RE: [Leica] Doesn't ALL Leica gear originate from a "Leica Authorized Dealer"????? - Was International warranty...

["Tim Atherton" <tim@KairosPhoto.com>]

> Yes, and any camera I buy in, say, Hong Kong, STILL has the International
> Warranty, but in the US it IS considered "grey market".  It all depends on
> what definition of "grey market" you use.  Most consider "grey market" to
> mean ANYTHING not brought into the country (any country where you are)
> through the "official" channels for that country, as "grey
> market"...but...it's only the US that seems to care.
>

NO, NO, No and no again - grey market ONLY refers to items sold in a country
(e.g. the US) but that does not come through that countries "official"
distributor of the item.

In this case, leica cameras sold in the US that where not obtained from
Leica USA, but from another party.

Grey market Fuji film is film being sold IN the US (i.e. by some kind of
re-seller or store, not an individual), but the film was not supplied
through Fuji USA - it was imported from Europe, or Brazil or somewhere, and
re-sold in the US.

If you as an individual, live in the US and buy your Leica from Robert White
IT ISN"T GREY MARKET. If you happen to be travelling through England and
stop off in Poole and by your Leica from Robert White, it isn't grey market.
Same for Hong, Taiwan or wherever you want.

In fact the whole grey market thing is something of a dinosaur left over
from the old days of the "middleman" who adds his own extra costs to a
product (why do you think so many cameras are cheaper outside the US? -
Robert White, for example is his own middleman with many of his cameras).
With the age of Fedex shipping and internet communication and price
shopping/comparing, the middleman is rapidly disappearing. Buy a camera from
Robert White (just an example, because I've dealt with him - in this case,
Large Format) - if it craps out, just ship it back for warranty repair. It
barely costs more for me than shipping to Toronto, and is often faster. And
you saved $1000 on the camera in the first place, so and extra $15.00
shipping is negligible.

For consumers, it's an international market now.

If I find film costs me 1/2 the price in the Channel Islands as is does to
order here from within Canada, and it gets here just as quickly, where am I
going to buy it from?

tim a

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