Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]why this keeps getting elevated to a moral issue is beyond me buy gray or buy through a dealer at your choice personally if I bought gray and the item turned out to be defective I would expect a replacement from the store. That would be one of the things I asked them when I bought it. Never mind new goods, I expect (and get) at least a 1 month return period on everything I buy, unless it is massively discounted in which case I will spend all day checking it out if necessary. Caveat Emptor. In Toronto the 'official' dealers are snotty, unhelpful gougers like Henry's and Vistek who sneer at me when I ask to look at stuff and think I will pay their ludicrous prices for the privelige. The gray dealers are nice guys who let me play with things and who I trust because I deal with them all the time. Go figure. Leica (the parent company) know all about the gray market and doesn't cut off the chain of supply because IT SELLS CAMERAS. They could care less whether the distributor is making money. (vide Kindermann). To my mind they have a responsibility for any camera they sell, whatever route it takes to the owner. They made it and sold it. (Mind you, the only pieces of leica equipment I have ever bought new are a back cap and a base plate. I like some other guy to put the first scratches on things first and take the $$$$ hit. And because you don't assume a s/h item will be perfect you check it out beforehand, unlike a NIB goody). - -- John Brownlow http://www.pinkheadedbug.com