Today I want to tell you a couple stories. This is a story about something that has happened to me, and some things that have happened to other people, something that could have happened to you, or might happen to you.
I use Nikon, I love Nikon gear and have been a Nikon person for many years now.
When you get into DSLRs and choosing your gear, you do have to think about it like a life choice, because once you get the gear you want, well it is hard to change. So I have put a lot of money into my equipement, I would hate to think exactly how much, but a lot.
I know that Nikon have this thing called the Nikon Professional Services, or NPS for short. To be a member you have to fill certain criteria, which you can find on the NPS page. I first heard about it last year, and thought, it might be worth joining, I fill the criteria, surely, don’t I? I had two of the camera bodies that were listed, I had lots of lenses, and I run a photography business. I’m in so I thought, though it turned out I had to get another lens, which I did get, though would have got regardless of this. Then they said that one of my lenses was a bit iffy, and maybe I should get a 50mm as well, I did when I bought my D800 just recently.
Now, I have been told that I can’t be accepted into it because I bought a lot of my gear on the grey market. We all know what that is right, well, I didn’t really understand it until just recently. So what is it? Well, in Australia, it is very legal, and nothing wrong with buying stuff from it, the ACCC isn’t trying to shut them down, but it may not be good for you.
The grey market, or web based businesses dealing with it, buy products from overseas, and then sell them to you at lower rates. I think most of us know that if you buy something from overseas you lose the warranty, however many of these businesses then guarantee the warranty. When you buy the products from them you get a little card saying that they give you a 12 month warranty. Warranty has never been an issue for me on things bought here, so I don’t know how good it is.
Here is the kicker, they aren’t authorised dealers, well for Nikon they aren’t. I have heard that Canon will still honour the warranty, but I have only heard that and don’t know how true it is. This is all new to me, how about you? I hope this doesn’t mean that I am 
really stupid, but it never occurred to me that I could be doing something that was silly by buying on the grey market.
Another thing to be aware of, is that buying on the grey market doesn’t guarantee the original product. I purchased a Nikon remote shutter release though a company on Amazon, and after having it for three months, well it stopped working, fell apart. I sent an email to the people I had purchased it through and they said that I could have returned it in 30 days or something like that, but now it was too late, but I said it was faulty where is the warranty? I heard nothing back.
I contacted Nikon and told them that their products were poorly made. I was fairly upset, and they told me that what I had purchased was probably a fake Nikon product. So when I purchased the real one through a Nikon dealer I looked closely at both items and the
guy from Nikon was right. The first one I bought was a fake, though to someone like me it was hard to see the differences. I really had to study it closely to see.
I lost just over $100 for this, but it was enough for me to start realising that I couldn’t afford to lose money like that.
I was also told by someone else at Nikon how he has seen someone with a lens they had purchased on the grey market, and when they compared it with one from Nikon, the one from the grey market weighed considerably less than the real one.
Buyer beware, keeps coming to mind, and how for many us we just don’t know exactly what we are getting.
I do have to tell you a story that one of my students in my classes told me. This is probably the worse story I have heard with buying things on the internet. She and her friend both decided to buy DSLR cameras, they were Canons, not that it makes a difference for this story. Her friend found a place on the internet to buy them, and they purchased them. I believe the place was overseas. Her friends camera arrived and all was good, but my students camera arrived and it was in pieces in the box, it was all smashed. She contacted the online store and they told her to send it back, which she did. They looked at it and proceeded to tell her that she has dropped it and that it was her fault and they were not going to replace it. She was devastated, of course, she was out of pocket several hundred dollars. The only saving grace for her was that she had purchased the camera with paypal and was able to get her money back through them.
The biggest problem she had was that it was purchased overseas, and they are under no obligation to do anything. They can promise you the world, but they don’t have to deliver it, they don’t come under Australian laws. The other issue with what she did is that she would have lost the warranty anyway, and her friend, if she had any trouble with the camera, would not have that warranty either. I guess you have to ask yourself what is that warranty worth?
