How do I know if its genuine ? Canon 550d

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pdmalik

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Hello,

Can someone please help/guide me? This is my first post on these forums.

I've unknowingly bought Canon Rebel T2i from eBay UK from a US based, UK eBay registered Business Seller - with 13000+ feedbacks, 99.7% positive.
It is a US model - I wanted 550d - dint know Rebel T2i is actually a US only model.

Anyway, I got the camera quite fast - did not get any invioce with it and speaking with Canon UK - it wont be covered under UK Manufacturer Warranty (obviously). I asked seller about it as he had mentioned 1 year warranty, he says :

We've a contact in Canon UK. We have you covered for warranty, in the event any issue arises. We provide a label that you put on a box and send to Canon UK for repair. We also enclose an official UK invoice for it and it is sent directly to our contact.

Not sure how it works?

I've now asked the copy of invoice for myself and he says he'll send one by Monday.

Can someone please guide me whats going on here ? Can it work like that?

Is there anyway of finding out if the camera is genuine and/or is not refurbished etc. please? Thats my biggest concern. As long as its genuine I can probably satisfy myself and may even rethink on the Warranty stuff.

Returning the item is another headache as not sure what it'll take to get the money out of him - he says he'll charge a fee for returning. Moreover, If the Camera is good and it works well I've tried it then I am not fussed about its US or UK model and would like to keep it particularly when its out of stock alomst everywhere in the UK at the minute or is around 180 GBPs expensive at places where it is available at the minute.

Please help.

Thanks.
 
sounds a bit fishy to me.

it's pretty well known that canon won't cover cameras which are grey imports. the only way the seller could realistically provide warranty support is to give you one of those 3rd party insurance backed polices (such as those mack cam things). a uk based invoice won't matter.. they'll know it's a grey import because all the labelling on the camera will indicate that it is and they'll probably know by the serial number in any case.

if you purchased it on your credit card you'll probably have some redress

as to knowing whether if the camera is a refurb... well, if the box was factory sealed then you can probably be safe to assume that it is just a grey import rather than a canon reconditioned unit, but as it's ebay... i guess you'll probably never be 100% sure.
 
If it came in a proper box with all the parts sealed up and it looking new, and it works properly I wouldn't worry about it - you saved £180 and got the camera you wanted.

If all is OK now its unlikely to go wrong, and if it does the seller might be able to work something out. Even if not, I would think £180 would cover most repairs.
 
Aren't kerso's bodies imports with a UK business invoice? They seem to be covered by Canon UK warranties according to some members.
 
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All Canon cameras are imports as they are made in Japan :)
Most sellers would charge a 20% restocking fee if you return the item and there is nothing wrong with it,
 
If you feel like doing a little detective work you might want to see if the serial number on the bottom of the camera matches the number recorded in the firmware. Download and install a copy of KUSO Exif Viewer V3.0 which is freeware. Near the bottom of the long list of data listed you"ll find the serial number of the camera. At least you'll know whether or not the s/n has been changed on the body. There may even be a shutter count listed which will be an indication of the provenance of the camera.
 
Just to let you know that warranty means nothing to the customer. You can easily return stuff after the warranty under the sales of good act, which i have done before with a broken xbox which was about 2 years out of warranty. Only thing is you have to kick up a fuss and i am unsure how this would apply on ebay.

If the seller is a shop it maybe ok. Also check if it wasnt listed as the american version, if it wasnt iam sure you wil be able to return it without a fee for false advertising.

If you have any problems contact consumer direct they have help me out a lot with things like this.

Tyler
 
I think that if it was advertised as a 550d then it has been wrongly described and Paypal will refund you easily.

The sellers warranty claims sound very dubious, he has a contact in Canon ?
A real genuine UK warranty would be better.

Maybe buying on Ebay like this will save a few quid, but if the camera goes wrong there might be little comeback.
 
I think the T2i and the 550d are the same camera just badged up differently in the USA,and as already stated the warranty should be honoured by CANON,I think that only JAPAN and maybe USA manufacture CANON,so in theory there is no such thing as a grey import,so warranties should be universal,it might be wise to ring CANON UK and ask.
 
