Re: DSLR Camera Advice Pleeeease
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_market
grey imports are products imported not via official distributors taking advantages of market differential pricing to undercut those imported via official distributors. This means that you may save a bit of money upfront but if you need service under warranty many companies will either refuse or charge for it.
If you take Sigma as an example they know by serial nos. what have been officially imported into the UK (or indeed Europe) & if you need service on e.g. a lens imported from Hong Kong they'll ask for proof that duty/VAT has been paid on it.
P.S. grey imports usually don't qualify for manufacturer rebate programmes as well.
Re: DSLR Camera Advice Pleeeease
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BUFF
Only thing to watch is that I believe that Microglobe sometimes sell grey imports which Sigma UK won't support if you need service.
I have the 120-300 2.8 and bought it from Hong Kong via Ebay.
When I had an issue with it, I asked Sigma UK and they said they'd service / repair / tune it free of charge providing I could supply an invoice. I contacted the ebay seller and he emailed me the invoice.
I then sent off the lens with the invoice to Sigma (in Welwyn garden city IIRC), and a couple of weeks later, it came back, fully fixed and tweaked and has been working fine since.
Admittedly, I took a risk buying from outside EU, particularly with the high cost of that lens, but they were preapred to service it (although they were a bit stroppy until I insisted).
If you're reasonable, they shouldn't have a problem.
Servicing / repairing camera bodies however, is another issue. Lenses "normally" carry a worldwide warranty which isn't the case for dSLR bodies.
Re: DSLR Camera Advice Pleeeease
from Sigma UK faq http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/support/faq/lens.htm
"Does your Sigma lens have an International warranty? I am looking to buy one of your lenses and I’m working overseas for a couple of months. I wanted to check whether Sigma UK will still cover lenses brought from outside the UK?
Sigma lenses do come with a 1 year international warranty, however, the warranty is only honoured if VAT and duty have been paid on importation into the UK, otherwise it is an illegal import. Once these taxes have been taken into account, our customers usually find it better value to buy an official UK imported lens. Sigma UK also offer an extended 2 year warranty on all EX lenses which have been imported through us. For further details click here."
http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/quic...going_grey.htm
