"Refurbished by Canon"

[steve torelli]

Good Morning all. Does anyone know exactly what this means?Is it safe

to assume that a refurbished lens has had a problem or has been

returned by the original owner for one? Adorama has these and I was

wondering if anyone has experience buying and using one. Info on their

website about them is scarce and I don't know if they offer any kind

of warranty. I would guess any warranty would be through Adorama

rather than Canon. As always, thanks in advance.

[rdkirk]

If it's actually "refurbished by Canon," it will have a Canon warranty. It will also have been brought to the standards of a new lens--and more assuredly so than any given new lens because it will have had individual testing that new lenses don't get. I wouldn't worry for a moment about buying a lens "refurbished by Canon."

[joseph_gledhill]

Hi Steve. I purchased a 'Refurbished' Canon EOS 1V from Canon on Ebay a few years ago. Canon claim that 'Refurbished' means that they have either been used as a demo model, lost the original packaging or have been returned by the owned and thus canot be sold as new. They also say that there is nothing wrong with these products and that they work 100%. Anyway, when my 1V arived I was not pleased. It had scratches and scuff marks on and the large wheel on the back for inputting the aperture did not work. I would never buy refurbised again - you just don't know whats wrong with it. Regards.

[samusiskin]

I've purchased a number of items from Canon's 'shop' on UK eBay, all of which were refurbished and all of which were as good as new and came with a twelve month warranty. There are often considerable savings to be made by doing this.

 

Cheers,

 

Sam.

[susan stone]

I purchased a 20D and the 17-40 lens from Adorama after being told they were "Demo" models and would be covered by a full one year warranty. The items came labeled "refurbished" and seemed to be in like new condition. But when I noticed a dark spot on the focus screen I called Adorama and they said I would have to call Canon, which I did, and after explaining the problem I asked about their one year warranty on the items I purchased and I was told by a Canon representative that Canon DOES NOT warrant refurbished items and that Adorama would be responsible for any warranty.

[lotsawa]

> I would never buy refurbised again

 

At least you do have warranty, don't you? Not such a high risk as buying from a private person over Ebay.

 

BTW, I think a least here in Europe Canon sells all the refurbished stuff over Ebay. When I had a look at their Ebay shop recently they put a binocular in the printers section, probably out of mistake, together with a picture of some cheap Canon printer. But the descreption of the article was actually that of a 1500 EUR high-end IS binocular. Unfortunately I was not the only guy who spotted it and it finally went for about 650 EUR. Since I am not really interested in binoculars and I don't have the true gambler spirit, I gave up and let it go.

[warren_x]

A friend of mine bought a refurbished Canon G2 several years ago. It died a sudden death one day while still under Canon warranty, and when he went to get it serviced, they refused to honour the warranty, claiming the unit had been mishandled as evidenced by scratch marks. When he claimed the scratches were there when he bought it, they said they would never have sold (as "refurbished") a unit with physical damage.

 

Buyer beware.

[paul -]

The 2 Canon-USA-refurbished bodies I have had, an Elan 7 and a Digital Rebel, were each flawless in every respect, came in boxes <i>sealed</i> by Canon, and had <i>CANON USA</i> 90 day warranties. I've never heard of 1 year warranties on refurbished items.<p>They are not neccessarily defective/repaired. Any camera returned to the store (for any reason, even simply changing one's mind) after opening cannot be resold as new, so goes back to Canon for refurbishing. That's actually a good thing in my opinion. It means the body got some thorough one-on-one time with a bench tech, which "new", off-the-assembly-line bodies don't get.

[steve torelli]

I want to thank everyone for their responses. Sounds like a mixed bag of experiences, enough to give me pause. I'm not so sure now that it's worth the risk for the savings involved. Food for thought. Happy New Year all.

[John Crowe]

Canon warranty usually means Canon warranty. I would contact Canon themselves and ask them what their policy is concerning "Canon refurbished" items and their warranties. I too have considered buying such items in the past.

[brian_donaldson1]

I don't see a "major" financial advantage of buying refurbished instead of new. I looked at Adorama and see anywhere from 20USD to 200USD difference depending on the item. It would behoove one to get that item that has the best warranty.