Kerso does sell US imports and provides a UK receipt. His bodies are absolutely 100% covered by Canon UK with their warranty. I am sure that as long as your seller provides you a UK receipt, from a UK registered company it will be covered in the same way.
 
Tyler138 said:
Just to let you know that warranty means nothing to the customer. You can easily return stuff after the warranty under the sales of good act
Click to expand...

The Sale of Goods act means that you can return faulty goods to the company from which you bought them. But it doesn't apply to private individuals and it doesn't apply to US companies and it doesn't apply to the manufacturer (unless you bought direct from them).

The only recourse here is to initiate a dispute with the seller via Ebay. If he did say that it was a UK model with a UK warranty then the buyer has grounds for complaint.
 
Thanks Everyone for your prompt replies - its been great.

I guess I am better off keeping the camera as i. It works well at the minute and if something goes wrong then If I am lucky Seller will help me otherwise "will see". The cost saving in buying it **** 'hopefully' cover the costs of any mishappening - life is a gamble after all (its more true when you buy stuff from eBay :-) )

cuthbert ...
"i guess you'll probably never be 100% sure"
You sum it all up in this one line !


SixToes - thanks for giving me confindence or consulation should I say.

J Bruja - Thanks for the tip. The Serial# matches. I Guess there is no way for me to find out the shutter count. KUSO doesn't give it from Canon. I found out the only one that "may" do for Canon is EOSInfo - it says 'No Camera Found' ! Not so lucky.

eos1 - Err ... No, Seller mentioned Rebel T2i in the post however saying ships from UK and 1 year warranty. I dint know till then(lack of research) that Rebel T2i is US only - I thot Canon renames 550d to Rebel T2i everywhere!

malla1962 - thecheetahexpress.

Thanks again all.
 
I bought a Kiss X4 (Japan branded 550D) from ebay on purpose to save money..rather than paying over inflated UK prices. I bought the camera to be used as a hobby really..if I relied on my camera for my livelihood.. then I would have bought it from a reputable UK dealer..

pdmalik: I think you will be fine.. and I wouldnt worry too much about it.. enjoy the new camera.. its FAB! :)
 
Omar78 said:
I bought a Kiss X4 (Japan branded 550D) from ebay on purpose to save money..rather than paying over inflated UK prices. I bought the camera to be used as a hobby really..if I relied on my camera for my livelihood.. then I would have bought it from a reputable UK dealer..

pdmalik: I think you will be fine.. and I wouldnt worry too much about it.. enjoy the new camera.. its FAB! :)
Click to expand...


Thanks Omar - Just out of interest - what did you do with warranty? Or did you just took a chance about it?

Thanks.
 
Yes i have taken a chance..if it does break.. then I will contact an independant repairer...
 
As it seems to be a business you purchased it from, use the Distance selling regulations and return it, they have to give you all your money back. If you choose to take that option :)
 
Simon: I bought it from kingtradecameras for £533 + £17 Import Tax
can't fault the seller..arrived in 5 days
 
Are you satisfied that it's a genuine brand new camera ?

I can't really help you out with this question. There have been a few suggestions already though and I see no reason to suspect that it isn't.



Is a manufacturer's UK warranty worth £180 to you?

My answer would be "no" on the following basis :

- Look at it this way . . . if you were to purchase a £500 camera from a UK shop, would you be prepared to pay an extra £180 for a 1 year extended warranty? That would be completely ridiculous.

- It's highly unlikely that you'll experience a problem requiring warranty support in the first year anyway.


And if the worst did happen, you still have 3 options of redress available to you :

1) Looking at KingTrade's EBay shop you have a 12 month warranty with them (Sale of Goods Act does not apply because they're not UK based) :

"All product sold through Kingtradecameras are brand new products with 12 month manufacture guarantee. As an independent trade agency, the goods we sell origin from different countries/regions. It is possible that in some cases, customers can not get their local manufacture guarantee service, hereby, we provide 12 months seller guarantee for all products we sold within EU."

