‘Grey imports’

eskbanker

keepitlegal said:
When I took it back to the dealer, the salesman offered to write it inside the box! 

That's some seriously 'inside the box' thinking!

cymruchris

keepitlegal said:

cymruchris said:

keepitlegal said:

cymruchris said:

OP - out of interest which Nikon body is it? I'm sure I'll know someone with one who can confirm where the serial number should actually be...

I don’t want to give too much information until I email their head office, but here is a picture of the base of the camera, the serial number should be in the white box. I have coloured in some of it for that reason.

Although it has a white box - it could also be somewhere else - does it have an articulated screen? It's been known to be on the plastic behind there - and also inside the battery door. Just rule out the fact that the serial number isn't hidden somewhere else even though you have the above sticker. (I imagine it won't be - but just cover all the bases).

Looking at all the options - it's also possible it was a previous repair where the part with the original serial number on was damaged and replaced.

When I took it back to the dealer, the salesman offered to write it inside the box! 

Helpful - I've not experienced a missing serial number myself over the years - so it'll be good to know what they come back with once they reply to your email.

silvercar

keepitlegal said:

Cymruchris, I’ve never knowingly bought any grey imports and although there’s savings to be made, I wouldn’t ever buy a grey import. That’s just how I am.
I also didn’t get a better price from the retailer, in fact it was slightly more expensive than the same model cameras in their other stores. 

Fair enough. Though enough people do so without a second thought. Apple products are common as they can be cheaper in USA and Australia. Shop in Costco and you will see plenty of grey imports, coke cans are routinely sourced from Ireland rather than the UK supplier, often ending up in small independent cafes.

bris

When in the USA I bought an expensive Canon camera, Technically it's a grey import but it came with a canon world wide warranty on it.

It was £300  cheaper than I could get it in the UK  when the currency conversion was calculated.

So there is nothing wrong with gray imports as long as you know the warranty will be honoured

keepitlegal

Update

Email has been sent, awaiting a reply.

A friend bought a D750 from Hong Kong, if developed a fault, he had to return it to the place he bought it (Hong Kong), it was repaired and sent back to him.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

silvercar said:

keepitlegal said:

Cymruchris, I’ve never knowingly bought any grey imports and although there’s savings to be made, I wouldn’t ever buy a grey import. That’s just how I am.
I also didn’t get a better price from the retailer, in fact it was slightly more expensive than the same model cameras in their other stores. 

Fair enough. Though enough people do so without a second thought. Apple products are common as they can be cheaper in USA and Australia. Shop in Costco and you will see plenty of grey imports, coke cans are routinely sourced from Ireland rather than the UK supplier, often ending up in small independent cafes.

Pedantic time but goods from within the EU aren't grey imports, with free movement of goods a rights owner isn't able to restrict where their goods are sold within the EU. 

They can however restrict goods from being imported into the EU for sale so grey imports refer to such goods. 

(Bar any changes that Brexit may have had on this issue for the UK). 

silvercar

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

silvercar said:

keepitlegal said:

Cymruchris, I’ve never knowingly bought any grey imports and although there’s savings to be made, I wouldn’t ever buy a grey import. That’s just how I am.
I also didn’t get a better price from the retailer, in fact it was slightly more expensive than the same model cameras in their other stores. 

Fair enough. Though enough people do so without a second thought. Apple products are common as they can be cheaper in USA and Australia. Shop in Costco and you will see plenty of grey imports, coke cans are routinely sourced from Ireland rather than the UK supplier, often ending up in small independent cafes.

Pedantic time but goods from within the EU aren't grey imports, with free movement of goods a rights owner isn't able to restrict where their goods are sold within the EU. 

They can however restrict goods from being imported into the EU for sale so grey imports refer to such goods. 

(Bar any changes that Brexit may have had on this issue for the UK). 

Obviously Brexit has a major impact on this.

Even before Brexit, brands would put major barriers in the way of companies selling their products outside the countries that they had given a franchise for. If the licensed distributor for country X isn’t involved in the sale of those brands in country X, but the distributor for country Y is selling them directly or indirectly into country Y than the franchisee for country Y is losing out. I would call that grey exports. They are great because they aren’t black market and they aren’t white market as they aren’t licensed for sale in that country.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

silvercar said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

silvercar said:

keepitlegal said:

Cymruchris, I’ve never knowingly bought any grey imports and although there’s savings to be made, I wouldn’t ever buy a grey import. That’s just how I am.
I also didn’t get a better price from the retailer, in fact it was slightly more expensive than the same model cameras in their other stores. 

Fair enough. Though enough people do so without a second thought. Apple products are common as they can be cheaper in USA and Australia. Shop in Costco and you will see plenty of grey imports, coke cans are routinely sourced from Ireland rather than the UK supplier, often ending up in small independent cafes.

Pedantic time but goods from within the EU aren't grey imports, with free movement of goods a rights owner isn't able to restrict where their goods are sold within the EU. 

