Used Abe's of Maine (Page 2): I hope you are luckier that most. "Honest" Abe's is NOT!

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

RickL wrote:

I purchased a new d810 for $400 less than a refurbished one but was treated with respect and the salesperson was very knowledgeable. Based on my experience, I would highly recommend them. There was no bait and switch

I hope you are luckier that most. "Honest" Abe's is NOT!

Mary Kate Loc: NYC

rmalarz wrote:

The biggest clues is what's the first 3 numbers of the serial number of the camera?
--Bob

OK..what are the first 3 numbers?? What do they signify?

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

ken_stern wrote:

Have had the same experience as yourself --- 2009 Purchased a 5D Mkii for $500.00 less then the list price & November 2016 purchased a 5DS for $500.00 under the current list price -- Both cameras have the full Canon USA warranty

But those are Canon and not Nikon. Nikon does NOT allow their dealers to drop the price one dime under the Manufacturers Suggested (demanded) list price. Adorama, B&H and some others get away with including packages of items (like camera bags, lens cleaners, non-Nikon batteries that they have a huge margin on) in order to give an apparent discount.
Neither Nikon nor a Nikon Authorized repair facility will warranty or repair an grey market Nikon camera or lens. Adorama and B&H do sell some "grey market" as they have customers outside the US and can sell them the cameras and lenses appropriate to their location or Adorama and / or B&H will repair the items themselves but the merchandise can NOT go to any other Nikon repair facility.

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

ken_stern wrote:

In both cases 2009 & 2016 the paper work that ... (show quote)

Obviously you have never been bitten...and that's good for you.

The truth if the matter is that...you have little in rights and can't stop a payment once you authorize it with a credit card.

It took almost a year, untold red tape and time to finally get back 2K of my money back on a purchase...and that was due to pure luck and persistence.

Most of these retailers sell and never deliver... and you wait an eternity while you live through the lies... or finally receive garbage.

There is little you can do...support from CC companies no longer holds true and you must prove all before any action is taken. The seller has much more in rights than the buyer now.

In reality it is legal to steal if it is done on line from my experience so beware...

Reputation companies develop over time should carry the most weight... not an occasional report of bliss.

Check ratings on line with independent raters. Go to multiple sites and not comments they have on their own web sites. Most importantly, buy from reputable authorized dealers.

Do your homework and don't get suckered in...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

RickL wrote:

Thanks for your concerns. Item has a US warranty and is not Grey market

Register it with Nikon.

https://www.nikonimgsupport.com/ni/NI_product_registration?ctry=US&lang=en_US&cid=REG:US:NA:ongoing:register.net:O:localepointer:Nikon:localepointer

RKL349 Loc: Connecticut

RickL wrote:

I purchased a new d810 for $400 less than a refurbished one but was treated with respect and the salesperson was very knowledgeable. Based on my experience, I would highly recommend them. There was no bait and switch

Recently I was in the market for an 85mm lens. I looked at Abe's because I had dealt with them previously, with both good and fair experiences. I checked the Nikon USA web site and found that they were not an authorized distributor of Nikon USA products. That was all I had to know and made my purchase directly from Nikon, and found a refurbished lens that has been serving me well ever since. Knowing that I could have this lens repaired by Nikon gave me additional assurance.

kerry12 Loc: Harrisburg, Pa.

Hello. I'm new to Ugly Hedgehog but I just wanted to put in my 2 cents. I have used Adorama and B&H Photo almost exclusively for over 15 years and have no complaints. I only buy USA warranty.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

dennis2146 wrote:

No, I don't have to ask but I don't believe in calling the OP an idiot either. There are times when I can at least try to be pleasant. Quite possibly he is someone new to photography or at least has no idea what a grey market product is.

Dennis

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

RickL Loc: Vail, Az

jerryc41 wrote:

Wow!

Here's a D810 at over $1,200 below other sellers, but this one is obviously gray market.

http://www.abesofmaine.com/Nikon_D810_DSLR_Camera_Body_Only_1002651.html

Jeff was the salesperson who helped me. He walked me through a number of options, pointed out the best ones and without me asking added in express shipping all at no additional cost. He did ask if I needed lenses and my response was that I have plenty (8). While I currently use a D7000, all but two of my lenses are Fx ranging from prime 50mm to 600mm tel.
That was it as far as offering anything else. If I had thought about it I could have added a Nikon battery grip. He then walked my order through and notified me when my camera had shipped, it was all low key and helpful. I could not have asked for more

My experience was 50 years of 21/4 and 35mm film. I only began my adventure in digital last January and I have been an avid HOG reader since then

Smudgey Loc: Ohio, Calif, Now Arizona

Excellent answer.

dennis2146 wrote:

No, I don't have to ask but I don't believe in calling the OP an idiot either. There are times when I can at least try to be pleasant. Quite possibly he is someone new to photography or at least has no idea what a grey market product is.

Dennis

lhardister Loc: Brownsville, TN

This is addressed to members at large: I may be confused (surely wouldn't be the first time) but it seems to me that there are some glaring inconsistencies in the line of conversation in this thread. I think it has been established that Abe's is not an authorized Nikon dealer, and has not been since at least about 2009. And, I think it has been established that, not being an authorized Nikon dealer, Abe's cannot sell new Nikon cameras in the US with a Nikon USA warranty. And further, even if they were an authorized Nikon dealer that could sell new Nikon cameras with a USA warranty, they could not sell them below the minimum price established by Nikon. If all of this is correct, it seems to me that it would be impossible to legally purchase any new Nikon camera--and especially one that is deeply discounted below the prices of competing authorized Nikon dealers--from Abe's that is not a grey-market camera. I do not pretend to be up-to-snuff on these matters, so please straighten me out if I am incorrect on any point.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

RickL wrote:

Jeff was the salesperson who helped me. He walked... (show quote)

I would say that you got lucky and that you probably got a new sales guy that will probably not be employed by Abe's for much longer. Seriously, Able's has the worse reputation for taking your online order, then before anything they call you and try to upsell. Then when you refuse to buy anything else you get notified that the item you wanted is currently on back order or some crap like that. Sometimes I've heard of very rude comments coming from the sales dept. I have a friend that actually received a camera body that was probably a return or it was a demo. Lucky for him they took it back and did send a new one to him but it was another 2 weeks before the order was complete. You are a lucky guy. Oh, and as someone else recommended, you should post your s/n here so that those that know Nikon products can verify that your camera body really is a US model and that Abe's didn't actually trick you. There are some very knowledgeable guys here on UHH that know what S/N is good and bad.

leftj Loc: Texas

RickL wrote:

This is not a Grey market item

So you did register it with Nikon and your registration was accepted and confirmed by Nikon?

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

RickL wrote:

I purchased a new d810 for $400 less than a refurbished one but was treated with respect and the salesperson was very knowledgeable. Based on my experience, I would highly recommend them. There was no bait and switch

We call them Honest Gray Market Abe's.

ken_stern Loc: Yorba Linda, Ca

My purchases from Abe's Of Maine have all been for Canon products -- As a result I have no knowledge as to Nikons relationship with their dealers -- I do offer the following link to what appears as a knowledgeable explanation of what is going on with Canons relationship with their Authorized & Unauthorized dealerships
www.canonpricewatch.com/.../authorized-unauthorized- dealers-and-grey-mark

At least as regards Canon products
Hope this helps
See if this link works

www.canonpricewatch.com/.../authorized-unauthorized-%20dealers-and-grey-market..