I have to admit much of this is not something I had thought about a lot. I just thought everything would be good, I am buying the products in Australia, well the camera gear, so I am fine. Whether or not they were authorised Nikon or Canon dealers was not something I had considered. How that impacts on me in the long term was also something I hadn’t considered.
While the grey market is completely legal, there are other implications involved. Can you be really sure you are getting the real product that you have ordered? What about that warranty, will the online store really honour it? How much money are you willing to lose to save a few dollars?
I know for myself, I will only purchase my Nikon Products from authorised Nikon Dealers, it is just isn’t worth the risk for me anymore. The reality these days is that you aren’t paying that much more to get it from an authorised dealer, and for me, that is worth the peace of mind.
Do you have experience with the grey market? Was it positive or negative? Would you keep buying things on the grey market? Please share your opinion.
For those unsure of what is considered the grey market, here is a definition from Wikipedia – A grey market (also spelled gray market), or parallel market,[1] is the trade of a commodity through distribution channels which, while legal, are unofficial, unauthorized, or unintended by the original manufacturer. The most common type of grey market is the sale of imported goods (brought by small import companies or individuals not authorized by the manufacturer) which would otherwise be more expensive in the country they are being imported to.
[…] go and read it, leave a comment and let me know what you think. Here is a link to the post, The Grey in Between. It is on the grey market again, but I have included some new information and some stories that I […]
I tend to buy the majority of my lenses through places like amazon. I did buy a lens extender from eBay and it turned out to be a waste of money. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t even register a lens connected. When I contacted the seller, he just sent me gibberish so, I left him neutral feedback. I also brought a set of 28 filters for my Nikon as well off eBay and I have had no problems with them at all. I use them often. If I buy a filter, I will buy it from somewhere like eBay after all, a filter just screws onto the lens. For a lens or battery, I will go to Amazon and buy the proper product. Although the last lens I brought was a Sigma 70-300mm macro lens. So although not Nikon, it is Sigma and a company I know well – and from amazon.
I think the biggest problem with buying somewhere like amazon is that they aren’t covered by Australian consumer laws, though I have always found Amazon to be really good to deal with. I feel the same way about filters and things like that, how wrong can they be, though I did buy some neutral density filters for Cokin system once and they weren’t neutral density at all, but turned all my images magenta, I purchased the next one from somewhere where I could be fairly sure I was getting what I really wanted. Thanks Al
Interesting story/stories…! Hmmmm… To be honest I’ve bought myself a camera [Nikon] from “overseas”. I paid for it few hundred dollars; and it came IN ONE PIECE… Exactly as it was described. Nothing more, nothing less!
Since then I’ve bought many lenses for my Nikon. All of those lenses came from “overseas” as well. Each and every one came in perfect condition. No scratches, not smashed or so.
My secret? Every purchase was made through PayPal. [I don’t intend to make an ad or so or to promote that website; I had no relation with the owners of the site, and they don’t pay me to mention the name of the site…]. That means i was covered. And I would not buy in any other way something from ‘overseas” or at the corner at my house but using that website. Period!
And – by the way – tomorrow I am expecting the arrival of another lens for my Nikon. From “overseas”, of course…
That is great that you haven’t had any trouble with the gear you have bought, though I was just talking to a technical person at Nikon who was telling me that one of the things they are finding is that many of the lenses that people buy are reversed engineered, or they are actually refurbished lenses. However, if you are happy with what you are getting than that is great. For me, it isn’t worth the risk, now I am worried if the stuff I have bought is really the product I paid for.
I had no idea of the complexities surrounding purchasing through the grey market. I’ve purchased a couple of lenses from online retailers and never thought about whether they were authorized dealers. Nikon definitely works on defending it’s reputation. Great post, Leanne!
I know, who knew, I didn’t until recently, and I keep hearing more and more stories. I pay too much for my gear as it is, I don’t need the hassle of whether or not I am getting what I pay for. Nikon certainly does, I can understand why. Thank you Catherine.
