Purchasing a grey market camera (Page 3): i never needed any warranty done on any photo equipment , so assuming you wont either , why not . also independent repair shops would fix gray...

agillot

i never needed any warranty done on any photo equipment , so assuming you wont either , why not . also independent repair shops would fix gray market .i used to fix a certain brand of gray market cars [ europe ] that their dealers would not touch .in some cases they where better cars .

BebuLamar

I feel the saving on gray market cameras are too little to consider.

joegim Loc: Long Island, NY

If you had asked this question 25 years ago I'd say yes. But today's cameras are so complicated that so many times only the manufacturer's authorized repair facilities have the expertise or the parts. As mentioned previously I would call Nikon USA & inquire if they are now willing to repair grey market equipment. If yes then go for it.

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

You takes your chances and roll the dice. It may be fine forever, or it may not........... Modern DSLR and Mirrorless are very complex little beasts, even the cheapies are expensive to repair. Odds are probably about the same as buying a used camera, might be good experience, migh not.

Most of the big boys give at least 6 months on used and refurbed, some give a year, some offer extended coverage, etc. I have almost never had a DSLR fail.... a used D80 started going bad a few months after I bought it, but it was not a lot of money to buy, $100 to fix (worth it, not sure, so I haven't), sits in my glass display case with a big ole lens attached, looks great sittin there, but only takes "occasional" images, maybe 50% success rate. I figure if I'm ever robbed, the stuff in the glass case might look to good to pass up, who cares if it doesn't work right....

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

LS wrote:

I found a good deal on a new Nikon on ebay. No warranty (it's an import) but it has a 30 day satisfaction guarantee and free returns. I'm sure lots of you have had experience with this, so advice would be valuable. The savings is significant, or I would not even consider it. The seller also offers their own warranty, but I haven't yet been informed of it's price. The seller has 5 star approval ratings.

Nope - I wouldn't. Even if the seller says they guarantee it for 30 days - good luck with that. Not even eBay will back you up if something goes south and my experience is if you try and contact the seller they will not get back to you. There is a reason they are good deals.

repleo Loc: Boston

Check the Nikon USA website before you decide on a Gray market Nikon. Refusing to honor a gray market warranty s one thing, but refusing to even allow dealers to do repairs is a different story. I will never buy a Nikon product until they change their policy.

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-store/gray-market.page

Extracts:
" 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. If you suspect you may have purchased a Gray Market Nikon product, please contact the seller or importer for warranty and service information as well as software updates and downloads. Refer to the seller or the warranty cards included with your product for service contact information."

BebuLamar

repleo wrote:

Check the Nikon USA website before you decide on a... (show quote)

I guess you don't buy Nikon product any way.

LS Loc: Montana

I really appreciate all the comments and advice you all have given. It seems the general consensus is to NOT take a chance on grey market, at least when shelling out over a couple grand. Everything is a gamble, I'm not much on gambling . . .

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

LS wrote:

I really appreciate all the comments and advice you all have given. It seems the general consensus is to NOT take a chance on grey market, at least when shelling out over a couple grand. Everything is a gamble, I'm not much on gambling . . .

Agree with your conclusion. Buy refurbished Nikon items. I’ve done that many times. At least you know it works.

Bob Werre

I would distinguish between a camera body and lens. I have never had a Nikon lens develop a problem so I'd trust grey market if I could verify it was sharp and worked well from day one. Body is certainly another situation--the failure rate for internal electronics is much higher.
BTW, back in photo school, one of the guys in our complex had a dad who was a international pilot flying to Japan often. He frequently brought back an entire suitcase of stuff for the guys! Another friend ordered a grey market RB67. When it arrived the exporter, to avoid custom's issues, just put a Dymo label over the name--it was now labeled KelleyFlex for the new owner's name--he loved it!

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Jim750 wrote:

Personally, I prefer to purchase slightly used or a refurbished camera ( by manufacturer) than purchasing gray market. I have never had any problems with either and the savings can be substantial. Good Luck whatever your choice. Beware who you purchase from,there is lots of information on this site.

Yes, I've found that I can get a refurb for not much more than a grey market item and I can add a 5 year drop/spill warranty for not much more.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

billnikon wrote:

My suggestion is always shoot the living you know what out of it the first week you have it. Use all the modes and shoot under a variety of ISO settings including auto ISO if possible.

This is good advice for any new equipment I've just discovered. Just last week I bought a 2 lens kit, Olympus 14-150mm and 17mm 1.8 fro MFT. I was really intrigued by that tiny 17mm and played with it, loved it and I was playing with manual focus. I switched back to the 14-150 while it was still in manual mode and it wouldn't focus. It worked fine in auto, but not manual. I was happy to find it out right away so it was easy for me to pack it all back up and return it for a new one instead of finding out later and it being a warranty issue. Now I'm just waiting for the replacement kit.

sirlensalot Loc: Arizona

Personally, if it was a cheap or used camera, I would probably do it. If you are laying down some serious cash for a new model, I would avoid grey market.

Bill Paustian Loc: Sun City, Az

LS wrote:

I found a good deal on a new Nikon on ebay. No warranty (it's an import) but it has a 30 day satisfaction guarantee and free returns. I'm sure lots of you have had experience with this, so advice would be valuable. The savings is significant, or I would not even consider it. The seller also offers their own warranty, but I haven't yet been informed of it's price. The seller has 5 star approval ratings.

My nikon D750 is 18 mo. old. The shutter release button has failed. The camera is out of
warranty. It was sent to the factory for repair. If I had purchased grey Nikon would not repair
it and I would have a dead camera. I would never purchase a grey market camera.

PHIL TYLER

LS wrote:

I found a good deal on a new Nikon on ebay. No warranty (it's an import) but it has a 30 day satisfaction guarantee and free returns. I'm sure lots of you have had experience with this, so advice would be valuable. The savings is significant, or I would not even consider it. The seller also offers their own warranty, but I haven't yet been informed of it's price. The seller has 5 star approval ratings.

I would have some reservations on this deal [buyers remorse would be a glaring example on this . ]