Nikon USA Official Statement on Gray Market Products

What is "Gray Market"?
Generally, a manufacturer works with a single importer who can sell and
support their products in a given region. The importer usually has local
dealers and distributors who resell the imported products; this is called a
"distribution channel". Gray Market refers to merchandise that is imported
and sold by methods other than these normal channels.
For local safety regulations and certifications (FCC, CE, UL, etc.) and
government requirements a manufacturer provides special packaging (manuals
in the appropriate language, power cables designed for the local receptacle,
etc.) and product engineering designed to meet local codes. Manufacturers
also have service and support agreements with the authorized importer.
Gray Market items are not designed to be sold in a particular market and
cannot be supported by the authorized importer because they may not meet
mandatory safety and certification codes. Because these items are not
designed for a particular market they may not function properly, or the
authorized importer may not be equipped to provide service, support or
software.
With the opening of international borders and the use of the Internet to
sell goods, Gray Market equipment has become extremely common in the
photographic and consumer electronics markets. Many different types of
equipment are brought into North America for sale without the proper
documentation and US consumers do not always know what they are purchasing.
Because the resellers' cost is less they can sell Gray Market items for
less. Unfortunately this price savings is only on the initial purchase;
because service and support is more difficult to obtain it may end up
costing the consumer more in the long run.
Who is the authorized importer of Nikon Equipment into the USA?
Nikon Incorporated USA is the sole authorized importer of Nikon Corporation
of Japan for photographic devices. Nikon Inc. USA pays shipping into the
USA, import duties and taxes, and provides service, support and downloads
for these products. Nikon Inc. USA ensures that the products they import are
fully certified and safe for use in the USA market.
Nikon Inc. USA cannot provide service, support or downloads for products
that have not been imported by Nikon Inc. USA.
How do I know if my Nikon product is "Grey Market"?
If the deal was just too good to be true, it probably was. One of the first
indicators that a piece of Nikon merchandise might be Gray Market is if the
price is considerably less than most other resellers.
Additionally, a genuine Nikon Inc. USA product will include an Owners'
Manual and Warranty Registration card in English. It will also include power
cables (if applicable) designed for US style plugs. Any other language on
the printed material or wrong cables indicates a Gray Market item.
Another indication of a Gray Market product would be photocopied manuals or
manually created software CD's. Nikon Inc. USA always provides
professionally printed or duplicated materials with genuine products.
What does owning a "Grey Market" Nikon product mean to you?
Nikon Inc. USA cannot provide any technical support or warranty service on
Gray Market items. Additionally Nikon Inc. USA cannot perform any fee-based
repair work on Gray Market items. Please do not contact Nikon Inc. USA for
help with any Gray Market products. Please contact the reseller or importer
of your Gray Market items for warranty and service information as well as
software updates and downloads.
Does owning a "Grey Market" Nikon product mean I don't have a warranty?
No! All Nikon products come with a warranty by the manufacturer. The
designated Nikon service center will always repair "in warranty" Nikon
products and perform "out of warranty" repairs. If you own a Gray Market
product it will need to be returned to the reseller or importer for service.
Refer to your reseller or to the warranty cards included with the product
for service contact information.

Jeremy

Re: Nikon USA Official Statement on Gray Market Products

I think that's a reasonable legal balance. And I believe a company
should have that ability. I just think it's short-sighted on the part
of the company. It shuts out otherwise legitimate buyers of used
equipment. It may seem like a small loss of business, but pissed off
customers and word-of-mouth can grow beyond what is really fair and it
could come back to bite them in the butt.
Would Mamiya be able to stop a person who is physically in another
country from buying their equipment and bringing it back?
I would seriously doubt it. When I was in the service, and stationed
overseas, I bought alot of stereo equipment at far cheaper prices than
the same stuff was selling for here... and the government shipped it
back for me for free.


TheDaveŠ

Re: Nikon USA Official Statement on Gray Market Products

Nikon was quite willing to work on my F3. I bought it used, and I have no
idea whether it came in here through Nikon USA or somebody else.
Jim


Jim

Re: Nikon USA Official Statement on Gray Market Products

Now the Supreme Court ruling has opened things up a bit. When they gave
gray market importers the right to invade what was formerly the exclusive
territory of the official importer, they also gave the official importers
the legal right to decline to have any dealings with goods that they did not
import. The Court tried to strike a balance.
There is still the matter of trademark protection. Mamiya USA is the
registered trademark holder for cameras badged Mamiya that are imported into
the US, and Mamiya has been very aggressive in pressing Customs to keep out
any Mamiya cameras and lenses that Mamiya USA did not import. (Honeywell
did the same with Pentax equipment back in the 70s). I am uncertain if an
individual can even order a Mamiya camera from abroad and have it shipped to
him in the US, for personal use, without running the risk that it will be
seized by Customs.
I understand that Mamiya cameras sell for a substantial premium in the US
over prices in other countries.
Mamiya USA apparently uses their registered trademark as the basis for
seizure. I know of NO gray market importer of Mamiya equipment in this
country.


