USA or Gray Market?
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This is not true for some products. Nikon camera software is written for the area of distribution. You may purchase a grey market camera for Asia and find that you cannot get menu language in English or your language. Nikon USA will not correct this for you.
Yes. You are right. I should have said that Nikon USA will not repair grey market goods under warranty or at no cost. And, there are situations where Nikon USA will not change embedded software to conform to USA requirements. i.e. Menu language. Nikon's website does not specifically say that they will repair Gray goods at a price...but they do not say that they will not either.
They do:
What are Gray Market products?
Nikon products that are imported and sold by anyone other than Nikon Inc. USA are considered Gray Market products. These often are genuine Nikon products that were intended for other countries; therefore, they may not meet Nikon’s specifications for US products or perform as expected, and they are not covered by a Nikon USA warranty or eligible for Nikon USA repair service. Learn more about Gray Market products.
I'm missing something. What did I say that you disagree with?
I think that there is probably a correction to be made here: in the past people were sometimes able to get their grey market items repaired by Nikon USA while other times they have not. The question has always been why or what differentiated cases where a repair was carried out vs refused. Some have suggested it depends on the individual person that gets the item and whether they basically decide to be generous. Others have wondered if there is some more complex decision making tree related to workloads, parts inventories, and costs. Regardless, that one person has been able to get a grey market item repaired is nothing new.
It may be worth adding that I don't think the website currently indicates that they will service grey market gear... rather, it just went from explicitly saying they won't to saying nothing about it. As you say, the FAQ still says they won't. Thus, I would say that the website didn't go from saying they won't repair the gear to sending a mixed message, but rather it went from saying they won't repair it to saying less visibly that they won't repair it.
Both of these things might be because of a policy change, but they also might both be because of some other reason, like the desire to avoid saying unpleasant things on a public facing website.
groob
Active member
My read on the non-FAQ language is that it’s clear NikonUSA will work on grey market items. In any matter that requires court intervention to interpret a contract, I am very confident the customer would win if that were the only language at issue. But because there is divergent language in the FAQ, Nikon has left its policy unclear.
At bottom, NikonUSA needs to make its language conform in the FAQ and non-FAQ sections so that its actual policy is clear to consumers.
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Lee R
Member
I’ve bought grey market lenses in the past, mostly olympus and the less expensive ones. To me they’re disposable and the resale will be low anyway so why not. I’ve not had one fail yet. I’ve had lens motors fail (Pentax) and they‘re out of warranty and cost more than a used copy to repair. In that case grey market would have made no difference as you have to send them to a place like KEH to have repaired if you choose too.
For me it’s a gamble on the reliability of the equipment. If it fails in a decade what makes more sense, repair or just get a similar used copy that works. For an expensive prime I wouldn’t go grey market, but for a lot of lenses, sure.
For me it’s a gamble on the reliability of the equipment. If it fails in a decade what makes more sense, repair or just get a similar used copy that works. For an expensive prime I wouldn’t go grey market, but for a lot of lenses, sure.
I read this to clearly and unequivocally say that “ Gray Market products…. Are not…eligible for Nikon USA repair service.”.
That statement continues to appear on the Nikon USA web site. This is directly opposed to what is being reported by others about how they were reassured they could get gray market service.
As a prospective purchaser of equipment that will cost more than 10 grand I am definitely not reassured. I don’t feel safe.
EricKlees
Well-known member
This is why i said way early on in this thread it is likely at best, the tech that process the gear into the system and works on it would be the difference in of it is accepted for repair. A less diligent tech may not check out of the gear us or isn't grey.
Nikon clearly stated in it's FAQ section on grey market that it will not provide warranty or any repair services on grey market items.
The odds are far greater that anyone purchasing a grey market item will never have it repaired or serviced. Each people some understand this and make their own decisions. Of course I'm talking about Nikon USA
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You said ...but they do not say that they will not either.
Nikon website says....they are not covered by a Nikon USA warranty or eligible for Nikon USA repair service.
For those looking for a link to Nikon's statement on servicing gray market items it's here: https://www.nikonusa.com/content/shopping-help/shopping-faq
And here's a screen shot of the FAQ page with the Gray Market statement shown:
I don't doubt that for various reasons folks may have had their gray market gear serviced by Nikon USA but this is what they currently show on their website and it explicitly impacts more than just warranty claims.
And here's a screen shot of the FAQ page with the Gray Market statement shown:
I don't doubt that for various reasons folks may have had their gray market gear serviced by Nikon USA but this is what they currently show on their website and it explicitly impacts more than just warranty claims.
First, you did see the post of the correspondence from Nikon regarding the repair of the grey market item? They evidently will repair..at a cost..grey market goods depending on the damage. This is completely new to Nikon. Nikon's warranty says.
