GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

Just wondering:

If the manufactures like Pentax, Nikon, Sony, Canon, etc. are 1st party manufactures and Sigma or Tamron are 3rd party manufactures, who is the 2nd party?

The only thing I can come up with is the companies that are contracted to make "things" for the 1st party are 2nd party. Is that a good guess or not?

Another thought, If that's true and a third party mfg. contracted someone else, would they be a 4th party?

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

You.

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

Hey Capt. are you calling all the final owners out there "2nd class people"???

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Not second class! Just the second party.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Company of the Brand name = 1st party
Consumer = 2nd party
Other company making things for the product = 3rd party

You can switch the 1 & 2 parties

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Owners aren't manufacturers in the normal supply chain. Let's see who comes up with answers for this. It isn't that hard.

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

In the days of Queen Victoria, we had 1st class, 2nd class, third class and 4th class,
which when travelling, meant sitting on the roof!

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

Those that actually produce the product because they have the facilities to manufacture those products?

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

It's not party, it's Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3, right....

Best,
Todd Ferguson

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I know what you mean. It's an odd way of referring to a manufacturer. It's not Nikon, and it's not me, so it must be some "third party." As for a "4th party," I limit myself to three parties a night.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

I think @robertjerl got it right - in the logistics world there is a term called 3PL - 3rd party Logistics - that refers to warehouses that work as contractors to companies who don't want to maintain their own facilities. So the 1st party would be the manufacture (or importer, or supplier, whatever) and the 2nd party is the customer receiving the goods, making the external warehouse contractor a 3rd party. The term may have just spilled over to the actual manufacturing world.

Linckinn Loc: Okatie, SC and Edgartown, MA

Make sure to follow and let us know when someone gets it right

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Pentax, Sony, Canon, etc. are second, Nikon is first, and Sigma and Tamron are a DISTANT 3rd.

mrtobin Loc: North East Ohio

third par·ty
ˈˌTHər(d) ˈpärdē/
noun
noun: third party; plural noun: third parties
1.
a person or group besides the two primarily involved in a situation, especially a dispute.
US
a political party organized as an alternative to the major parties in a two-party system.
adjective
adjective: third-party; adjective: third party
1.
relating to a person or group besides the two primarily involved in a situation.
"third-party suppliers"

Tom DePuy Loc: Waxhaw, N.C.

Why are things made by non official companies called 3rd party? Shouldn't they be 2nd party?






Here's how it works: you purchased a product. A car, a stereo, perhaps a smartphone or computer of some sort...

You and the manufacturer are the first and second parties. Now suppose you wanted accessories or parts for your product. Unless you or the manufacturer of the initial product made said parts, they're said to be third party.


Your car might be a Ford, but the tires might be Goodyear. Your phone might be Samsung, but the case an OtterBox... The third party provides goods or services for your product, but is unaffiliated with you or the company you initially did business with. Therefore, these third party purchases likely fall outside warranty or support agreements of the initial transaction.

If your phone and computer were both Apple brands, you could reasonably expect warranty, and technical support for both, and their interaction together. However, bringing Windows PC and an iPhone to an Apple or Microsoft store would likely result in them refusing to service one device or the other.