I have an interesting response from Nikon regarding USA and Grey marked cameras. It looks like Nikon implies that my Nikon USA D850 camera a grey market one after I sell it. Has anyone run into this before?
I have the warranty but the buyer won't be the original owner.

TOM




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Question details:
Warranty transferable? What is Nikon's definition of Grey Market? Will authorized Nikon repair centers fix a D850 purchased outside the US?
Created: 03/24/2019 by Email | Reference #: 02852452
Response from Alexander V.
Warranties are NOT transferable.

The Nikon definition of 'Gray Market' is clearly defined on our web site. https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-store/gray-market.page Just like the support site says- If the product does not include a Nikon Warranty, the product is probably Gray Market. However, If you are the original owner with a proof of purchase from an authorized Nikon reseller, you are entitled to Nikon repair at set prices. To see the repair costs, go to https://www.nikonusa.com/en/service-and-support/service-and-repair.page and select 'Schedule a Repair'.

Nikon service centers probably will not repair a gray market D850. If you find a service center that will repair the D850, you will be subject to the service center's prices, schedule and possibly limited parts. If you have a D850 with a valid Nikon warranty, or you are the verifiable original owner of an out of warranty product, you should first contact the Nikon service center in the country where you purchased the product. Feel free to contact Nikon support to find a service center in the country where the D850 was originally purchased.

Nikon highly recommends you purchase all equipment through authorized Nikon resellers. Purchasing used equipment, trades, and equipment from non-authorized resellers is very risky and not recommended.

I believe they can read English, they just don't understand the meaning behind what was read and they lack the ability to construct a coherent sentence. It's a condition I find prevalent, especially on internet social media sites. Oh well, it is what it is.
By the way, I own USA authorized Nikon gear and have never had to have it repaired. I also own Authorized and Grey Market Canon gear. I've had a few lenses serviced by Canon repair in New Jersey and I haven't had a single problem. I've also never had a problem registering my grey market Canon gear with Canon.
I guess the moral of the story is, if you go grey, go Canon. They know either way they will make money, and that's why they are in business.

It is not the warranty I take issue with. It is their policy of refusing to service - even with payment - items they deem to be gray market. There have also been cases of Nikon refusing to sell parts to independent service centers.

Again see the Nikon gray market web page - as posted by the OP
https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-store/gray-market.page

or to make it even easier for you here are some relevant quotes from the page.

"Not eligible for repair service - Not eligible for Nikon USA repair service, even if you want to pay for it."
"Nikon Inc. USA and Nikon Authorized Dealers won’t provide technical support, repair or warranty service on Gray Market products."
and Nikon's response to the OP:
"Nikon service centers probably will not repair a gray market D850. If you find a service center that will repair the D850, you will be subject to the service center's prices, schedule and possibly limited parts."

That does look like what it says. But I've used Nikon gear for years, since the first time I could afford one, and I do not consider myself a moron. Over that span of about fifty years and several dozen lenses, bodies, and accessories, I've almost always bought used, because of the quality of the product. And do you know how many of those used items have failed to the point of requiring paid service? Exactly one - a used D3200 with a problem in the memory card slot. I think I could have probably replaced it myself, but the estimate for a professional service was $150. So I simply bought another used one on eBay, which is still in use.

Lesson: Buy whatever used products you like - repairs and replacement cost are likely to be offset by the savings in buying used. That doesn't mean you should buy without testing, or from sellers who won't give at least some sort of money back guarantee, but in my experience, the risks are much less than the rewards.

Just my experience...

Andy

Canon will repair some grey market product, on a case-by-case basis. (Always at a higher labor rate too) The difference is there is no way to tell if a used Canon camera is grey market or not until you send it to them. (I personally had a repair on a 5D3 refused for being grey market). Whereas a Nikon bodys serial number tells you if its USA or not so a buyer can easily make the decision to buy that grey market camera or not.
That choice is up to the buyer for Nikons, its a total crapshoot for Canon.