Dear Leanne!
Greetings from Shizuoka, Japan!
Living in the land of Nikon and Canon we do not seem to have these problems but this warning you are giving is very commendable and very well written! Congratulations!
I hope many photographers will feel ingratiated to you!
Best regards,
Robert-Gilles
Thank you Robert-Gilles, it is a topic that I have become aware of lately and how dangerous it can be. I am so worried about the stuff I have bought from the grey market now. Hopefully it will be okay.
I have purchased all my Nikon gear from overseas, and all has arrived in good condition and I have had no problems. I payed through PayPal . It seems from what people are saying PayPal offers more security. Your article Leanne certainly made me think. I would be devastated if I had troubles. Even tho I have not had problems I may purchase my next lot go gear thru a dealer. Thank you so much for your informative articles.
I think a lot of people have had the same experience as you Wendy, my student’s experience was certainly not typical, but it could happen to any of us, and she was so lucky she paid through paypal. The other issue, which is something I am starting to understand is that people may not be getting genuine Nikon products, or they maybe getting refurbished items that are being sold as new. I was just told by Nikon of someone who purchased a camera, was told the camera was made in the Japanese factory, but the factory that really makes the cameras for Nikon is not in Japan. So that person has purchased, what Nikon call a reversed engineered camera, or a fake. So not the real deal. It is so scary.
I am glad you found it informative Wendy, thank you.
For what ever the potential savings, it pays to buy from Nikon (or Canon) and their authorized resellers – why take a chance with the cost of photo gear?
I totally agree Robert, I would never buy on the grey market again. Thanks for your input.
i can understand the appeal, though it sounds a bit iffy at best. probably not worth the risk for equipment you have to depend on.
I totally agree Beth, it just isn’t worth the risk. Thanks.
This is all new to me. Buying camera equipment has been a luxury purchase. Thank you Leanne for enlightening us to your plight and teaching us.
You are welcome Gary, I think it is something we should all be aware of, that way we can make better informed decisions.
Hi, Leanne,
This is an excellent post. I prefer to buy anything serious from authorized retailers: either National Camera (an excellent local chain here in the Twin Cities of Minnesota) or Best Buy, a major retailer here in the States.
In general, I prefer to buy from a truly local company. Just today I stopped by National Camera to pick up a few used items (a waist-level finder for my Mamiya 645 and some 4×5 film holders). I told the excellent clerk there (Eric: very knowledgeable, and a great low-pressure salesman) that I’d rather pay a bit more to a local retailer. If I have a problem, I know where I can find them!
So I heartily applaud this post. There aren’t many real bargains. If it sounds too good to be true–well, it probably isn’t true!
Cheers,
Dan (Son of Sharecroppers)
Thanks Dan, I think what you have said is so true, you know where to find them if something goes wrong. I am with you now, I would much prefer to pay that little extra for piece of mind. Glad you like the post.
The only time I bought a grey market product was at an authorized Nikon dealer who is also a major reseller of gear of many companies. In that case I was trusting the store’s reputation (I deal with them frequently) to protect me. Everything else is authorized. I have never needed to use any warranty as it happens. I have never dropped the camera body nor has any piece of gear malfunctioned. (Knock on every piece of wood in your house for me please!)
I don’t know that buying all gear on the internet is considered bad, the trick is to make sure that who you buy it from is an authorised dealer of the make you are purchasing. I have bought much of my stuff online, but directly from Nikon, however this isn’t really what they call the grey market, the grey market is more companies or businesses that buy goods from overseas, bypassing the distributor, and therefor they aren’t authorised dealers. I think getting things online is fine, it is where the people you are buying the gear from get it first.
Leanne, I buy mostly from authorized dealers for exactly this reason, but do have one gray market “L” lens, bought from Amazon. Amazon does honor their warranties, by all accounts, and Canon has accepted my registration of this lens as well, so I anticipate no problem, should one arise.
