MDI Mainer

Never had any problem whatever from gear I've bought from Abe's on the Amazon platform, and the savings were in the 200-500 USD range. Wouldn't buy directly from Abe's w/o Amazon standing behind the transaction though. But I'm not paranoid about buying gray market.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

When shopping online, it can be easy to get so excited that one fails to read all the details listed about the product before making the purchase. I find it best to stay calm and don't buy until a day or two later after thoroughly studying the information about the offer for at least a second time.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a grey market item, other than it doesn’t come with a manufacturer’s warranty, and if it’s a Nikon product, Nikon will not repair it or authorize a repair facility to do the repairs. Functionally, a grey market camera or lens ought to work just as well as an approved, U.S. market item. The real problem is that there are some disreputable grey market dealers, such as Abe’s of Maine and 42d St. Photo that are bait and switch outfits. They often sell you just the camera and for an additional price, sell you the battery, strap, battery charger, etc. and often that’s an inflated price, and these items normally come standard with the U.S. market item. These are dealers to avoid.

PGJR Loc: 33868

[quote=rook2c4]When shopping online, it can be easy to get so excited that one fails to read all the details

Learned lesson, thanks

hcmcdole

I've bought a few camera items on Amazon that were from Adorama (Gitzo tripod, Gitzo monopod, filters, and lenses over a few years). Only had one complaint when two lenses went back to Adorama due to UPS saying the label was smudged or lost and Adorama wouldn't send them back to me or give me a refund. I had to use Amazon to remedy the situation or my next step was going to be getting the credit card company involved.

PGJR Loc: 33868

I'm not paranoid about grey market if it's out of warranty, but if it's new I want the warranty & everything that is supposed to come with it. I got my AF 80-400mm when it was old, it is grey & it works flawlessly. When & if it dies I'll replace it with the newer version with a warranty.

Thanks everyone for listening & for your advice.

henryp Loc: New York, NY

Thank you.

henryp Loc: New York, NY

... but the retailer should tell you what you're buying.