[samusiskin]

Not sure about the US, but here in the UK, the Canon Outlet on eBay can definitely provide 'major' savings. The lowest price paid recently for a 20D body was 620 GBP and for a 350D with the kit lens it was 395 GBP. In Jessops, the UK's largest camera seller, these sell for 850 GBP and 580 GBP respectively. There are so many for sale that it seems unlikely that they are were all faulty, more likely it's a convenient way of getting rid of unwanted stock (the fact that loads of 20D's have recently appeared might suggest a replacement is on the way!). They were selling 300D bodies until very recently, the cheapest going for about 280 GBP. Apart from one real hassle with their payment system, I've been very impressed by their service.

[william_castleman]

I can't speak to the issue with Adorama. I have bought two Canon refurbished lenses from B&H over several years...EF 50mm 2.5 macro and EF 85mm 1.2L. Both had substantially lower prices than new. I tested both lenses when I received them. The macro was perfect. The 1.2L was defective and wouldn't produce sharp images until f/8. I sent the defective lens back and got a refund...no questions asked. I wouldn't hesitate to buy refurbished items from B&H in the future because THEY stand behind the product.....so long as I have time to test the equipment. Just because Canon or a Canon designate says it has been returned to "new" functionality, doesn't mean it has. Quality control on "refurbished" appears to differ substantially from quality control on new.

[richard_reusser]

I"ve been using this lens for three weeks and am very satisfied. It looks and works like

new - came in a somewhat generic brown Canon box but all acc. and paperwork were with

it.

Rich

[ericreagan]

I too was interested in one of these "Refurbished by Canon" lenses, particularly the 70-200 f/4 L. Adorama's USA price is $585 and Adorama's refurbished price is $500. That's about 15% savings. After reading this thread, I visited Canon's website and then called Adorama.

<p>

Canon's warranty terms for the lens at hand (I would imagine all lenses have the same terms) state, "A Product, when delivered to you in <b>new condition in its original container</b>, is warranted against defects . . . ."

<p>

I felt that this was probably fair warning, but, given some of the comments from the thread, I decided to call Adorama. I spoke to Norman, I believe (I have a hard time with Northern accents, so I can't be sure). He told me that the lenses sold as "Refurbished by Canon USA" were not warranted by Canon, but were covered by Adorama's 100 day warranty. I asked him if he could email me the warranty terms or point me to their location on their site and he told me that the warranty was not in writing anywhere. He assured me that they sell thousands of these lenses a year without a problem and started getting kind of defensive and pushy about the whole thing. I simply wanted to review under what terms I could claim under the warranty. After I expressed this concern, he said that if I didn't feel comfortable about it, then maybe I shouldn't buy one. I politely thanked him and hung up.

<p>

I'm glad that some of you who have purchased refurbished lenses have had good experiences. However, I don't think that I'll take the chance and will pay out the extra $85 to get a new product and Canon's 1 year warranty. I'm not saying Adorama is being shady. I simply don't feel comfortable about purchasing a $500 lens with a 100 day warranty that has no written terms. I know plenty of people who have had positive experiences with Adorama and I may end up buying the USA model from them. I just wanted to pass on this info and potentially clear up the warranty debate.

<p>

I've attached Canon's warranty below for your reading pleasure.

<p>

 

Canon Limited Warranty

<p>

The limited warranty set forth below is given by Canon U.S.A., Inc. (Canon U.S.A.) in the United States and Canon Canada Inc., in Canada (herein referred to collectively as "Canon") with respect to the Canon Binoculars and Photographic Lens Products packaged with this Limited Warranty and identified by model number on this limited warranty card (each a "Product")when purchased and used in the United States or Canada.

<p>

This Limited Warranty is only effective upon presentation of this warranty card and proof of purchase.

<p>

A Product, when delivered to you in new condition in its original container, is warranted against defects in materials or workmanship as follows: for a period of one (1) year from the date of original purchase, defective parts or a defective Product returned to Canon, or its authorized service providers, and proven to be defective upon inspection, will be repaired with new or comparable rebuilt parts or exchanged for a refurbished Product, as determined by Canon or the authorized service provider n their sole discretion. Replaced parts and exchanged Products will become the property of Canon.

<p>

When returning a Product for warranty service, the shipping charges must be prepaid and the Product should be shipped in its original container, or an equivalent, properly packed to withstand the hazards of shipment and be fully insured. A copy of the warranty card and proof of purchase should be enclosed, as well as a description of the problem (including film samples, where appropriate). Repairs will be made and the Product will be returned, shipped at NO CHARGE, within the country of repair.

<p>

This warranty only covers defective materials or workmanship encountered in normal use and service of a Product and does not apply in the following cases:

<p>(a) Loss of or damage due to abuse causing deterioration, mishandling, accident or failure to follow operating instructions.