I would not say to never buy gray market, but if (cautiously), buy from a highly reputable business, like Amazon, Adorama or B+H that is known to honor their in-store warranty, at least in the US. This type of information is readily available on the net; especially useful is legitimate customer feedback concerning repairs.
I have no idea about Amazon, the remote control I got was through Amazon, but it was a dealer using Amazon to sell, and Amazon didn’t want to know about it.
The biggest problem for Australians is if you buy something from Amazon, then Amazon are well within their rights to say, we won’t honour the warranty because you aren’t a US citizen, or it wasn’t purchased here. I don’t know that Amazon would do that, but others might, so we have to be very careful.
The other thing is that you might find that Amazon is an authorised dealer and just because they sell their stuff online, doesn’t necessarily mean they are part of the grey market. Not all online stores are considered part of the grey market, it is more important to find out if they are authorised, and I would have thought that B+H would definitely be an authorised dealer.
We have grey markets here, they ship goods in from Hong Kong mainly, so there is no warranty with them, so they give you their own warranty, it isn’t the same as a Nikon warranty.
It is a very grey area. Thanks
B & H do both USA and grey market products I have had a couple of things through them and they are fine. Since then (about 3 years) canon Australia have backed off on their price gouging and I bought my 6D for near what you would pay for grey (with the $200 cash back taken into account anyway) once GST is added. At least a couple of the stores would understate the value for shipping to dodge the GST which made them cheaper but makes you wonder in what other ways they are dodgy.until canon Australia (and the retailers) improve the pricing of their lenses though I will keep buying them grey.
I have bought a couple of sigmas local in the past as the price on them was little different to grey.
I have to say David, I have noticed the same thing about prices with Nikon. A lot of stores have come down with price and can be very competitive, which is, I have to say, about time. Apparently one of the things Nikon have been finding from people buying on the grey market is that they don’t always get new lenses, they can end up with refurbished ones instead, so take care and be careful.
Interesting article… buyer beware! I purchased my Nikon online, but thankfully from an Australian dealer! Nothing has gone wrong, so all has been good – but it is a good thing to keep in mind!
I thought I had done the same Dawn, but then when I was checking prices, I was told they weren’t an authorised dealer, so that got me thinking. Though as I have said in previous comments, not all online is considered grey market. Thanks Dawn.
Hi Leanne! I had a similar experience recently when I purchased Photoshop CS6 online. I would not have known if I had not contacted Photoshop to get help in resolving a problem getting the Photoshop Bridge to open. The representative told me the product was not supported. He said that often Internet dealers will buy a large suite and break it up for resale into separate products, with the license being retained by only one person. In this case, that person was not me! I was able to resolve my problem with Bridge through an online forum, so everything is working well. But, to answer your question, next time I will make sure the dealer is an authorized seller.
Thank you for sharing your experience here, it is not something I would have thought of, that software could be dodgy too. I will have to make sure I am careful with that as well.
Thanks so much for this information…..its all new and will take some digesting and so glad because im in the process of researching the purchase of a new camera. Much appreciated, : ) Trees
You are welcome trees, so glad I wrote it at a good time for you. Good luck getting your new camera, contact the makers, eg Nikon, and they can give you a list of authorised dealers.
Interesting read Leanne but not unknown. Online buying goods from parallel markets always has been tricky; if it’s not for fake products, it’s for either warranty or no delivery, etc. On the other hand the known brands in cameras, lenses and other photography equipment are to blame as well. I have a Sony A77 camera (BTW the ‘inside’ of your new Nikon is Sony) and Sony has strange policies as well. In Holland for example authorized dealers of Nikon and Canon are not allowed to sell professional Sony equipment (!!!) I found out last year. Online buying from Sony in South Africa is also a crime. First no replies at all and after several telephone calls I discover that they can’t rely on their distribution network (couriers, etc) ….. And than their dealers … At the end I bought my gear at SA-Cameras in Cape Town. And that goes the Capetonian way …. “Yes we do have everything in stock and yes you can collect it today, blahblahblah… “. So I drive 160 km to Cape Town to find out (after I transferred the money) that they did not have anything in stock at all …. At the same time a guy came in (after 300 km drive) to collect his new Nikon gear (paid a fortune for that!!!) with the same result. To make a long story short; it took two weeks to get the camera delivered and another week for the battery charger, etc.
