sunilmendiratta Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 <p>HI,<br>I have one question on Tamron 24-70 2.8 pricing. Amazon is offering this lens at around 990 USD by third party seller which is approx 300 USD cheaper than BH and Adorama.<br>I observed one thing that at one point it is available with only one third party seller at single time of the day. I checked the lens three different times of the day and i found only one listing with seller 1 then after some time i saw listing by seller 2 then seller 3 but not at the same time all three sellers are listed?<br>Is it grey market product? i wrote question to seller but i didn't get the reply. with this lens we have quality issues and in case we get bad copy we may want to replace it and the seller may charge restocking fee. Amazon is not offering directly.</p><p>Any idea?</p><p>Regards,<br>Sunil</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_stig Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 <p>cheap is expensive. seems suspicious. if anything id buy from ebay since I have paypal protection. but $300 less seems fishy. if it were $100 less, then ok. but $300...</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CvhKaar Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 <p>Don't write to the seller, write to Amazon, if a seller is not to be trusted Amazon will take measures..</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helen_oster Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 <p><a href="/photodb/user?user_id=6216229">sunil mendiratta</a><br> It is easy to 'Google' the name of the vendor to read the feedback from previous customers - pay particular attention to http://www.resellerratings.com/</p> <p>You should also check that the vendor is an authorized Tamron dealer http://www.tamron-usa.com/dealers.php</p> <p>Helen Oster <br> Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador<br> Helen@adorama.com</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 <p>There are a few old sayings that are often true:</p> <ul> <li>When the price is too good to be true, it usually is.</li> <li>When it ain't broke, don't fix it.</li> <li>....</li> </ul> <p>When you shop at Amazon, stick with Amazon instead of some "no name" third-party seller via Amazon. Otherwise, use Adorama or B&H.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 <p>Tamron still seem to have some QC issues - mainly with decentring. A lot of their returned lenses seem to find their way back to the retail market, often being sold as brand new, but minus Tamron's warranty cards. I know because I was stung by a discount internet trader who tried to pass an obviously faulty Tamron lens off onto me. I did eventually get my money back, but only after I'd threatened to report them to various trading standards authorities. I should say that the trader in question wasn't advertised by or connected with Amazon in any way. It transpired that they operated out of Hong Kong, despite their website claiming to be a UK based company with premises in Britain.</p> <p>I'm not saying that that's what's happening here, but I'd certainly be suspicious of such a "deal". After my nasty experience, I'll now only buy direct from Amazon themselves; i.e. "shipped and sold by Amazon". Amazon's returns policy is excellent, and their price on Tamron lenses is about as low as you'll get from any <em>legitimate</em> dealer.</p> <p>Edit: PS Amazon UK currently have some amazing deals on Tamron lenses - some down to nearly half the RR price - genuine dispatched and sold by Amazon as well.</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 <blockquote> <p>cheap is expensive</p> </blockquote> <p>Exactly.</p> <p>When you see a good deal to save money, you'll often end up with a lot of trouble and eventually spend more money than buying a new, trouble-free one from a ligit seller.</p> <p>I learned that the hard way, again, last year when I bought a refurbished 80-400mm AF-S VR at $2000. I ended up spending a lot of time testing that lens, ordered another new one with quick shipping for A/B comparison and finally determined that the refurb was no good. (The problem was Nikon USA's refurb process, again, not any one of the retailers.)</p> <p>As a result, I paid for shipping for multiple orders; one of them was a two-day from across the US so that it cost me more, but the worst part was that I wasted a lot of my own time over two weeks, testing and shipping stuffs back and forth.</p> <p>Cheap is expensive; trying to pay less will end up paying more.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 <p>I will also note my personal experience in trying to buy a "really remarkably cheap" Nikon digital body from a vendor on Amazon.com. After making the purchase, I got an official <em>looking </em>email purporting to be from Amazon, telling me to send a money order (even Amazon tells you never to pay this way!) to Transylvania in Romania. Really!<br> I reported the scam to Amazon, but a month later, they were still making the offer. Amazon's policing of outside vendors is much less rigorous than it could be.</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikofile Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 <p>I was looking for one myself, and I would bet the farm that the one on Amazon is gray-market. You can get them for even less on ebay. The best deal I found on a USA model was refurbished at Midwest Camera Exchange, refurbished for $999.<br> I am surprised the Tamron USA price has not dropped. I needed a 24-70, and I bought a refurbished Nikon 24-70. For events I want "fast", and the Nikon has that in spades. If the Tamron USA model had been a lot cheaper I might have bought one, but I am sort of glad I didn't. The Nikkor is a real piece of work.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_simpson1 Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 <p><em>Amazon's policing of outside vendors is much less rigorous than it could be.</em><br> <em><br /></em>This is my experience as well, after reporting a vendor shipping goods differing from the image on the Amazon page (unpackaged vs. packaged film)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunilmendiratta Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 <p>Hi,<br> As per the link provided by Helen Oster, i see NONE of the seller is TAMRON dealer. Sounds fishy</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff_kitchen Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 <p>The Tamron lenses selling for under $1k are indeed gray market. I recently purchased a full-priced Tamron 24-70 from Beach Camera (through Amazon) and received a genuine US model lens. Unfortunately the lens was faulty and I had to return it. I ordered a second copy, also from Beach through amazon. The second lens was stellar, sharp wide open and, by my estimation, the nicest lens I have ever owned (and I have some decent glass, including the Nikon 70-200 VRII). I quickly decided I would keep this one and went to register the lens on Tamron's website so I would be eligible for the 6 year warranty. When I entered the serial number of the second lens I learned it was in fact a gray market lens. I don't blame Amazon, but I certainly blame Beach Camera for trying to pass off a gray market lens as a genuine USA model (and charging me full price for it!). I will never purchase anything from Beach Camera again, and I have vowed to warn others of their ethical standards. I have since returned the second lens to Amazon (great customer service, by the way, refunding me money and paying for return shipping) and ordered a 3rd lens form Cameta Camera (also through Amazon). Cameta's website proudly states that they do not carry or sell ANY gray market lenses.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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