Interesting warranty story with Sigma lens

I bought a 50mm Sigma lens back in 10/10. Sent it in for warranty service on Friday because it's been back focusing. (-18 MA on my cameras). Figured may as well get it cleaned up.

I get a quote today and they want to charge me $50 to adjust the AF and $10 SH. I call up, and they first tell me they didn't get the receipt I put in the box. I email it over to them, and call back. Now they say Dell isn't an authorized dealer. I point out that Dell is listed on their website. They put me on hold for a few minutes, get back on and say they will repair it as a courtesy. When I asked why they said that Dell had purchased the lens from an unauthorized dealer.

Not sure what's going on here. Anyone else ever run into a similar situation with a Sigma purchased from Dell?

I know you don't want to hear comments like this, but wouldn't buy photography equipment from Dell in the first place. They build their own computers, and therefore have a vested interest in making and supporting them well. When they act as a reseller for other manufacturers' stuff, they're no better than Best Buy or Walmart.

archer1960 wrote in post #15731998
I know you don't want to hear comments like this, but wouldn't buy photography equipment from Dell in the first place. They build their own computers, and therefore have a vested interest in making and supporting them well. When they act as a reseller for other manufacturers' stuff, they're no better than Best Buy or Walmart.

That's fine. To each their own. Personally I'd buy from Bestbuy (bought 6D there) or Walmart if the price is right. But I don't want this to turn into that kind of thread.

That said, not sure if this is a Dell or Sigma issue. Sigma basically is accusing Dell of buying their gear from an unauthorized dealer.

If Dell is listed on Sigma's website as an authorized dealer, then the issue is between Dell and Sigma. You should not be caught in the middle, and Sigma should honor the warranty.

Scott M wrote in post #15732114
If Dell is listed on Sigma's website as an authorized dealer, then the issue is between Dell and Sigma. You should not be caught in the middle, and Sigma should honor the warranty.

Which to point out; sigma is honoring** though the verbiage is off.

adammazza wrote in post #15732010
That's fine. To each their own. Personally I'd buy from Bestbuy (bought 6D there) or Walmart if the price is right. But I don't want this to turn into that kind of thread.

That said, not sure if this is a Dell or Sigma issue. Sigma basically is accusing Dell of buying their gear from an unauthorized dealer.

Yeah, and that pretty much sucks for the customers; I wonder how many are getting caught like you are. It's good that Sigma is taking care of you, but I'd love to be a fly on the wall when Sigma contacts Dell about this issue...

As a customer it is good to know that Sigma is taking care of you.

archer1960 wrote in post #15731998
I know you don't want to hear comments like this, but wouldn't buy photography equipment from Dell in the first place. They build their own computers, and therefore have a vested interest in making and supporting them well. When they act as a reseller for other manufacturers' stuff, they're no better than Best Buy or Walmart.

Agree. Additionally i want to add that as a long time computer professional in New York, I can tell you Dell used to make very good computers. Financial institutions in New York City bought tens of thousands of them. They were widely considered the best made of the larger computer manufacturers. But that's past tense. In more recent years Dells are no better than, and in some cases worse than competing machines with regard to both build and service. They no longer have the niche they once had. I wouldn't buy a computer from Dell today, much less a camera! Computers, and to a lesser extent, dSLRs are no longer the specialty items they once were. Except for the higher end models, they are now mostly just commodities, like toasters, intended for sale by a variety of nonspecialist vendors at competitive price points.

Scott M wrote in post #15732114
If Dell is listed on Sigma's website as an authorized dealer, then the issue is between Dell and Sigma. You should not be caught in the middle, and Sigma should honor the warranty.

^This

mwsilver wrote in post #15734234
Agree. Additionally i want to add that as a long time computer professional in New York, I can tell you.....

And that^ has nothing to do with the issue....

monty28428 wrote in post #15734258
^This



And that^ has nothing to do with the issue....

Actually it does. My point is I wouldn't buy ANYTHING from Dell, whether its a camera or their signature product, the PC. Their service in general has not be great for quite some time. Sigma, on the other hand is a class act.

Tell me how... I could care less if you don't want to buy anything from Dell for whatever reason. The point is Sigma shoud honor the waranty because Dell is an authorized reseller -- nothing more.

monty28428 wrote in post #15734302
Tell me how... I could care less if you don't want to buy anything from Dell for whatever reason. The point is Sigma shoud honor the waranty because Dell is an authorized reseller -- nothing more.

Sigma is honoring the warranty but indicated they're doing it despite the fact that Dell apparently broke their agreement with Sigma and bought and sold a grey market lens. This is, of course, a problem between Dell and Sigma and shouldn't have a negative impact on the customer. However, it may be indicative of poor business practices on Dell's part. The fact that Sigma at first refused to support it is natural since technically, the customer had a non warrantied product. However, on further reflection, and to their credit, Sigma decided to protect the customers investment despite Dell's possibly dubious practices. If I were the customer I would ask Sigma to ensure the lens will be covered for the life of the warranty. However, having said all this, many vendors, like B$H, sell export versions of lenses at a reduced price. Those lenses do not carry USA warranties as far as i know. I wonder if that was the case here.

interesting. so there is a difference between grey market and authorized lenses?

or do you think sigma just tracks everything by serial number?

caoko wrote in post #15734450
interesting. so there is a difference between grey market and authorized lenses?

or do you think sigma just tracks everything by serial number?

The following is from B&H's web site with regard to imported or grey goods. I'm sure other vendors provide similar information.

About USA and Imported Products

Items marked "USA" are imported and/or distributed by the manufacturer or the manufacturers official licensed importer/distributor and are warranted by them. Items marked "Imported" are imported and/or distributed by other entities and are warranted by B&H Photo-Video. "Imported" products do not qualify for manufacturers rebate programs. There is no difference in the item itself.

The terms "grey market", "direct import", and "Imported", refer to the same thing in this article. B&H sells most products with a warranty from the manufacturer or from the manufacturer's licensed importer. We also sell some products we've obtained from sources other than the manufacturer or its licensed importer. These are "grey market" products. "Grey market" is not illegal, not factory seconds, not demo merchandise, not cheaper or inferior products. In fact in almost every instance a "grey market" product is absolutely identical to its US-warranted counterpart. "Grey market" and US-warranted products are manufactured in the same factories from the same components, and sub-assemblies, to the same specs and tolerances, by the same workers. In terms of the item itself (excepting PAL video -- see below) there is no difference at all. A "grey market" Nikon 50mm f/1.4 D-AF lens (for example) is exactly the same in every possible way as the US-warranted version.
.

What I'm taking from this is that Sigma is standing behind their warranty despite an issue with the authorized dealer.

As a guy that buys from Sigma and as a guy that has a lens at Sigma having its focus adjusted, I'm glad to hear this.