70-200 2.8 IS MkII Refurbished - No Box?

Just to confirm, you didn't get the lens in a white refurb box shipped in a brown shipping box? If that's the case they might be trying to save on shipping cost. Every refurbished lens/body I have received has been in the white box inside a brown shipping box.

TheBurningCrown wrote in post #12884985
I got my refurbished 70-200 without a box.

...I don't understand why this is an issue (let alone a "big" one).

It is an issue for resale value. And worth noting that if someone tries to sell you a lens without a box, hmmmmmmmmmmm.

So, when someone wants a box, I think they might be looking ahead to selling the lens.

Sounds like a good business strategy. But refurb, sell as used. I wonder if there is margin in it.

On second thought, I wonder if Canon will publish the list of serial numbers of refurb gear so that buyers have a way to vette items.

yep, when I got my 300 f4 it was just the lens in the canon pouch wrapped in foam. No white reburb box.

khng30 wrote in post #12885298
yep, when I got my 300 f4 it was just the lens in the canon pouch wrapped in foam. No white reburb box.

That really stinks. Admittedly there's not much added resale value to the box but they were very safe ways to ship bodies/lenses. Are they still charging $15 or so for shipping or did they cut that rate? If it's still $15 I think it's a bit cheap.

BurBunny wrote in post #12885087
It's not a big issue at all. I found it odd, asked Canon about it when I was talking with them about something else, they thought it was odd too, and sent it up the line.

The only issue is transportation, for example to fix the back focusing. I can, of course, use the shipping box it came in, but I don't want to keep that around in case of future problems.

I just came here to see if it was normal and it seems it now is on their top lenses. Still seems strange. Not going to raise a huge ruckus over it if they come back to me on Monday and simply say "that's the way it is."

I would never ship it only in the box it came in (retail or refurbished). I'd double box it. Wrap it in bubble wrap, and box it. Then put that box in a bigger box filled with styrofoam peanuts. There's a good chance you won't get back your packaging in return anyway.

Luckily, if I have a problem, I can just drop it off to Canon.

BurBunny wrote in post #12884331
That was exactly the reaction I had, only silently! "Where's the box?"

Odd that they'd send their most expensive lenses without boxes. Makes no sense.

ALL refurbished goods come without original boxes! Be they bodies, lenses, or flashes, you end up with new packaging. Welcome to the world of refurbished canon goods.

MOkoFOko wrote in post #12885427
ALL refurbished goods come without original boxes! Be they bodies, lenses, or flashes, you end up with new packaging. Welcome to the world of refurbished canon goods.

I think the point is that you're not even getting the white refurb box now.

K6AZ wrote in post #12885446
I think the point is that you're not even getting the white refurb box now.

MOkoFOko wrote in post #12885427
ALL refurbished goods come without original boxes! Be they bodies, lenses, or flashes, you end up with new packaging. Welcome to the world of refurbished canon goods.

They come in a white box the same size as retail, just without the nice printing on them. It probably saves them money as well as helps to prevent people reselling them as new goods.

His issue is he didn't get the white box.

K6AZ wrote in post #12885446
I think the point is that you're not even getting the white refurb box now.

At least this is the case for the OP. I got a 24-70 from Canon and it *did* come with the white refurb box.

S.Horton wrote in post #12885267
It is an issue for resale value. And worth noting that if someone tries to sell you a lens without a box, hmmmmmmmmmmm.

So, when someone wants a box, I think they might be looking ahead to selling the lens.

Sounds like a good business strategy. But refurb, sell as used. I wonder if there is margin in it.

On second thought, I wonder if Canon will publish the list of serial numbers of refurb gear so that buyers have a way to vette items.

This would be a great idea. I saw a bunch of "new" 7D's and 5Dm2's on Craigslist last year when they were available from CLP. Surprisingly, they didn't have boxes for their new items

Borrowlenses.com has boxes you can buy, email them.

klr.b wrote in post #12885533
This would be a great idea. I saw a bunch of "new" 7D's and 5Dm2's on Craigslist last year when they were available from CLP. Surprisingly, they didn't have boxes for their new items

Not only that, I've lost track of the number of threads complaining that high end lenses without boxes don't bring the same price as those with retail boxes. I also lost track of many who coinicidently had such lenses for sale without boxes not stating they were refurbished yet they had stated they bought them from the Canon Store refurbished in one of the Canon Store discount code threads. The search engine is your friend particularly if you're buying.

i was told specifically by Canon NOT to ship a lens back to them in the original packaging. They told me the box would NOT come back to me.
so, having the box is pretty much worthless for shipping purposes (to canon at least).

My 50D, 70-200/2.8 and 85/1.8 all came direct from Canon refurb and they all came in a normal cardboard box with the expanding foam padding stuff, just like you describe. The 50D was a year and a half ago so this doesn't seem to be anything new.

schmidtc wrote in post #12885535
Borrowlenses.com has boxes you can buy, email them.

yep.