Nikon-Non US Warranty-So?

How much does it matter about USA Warranties? Are these cameras
different? Are they made with different materials? What happens if
they break? Is the warranty coverage only a year?

How do you tell the difference between legit stores selling cameras
with out the US warranties and and stores that never deliver the
merchandise.

If the warranty is for a year and the saving is 50%, it might pay to
take the chance buying a camera that was sold to Italy first then
here.

I'm sure this is not the first time this question has been asked and I
apologize for the repition but I would love to buy a D200 with a good
VR lens. I just took pictures at a family wedding and I really think
I could benefit from the VR but for better prices than you can do at
B&H. What about a store like Abe's of Maine, which has been around
for decades?

Had it not been for the announcement of the D300, I probably would
have had the D200 already.

Alan Calan wrote:
How much does it matter about USA Warranties?

To whom?

Are these cameras different?

Possible, but unlikely. Although manufacturers have been known to sell the
same product under different names or with different options in different
regions of the world.

Are they made with different materials?

Even less likely.

What happens if they break?

Then they don't work any longer.

Is the warranty coverage only a year?

That depends very much on the dealer, the manufacturer, and the legal
requirements in the country of purchase.

How do you tell the difference between legit stores selling cameras
with out the US warranties and and stores that never deliver the
merchandise.

That line may not be very sharp and often along "if we get it overseas then
we have it, otherwise we won't deliver".

If the warranty is for a year and the saving is 50%, it might pay to
take the chance buying a camera that was sold to Italy first then
here.

Depending upon where "here" is you may have the same rights as when
purchased locally and can even sue locally within the EU. A lot has changed
in the last few years regarding online purchases from other EU countries.

jue

Hi, This is a reply I rec'd from Nikon when I asked them about my UK bought
Nikon D80 that had a USA serial number.

Bruce

"Thank you for your correspondence.

If after entering your serial number you may experience "Error 3; Incorrect
model/serial number combination". In this case your camera does not have a
European serial number.

If this error appears your camera does not have a European serial number and
you may have unwittingly purchased a grey import. Unfortunately, we are
unable to govern the source of an independent company's product as this
would breach free trade laws. We do recommend checking the product source
with the retailer prior to purchase, and for your future information we list
recommended retailers and online retailers on our website.

At this stage, we would also recommend clarifying with your dealer your
warranty situation, as we are unable to offer a worldwide warranty for our
Digital Imaging products (internal components may differ due to localised
operating systems, voltage requirements, radio emission laws, broadcast
standards and software licensing). Warranties offered on these products are
regional only and this is also the case for similar products from the
majority our competitors.

I would, of course, like to confirm that we will happily offer technical
support for your product.

For more information about Grey Market product click here
http://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/c...ted=1034191368


If you have any further questions please contact us.

Kind regards,

Aled Thomas.
"Alan Calan" wrote in message
... "




How much does it matter about USA Warranties? Are these cameras
different? Are they made with different materials? What happens if
they break? Is the warranty coverage only a year?

How do you tell the difference between legit stores selling cameras
with out the US warranties and and stores that never deliver the
merchandise.

If the warranty is for a year and the saving is 50%, it might pay to
take the chance buying a camera that was sold to Italy first then
here.

I'm sure this is not the first time this question has been asked and I
apologize for the repition but I would love to buy a D200 with a good
VR lens. I just took pictures at a family wedding and I really think
I could benefit from the VR but for better prices than you can do at
B&H. What about a store like Abe's of Maine, which has been around
for decades?

Had it not been for the announcement of the D300, I probably would
have had the D200 already.

On Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:37:47 -0400, Alan Calan wrote:

[in reverse order]
I'm sure this is not the first time this question has been asked and I
apologize for the repition but I would love to buy a D200 with a good
VR lens. I just took pictures at a family wedding and I really think
I could benefit from the VR but for better prices than you can do at
B&H. What about a store like Abe's of Maine, which has been around
for decades?

I've never dealt with Abe's of Maine so I can't say for sure, but
it sounds like the type of outfit that would be much more unpleasant
to deal with than B&H, Adorama, Staples, etc. if there were any
problems with purchased items. IIRC, B&H allows exchanges, store
credit and refunds, where J&R only allows exchanges and it some
cases, store credit. For other stores you'll have to do your own
research. Everyone, not just you benefits from lower prices. But
as B&H's and Adorama's prices are already pretty reasonable, you
won't often save very much by shopping elsewhere, unless you're
dealing with a sleazy outfit. I have no idea as to whether Abe's
fits in this category or not. You can gamble with Abe's. I don't.


If the warranty is for a year and the saving is 50%, it might pay to
take the chance buying a camera that was sold to Italy first then
here.

