Canon USA Addresses the Gray Market

[Canon Rumors]

<p><strong>What is Gray Market?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Information on Parallel or “Gray Market” Products</strong></p>
<p>Canon sells and supports Canon-brand consumer and professional products in the U.S. through Canon U.S.A., which distributes these products through its authorized dealers and distributors. Canon U.S.A. is the only authorized importer of these products in the U.S., and provides industry-leading customer service and support for them. Products distributed by Canon U.S.A. are “localized” to meet the needs of customers in the U.S. market and are engineered to comply with local safety regulations and governmental requirements. As such, these products come with different accessories, manuals, and warranties than the versions intended for sale in other global regions such as Asia. Any Canon-brand products which are imported and sold other than by this method are referred to as “parallel,” or “Gray Market,” products (collectively, “Gray Market Products”).</p>
<p><strong>Hazards and Difficulties Associated with “Gray Market” Products</strong></p>
<p>Customers in the U.S. may find that Gray Market Products do not meet their expectations because they were not intended by Canon for sale in the U.S. In some cases, sellers of Gray Market Products may attempt to localize the products themselves by adding, changing or removing certain accessories from the products, which may result in the following:</p>
<p>• including in product packaging illegal or counterfeit accessories, such as batteries, chargers, and ink tanks, which can cause injury and seriously damage your Canon product;

• An incorrect power cord or adapter which was not provided, or quality checked, by Canon;

• Incorrect software or illegal copies of software which may not function;

• Poor photocopies of the original manual;

• A fake Canon U.S. warranty, a warranty provided by a third party, or no warranty at all; and

• A device with a serial number which cannot be registered with Canon in the U.S.</p>
<p><strong>Customers should also be aware that Gray Market Products may not be eligible for:</strong>

• Coverage under a U.S. warranty;

• U.S. promotions, including mail-in and instant rebates; and

• Technical support</p>
<p>If you are in doubt about a seller, or whether the products it sells are intended for the U.S., please <a href="http://usa.canon.com/authorizeddealers" target="_blank">http://usa.canon.com/authorizeddealers</a> for a list of Canon U.S.A.’s Authorized Dealers. New and genuine Canon products intended for sale in the U.S. can only be purchased from Canon Authorized Dealers in the U.S. or from Canon U.S.A. directly.</p>
<p>To learn more about counterfeit products, please visit <a href="http://usa.canon.com/aboutcounterfeits" target="_blank">http://usa.canon.com/aboutcounterfeits</a> to view important information.</p>
<p><strong>Source: [<a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/CUSA/assets/app/pdf/CUSA_Gray_Market_Statement_12.12.14.pdf" target="_blank">CUSA</a>] via [<a href="http://www.dslrbodies.com/newsviews/canon-issues-gray-market.html" target="_blank">TH</a>]</strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
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[AvTvM]

Multinational corporations would be well advised to embrace the globalized economy in all aspects. If they want to peddle their wares globally they better respect their customers right to purchase those products at the lowest possible price available. Wherever that may be ... globally. They should be grateful, we buy anything from them.

So ... up yours, Canon!

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Multinational corporations would be well advised to embrace the globalized economy in all aspects. If they want to peddle their wares globally they better respect their customers right to purchase those products at the lowest possible price available. Wherever that may be ... globally. They should be grateful, we buy anything from them.

So ... up yours, Canon!

You can purchase one anywhere you want. That was not always the case, customs used to seize Canon, Nikon, and Pentax cameras being shipped from outside the US. There were elaborate methods used to get around this.

It will have a warranty too, just return it to where you bought it for service.

Canon is feeling the pinch from the strong dollar.

1. Gray market equipment is forcing them to compete by lowering prices. This is becoming a big issue in the US, but not as bad in Europe.

 

[dash2k8]

I'm very disappointed with the article. It's a blatant insult to our intelligence. The domestic products are no different from gray market in any color, shape or form. The only difference is that Canon charges a fortune to service gray market items while domestic items are free under warranty. I've bought domestic and gray market and have never felt the "advantages" of "localized" products. What a bunch of bs.

 

[RGF]

Basically says nothing


"Customers should also be aware that Gray Market Products may not be eligible for"

So what else is new? May not ... Canon should make a stand and stick to it.

