes me to run the other way.
Perhaps that is why I have such distaste for gray market goods. The INITIAL
price might be low, but the cost paid in terms of lack of availability of
repairs, upgrades, service or other support might well be so high that it
would have been cheaper to have gone the official route.


Jeremy

Re: Gray market and US exports

He has USA warranty cards, even though he lives in Canada.
He wanted to know if Nikon USA would honor the USA WARRANTY CARDS.


Pudentame

Re: Gray market and US exports

I have Minolta lenses (2) bought in the US with US and International
cards. Canada Minolta did supposedly honour them (I never tested that
as I had no failures, however).
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Alan Browne

Re: Gray market and US exports

...
You need to read the warranty cards to get a good answer on this question.
In the case of Nikon (for example), my camera has two warranty documents.
One says:
This is your Nikon Inc. One Year Limited Warranty (valid in the Continental
United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U. S. Virgin Islands)
The other says:
Nikon One Year Worldwide Limited Warranty (Excluding the Continental United
Stats, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U. S. Virgin Islands)
It is quite likely that Canon furnishes similar warranty.
It would seem that a resident of Canada who bought Nikon equipment from a U
S dealer would be covered by the same warranty as a resident of Canada who
bought Nikon equipment in Canada.
Only a lawyer could really tell what these warranties mean.
Jim


Jim

Re: Gray market and US exports

...
From what I understand, Nikon USA will not honor gray market
warranties...American buyers need to return the product to the store they
purchased the item from for repair.


Advocate

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