The price difference is much, much less than 50%. Check B&H's
online product lists which give different prices depending on
whether the product is gray market (non-USA) or USA. Based on vague
memory, it's probably close to a 5% savings. If the difference is
much greater, it's probably not a new item.


How do you tell the difference between legit stores selling cameras
with out the US warranties and and stores that never deliver the
merchandise.

I don't know of any stores that never deliver the merchandise, but
then I've dealt primarily with known entities. B&H, Adorama, J&R,
Calumet, Staples, Circuit City, Buydig.com, etc. There's a ratings
website that can give you a pretty good idea of the company's
trustworthiness, but I'm not absolutely sure of the URL. It might
be resellerratings.com


How much does it matter about USA Warranties? Are these cameras
different? Are they made with different materials? What happens if
they break? Is the warranty coverage only a year?

The cameras are the same. Same materials. If you're worried
about the coverage, either because you didn't buy a USA market
product or because you want to increase the coverage, you can get an
extended warranty. B&H and Adorama sell Mack warranties, which vary
in cost and length. Mack's 5 year extended, full coverage warranty
was about $40 for Nikon's D50. It should be proportionately more
expensive for a D200 or D300. If the camera breaks and it's not
gray market and is longer covered by a warranty, you can see what
Nikon's repair estimate will be, or you can try to sell it (as
damaged goods) on eBay.

I think that the warranty is a full year for all of Nikon's USA
DSLRs and Lenses, except for the more reasonably priced non-Pro
lenses, which provide extended coverage. Two examples of these are
the 18-70mm DX lens and the 55-200mmVR lens. In addition to the
regular 1 year warranty, they include a 4 year extension card in the
box that should be sent back to Nikon very quickly. The boxes for
these lenses are clearly marked on the outside with an image of a
round seal, saying "5 years of protection included", and in smaller
print "1 year warranty + 4 years extended service coverage" but
unless the box is very close, all that you'll see is the large "5".

"Alan Calan" wrote in message
...
How much does it matter about USA Warranties? Are these cameras
different? Are they made with different materials? What happens if
they break? Is the warranty coverage only a year?

How do you tell the difference between legit stores selling cameras
with out the US warranties and and stores that never deliver the
merchandise.

If the warranty is for a year and the saving is 50%, it might pay to
take the chance buying a camera that was sold to Italy first then
here.

I'm sure this is not the first time this question has been asked and
I
apologize for the repition but I would love to buy a D200 with a
good
VR lens. I just took pictures at a family wedding and I really
think
I could benefit from the VR but for better prices than you can do at
B&H. What about a store like Abe's of Maine, which has been around
for decades?

Had it not been for the announcement of the D300, I probably would
have had the D200 already.

Hold out for future price drops.
Wait for the D400 because it will probably have more pixels and
features
and possibly even a lower selling price.
Many Americans enjoy casinos and other gambling spots. You may as well
look around for the really lowest price. I'm sure you will find some
ad somewhere offering to sell for about half the price of Nikon's &
lenses than the current going price. They might be a steal and save
you hundreds.Or you might get suckered. Remember the three points of
enjoying photography.
Wait,procratinate,gamble.

Paying a fair price from a camera store with integrity like B&H and
getting the security of a legitimate camera imported by Nikon USA and
being protected if the camera don't work is a suckers game.

In article kJqBi.1408$9T5.771@trndny02,
"Jürgen Exner" wrote:

Are these cameras different?

Possible, but unlikely. Although manufacturers have been known to sell the
same product under different names or with different options in different
regions of the world.

Very possibly yes today. Cameras, and any other electronic product, sold
in the EU since July 1 of this year must meet RoHS requirements as to
the amount of certain chemicals in the product as well as the types of
plastics used. Lead based solder is one banned substance.

At this time RoHs does not apply to the US. So products sold in the US
for US consumption can be made differently or contain different
materials then product meant for countries in the EU.

And then there are other difference like 220V 50Hz chargers rather then
120V 60 Hz chargers, the chargers could just need a different AC cord or
plug adapter or they may not be compatible.

Is the warranty coverage only a year?

Warranty is the responsibilty of the distributor in each country. If the
local distributor (Nikon USA) did not import it they don't have to honor
the warranty if they don't want to. Nor do they have to repair it for a
charge if they don't want to.

You would have a warranty if you send the camera back to the distributor
who imported it in the first place. Or with Nikon Japan if you sent it
there.

How do you tell the difference between legit stores selling cameras
with out the US warranties and and stores that never deliver the
merchandise.