Online ordering abroad is than an attractive alternative; within one week delivered by DHL without all the fuss, etc. Time for the big brands (especially in South Africa) to reconsider their dealer and distribution policies. I found out that some authorized dealers of the different brands in Europe also ship abroad. I’m on the brink of buying the latest SonyA77R camera plus a few lenses and am scanning the different offerings….
Wow SA is very different to here, it is different here, I am sure, I haven’t heard of it being a problem, Sony and Nikon in the same places, it certainly isn’t illegal to buy them online. How extraordinary.
I know this is a topic that has been around for a while, but there are many people including me until recently.
Sorry about your experiences, that would horrendous.
I live in Spain and have bought both on-line and from an excellent Nikon dealer in the UK who ships worldwide http://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk/ so far I have never been caught out by buying on-line, but I do see that not having a physical place to go and complain if something goes wrong could be a little disconcerting, especially if you are dealing overseas.
So how does it work if there is a warranty issue, are you still covered? That is the problem here, you lose your warranty when if isn’t purchased in Australia or if you don’t get it from an authorised dealer. That is the real issue here.
All I ever hear from professionals is to buy your gear used. Why would you spend the extra dollars if you didn’t have to? Perhaps as a working professional, it might be ewiser to buy your gear from an authorized dealer, but then many of those dealers sellk through amazon and eBay as well. I guess you just have to decide whether the service is worth it to you. It’s really a business decision that you have too make.
I have never heard that Shane, I have only ever bought something second hand or used because I knew the person I was buying it from and I knew that it would be in good condition, and it has been a great lens. Would I buy something from someone else, I don’t know, can I be sure they are in good condition, that they haven’t been dropped. Sometimes a lens can seem really good, but it isn’t until certain conditions that you start noticing faults. I had a camera which the shutter mechanism had broken, if you were taking photos in low light, you couldn’t tell, but when you tried to take photos where it had to work faster then you saw it on the photos. For me, I would always go new where I can, especially because of the cameras I want, I don’t want a professionals camera that has already taken a million images and by the time I buy it I have to start replacing everything. As you say, it is up to you or the individual.
Stories are the best form of communication for many. You did a great job here conveying some really important issues in story form that completely held my interest. Now I will definitely not buy on the grey market. Thanks for this info.
That is great to hear thisisnotbangkok, it seemed a better way of talking about a subject that could be quite dry, but still important. Thank you.
Very informative article and important advice in this day and age.
My experience with online shopping has been bittersweet (Albeit, a little different than the gray market, but nevertheless, disappointing.) I have purchased items on eBay that I could not find in stores – e.g. dinnerware made in Germany – for the most part I was satisfied but there were some pieces that never arrived and some that arrived in pieces!
My son also bought an electronic device that arrived damaged and the seller claimed it was not damaged when he shipped it. The hassle is not worth it and I prefer buying at local stores from reputable dealers.
Thank you for taking the time to write this pertinent post.
<3 carmen from fashionable over 50
Thanks Carmen, Purchasing online is always a risk, especially buying things from a photo. I have had similar experiences, though I have been lucky that nothing like that has happened, though at least on ebay you can give them a bad review or neutral, it is amazing how many don’t like that.
The grey market is something to be wary about as well because people are often spending several hundred dollars, even several thousand. I would hate to lose my money.
You are very welcome and thank you as well.
Interesting story Leanne a bit of an eye opener. I’m a Nikon person as well but I almost defected.
I was forced to replace a D3100 body after only 10,000+ shots. The warranty had just ran out but was told by a Nikon service agent in Brisbane that it should complete around 100,000 cycles.
After some wrangling with Nikon HQ they would not come to the party even though the service agent said my D3100 must have been a lemon.