"Gray Market products may contain a limited warranty from the seller, but they are not covered by a Nikon USA warranty and are not eligible for Nikon USA warranty repair service."
I think that your quote misses ...warranty repair service.
Y
EricKlees
Well-known member
Based on Nikon standing position on grey remember on their website. You can take that correspondence at you own risk. I've had multiple friends over the past year been refused and repairs service, even cleanings denied based on they were grey items. Nikon said no, ava just showed the item back.
The sellers warranty is not through Nikon and the item will not be sent to Nikon from the seller. You do realize that Nikon no longer has 3rd party authorized repair centers? This happened able 3 years ago. They no longer sell most parts to these camera stores and Nikon recalled all calibration machines. So those repairs... You could be getting used parts from used cameras being sold to our parts on places like eBay.
So i would not ever want to use a seller's 3rd party warranty these days.
Anyway, i really didn't want to get sucked back into this debate. It's frivolous to me. It's more than a crap shoot if Nikon will ever repair a get item at best. I think this have been hard it everyone that most people that read this thread will be informed enough to make whatever choice they feel most comfortable with.
One other thing I've mentioned before that Nikon USA may mean with that correspondence letter... You can have a item that was meant for the Japan market not if you bought it in Japan and have an authorized Japanese retailer invoice or receipt and bring it back to the USA, Nikon will repair, service ava honor the warranty as it's not grey market. Meaning of want bought in the US from a US retailer where the item was meant for another country.
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This may or may not be correct, but I think the more fundamental reality is that there is very, very little chance of someone spending thousands in legal fees to try to get this kind of situation adjudicated by a court. There are lots of policies which companies have which might skirt the line as far as the law goes but which the companies know they can enforce because the cost to challenge them is not ever going to be worth it for a consumer.
hef19898
Well-known member
And what would prevent anyone from installing firmware from another market? Or, worst case, just use English as a menu language? Because every single piece of software I ever encountered in my life, excluding the cheapest of cheap crap, had English as an option.
Unless you show proof that a) Nikon, or any other brand, sold in China doesn't have English as an language option and b) Nikon firmware from, e.g. Nikon US or France or wherever cannot be installed on Nikon hardware bought in, e.g. Korea I file this claim with all other grey market rumors not based in reality.
O
Well-known member
$2500 is really $3500
In a personal private situation IN OZ, YES as in a private purchase every $ saved is meaningful as its net after tax money i am spending which is more like $3500 i am saving,
also as i have no issues with getting service or repairs in OZ, also with that quality lens its unlikely i would not experience any issues anyway.
$3500 goes a long way towards offsetting depreciation for resale.
In my case in OZ In a company structure application it wouldn't matter about the saving so much as its all a tax right off anyway, anything i buy or rent is a tax right off or expense.
I think you may find many Grey Market dealers have a shop on Amazon anyway.
The internet and the likes of Amazon and E bay are really the digital version of a retail supermarket chain or landlords, they take a % in exchange for marketing and ranking you at the top of their advertising page.
Only an opinion
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groob
Active member
Sure, which is why I said Nikon should clarify its policy and that i'd personally buy a refurbished copy. Well, I'd actually buy a used version from another individual who could verify that they bought a USA copy. I wouldn't personally be concerned about having a warranty so long as the lens was in good shape and hadn't been put through the wringer.
Until February, I was using a 20 year old 500mm f/4 that worked spectacularly well.
O
Well-known member
Apart from the focus drive units nothing else ever goes wrong at this level product, however the newer built in Tc version lenses may be tricky if like some Canon versions that need the Tc realigning every 12 months or so, so the side line chatter on the foot ball field goes.
Only an opinion
O
Well-known member
Sorry, I am just starting to catch on LOL.
I think there are two areas of issue,
1) items under warranty go to the place of purchase for claims, done deal.
2) items out of warranty go to where ever you choose to take it and its at a cost done deal.
In this case Nikon in my experience they never refuse to service or repair an item Grey or otherwise as it comes to you at a cost for service or repairs, that's revenue.
Grey warranty should be simply handled under Grey warranty, its unreasonable to expect other wise.
Nikon warranty should be under Nikon warranty perfectly reasonable.
Only an opinion
I think there are two areas of issue,
1) items under warranty go to the place of purchase for claims, done deal.
2) items out of warranty go to where ever you choose to take it and its at a cost done deal.
In this case Nikon in my experience they never refuse to service or repair an item Grey or otherwise as it comes to you at a cost for service or repairs, that's revenue.
Grey warranty should be simply handled under Grey warranty, its unreasonable to expect other wise.
Nikon warranty should be under Nikon warranty perfectly reasonable.
Only an opinion