Warranty

[SpikeK6]

After doing alot of searching around for best deals on a 7D I see alot of people going on about grey imports and that they are not covered under uk warranty and have to be sent back to where they came from for repair under warranty if anything goes wrong or stump up the money to have it repaired over here in UK.

Ok my question is out of all the camera's people have bought how many have had to make a claim on the warranty that came with the camera?
Seems to me that the are very few threads on here in the 3 years I have been a member regarding camera's going wrong and had to be sent back for repair in any warranty period but I could be wrong.

So does this not come back to buying a grey import is not such a big deal after all?? if saving best part of £3-400 and a shutter goes surely there is still a saving to be had as to replace a shutter is not really an expensive job. ok more terminal problems might be more but how often do these happen on a new camera??

Thoughts

 

[qublai]

I've never bought a grey import, but have owned quite a few cameras. (2nd user DSLR, compacts, a bridge & 2 CSC's)

None have ever needed repair, either in warranty or out.

I've still got a Fuji S602 Pro that was bought in 2004ish and looks and works like new.

 

[modchild]

I've bought 7 bodies since 2010 and the only one I've ever had any work need doing is the only second hand one. That was because I dropped it though and not because any camera malfunction and the cost of the repair has been picked up by my insurance anyway. I've had 2 from Hdew cameras (imports), 2 from Panamoz (imports), 2 from Ebay (1 import and 1 UK stock) and 1 from the classifieds here on the forum so I've no idea if it was imported or not or how old it was.

 

[nog]

I have had a few cameras - all the gear and no idea- and not had any trouble, always thought pretty safe buying grey. Risk is a little higher with cameras just released, issues such as oil/focus etc.

 

[SpikeK6]

Thanks guys this was my train of thought on the idea, but to some it is a big deal which I can see that side of the argument as well as not everyone has money to throw around on repairs should it go wrong if the company is not around to honor the warranty.

 

[cargo]

I've had one camera bought via ebay 3 years ago Usa XSI no problems still gonig strong. It's being passed on to my Daughter as she wants acamera for Uni in September.
So I ordered a 7d (HK dealer) Had it a day or so and got an errer code happened half a dozen times so have sent it back. At a cost of £70 Waiting for my refund at the moment. It's not put me off buying an import though. I will be buying it from the Uk based importer this time. I think I was very unlucky to get a bad egg in the first place.

Gaz