traveller said:
..........My concern is that they should be clearer on their website that what they are selling is grey imports.
If you're happy with the warranty that these stores provide and the fact that your purchase will not be covered by a Canon warranty, then by all means go ahead and save yourself some money. I don't mean to bang on about this, but I feel it is important to make it clear for people who aren't knowledgable about grey imports
I've just picked up on this thread, & thought it might be helpful to clarify the position re the "grey market", at least as far as reputable retailers from the US are concerned.
"Grey market" refers to products imported directly into a country, rather than through the manufacturer's authorized agents / distributors. It is perfectly legal to directly import & sell these products; the term "grey market" was coined by manufacturer's authorized distributors who wanted to discourage consumers from buying these (less costly) goods.
With no factory authorized middle-man involved in the import of these products, costs are lower, so the price is lower to customers. Many items which are in short supply or not imported at all by the manufacturer's authorized distributors are available in direct import.
A reputable retailer will ensure that any direct import / grey market products which are being sold as such will be clearly marked, and you should always contact a company directly should you have any concerns regarding a specific listing.
There should be no difference in the actual products. Occasionally manufacturers will name them differently for example the Olympus USA Digital Stylus Cameras are called Olympus MJU Cameras in Europe.
On direct import products a reputable retailer should offer the same warranty as the manufacturer warranted products carry - the only difference might be that you would need to ship it to the retailer, rather than the manufacturer, for warranty service.
For, I think, about the past 10 years, the policy of Canon USA has been to honor their warranty for any unit sold though an authorized Canon reseller, whether it has been imported by an authorized agent or is direct import.
All the customer requires is original receipt to verify the reseller and the date of sale – apparently you don't need the warranty card - and even if you do have the warranty card, you will still have to provide the receipt.
BTW Nikon USA will not service a direct import item at all, whether the customer is willing to pay or not.
I hope this helps.
Helen Oster
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador
[email protected]