Canon USA Addresses the Gray Market

http://www.canonrumors​.com …ddresses-the-gray-market/

Customers should also be aware that Gray Market Products may not be eligible for:
• Coverage under a U.S. warranty;
• U.S. promotions, including mail-in and instant rebates; and
• Technical support

Is this really any different than before? I'd be more interested to see if Canon ever bans out-of-warranty servicing of gray market products like Nikon does.

Some have claimed Canon has been providing warranty work for gray market version cams.

DarthVader wrote in post #17336821
http://www.canonrumors​.com …ddresses-the-gray-market/

Customers should also be aware that Gray Market Products may not be eligible for:
• Coverage under a U.S. warranty;
• U.S. promotions, including mail-in and instant rebates; and
• Technical support

What you are pasting is the gray market definition. It is a product not made to be sold in the US market and therefore does not qualify for US warranty, promotions or support. B&H used to have ~$50 difference on some L lenses between US version & gray market version. I guess saving $50 to some is worth losing warranty & support.

<pedant>It isn't that they aren't "made" to be sold in the USA - they aren't imported and distributed by Canon USA</pedant>

dkizzle wrote in post #17341708
What you are pasting is the gray market definition. It is a product not made to be sold in the US market and therefore does not qualify for US warranty, promotions or support. B&H used to have ~$50 difference on some L lenses between US version & gray market version. I guess saving $50 to some is worth losing warranty & support.

depending on the product a $50 difference would not be worth it for me

The grey market is well worth using in the UK, even products sourced from the USA are better priced for us after Custom duties and VAT. Usually its the shipping from USA that takes the price up to almost UK prices. Its a pity we cant all enjoy the same prices as Japan/China and retain the warranties. At the moment a 7DII UK price is £1600, I can get a US 7DII delivered for £1200! - It wont be long before I am in a position to buy one and I know it wont be sourced from the UK

The issue is that the differences on some products amount to thousands.

$2,000 USD difference on a 1DX

$3,000 USD difference on a 200-400

$4,000 USD difference on a 600 II and 800

And the USA warranty period is only one year. Quite brief, relative to the reasonably expected useful life of the gear involved, much less the cost and sophistication of the gear listed above.

On the other hand, BECAUSE of the tremendous cost, precision, and computer circuitry involved in the products above, it can be very expensive NOT to have a warranty during the initial year when the products are delivered.

Cameras are portable items, not houses. Even though these cameras and lenses cost more than I paid for my first house, unlike my house, cameras are used more often when traveling. And that includes the big cameras and lenses listed above, which are the tools of choice for wildlife and sports photographers throughout the world.

Canon's camera and lens warranties should be honored world wide, period.

mad_mackem wrote in post #17342998
The grey market is well worth using in the UK, even products sourced from the USA are better priced for us after Custom duties and VAT. Usually its the shipping from USA that takes the price up to almost UK prices. Its a pity we cant all enjoy the same prices as Japan/China and retain the warranties. At the moment a 7DII UK price is £1600, I can get a US 7DII delivered for £1200! - It wont be long before I am in a position to buy one and I know it wont be sourced from the UK

Someone I know bought his father a brand new German car in NJ. He put it in a container and shipped it to Germany where his father picked it up and drove it to Croatia. This was cheaper than buying a new car in Croatia or Germany. Strange world...

mad_mackem wrote in post #17342998
The grey market is well worth using in the UK, even products sourced from the USA are better priced for us after Custom duties and VAT. Usually its the shipping from USA that takes the price up to almost UK prices. Its a pity we cant all enjoy the same prices as Japan/China and retain the warranties. At the moment a 7DII UK price is £1600, I can get a US 7DII delivered for £1200! - It wont be long before I am in a position to buy one and I know it wont be sourced from the UK

Reality can be truly odd at times. In 1981 I travelled to the UK on business for the first time, I brought my Olympus OM-1. The film/shutter winding mechanism jammed. Not wanting to be in London for the first time without any camera, I asked about shopping for a replacement. Someone in the office suggested a store, so I went there. A discount store, prices on the OM-1n body were quite good. For tourists there was the VAT refund program, and in 1981 the GBP was particularly weak against the USD. I bought a brand new OM1n body for the equivalent of $110 as a result, far less than I could buy that body even from B&H!

dkizzle wrote in post #17341708
What you are pasting is the gray market definition. It is a product not made to be sold in the US market and therefore does not qualify for US warranty, promotions or support. B&H used to have ~$50 difference on some L lenses between US version & gray market version. I guess saving $50 to some is worth losing warranty & support.

From B&H they will give you an in-house warranty for Gray market the same a manufacturer

Most of the established names in Australia who sell grey market electrical goods offer a warranty through themselves too. The difference to a white market product is that instead of being able to go back to the local representative (e.g. Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc) you have to go back to the seller who then goes back to the distributor in the country they sourced the product from.

End result for the consumer - if it breaks down, it will still be covered under warranty but may well take a lot more time to be fixed and back to you as it's being shipped a LOT further.

gmm213 wrote in post #17343148
From B&H they will give you an in-house warranty for Gray market the same a manufacturer

Interesting I was not aware of that. I live in NYC but never buy major camera gear from B&H & Adorama because of almost 9% in taxes. It is easier for me to buy from an authorized dealer from out of state and get free shipping.

The link in the OP is not any different than Canon USA policy over the past decade!

Unlike Nikon, that will not even repair grey market goods, Canon DOES do repair work on grey market stuff.

This article http://gottliebphototo​urs.com …rranties-and-grey-market/ explains Canon vs. Nikon policy as of August 2014:

"Canon has an extremely lenient warranty policy and in most cases will agree to service any Canon product bought in the US. There are exceptions, however. When Canon can clearly determine that it is dealing with a grey market product, they may not service it. Although in most cases, Canon cannot tell the difference.

"The case is a bit different with Nikon products. Nikon USA states that they will not service any grey market product; however, in general they do not have a really useful or reliable identification technique, especially when it comes to the “pro” DSLR bodies. Some other Nikon grey products are more easily identifiable. At least all US Nikon lenses are sold with a US warranty slip with the serial number on it.

"Nikon grey market products can be serviced; however, you must be willing to ship your camera or lens overseas (to Japan) and be willing to wait a while to receive your repaired item."