Hi, I live in the U.S. and am interested in purchasing a used Nikon body from a large NYC retailer. I've heard stories about Nikon U.S. refusing to service any non-U.S. equipment submitted to them for repairs. Assuming that is the case, is there any way to verify upon inspection, whether an item is the U.S. version or the non-U.S. version. (This particular body has the same model number for both US and non-US markets.) I think some of my equipment, maybe all of it, has little stickers on it to indicate they are U.S. models. The retailer claims that on "used" items, usually there is no paperwork submitted with the item, so they (the retailer/reseller) cannot establish whether it's gray or U.S. (I suspect this may be a gray market item. Keh, seems to be able to distinguish US from gray.)
So I thought I would bounce this off the collective wisdom of NPN. Any way to verify U.S. item versus gray market on used market? (Please no "buy Canon" comments from the peanut gallery.)
Jeff,
My understanding is that the US vs. gray designation is important when it comes to Nikon honoring its warranty for repairs. If you are buying a used body, does it still have warranty remaining?
Maureen,
My understanding (which could be wrong) regarding U.S. vs gray market items is that it is not just a warranty issue. It is a lifetime service issue. I have read that Nikon USA will not service gray market equipment ... period. Regardless of whether you offer to pay them or not, Nikon USA refuses to repair gray-market items. Your only alternatives are non-factory repair shops or Nikon Canada, Europe, Australia, etc.
So before I sink a few kilo-bucks into a used body, I'd like to make sure I'm going to be able to get it serviced should the need ever arise.
THis is B and H's explanation of the difference between Gray Market and USA versions of the same product.
I had a used Gray market D1X as a backup about 2 yrs ago. It had a problem, and I sent it back to B and H for repair, a required by the "Gray" warranty. It was back in my hands within 2 weeks. A friend had a similar problem with a USA model, sent it back to nikon, and it was 6 weeks before it was repaired and returned. Only MY one-time experience!
Sandy
About USA and GREY MARKET (DIRECT IMPORT) Products
USA or Imported Equipment
What are the differences as far as a customer is concerned?
In most cases the difference between a USA import and a Grey Market, or imported product, is the cost of the item and the terms of the item’s warranty coverage. The products themselves are otherwise identical in every way. Occasionally the manufacturer might change a product name of model number to differentiate between products targeted for US distribution and products targeted for distribution elsewhere.
As a rule, Grey Market items cost less than their USA counterparts. The warranty of Grey Market items are often, but not always, the same as their USA counterparts. Specific details of product warranties vary by product and manufacturer.
If you should experience a problem with a product sold with a USA warranty, it can be sent to any of the manufacturer’s worldwide authorized service facilities for servicing. A "direct import" or grey market item would have to be returned to B&H Photo-Video if it required in-warranty attention.
A resident of the USA may wish to make the buying decision based on price since the cost of shipping to a US service center or to B&H should be about equal.
A non-USA resident should consider the cost of returning a product to B&H in New York for servicing as opposed to the cost of taking the product to a local warranty service center.
What kind of warranty is available?
Any "grey market" item B&H Photo-Video sells includes a B&H warranty, which covers the same particulars the USA warranty would cover for a period of one year. The only difference is that you would ship the item to B&H for service. Your original B&H Photo-Video product invoice is all that is required.
Why offer "Direct Import"?
Direct Import, or grey market items often cost less than comparable US imports. There are also items sold at B&H that are not brought into the US through normal distribution channels.
Posted by Henry Posner on July 27, 2007 at 1:09 PM
Some Nikon USA products have the letters "US" stamped as a serial number prefix, but not all, so the absence of this prefix is not an indicator. Depending on the product, Nikon USA may be able to confirm the item's provenance from the serial number.
It is a fact that Nikon USA has announced repeatedly they will never repair a Nikon product which was "grey market" when new whether the item is now in our out of warranty. I have never seen a sticker on a product denoting the product's "grey market" or "USA" warranty provenance. Many years ago Japanese cameras came with small oval stickers indicating the item had been inspected in Japan, but that's ancient nowadays.
The retailer may or may not know an individual item's grey market" or "USA" warranty provenance depending on whether the person who sold the item to the retailer knew or had his original sales invoice. Usually not.
