Repairing gray market gear
Jun 19, 2019 08:40:07 #
https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/groups/gray-market
Canons word on Grey Market repairs.
Canons word on Grey Market repairs.
Jun 19, 2019 09:23:08 #
I dropped my latest model $2700 70-200 Nikon lens. It needed a front element. The repair was done by PhotoTech in NYC. The part had to be ordered from Nikon. I sincerely doubt that the part would have been available from anyplace but Nikon. If this was gray market I probably would have had to chuck it unless another lens could have been cannibalized for the part.
Jun 19, 2019 09:26:03 #
If you are talking about Sony, it seems like the treat grey market cameras pretty much like "out-of-warranty" cameras. They will replace any parts that they can identify as broken, and the parts and labor charges don't seem to go up or down based on where you purchased the camera.
Sony has a reputation for not fixing cameras under warranty unless it was a manufacturing defect, so in some cases, the grey market cameras will give you identical service to the U.S. version.
One thing to worry about is that the grey market lenses are sometimes poor copies. I am not sure why this is, but I have heard several users complain that their 70-200 GM was "never quite right". Unfortunately, just having a bad copy is not a problem that Sony (or anyone else) will have much luck fixing.
Sony has a reputation for not fixing cameras under warranty unless it was a manufacturing defect, so in some cases, the grey market cameras will give you identical service to the U.S. version.
One thing to worry about is that the grey market lenses are sometimes poor copies. I am not sure why this is, but I have heard several users complain that their 70-200 GM was "never quite right". Unfortunately, just having a bad copy is not a problem that Sony (or anyone else) will have much luck fixing.
Jun 19, 2019 09:40:49 #
I do not understand the problem of finding someone to repair a camera no matter where it was purchased. I purchased a brand name camera from the Netherlands and saved over $700.00. Since it was a new camera and if I detected a problem with it, I would send it back to the dealer for warranty work. If not warranty item, I would still ship it back to the European dealer. The shipping cost when I bought the camera was $70.00 and I received it in three days. Ordered it on Monday and received it on Wednesday! I have bought photo equipment, personal items, household and kitchen items, optical items (binoculars, range finder, telescope, mineral specimens, gemstone rough, etc.) from China, Japan, Europe, Australia, South America, England, India (never again, takes forever to receive an item.) Cyprus and others that I cannot remember, right off hand. All it requires is what the lawyers call "Due Diligence". Also, if you do not know how to find an answer to a problem, find someone that does. This computer world has completely changed how we do things. There is an unlimited amount of knowledge available right from the keyboard of our computer(s).
Jun 19, 2019 09:59:36 #
OlinBost
Loc: Marietta, Ga.
If you have a camera repair shop close to you and they can fix in their shop with parts they can get there should not be an issue for repair. The problem comes if they have to ship it to the mfg repair shop.
Jun 19, 2019 10:20:46 #
Satman
Loc: Indy
When you order a part, you do not put the serial number on the parts order,
Retired, but was in the business.
Retired, but was in the business.
Jun 19, 2019 10:28:45 #
brooklyn-camera I wrote:
https://photographylife.com/gray-market-camera-gear?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=what_is_gray_market_camera_gear&utm_term=2017-11-15
Does that mean Nikon uses inferior parts and an uneducated workforce for goods shipped to other markets??
Jun 19, 2019 11:33:36 #
pendennis wrote:
Nikon and their repair facilities won't touch gray market items for repair. You'd have to send the item back to the country of manufacture for repair. Nikon requires serial numbers for everything, and they know what was Nikon, USA, and what isn't.
Neither will Tamron.
Jun 19, 2019 13:03:52 #
nadelewitz
Loc: Ithaca NY
47greyfox wrote:
I have a personal articles policy thru State Farm.... (show quote)
This is pretty obviously a case of accidental damage, not a product defect. Seems an insurance company would require evidence of accidental damage, and would not cover product wearout or functional failure.
On the other side, I would not expect a camera maker to do warranty repair on a product suffering accidental damage.
Jun 19, 2019 19:06:29 #
gvarner wrote:
Are there any problems finding repair services for gray market gear? If warranty is an issue, you can get reasonably priced personal property insurance that covers repairs or replacement.
It depends what gear you are talking about. Nikon will not even touch a Nikon product, even if you were to pay for repairs. Canon will not do warranty repairs on gray market gear, but they will repair it for a fee.
The rest of the stuff out there, you'd best contact the company for more information.
Jun 19, 2019 19:50:38 #
nadelewitz wrote:
This is pretty obviously a case of accidental damage, not a product defect. Seems an insurance company would require evidence of accidental damage, and would not cover product wearout or functional failure.
On the other side, I would not expect a camera maker to do warranty repair on a product suffering accidental damage.
On the other side, I would not expect a camera maker to do warranty repair on a product suffering accidental damage.
Wear out and functional failure are perils not typically covered under a homeowners insurance policy.
Jun 19, 2019 20:33:40 #
gvarner wrote:
Are there any problems finding repair services
for gray market gear? If warranty is an issue,
you can get reasonably priced personal property
insurance that covers repairs or replacement.
Are there any problems finding repair services
for gray market gear? If warranty is an issue,
you can get reasonably priced personal property
insurance that covers repairs or replacement.
No probelm. You just determine its original
country of distribution, learn the language,
have it repaired in that country or region.
Ezee Pzee :-)
Jun 20, 2019 02:44:30 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
nadelewitz wrote:
This is pretty obviously a case of accidental damage, not a product defect. Seems an insurance company would require evidence of accidental damage, and would not cover product wearout or functional failure.
On the other side, I would not expect a camera maker to do warranty repair on a product suffering accidental damage.
On the other side, I would not expect a camera maker to do warranty repair on a product suffering accidental damage.
Yes. If the camera has been damaged, Nikon will not repair it for FREE under warranty. They only repair under warranty if they made a manufacturing error. They do not reward the photographer for there carelessness.
Jun 20, 2019 06:18:18 #
steleky wrote:
I dropped my latest model $2700 70-200 Nikon lens. It needed a front element. The repair was done by PhotoTech in NYC. The part had to be ordered from Nikon. I sincerely doubt that the part would have been available from anyplace but Nikon. If this was gray market I probably would have had to chuck it unless another lens could have been cannibalized for the part.
"If" is a big word. Maybe that would not have been the case. Insurance would have returned something towards replacement if unrepairable.
"Maybe" is another one of those big words.
Jun 20, 2019 09:02:01 #
This has nothing to do with insurance. The issue is whether or not gray market equipment can be repaired. My statement stands: The part must be obtainable.
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