 

[dak723]

I'm very disappointed with the article. It's a blatant insult to our intelligence. The domestic products are no different from gray market in any color, shape or form. The only difference is that Canon charges a fortune to service gray market items while domestic items are free under warranty. I've bought domestic and gray market and have never felt the "advantages" of "localized" products. What a bunch of bs.

If you think they are no different, then you haven't bought a grey market item that was a piece of crap. I have and learned my lesson. Be glad you haven't.

 

[dak723]

So ... up yours, Canon!

Great attitude! Why are here on a Canon site when you clearly dislike the company so much. Personally, i don't have any allegiance to any company having owned Canon, Olympus and Kodak cameras in my life. My Canon cameras have been well made, extremely reliable, and have taken great pictures giving me much enjoyment over the years.

Your bitterness seems to indicate that you haven't had the same results. So, why are still here? Go Sony or go Nikon. We'll be glad if you do.

 

[Don Haines]

What about the view from other countries..... where on the other side of the river a genuine Canon battery from an approved Canon dealer cost 60 percent of what it does on this side of the river... and they are both genuine Canon products sold by genuine Canon dealers and the exact same part number....

 

[Don Haines]

So ... up yours, Canon!

Great attitude! Why are here on a Canon site when you clearly dislike the company so much. Personally, i don't have any allegiance to any company having owned Canon, Olympus and Kodak cameras in my life. My Canon cameras have been well made, extremely reliable, and have taken great pictures giving me much enjoyment over the years.

Your bitterness seems to indicate that you haven't had the same results. So, why are still here? Go Sony or go Nikon. We'll be glad if you do.

+1

As I look around me in the room, I see Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Kodak, GoPro, Rolleiflex, Ikeda, and even the dreaded iPhone.... guess that makes me a fanboy on lots of sites....

but more to the point, as we become a global economy and more and more gear is legitimately bought in other countries, manufacturers are going to have to realize that setting up artificial boundaries is a step backwards.

 

[Dylan777]

Multinational corporations would be well advised to embrace the globalized economy in all aspects. If they want to peddle their wares globally they better respect their customers right to purchase those products at the lowest possible price available. Wherever that may be ... globally. They should be grateful, we buy anything from them.

So ... up yours, Canon!

Still waiting for that A9 ;D

I doubt the battery life will be improved. The feeling of driving a car with leaked gas tank through a desert is not fun

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Customers should also be aware that Gray Market Products may not be eligible for:

• Coverage under a U.S. warranty;

The US warranty is only valid for a single year. People keep cameras for multiple years and problems generally don't develop in the first year of ownership.

If Canon wants to encourage more people to "buy Canon USA" then maybe Canon USA should offer a 2 or even 3 year warranty.

Then there would actually be incentive to "buy local."

If Canon USA wants to address the Gray Market then maybe Canon USA should come up with an offering or product enhancement that people will see actual value in. Thus far, Canon USA has failed to do that and this "reminder" about Gray Market cameras is an excellent example of how Canon USA is failing to provide added value.

It could be like Nikon. They will not service a graymarket product, even if you pay. You must use a 3rd party repair service.

There are some sleazy gray market sellers who have pulled all the things that Canon mentions and more. There are also some very good ones. As long as a buyer is careful, in the USA, you should be OK. Its not the same in all countries. You are not buying a camera from Canon, but from a regional subsidiary, and they all have different policies and rules. Some features that are legal in the USA may not be legal everywhere, so you can get a gray market camera that is missing features, just something else to research and watch out for.

 

[Khufu]

I feel so foolish now for having paid £1800 for a 5D3 when it was being sold locally for just £2999.99 without running the risk of receiving an incorrect power cord :-\

 

[dgatwood]

Multinational corporations would be well advised to embrace the globalized economy in all aspects. If they want to peddle their wares globally they better respect their customers right to purchase those products at the lowest possible price available. Wherever that may be ... globally. They should be grateful, we buy anything from them.

Not just that. The lack of a global warranty means that if you're somewhere out of the country traveling, or if you move somewhere else, your U.S. warranty may not be valid. IMO, that makes their warranty less useful than it otherwise would be.

