Read This If In Australia And Want Sigma Lenses

[SR071]

Hi All,

I came across this today which could be very important for anyone in Australia, and perhaps New Zealand as well.

At www.crkennedy.com.au if you click on 'home' then parallel and grey import lenses you'll come up with the following page:

http://www.crkennedy.com.au/v1/index.cfm?pageID=465&pageRef=179&CFID=826876&CFTOKEN=28172f70cf6eb828-BEA2F9BF-D608-33E3-2A42773AA076D6D4

The important quote is this one:

We will match, through our authorised Sigma dealer network, any legitimate advertised internet price on Sigma lenses by these grey importers.

This means you can take your B&H pricing and get them to match it (after currency conversion).

There's no reason why this wouldn't work for NZ customers as well, as CRK is the importer for Australia and NZ.

Might save you a few hundred dollars and you get an Aussie/NZ warranty!!!

[EpHeSuS]

I don't think so. They will most likely only price match Australian stores. I got Ted's to price match d-d-photographics on my 100-300 f/4. Got it for $1129 :D

[SR071]

Nope, they will certainly price match international sellers, like B&H etc.

The only restriction the guy said was ebay sellers - they won't match them at all - but 'proper' shops are not an issue.

Funny policy, because some ebay sellers have sold more kit than a lot of shops...but there you go.

I went to TED's at Camberwell and asked them about the match policy, and they said if Kennedy says do it for $xxx - then that's what they sell it for.

[Choderboy]

I had noticed that C.R kennedy statement, yet to try it out. The problem I have buying in Australia (retail) is that stock levels so low that I have been unlucky to receive lenses that are obviously not new.
(Sigma 70-200 2.8 , received scratched near tripod ring, very dusty front element , no user manual , lens was not in plastic bag was the worst example)
Decided to keep the lens , but took a lot of phone calls to get a user manual.
Took longer to get this lens delivered to Sydney than B&H shipping time.

Seems much more chance in Oz that the lens has been returned , "borrowed" or whatever. I like to get a new one if I'm paying for it.

That's the reason I'm sticking with B and H and D-D. (I like D-D because I know who I will be dealing with everytime!)

[EpHeSuS]

Nope, they will certainly price match international sellers, like B&H etc.

The only restriction the guy said was ebay sellers - they won't match them at all - but 'proper' shops are not an issue.

Funny policy, because some ebay sellers have sold more kit than a lot of shops...but there you go.

I went to TED's at Camberwell and asked them about the match policy, and they said if Kennedy says do it for $xxx - then that's what they sell it for.

Are you sure that they'll match international sellers? I assume you have emailed them ( and most likely gotten a reply from Hilton? )

[SR071]

Sure, I've called them and asked about it - I specifically used the B&H example and he said that was fine - no problems at all.

[Fredo]

Does this apply to the general public as well or just dealers??? I don't want to make an arse of myself by ringing up Kennedy's and wasting their time when it clearly states on their website that they do not sell to the general public.

Regards - FREDO

[eos10dmacosx]

I've bought several lens from DigitalRev (HK), from their own site and through their ebay site. I have also purchased from B&H, and have only ever had good experiences with both suppliers.

[Meaty0]

I too have purchased from B&H and have had no problems whatsoever with at least 5 big purchases.

I think CRKennedy are having troubles coming to grips with reality. If they can't/won't compete with foreign dealers then they don't deserve to be the chosen importers.

[EpHeSuS]

I emailed them and got told otherwise.

[MiG82]

I've bought several lens from DigitalRev (HK), from their own site and through their ebay site. I have also purchased from B&H, and have only ever had good experiences with both suppliers.

Having the lens repaired locally is the issue, not whether international sellers are dodgy. CR Kennedy will not honor the warranty anymore if you buy from those places.

As for Ephesus getting the 100-300 for $1129, that was actually my doing and my money :)
After more than four weeks of waiting I finally have it. I didn't think that they'd price match overseas sellers, which is a pity because sigma4less is a bit cheaper.

[dpastern]

I too have purchased from B&H and have had no problems whatsoever with at least 5 big purchases.

I think CRKennedy are having troubles coming to grips with reality. If they can't/won't compete with foreign dealers then they don't deserve to be the chosen importers.