It is immediately obvious if the warranty card is not preaddressed to
Nikon USA in NY or if the instruction book is not in English. Or if the
camera is missing any of the items listed by Nikon USA as being part of
the camera. Or by asking the seller if it is US or imported or gray.

--
To reply no_ HPMarketing Corp.

Bob Salomon wrote:
In article kJqBi.1408$9T5.771@trndny02,
"Jürgen Exner" wrote:

Are these cameras different?

Possible, but unlikely. Although manufacturers have been known to
sell the same product under different names or with different
options in different regions of the world.

Very possibly yes today. Cameras, and any other electronic product,
sold in the EU since July 1 of this year must meet RoHS requirements
as to the amount of certain chemicals in the product as well as the
types of plastics used. Lead based solder is one banned substance.

At this time RoHs does not apply to the US. So products sold in the US
for US consumption can be made differently or contain different
materials then product meant for countries in the EU.

Certainly true, although many (most?) manufacturers would probably try to
avoid the additional cost of running two different production lines or
switching the line between two different versions of their products.

And then there are other difference like 220V 50Hz chargers rather
then 120V 60 Hz chargers, the chargers could just need a different AC
cord or plug adapter or they may not be compatible.

Well, yeah :-) Forgot about that.

jue

ASAAR wrote:
product or because you want to increase the coverage, you can get an
extended warranty. B&H and Adorama sell Mack warranties, which vary
in cost and length. Mack's 5 year extended, full coverage warranty
was about $40 for Nikon's D50.

Please excuse my ignorance, but isn't that more like an insurance you are
talking about now? Maybe I am totally wrong, but to me there are two kinds
of warranty:
1: the dealer is responsible that the goods he is selling are not defective
2: the manufacturer is responsible that the goods he is producing are free
of material or manufacturing defects
Both kinds are legal requiremens and inherent in any contract of purchase,
no matter if it's a 5 cent piece of chewing gum or a 50000$ car. I cannot
even purchase something without having this coverage (special cases like
used goods etc. excluded).

Now, if I have to pay for warranty, then it is not a warranty any longer but
becomes a normal insurance, doesn't it?

jue

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:20:33 GMT, Jürgen Exner wrote:

product or because you want to increase the coverage, you can get an
extended warranty. B&H and Adorama sell Mack warranties, which vary
in cost and length. Mack's 5 year extended, full coverage warranty
was about $40 for Nikon's D50.

Please excuse my ignorance, but isn't that more like an insurance you are
talking about now? Maybe I am totally wrong, but to me there are two kinds
of warranty:
1: the dealer is responsible that the goods he is selling are not defective
2: the manufacturer is responsible that the goods he is producing are free
of material or manufacturing defects
Both kinds are legal requiremens and inherent in any contract of purchase,
no matter if it's a 5 cent piece of chewing gum or a 50000$ car. I cannot
even purchase something without having this coverage (special cases like
used goods etc. excluded).

Now, if I have to pay for warranty, then it is not a warranty any longer
but becomes a normal insurance, doesn't it?

It may be more like insurance, but it's sold as an extended
warranty. There's at least a small bit of justification for it,
since the way it operates is that when you buy, say, a 5 year
extended warranty, you're not really buying 5 full years of
coverage. You're only buying 5 years minus the length of the
manufacturer's coverage. So with products that include a one year
warranty, the 5 year extended warranty is only used to cover the
product for years 2 through 5. It's also literally *called* an
extended warranty, and anyone that tries to buy an insurance policy
for their new camera is likely to get some odd stares.


Now, if I have to pay for warranty, then it is not a warranty any longer
but becomes a normal insurance, doesn't it?

It does if that's the way you want to see it, but again, standard
terminology is to call it an extended warranty. This isn't just
done with cameras. Many computers, radios, TVs, and appliances are
normally supplied with a one year warranty. The manufacturers don't
say "Just ask and we'll give you a free two year extension on our
warranty". Instead, they offer it for a fee. It would be a bit
more logical to call these insurance policies, as you suggest, but
that's not what they are called, at least here (USA). I suspect
that part of the reason may be that if the extended warranties were
called insurance policies, fewer would be sold.

It may be more like insurance, but it's sold as an extended
warranty.

Jurgen is right.

The manufacturer offers a warranty; that is, it tells you its product
is perfect and if it isn't it will fix it for free during the warranty
period.

Mack, on the other hand, offers insurance (however it may wish to call
it); that is, for a cash premium it will get your camera fixed.

Insurance being what it is, a gamble, Mack bets that your camera won't
need fixing and you bet that it will. Guess who wins most of the time.

In my view, insurance is worth buying only when a possible loss would
far exceed the buyer's assets. Buy house insurance, liability
insurance, health insurance, etcetera.

Camera insurance? You're wasting your money.