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Archive 2015 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no wa...

  
 
sgilbert1967
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


OK guys I come from Nikon and with Nikon you can tell if its an import to your region by the serial number starting digit...
Enter my move to Canon...I would like to lay out what Ive learned and you add or correct what I have wrong...

Here is my understanding of Canon...
1. You cant tell intended region of camera via serial number and NEITHER CAN CANON...SO the only means of proving your camera isnt a grey market or import is the US warranty Card? Correct?

2. without the original or gift receipt one cannot get warranty work done?

I feel like several people are trying to sell me either imports ( probably because of the recent offers for grey market 1dx cameras at 3999 ) by NOT having the warranty card....and/or trying to act like it is US model and does have warranty left but they have no receipt. SO to get warranty work one would need the Warranty card US matched to camera and a receipt otherwise you either cant prove its not a grey market and if you did its Canon discretion to warranty it without receipt....Correct?

Becareful I truly think there are several trying to buy at 3999 and pass off as new US models on ebay... ect..



May 31, 2015 at 12:51 PM
luminaire
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


sgilbert1967 wrote:

1. You cant tell intended region of camera via serial number and NEITHER CAN CANON...SO the only means of proving your camera isnt a grey market or import is the US warranty Card? Correct?



Correct, and for that reason many authorized dealers remove the warranty cards when selling stock on to third-party retailers. They make a small profit on the sale and maintain a 'reputation' benefit because now those US-official cameras can't be distinguished from side-channel imports.

Those cheap 1DXs on eBay might well be officially-imported models that were sold-through. There's just no way to know unless the retailer confesses.

Serial numbers aren't logged when the cameras are regionalised at the end of the production line. So Canon service centers in the USA can't tell either ( other than any obvious clues in the model branding and software load ).

I can't answer the questions about warranty service because it might differ from the UK practice with which I'm familiar.



May 31, 2015 at 01:42 PM
Shutterbug2006
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


The warranty card means nothing.

A copy of the original invoice or receipt is required for warranty service in Canada and the USA.

Warranty in not transferable. It is only available to the original purchaser.



May 31, 2015 at 02:38 PM
mmurph
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


Shutterbug2006 wrote:
The warranty card means nothing.



It is true that the warranty card is not needed to obtain Canon USA warranty service. What is required is that you have a valid purchase receipt.


It **is also true** that officially imported Canon USA and Canada bodies and lenses come with a warranty card. Every single Canon USA or Canada item that I have purchased has come with that card.

That is probably the best way to be able to distinguish between officially imported and grey market product. If you don't get a warranty card on "new" equipment, there is a 99% chance that it is grey market. And you should pay accordingly.

+++

Canon has said in the past that you need a receipt from a "Canon Authorized Reseller" for warranty service in the US. They seem not to enforce that, but here is a list of authorized dealers:

http://www.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/dealer/CanonAuthorizedDealers.pdf

Canon Price Watch has a fairly good discussion on this. They also try to "flag" the grey market deals that they post:

http://www.canonpricewatch.com/blog/authorized-unauthorized-dealers-and-grey-market-explained/

They have some other useful information too. Like warnings about the "bait and switch" resellers who will never ship a body at the low price that they advertise. Plus eBay Seller ratings, and their "Street Price" program:

http://www.canonpricewatch.com/blog/info/

If you are looking at a deal you could run it past the board here before you buy, just to be safe.

Good luck!



May 31, 2015 at 03:56 PM
RonR2
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


Buy refurbed equipment from canon and you know what you have.
I haven't had to show proof of purchase at the Newport News, VA repair facility. Took a 7D in for service along with a 100-400mm and 70-200 to be cleaned and checked, they replaced the motors in both lens at no charge, both lens worked fine, but they detected a problem and repaired them. This was 3 years ago.



May 31, 2015 at 05:58 PM
scalesusa
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


For warranty work, you should have a sales receipt from a authorized dealer. The card doesn't do anything.

Generally, Canon has been repairing gray market cameras and lenses under warranty as long as you have a receipt. Nikon is very hard nosed about it.



May 31, 2015 at 08:33 PM
Gochugogi
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


scalesusa wrote:
For warranty work, you should have a sales receipt from a authorized dealer. The card doesn't do anything.

Generally, Canon has been repairing gray market cameras and lenses under warranty as long as you have a receipt. Nikon is very hard nosed about it.


That's not completely true. Yes, Canon Service doesn't give rat's tail about the card. However, for some odd reason many buyers are willing to pay more for a used camera if it comes with the original packaging materials, manuals and paperwork such as cards and whatnot. So the card is useful and worth saving along with the boxes and other stuff I used to throw away...



May 31, 2015 at 09:06 PM
jcolwell
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


Gochugogi wrote:
That's not completely true. Yes, Canon Service doesn't give rat's tail about the card. However, for some odd reason many buyers are willing to pay more for a used camera if it comes with the original packaging materials, manuals and paperwork such as cards and whatnot. So the card is useful and worth saving along with the boxes and other stuff I used to throw away...


I agree. About the value of having all of the original gubbins (regardless of their actual usefulness and independent value).

OTOH, I'm not sure if I agree about the rat's asspirations.




May 31, 2015 at 09:14 PM
Shutterbug2006
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


Apparently there ARE people who will pay to buy the original box. I have a lot of expensive cardboard in my storage area I can cash in if I ever get so desperate.


May 31, 2015 at 10:56 PM
sgilbert1967
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


So having a US warranty card with matching serial IS then the only indicator its not grey market as they generally wont have one?

I know the speel but doesnt everyone just claim gift receipt, I mean you cant buy cameras for family members in other states ect? I dealt with Canon on 2 different 7D purchased off craigslist and they did me right on BOTH but that was several years ago...





Jun 01, 2015 at 01:28 AM
molson
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


sgilbert1967 wrote:
So having a US warranty card with matching serial IS then the only indicator its not grey market as they generally wont have one?



That, plus a copy of the original sales receipt.



Jun 01, 2015 at 01:22 PM
dhphoto
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


I think warranty cards are a throwback to pre-internet days, I haven't seen one or filled on in for years

In the UK you will need a receipt from an accredited Canon reseller to get warranty work.

But then after a year it makes no difference so I buy a lot of grey gear because you can save a great deal of money (and getting the best price is fun)



Jun 01, 2015 at 01:37 PM
onesickpuppy
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


My understanding of the "warranty" card...is that the sales people of Canon use it for data on
what units, where/what/why type if info for their sales database.

Totally correct...if an issue comes up...need a "valid" sales receipt to get warranty work done.



Jun 02, 2015 at 11:14 PM
scalesusa
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Help me wade through people trying to scam me with grey market and no warranty


sgilbert1967 wrote:
So having a US warranty card with matching serial IS then the only indicator its not grey market as they generally wont have one?

I know the speel but doesnt everyone just claim gift receipt, I mean you cant buy cameras for family members in other states ect? I dealt with Canon on 2 different 7D purchased off craigslist and they did me right on BOTH but that was several years ago...



Having a receipt from a authorized Canon Dealer is the best proof that a Camera is not Gray Market. The cards are easy to counterfeit.

Dealers are supposed to fill out a card or online form?? at the time of sale and send this to Canon. Sometimes, their half of the card is not separated and is still in the box when you receive it. I suspect that big stores like B&H scan a camera bar code and it gets uploaded to B&H automatically, or at least they have the information on file.




Jun 03, 2015 at 11:03 AM





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