It's not that they can't compete, it's the damn taxes that they have to slap onto camera gear. I'm serious - Australia is the MOST heavily taxed country in the world. I just checked, I could have picked up a Canon rs-80n3 for au$42 off ebay, add another $20 for shipping and $10 for insurance, being a grand total of $72 and the same thing is $141 at Foto Riesel (I know, cos idiot me bought it from them on Saturday just gone). Howard's government not only taxes the hell out of us Aussies, but quadruple (in some instances more) Australians on goods.

I like to support Aussie business, but when the prices are so hugely different...I even have retailers telling me to 'buy from overseas', in a few frank conversations with the local Paxtons, (and I know a few of the guys there), they've pretty much told me that the difference in price isn't due to them jacking up their profits - it's solely tax. I feel sorry for distributors like CR Kennedy, cos to ship and distribute and sell in Australia pretty much means losing money if they want to match overseas vendors. The only ammo that they have is warranty, but when you really think about it, Canon provides a 1 year warranty on their goods, for most things you'd have to be damn unlucky for it to fail within that 1 year. And, even if it did fail, the cost of sending it back to hong kong, etc, is a lot less than the money that you saved in the first place! As an example, I just bought a Canon 2x TC from a ebay dealer based in Hong Kong, for $495 (inc cost of item, shipping and insurance). The same thing at Foto Riesel? $649. That's a nice difference of $250 - even if I *had* to send the item back to Hong Kong, I could sent it via Australia Post, Air Mail courier with insurance for around $30. That's 8 trips - I doubt anything is EVER going to muck up that many times within the first year!

Dave

[blackviolet]

CR Kennedy will match B&H - done it before.
mig82 - are you saying they won't honour warranties which they used to? i've had my bigma repaired by them and they simply looked at the card to make sure it was stamped.

[MiG82]

CR Kennedy will match B&H - done it before.
mig82 - are you saying they won't honour warranties which they used to? i've had my bigma repaired by them and they simply looked at the card to make sure it was stamped.
That's what their website says. Very clearly:
"C.R. Kennedy & Co P/L will only undertake warranty repairs on products sourced through us. All products imported directly from overseas and resold are not covered by our warranty. This includes purchases through ebay and through grey importers such as www.camerasdirect.com.au,
www.d-d-photographics.com.au and www.globalmediapro.com. "

Before this policy was shown on their website I took a 24-70 purchased in the US to them under warranty and they were already whinging that the seller (in the US) is responsible for these issues. That time they took almost 2 months to look at it.
My 10-20 was bought here and it is still taking 3 weeks to repair. I hate CR Kennedy.

Edit: It turns out that the silly woman in the camera store didn't send my 10-20 for repair. It sat in the store for three weeks. Stupid stupid woman. But it's all good now because CR Kennedy gave me a new 10-20 (they said that decentred elements are beyond their repair capability)

[One Eyed Jack]

CR Kennedy will match B&H - done it before.
mig82 - are you saying they won't honour warranties which they used to? i've had my bigma repaired by them and they simply looked at the card to make sure it was stamped.

How do you get them to match? I called them and they told me that they only sell to authorised distributors.

[::John::]

I just checked, I could have picked up a Canon rs-80n3 for au$42 off ebay, add another $20 for shipping and $10 for insurance, being a grand total of $72 and the same thing is $141 at Foto Riesel (I know, cos idiot me bought it from them on Saturday just gone).

$79 tax paid here in Sydney - D-D

As an example, I just bought a Canon 2x TC from a ebay dealer based in Hong Kong, for $495 (inc cost of item, shipping and insurance). The same thing at Foto Riesel? $649.



$485 tax paid here in Sydney - D-D

Dave, look around a bit - those 'accessories' can be bought here in Sydney - and if you fit in with their times, you can drive in and pick em up - no freight.

[pfogle]

FWIW I just bought a Sigma 50/2.8 macro from CRK in Auckland - paid about $480NZ, which is close to $100 below the retailer price. I don't know how this compares to overseas prices, but it's good enough here to have the retailers spewing about it!

[blackviolet]

How do you get them to match? I called them and they told me that they only sell to authorised distributors.

use your local shop - pretty much anyone but the george street shops, and of course d-d. get the shop to ring up CRK to match the price of a dealer from overseas - B&H, Samys, etc. note that they generally match the total price including any shipping and insurance, although i understand that might not always be the case. even if your shop doesn't have the lens you're after in stock, they will go over to CRK and pick it up the same day, generally.