Have I just bought a fake lens?

[peter fran]

I’ve just received a Tamron 70-200mm G2 for my D850.I bought it from eBay and although the box wasn’t in mint condition the lens looks perfect.Tried it out and the quality of the photos are great.
The problem came when I tried to register it through Tamrons website for the 5 year warranty.I got an email back stating “The registration for your lens was rejected”.
Have I bought a fake lens or is it a grey import.Would a grey import cause rejection?
Or could it be that I bought it from a small eBay shop which has caused this as it’s not a certified retailer.The seller btw has been very helpful and said I can return it no problem.
Like I said the lens works beautifully and is “brand new”
PS I paid £900 and have bought greys in the past knowingly without any issue

 

[sep9001]

I’ve just received a Tamron 70-200mm G2 for my D850.I bought it from eBay and although the box wasn’t in mint condition the lens looks perfect.Tried it out and the quality of the photos are great.
The problem came when I tried to register it through Tamrons website for the 5 year warranty.I got an email back stating “The registration for your lens was rejected”.
Have I bought a fake lens or is it a grey import.Would a grey import cause rejection?
Or could it be that I bought it from a small eBay shop which has caused this as it’s not a certified retailer.The seller btw has been very helpful and said I can return it no problem.
Like I said the lens works beautifully and is “brand new”
PS I paid £900

Probably a grey import hence you cannot register for the 5 year warranty.

 

[gramps]

Grey import most likely, hence rejected for UK warranty, any warranty rests solely with the seller.

 

[rob-nikon]

Its unlikely to be a fake lens (I doubt there people out there making fake tamron lenses). Grey imports are the same lenses as UK lenses but they come through a non UK approved route. As it was £249 cheaper than the UK shop price it’s quite likely to be a grey import.

It’s likely tamron only give the warranty for lenses bought from their approved sellers. Their website should be able to tell you who those sellers are. I’d be surprised if Tamron would provide a 5 year warranty on anything purchased on eBay. If you want a 5 year warranty you will likely need to put the full UK price.

 

[twist]

Nobody makes fake lenses unless you count those coffee mug things. Its a grey.

 

[peter fran]

Thanks all.My biggest worry was that it was a fake but it being a grey I’m ok with.The eBay shop which has been around for 10+ years offers a one year warranty and their feedback is excellent.Like I said the picture quality is perfect.
Thanks again

 

[twist]

Thanks all.My biggest worry was that it was a fake but it being a grey I’m ok with.The eBay shop which has been around for 10+ years offers a one year warranty and their feedback is excellent.Like I said the picture quality is perfect.
Thanks again

No need to worry then, enjoy the lens.

 

[Retune]

Sometimes serial numbers are changed by grey importers or their suppliers, presumably to conceal the origin of the supply chain:

I Bought a Fake Nikon DSLR: My Experience with Gray Market Imports

So, the Nikon D7000 I bought, brand new in early 2014, is a fake. Unbeknownst to me until very recently, of course. Let's start at the beginning -- it

petapixel.com

So it's possible to have a fake serial number on a genuine item. But if you are using a region or country specific registration site, even a genuine serial number intended for sale in a different region may be rejected.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

The good news is you most likely will not need the warranty anyway for a lens. I had some minor failures on Canons, all to do with internal collar destroying itself in one way or another but this was well outside of warranty.

 

[ianmartin]

Hi guys, similar issue for me just now. Purchased a Canon fit Tamron 150-600mm G2 lens in August, just tried registering on the Tamron web site and it asks for a serial number shown on the example as should be found on the smooth collar. No such number on the lens anywhere and there is a legend saying "redesigned in Japan" but the embossed CE logo also states made in China. Whilst I have taken a few nice photos with the lens, on the two occasions I have used it I am concerned I have spent a small fortune on a fake. How do I confirm it is genuine or not?

 

[rob-nikon]

Hi guys, similar issue for me just now. Purchased a Canon fit Tamron 150-600mm G2 lens in August, just tried registering on the Tamron web site and it asks for a serial number shown on the example as should be found on the smooth collar. No such number on the lens anywhere and there is a legend saying "redesigned in Japan" but the embossed CE logo also states made in China. Whilst I have taken a few nice photos with the lens, on the two occasions I have used it I am concerned I have spent a small fortune on a fake. How do I confirm it is genuine or not?

Firstly where did you buy it? A CE Mark and made in China isn’t usual. A quick google says it’s on the zoom ring but the numbers are faint.

Where is the serial number on a Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 (A022)?

On the first-gen (A011) model it was stamped faintly in the black plastic near the manufacturer location. I don't see it anywhere on the G2. I did receive a 1/8 sheet printout with the serial numbe...

photo.stackexchange.com

 

[Box Brownie]

@ianmartin

I had a Google and it seems the serial number is indeed very difficult to spot.

One of two or locations suggested and in both instances you need to shine an incident angle light across the lens to 'reveal' it

View: https://youtu.be/PNM2D9j2nwU


Alt location shown here edit ~ @rob-nikon this picture shows the CE, serial number & Made in China

Tamron 150 - 600 - Nikon: Where's the serial number? Today was sort of an amazing day. I have had the lens on order from a prominent online seller for over 9 weeks with no eta in...

HTH and you can indeed find it!

 

[woof woof]

Firstly where did you buy it? A CE Mark and made in China isn’t usual. A quick google says it’s on the zoom ring but the numbers are faint.

Where is the serial number on a Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 (A022)?

On the first-gen (A011) model it was stamped faintly in the black plastic near the manufacturer location. I don't see it anywhere on the G2. I did receive a 1/8 sheet printout with the serial numbe...

photo.stackexchange.com

Just a small point but CE and made in China are very usual as they need to be CE approved to sell in the EU. Unless that's a typo and you meant to say it's not unusual. In fact I've done the CE approval for products made in China.