I also take issue with them calling them "counterfeit" products. Are they saying that a Canon-manufactured camera sold in Japan or elsewhere is not a genuine Canon camera? That's just silly.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Multinational corporations would be well advised to embrace the globalized economy in all aspects. If they want to peddle their wares globally they better respect their customers right to purchase those products at the lowest possible price available. Wherever that may be ... globally. They should be grateful, we buy anything from them.

Not just that. The lack of a global warranty means that if you're somewhere out of the country traveling, or if you move somewhere else, your U.S. warranty may not be valid. IMO, that makes their warranty less useful than it otherwise would be.

I also take issue with them calling them "counterfeit" products. Are they saying that a Canon-manufactured camera sold in Japan or elsewhere is not a genuine Canon camera? That's just silly.

Generally, they want a bill of sale from a Authorized Dealer. Canon USA has also been known to help get service in other countries. Its a good idea when traveling to another country to have a copy of that bill of sale with you. It can also help you avoid paying customs duties if applicable. Canon USA will service cameras from other countries as long as they were bought from authorized dealers.

 

[CarlMillerPhoto]

The US warranty is only valid for a single year. People keep cameras for multiple years and problems generally don't develop in the first year of ownership.

If Canon wants to encourage more people to "buy Canon USA" then maybe Canon USA should offer a 2 or even 3 year warranty.

Then there would actually be incentive to "buy local."

If Canon USA wants to address the Gray Market then maybe Canon USA should come up with an offering or product enhancement that people will see actual value in. Thus far, Canon USA has failed to do that and this "reminder" about Gray Market cameras is an excellent example of how Canon USA is failing to provide added value.

+1. Canon's value proposition is waning and they don't like the fact that people are getting brand new Mark III's for $2,400.

 

[Khufu]

I feel so foolish now for having paid £1800 for a 5D3 when it was being sold locally for just £2999.99 without running the risk of receiving an incorrect power cord :-\

That power cord must be made of pure gold to be worth £1199

*sigh* I guess I'll never know...

I also grabbed a cheeky £620 70D instead of paying around £900... I'm such a cretin. I must be a Nikon employee or something, abusing Canon like this on an international scale.

 

[David Hull]

I'm very disappointed with the article. It's a blatant insult to our intelligence. The domestic products are no different from gray market in any color, shape or form. The only difference is that Canon charges a fortune to service gray market items while domestic items are free under warranty. I've bought domestic and gray market and have never felt the "advantages" of "localized" products. What a bunch of bs.

If you buy GM and it breaks, simply ship it to the service center in the region where you bought it and they will service the warrantee.

 

[Jakup]

lol... most all grays have been great for me.. canon sounds like a cookie monster..

 

[dash2k8]

If you think they are no different, then you haven't bought a grey market item that was a piece of crap. I have and learned my lesson. Be glad you haven't.

Think of it this way: if I bought a U.S. Canon product in Japan, would that make it any more likely to break down? Of course not. I have used plenty of gray market items from bodies to lenses and absolutely the only difference is in the warranty. They function exactly the same, they look the same, they even come in the same boxes.

 

[janmaxim]

Multinational corporations would be well advised to embrace the globalized economy in all aspects. If they want to peddle their wares globally they better respect their customers right to purchase those products at the lowest possible price available. Wherever that may be ... globally. They should be grateful, we buy anything from them.

Not just that. The lack of a global warranty means that if you're somewhere out of the country traveling, or if you move somewhere else, your U.S. warranty may not be valid. IMO, that makes their warranty less useful than it otherwise would be.

I also take issue with them calling them "counterfeit" products. Are they saying that a Canon-manufactured camera sold in Japan or elsewhere is not a genuine Canon camera? That's just silly.

Generally, they want a bill of sale from a Authorized Dealer. Canon USA has also been known to help get service in other countries. Its a good idea when traveling to another country to have a copy of that bill of sale with you. It can also help you avoid paying customs duties if applicable. Canon USA will service cameras from other countries as long as they were bought from authorized dealers.

I carry scans of my recites on my smart phone. I have yet to encountered any customs office wanting to see them though.