<p>(b) If a Product is defective as a result of leaking batteries or liquid damage.

<p>© Defective materials or workmanship where the defect is due to a Product having been serviced or modified by other than Canon or a Canon authorized service provider.

<p>(d) Malfunction resulting from the use of acessories, attachments, product supplies, parts or devices (including, without limitation, batteries, film, flash attachments and other accessories) with this Canon photographic equipment that do not conform to Canon specifications.

<p>(e) Damage resultiing during shipment. (Claim must be presented and examined by the shipper.)

<p>(f) Damage or service resulting from modifications or alterations to a Product in any way (including any alteration or removal of its serial number or identification marks).

<p>

 

NO IMPLIED WARRANTY, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, APPLIES TO THE PRODUCT AFTER THE APPLICABLE PERIOD OF THE EXPRESS LIMITED WARRANTY STATED ABOVE, AND NO OTHER EXPRESS WARRANTY OR GUARANTY, EXCEPT AS MENTIONED ABOVE, GIVEN BY ANY PERSON OR ENTITY WITH RESPECT TO A PRODUCT SHALL BIND CANON (SOME STATES AND PROVINCES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU). CANON SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR LOSS OF REVENUES OR PROFITS, INCONVENIENCE, EXPENSE FOR SUBSTITUTE EQUIPMENT OR SERVICE, STORAGE CHARGES, LOSS OR CORRUPTION OF DATA, OR ANY OTHER SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY LOSS OF FILM) CAUSED BY THE USE OR MISUSE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, A PRODUCT, REGARDLESS OF THE LEGAL THEORY ON WHICH THE CLAIM IS BASED, AND EVEN IF CANON HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL RECOVERY OF ANY KIND AGAINST CANON BE GREATER IN AMOUNT THAN THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE PRODUCT SOLD BY CANON AND CAUSING THE ALLEGED DAMAGE. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, YOU ASSUME ALL RISK AND LIABILITY FOR LOSS, DAMAGE OR INJURY TO YOU AND YOUR PROPERTY AND TO OTHERS AND THEIR PROPERTY ARISING OUT OF USE OR MISUSE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE PRODUCT NOT CAUSED DIRECTLY BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF CANON (SOME STATES AND PROVINCES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU). THIS LIMITED WARRANTY SHALL NOT PRODUCT, OR THE PERSON FOR WHOM IT WAS PURCHASED AS A GIFT, AND STATES YOUR EXCLUSIVE REMEDY.

<p>

 

Canon U.S.A., Inc., One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042-1198<p>

Canon Canada, Inc., 6390 Dixie Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1P7

[robin_meadows]

<p>Bought a lens from Adorama (28-105mm Canon). Was told by the assistant that they had a used one after I mentioned I needed a upgrade for my 18-55mm kit lens. I agreed to this for $129 and then waited for it to arrive (along with a Canon EOS 40D).<br />The lens arrived exactly as promised, within 3 days and I was really impressed because they sent me one of their E+ lens. This is their quality grading and denotes Excellent+ (very good quality, only imperfections not visible without close scrutiny). It was sealed within its own packaging with dessicant too.<br />Really happy with this purcahse as having used the lens it works great. And cost much less than new (around $400).<br />When i figure out how to identify the number of actuations the camera has has, I will post a review of that. But, I cand say that is cosmetically in excellent 'as new' condition, looks new, feels and has no imperfections. Complete in sealed Canon box and all manuals leads etc are sealed in their own packets.</p>

[helen_oster]

<p>Robin</p>

<p >There is a big difference between our refurbished and used departments. The used equipment we hold in stock has been purchased from members of the public. <br>

 

<p >Our return policy for used equipment is as follows: if you are dissatisfied with your purchase, you may return it within 14 days of receipt for an exchange or refund.</p>

<p >You are also covered for 90 days from receipt of an item, to return it for repair if required.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Refurbished items are delivered to us directly by the manufacturer who has carried out the refurbishment therefore they have all been restored to the exact manufacturer specifications.</p>

</p>

<p >In the past Adorama warranted Canon refurbished for 90 days; since 1st May, all Canon refurbished products from Adorama come with a 1 year return-to-Adorama warranty; 14 days from date of receipt for a full refund, and the balance for repair or replacement. <br>

Sincerely<br>

<strong>Helen Oster<br />Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador</strong><br>

helen.oster@adoramacamera.com<br>

www.adorama.com</p>