The point of this is that I think even though you purchase Original Nikon doesn’t mean it wont end up like other throw away items like a printer. Ive given Nikon another go but if they let me down again I will go elsewhere.
That would really suck Vit, it certainly sounds like a lemon. I haven’t heard of that before. It is great that you use a local store to get your gear, and it is true they are not much more expensive. I recently got a D800 and I would ask in store that sold them and I was surprised at what prices they were selling them for, they were much cheaper than I had thought. I think they are starting to realise that we are sick of being ripped off just because we live in Australia.
That is true what you said about throwing it away, but at least you know you bought a Nikon, while it wasn’t good that time, this time, I am sure it will be. I hope you are going out and taking thousands of shots now, make sure you take more than 10000 before the warranty expires. I have to say, I would feel the same way as you if that had happened to me. Good luck with the new one. Happy clicking.
I have purchased several Canon bodies and lens’ on the “grey market”. Canon does honour the warranty or has done so in the instances I know.
I would not do it again simply because when having any service done at “Canon” my turnaround is not that short one should I have purchased from dealers who deal with Canon Australia and not directly to the Canon Company overseas. I would be classed as “professional” had I purchased the cameras in Australia but as I did not and do have the required lens’ and camera bodies I can not get the excellent turnaround that those who paid the extra, and I might add thousands extra on the gear I have but to have a camera down is a huge disadvantage. The cameras and lens’ are excellent and genuine Canon products. An interesting subject and a tricky choice. Have a great day, Cheers
That is great that Canon does that, I don’t know if Nikon do, actually I am pretty sure Nikon doesn’t. There is always a downside to it all, unfortunately. Though hearing stories of people thinking they are getting fake products, or getting what they think are new and they turn out to be refurbished is enough for me to stay away from it now on. I am lucky that all the stuff I have purchased none of it has had any warranty issues.
Thanks for your thoughts on this Elizabeth.
Leanne,
I did not know anything about this grey market, especially in terms of cameras because I have not yet upgraded to DSLR (soon!). An expensive product that I purchase parts for is my motorcycle (was my motorcycle …). I am very careful where I buy and what I buy and always check warranty status when I buy parts / products for my bike.
I’m glad to have read this so I can “buyer beware”.
LB
That is fantastic to hear LB, it is amazing how many people are really unaware of this and how it can affect them, I know I was totally unaware until recently. Thank you.
Sorry to hear your experiences with the grey market haven’t been great. It’s an area I have a lot of experience with. The industry is waging a campaign of fear against them in order to preserve the viability of their international markets; but otherwise it is an industry problem that is being turned into a consumer problem. Whether you agree with their tactics really depends on your politics.
That said, it pays to wise up to spotting the fakes. If I buy grey, I always make sure it’s from a reputable dealer with an excellent reputation among its customers. However, since you’re a Nikon shooter, I can actually name you at least one authorised dealer that is priced very competitively against grey market dealers.
I think the problem is that many people just do it on price and don’t think about the other problems and what can happen. I think you do the research, then that can be good. Then again, it is the warranty that I am more concerned about. Most of the places that sell the Nikon stuff only offer a 12 month warranty whereas Nikon offer a two year warranty. I have heard some horror stories from people about things they have purchased, that is a problem for me. However, if you have done all the research and are comfortable that you are getting the real deal, then go for it. I think I will stick with the authorised dealers from now on. I am finding that we aren’t paying that much more than what stuff is sold at in the US now, that is good. Thanks.
Wonderful piece. I never realized to the extent that this was happening now that I am a Nikon owner it will make me question spending hard earned cash on internet purchases. Thanks!
It is happening a lot, and something that I think we all need to be aware of. I am glad you got something out of it Eunice, thank you.
WOW! Leanne, this is stuff everyone needs to know about. I asked my hubby or a new lens to replace the stock one that my Canon came with, and now I can fill him in on this. Thank you for letting us know!
It is important to be careful where you buy your gear from Amanda, sounds like you are getting a new lens, how exciting.