They can however restrict goods from being imported into the EU for sale so grey imports refer to such goods. 

(Bar any changes that Brexit may have had on this issue for the UK). 

Obviously Brexit has a major impact on this.

Even before Brexit, brands would put major barriers in the way of companies selling their products outside the countries that they had given a franchise for. If the licensed distributor for country X isn’t involved in the sale of those brands in country X, but the distributor for country Y is selling them directly or indirectly into country Y than the franchisee for country Y is losing out. I would call that grey exports. They are great because they aren’t black market and they aren’t white market as they aren’t licensed for sale in that country.

The term refers to goods placed inside a territory not intended by the rights owner.

A fizzy drinks company can’t prevent their German, French or Greek can of drink being sold in another EU country therefore for all intents and purposes their territory isn’t Germany, France or Greece, it’s the EU. There is no ambiguity or “grey” in the matter, the law is clear.

tightauldgit

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

silvercar said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

silvercar said:

keepitlegal said:

Cymruchris, I’ve never knowingly bought any grey imports and although there’s savings to be made, I wouldn’t ever buy a grey import. That’s just how I am.
I also didn’t get a better price from the retailer, in fact it was slightly more expensive than the same model cameras in their other stores. 

Fair enough. Though enough people do so without a second thought. Apple products are common as they can be cheaper in USA and Australia. Shop in Costco and you will see plenty of grey imports, coke cans are routinely sourced from Ireland rather than the UK supplier, often ending up in small independent cafes.

Pedantic time but goods from within the EU aren't grey imports, with free movement of goods a rights owner isn't able to restrict where their goods are sold within the EU. 

They can however restrict goods from being imported into the EU for sale so grey imports refer to such goods. 

(Bar any changes that Brexit may have had on this issue for the UK). 

Obviously Brexit has a major impact on this.

Even before Brexit, brands would put major barriers in the way of companies selling their products outside the countries that they had given a franchise for. If the licensed distributor for country X isn’t involved in the sale of those brands in country X, but the distributor for country Y is selling them directly or indirectly into country Y than the franchisee for country Y is losing out. I would call that grey exports. They are great because they aren’t black market and they aren’t white market as they aren’t licensed for sale in that country.

The term refers to goods placed inside a territory not intended by the rights owner.

A fizzy drinks company can’t prevent their German, French or Greek can of drink being sold in another EU country therefore for all intents and purposes their territory isn’t Germany, France or Greece, it’s the EU. There is no ambiguity or “grey” in the matter, the law is clear.

Yes I think from memory the EU specifically legislated to outlaw companies carving up the territory at some point. You cannot put any barriers to sale between one EU territory or another. Obviously this no longer applies to the UK though since we aren't in the Single Market. Maybe still applies in NI? 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

tightauldgit said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

silvercar said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

silvercar said:

keepitlegal said:

Cymruchris, I’ve never knowingly bought any grey imports and although there’s savings to be made, I wouldn’t ever buy a grey import. That’s just how I am.
I also didn’t get a better price from the retailer, in fact it was slightly more expensive than the same model cameras in their other stores. 

Fair enough. Though enough people do so without a second thought. Apple products are common as they can be cheaper in USA and Australia. Shop in Costco and you will see plenty of grey imports, coke cans are routinely sourced from Ireland rather than the UK supplier, often ending up in small independent cafes.

Pedantic time but goods from within the EU aren't grey imports, with free movement of goods a rights owner isn't able to restrict where their goods are sold within the EU. 

They can however restrict goods from being imported into the EU for sale so grey imports refer to such goods. 

(Bar any changes that Brexit may have had on this issue for the UK). 

Obviously Brexit has a major impact on this.

Even before Brexit, brands would put major barriers in the way of companies selling their products outside the countries that they had given a franchise for. If the licensed distributor for country X isn’t involved in the sale of those brands in country X, but the distributor for country Y is selling them directly or indirectly into country Y than the franchisee for country Y is losing out. I would call that grey exports. They are great because they aren’t black market and they aren’t white market as they aren’t licensed for sale in that country.

The term refers to goods placed inside a territory not intended by the rights owner.

A fizzy drinks company can’t prevent their German, French or Greek can of drink being sold in another EU country therefore for all intents and purposes their territory isn’t Germany, France or Greece, it’s the EU. There is no ambiguity or “grey” in the matter, the law is clear.

Yes I think from memory the EU specifically legislated to outlaw companies carving up the territory at some point. You cannot put any barriers to sale between one EU territory or another. Obviously this no longer applies to the UK though since we aren't in the Single Market. Maybe still applies in NI? 

A lot of it has to do with trademark exhaustion, a 2 second Google (with an article from March 22) suggests that hasn't changed since Brexit so other than there being legal restrictions preventing the goods crossing borders between the EU and UK I don't think the principle has changed.