2) If you paid by PayPal, I'd say that you were within your rights to lodge a dispute with them if the camera had a fault and you were unable to get a repair under warranty. The warranty was one of the conditions of the sale.

3) Manufacturer's warranty.
This isn't a statutory right like the SOGA gives you. Effectively it's a contract between you and the manufacturer and they can add whatever T&Cs that they want and vary them by country.
Check the warranty card that came with the camera and see which version you have. There may be an International warranty with it, in which case you don't have to worry.

However, as other people have pointed out, if you have a UK invoice there's a precedent been set by Canon for honouring the warranty at Canon UK (I'm sure that Kerso could verify this)
Their T&Cs for claiming under UK warranty are a little vague :

"Canon (UK) Ltd Warranty Terms and Conditions (Excluding Multi Media LCD Projectors)

This warranty is offered to Consumers who have purchased their Canon products within the United Kingdom. It is in addition to, and does not affect your rights under, the Canon European Warranty System or your statutory rights."

but it certainly suggests that if you have a proof of purchase from the UK (i.e. a UK invoice) you will be covered.
Not entirely sure how KingTade provide a "genuine UK Invoice" when they seem to be HongKong based, but that's a whole other issue!


Anyway, as long as you're happy with the camera I think you need to stop worrying and get out there to enjoy your new toy :D
 
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SarahLee: I don't think the op actually purchased from kingtradecameras ...I did as was just giving my reassurance that not to worry about it not being genuine.
 
1) Looking at KingTrade's EBay shop ...... [/QUOTE said:
Sarah, Thanks for your extensive research and assurance you provided - greatly appreciated.

I actually bought the camera from 'thecheetahexpress' - Omar (who contributed to this forum) bought it from Kingstrade.

Thanks for your help anyway.
Click to expand...
 
Omar78 said:
SarahLee: I don't think the op actually purchased from kingtradecameras ...I did as was just giving my reassurance that not to worry about it not being genuine.
Click to expand...

pdmalik said:
Sarah, Thanks for your extensive research and assurance you provided - greatly appreciated.

I actually bought the camera from 'thecheetahexpress' - Omar (who contributed to this forum) bought it from Kingstrade.
Click to expand...

:bonk: That's what I get for trying to post here on a Sunday morning, while cooking breakfast and answering the phone at the same time!!!!

It was hardly extensive research anyway . . . I happened to have EBay open already (watching an item) and the Canon warranty site is in my favourites.

I still don't think you have anything to really worry about though - I hope you're having fun with your new toy :)
 
SarahLee said:
:bonk: That's what I get for trying to post here on a Sunday morning, while cooking breakfast and answering the phone at the same time!!!!

It was hardly extensive research anyway . . . I happened to have EBay open already (watching an item) and the Canon warranty site is in my favourites.

I still don't think you have anything to really worry about though - I hope you're having fun with your new toy :)
Click to expand...

You could always try a reliable manufacturer like Nikon..... :whistling:
 
I was going to buy from CheetahExpress on Ebay when I was shopping for a 7D not long ago. What put me off was that they were selling a US model, advertised as in the UK, but their Ebay registered business address is in the US.

Another thing that put me off was that even though it was the cheapest, brand new "Buy It Now" 7D on Ebay, others at a higher price were selling faster. The last time I checked, CheetahExpress 7D was still in the Ebay store after a week of no sale and has dropped from £995 free P&P to something like £985 free P&P.

But then again, I've never used them, even though I do buy a lot of my camera gear from Ebay. Just my experience/opinion.

Also might be good to read their small print. Some Ebay sellers say 1 years warranty but the warranty is not covered by the brand origin eg. Canon Warranty. Instead, it is worded, "comes with 1 years SELLER warranty". Hope that helps.
 
sounds like its not covered under warranty by canon uk, but the company that selling is providing coverage and sending it to canon uk and paying for it to be repaired. seems really good. usually these ebay warranties make you send your gear back to china to get it fixed.
 
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