Jeremy

Re: Nikon USA Official Statement on Gray Market Products

It is clearly designed to discourage buyers from leaving Nikon USA and going
to gray market importers instead. No secret about that.
Official importers have the right in the US to thumb their noses at the
customers of their competition. Nikon chooses to exercise that right. They
may lose a few potential customers, and they have decided that they will
take that small loss, rather than risk big losses in making gray market
goods more favorable. Anything Nikon does to help gray market buyers will
probably hurt Nikon in the long run. The prospect of receiving no support
is a powerful incentive for buyers to stick with the genuine importer.


Jeremy

Re: Nikon USA Official Statement on Gray Market Products

Had I known that there was such a thing as, "gray market" stuff, I would not
have gone with the manufacturer I did go with, (Nikon) and would have found
another camera system.....Unfortunately, it's too late now, so I just make
sure I deal with independent repair facilities, and never buy a Nikon
warrantee with anything I purchase. If I buy any item second hand, or on
eBay, I automatically assume it will be "gray market" and I will have to get
it repaired without the overt help of Nikon USA. Fortunately, most repair
shops can order parts under assumed serial numbers, without having to ship
the items back to the parts depot first....:^) (And therein lies one of the
reasons why I detest the gray market system....It is yet another example of
an unenforceable law) It doesn't really prevent anyone from buying gray
market, it just makes life a bit more difficult for them. In a way, it's a
good thing, because it gives the independent repair shop a little more
business, and, because I was a repair person myself most of my working life,
I sympathize with those people.


William Graham

Re: Nikon USA Official Statement on Gray Market Products

I object to your use of the term, "designed" in the above. These cameras and
lenses were not designed any differently than the others....Only the serial
numbers are recorded and given to their repair shops with instructions to
not work on selected ones.....Which means, if you buy any of the equipment
used, you have absolutely no way of knowing whether it is, "gray market" or
not, so you are taking a chance that you might not get any support from
Nikon when you need it worked on, repaired, modified, whatever. This
effectively destroys the used market for all their stuff forever.
Fortunately, there are independent repair shops who will work on anything
they think they can fix, and I deal exclusively with good people like this.


William Graham

Re: Nikon USA Official Statement on Gray Market Products

At one time, a US owned importer could restrict who could or could not the
products that they imported.
For example, in the 1960s, Bell & Howell was the official importer for
Canon, and EPOI was the official importer for Nikon.
I don't know if that law is still in effect, but as both importers are now
owned by the parent organizations, the issue has gone away.
Now, anybody can import either brand at will.
In 1968, I bought a Canon FT-QL from a company in Hong Kong at a substantial
saving over the NY price. The camera arrived with an international
warranty. This meant that getting warranty service required send the camera
back to Japan.
Thus I have been aware of the policy you cited since 1968.
Jim


Jim

Re: Nikon USA Official Statement on Gray Market Products

I fully understand Nikon's desire about warranty work, and agree with
it 100%, but if the customer is willing to pay for service, then I
think Nikon's attitude is unnecessarily punitive and, well... bitchy.
What about people who buy used? They may or may not know it's a grey
market item when they buy it. Mahy buyers, through no fault of their
own, may be new to photography and may not yet be informed enough to
know that it's even an issue. Even if it's not grey market, they
technically didn't buy it from Nikon to begin with, either.
Personally, I've never bought grey market, but if I should ever end up
with a grey market piece, it's nice to know that Canon will at least
work on it. I ended up going the Canon route for entirely different
reasons, but in hindsight, this issue is one of a couple that makes me
glad I did. I don't mind paying for service, I just don't want to
catch any unnecessary crap over it.


TheDaveŠ

Re: Nikon USA Official Statement on Gray Market Products

I don't think it has been that long, but we won't split hairs over the
length of time. Whenever the topic arises on the NG, there are always
posters that express outrage over not being able to expect service from
companies from which they never even made a purchase. What do they think
that they get (or, rather, don't get) when they go the gray market route?


Jeremy

Re: Nikon USA Official Statement on Gray Market Products

<big snip>
This has been the policy of most importers for well over 40 years.
There is nothing new here.
Jim


Jim

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