TN's Nikon Repair Surprize

[Loswr]

Just goes to show that only the sensor matters!

Thank you for your usual informative contribution.

Thank you for your pithy comment on my informative contribution.

 

[RGF]

He had purchased a used Nikon 70-200 lens for his new D810. (He claims no sponsorship and buys everything open market.) The lens came from an unnamed, but reputable source. That lens now needs repair, but Nikon refuses to repair the lens because it was a grey market import.

I wonder if this only applies to the USA or only to lenses outside the warrenty period, because my brother just got a 70-200 repaired under warranty (ie at Nikon's expense), despite it was purchased outside the country where it got repaired (it was bought in HK, he's in Norway)

Not sure if this is true, but I have heard if you actually purchased the camera/lens aboard and have the sales receipt to show you did purchase it there (versus grey market), then Nikon will repair the camera.

This makes some sense to me.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

He had purchased a used Nikon 70-200 lens for his new D810. (He claims no sponsorship and buys everything open market.) The lens came from an unnamed, but reputable source. That lens now needs repair, but Nikon refuses to repair the lens because it was a grey market import.

I wonder if this only applies to the USA or only to lenses outside the warrenty period, because my brother just got a 70-200 repaired under warranty (ie at Nikon's expense), despite it was purchased outside the country where it got repaired (it was bought in HK, he's in Norway)

Not sure if this is true, but I have heard if you actually purchased the camera/lens aboard and have the sales receipt to show you did purchase it there (versus grey market), then Nikon will repair the camera.

This makes some sense to me.

If you buy one in Canada from a authorized dealer, and send it to Nikon USA, they will not repair it. However, in the past, they would, so you have to look at the date of those comments, since Nikon has toughened up their policy.

Then, they sometimes either miss the fact that its gray market, or grant a exception, but it seems to be sporadic.

Nikon service still hasn't figured out how to become customer friendly and handle charges / credits with other Nikon units in other countries. I've seen Thom Hogan, who is a finance type, say this is due to their corporate structure, and that Canon is much better organized as far as the way they do business.

If Nikon USA went ahead and repaired gray market cameras and billed the repair to Nikon China, then Nikon China would have to pay for the fix. Right now, they are happy to have Chinese Dealers sell cameras abroad, because they will never have to repair them, and will make more profit. That goes for Canon as well.

The policy makes for more profit, but it also loses customers. Canon USA could crack down and do the same, but so far, they eat the loss.

 

[RGF]

He had purchased a used Nikon 70-200 lens for his new D810. (He claims no sponsorship and buys everything open market.) The lens came from an unnamed, but reputable source. That lens now needs repair, but Nikon refuses to repair the lens because it was a grey market import.

I wonder if this only applies to the USA or only to lenses outside the warrenty period, because my brother just got a 70-200 repaired under warranty (ie at Nikon's expense), despite it was purchased outside the country where it got repaired (it was bought in HK, he's in Norway)

Not sure if this is true, but I have heard if you actually purchased the camera/lens aboard and have the sales receipt to show you did purchase it there (versus grey market), then Nikon will repair the camera.

This makes some sense to me.

If you buy one in Canada from a authorized dealer, and send it to Nikon USA, they will not repair it. However, in the past, they would, so you have to look at the date of those comments, since Nikon has toughened up their policy.

Then, they sometimes either miss the fact that its gray market, or grant a exception, but it seems to be sporadic.

Nikon service still hasn't figured out how to become customer friendly and handle charges / credits with other Nikon units in other countries. I've seen Thom Hogan, who is a finance type, say this is due to their corporate structure, and that Canon is much better organized as far as the way they do business.

If Nikon USA went ahead and repaired gray market cameras and billed the repair to Nikon China, then Nikon China would have to pay for the fix. Right now, they are happy to have Chinese Dealers sell cameras abroad, because they will never have to repair them, and will make more profit. That goes for Canon as well.

The policy makes for more profit, but it also loses customers. Canon USA could crack down and do the same, but so far, they eat the loss.

And labor rates in China are much lower in than in the US. What does China pay - their rates or the US rates? Their prices reflect their lower labor rate so this greats a problem.

As far as buying while traveling, I think it is reasonable and the warranty should be honored.
Grey market is another story

 

[privatebydesign]

I was just traveling with a New York based photographer who bought a D810 in Iceland when he was shooting there, he got it because he couldn't get one in the USA at the time. Well he needed to get work done on it after a while and Nikon USA were very reluctant to work on it, they did in the end but he had to produce not only the original receipt from the Icelandic shop, but also a copy of the page in his passport with the Icelandic visa in it with the dates he was there.

As for the different country based companies billing each other, I believe Canon USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon Japan who would pick up the bill for any warranty work anyway, I suspect that is also true of Nikon USA/Japan, so any disallowing of genuine products (by any multinational) is purely an 'internal' cost cutting measure.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I was just traveling with a New York based photographer who bought a D810 in Iceland when he was shooting there, he got it because he couldn't get one in the USA at the time. Well he needed to get work done on it after a while and Nikon USA were very reluctant to work on it, they did in the end but he had to produce not only the original receipt from the Icelandic shop, but also a copy of the page in his passport with the Icelandic visa in it with the dates he was there.

As for the different country based companies billing each other, I believe Canon USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon Japan who would pick up the bill for any warranty work anyway, I suspect that is also true of Nikon USA/Japan, so any disallowing of genuine products (by any multinational) is purely an 'internal' cost cutting measure.

Nikon and Canon have different organizational / financial structures. Canon USA does not provide officially a warranty for gray market purchases, but fixes them anyway as long as you have a sales receipt.

You have to be very careful about used equipment or you may find that it can't be repaired, because its gray market.