While Nikon USA won't service a used item which was "grey market" when new, there are thrid-party repair facilities like Mack Camera in NJ which will gladly do so.
Yeah, as far as used and gray market, if it ever needed servicing, Nikon won't do it but any independent Nikon repair shop will. I don't see a problem.
It is my understanding that Canon will service "grey" stuff out of warranty. FWIW, I bought a "grey" 500 F4 IS from B&H 2 years ago and it came with a full US warranty! I am happy I saved a few hundred $$. BTW, the lens has been flawless with quite a bit of use and travel.
I usually check the gray price when I buy something, but so far, I've never seen a price difference big enough to warrant taking the chance. Of course, I've never spent 2 grand on a lens either!
Discussion
8 repliesSo I thought I would bounce this off the collective wisdom of NPN. Any way to verify U.S. item versus gray market on used market? (Please no "buy Canon" comments from the peanut gallery.)
TIA
My understanding is that the US vs. gray designation is important when it comes to Nikon honoring its warranty for repairs. If you are buying a used body, does it still have warranty remaining?
My understanding (which could be wrong) regarding U.S. vs gray market items is that it is not just a warranty issue. It is a lifetime service issue. I have read that Nikon USA will not service gray market equipment ... period. Regardless of whether you offer to pay them or not, Nikon USA refuses to repair gray-market items. Your only alternatives are non-factory repair shops or Nikon Canada, Europe, Australia, etc.
So before I sink a few kilo-bucks into a used body, I'd like to make sure I'm going to be able to get it serviced should the need ever arise.
I had a used Gray market D1X as a backup about 2 yrs ago. It had a problem, and I sent it back to B and H for repair, a required by the "Gray" warranty. It was back in my hands within 2 weeks. A friend had a similar problem with a USA model, sent it back to nikon, and it was 6 weeks before it was repaired and returned. Only MY one-time experience!
Sandy
About USA and GREY MARKET (DIRECT IMPORT) Products
USA or Imported Equipment
What are the differences as far as a customer is concerned?
In most cases the difference between a USA import and a Grey Market, or imported product, is the cost of the item and the terms of the item’s warranty coverage. The products themselves are otherwise identical in every way. Occasionally the manufacturer might change a product name of model number to differentiate between products targeted for US distribution and products targeted for distribution elsewhere.
As a rule, Grey Market items cost less than their USA counterparts. The warranty of Grey Market items are often, but not always, the same as their USA counterparts. Specific details of product warranties vary by product and manufacturer.
If you should experience a problem with a product sold with a USA warranty, it can be sent to any of the manufacturer’s worldwide authorized service facilities for servicing. A "direct import" or grey market item would have to be returned to B&H Photo-Video if it required in-warranty attention.
A resident of the USA may wish to make the buying decision based on price since the cost of shipping to a US service center or to B&H should be about equal.
A non-USA resident should consider the cost of returning a product to B&H in New York for servicing as opposed to the cost of taking the product to a local warranty service center.
What kind of warranty is available?
Any "grey market" item B&H Photo-Video sells includes a B&H warranty, which covers the same particulars the USA warranty would cover for a period of one year. The only difference is that you would ship the item to B&H for service. Your original B&H Photo-Video product invoice is all that is required.
Why offer "Direct Import"?
Direct Import, or grey market items often cost less than comparable US imports. There are also items sold at B&H that are not brought into the US through normal distribution channels.
It is a fact that Nikon USA has announced repeatedly they will never repair a Nikon product which was "grey market" when new whether the item is now in our out of warranty. I have never seen a sticker on a product denoting the product's "grey market" or "USA" warranty provenance. Many years ago Japanese cameras came with small oval stickers indicating the item had been inspected in Japan, but that's ancient nowadays.
The retailer may or may not know an individual item's grey market" or "USA" warranty provenance depending on whether the person who sold the item to the retailer knew or had his original sales invoice. Usually not.
While Nikon USA won't service a used item which was "grey market" when new, there are thrid-party repair facilities like Mack Camera in NJ which will gladly do so.
Oh Oh! I hope I have not jinxed myself!!