Canon waranty

[andy_shukie]

I have just purchased a 5D on line with a company which I knew little about,

the price was good and all prices were in UK pounds. (Best Priced Brands)

 

However, when it arrived, the charger was wrong, it had two fold away pins

which I suspect is the US model. They did not reply to six e-mails over a four

week period but eventually did. They have messed me about somewhat rotten

saying that they will sort it, then they won't, then it's not part of their

policy to refund based on incomplete items, then assure me that the US charger

is fully compatable with the UK market. On and on this goes! Almost finally,

they said they would send me the charger, with that, I opened the camera and

began to use it with my pals charger. Now they say they won't supply the

charger.

 

Anyway, the point. It has come to light that this company are not in fact in

the UK but USA. So I now realise that maybe I have a waranty issue in the fact

that Canon may not honour any waranty work in the UK.

 

The company have now asked me, after numerous threatening e-mails and an

acussation of gross incompetance from me, if I want to return the camera or

have a charger sent

 

With all the hassle which I have already had, it would be much easier to have a

charger sent as I would be without a camera for a while again. But, would I

have a warantee issue.

 

The other tempting thing is that I bought it seven days before the Canon

rebate, the company now show the camera with the GBP150 rebate. After having

the camera sit in a box for four weeks while I waited for a reply, seems like

I'm owed some hassle money!

 

If you regularly read these posts, I am the guy who lost my 400D body and 70-

200mm L in a brief ducking in the sea two months ago, I just keep getting bad

luck at the moment.

 

Your thoughts on the warantee would be much appreciated.

[bobatkins]

The charger you have works just fine in the UK. I use mine (40D and previous 20D) in both the USA and UK. All you need is an adapter to go from the 2-pin charger to the usual 3-pin UK socket. The charger will work equally well on either 110v in the USA or 240v in the UK.

 

I've no idea how Canon UK handles warranty. Canon USA just wants to see some sort of receipt for purchase.

[shambrick007]

Sorry to hear, but did you research the buyer before you bought?

[Spearhead]

Bob is right, but it can be even easier, get a figure eight cord with a UK plug. I have one and use it with my Canon chargers when I travel to the UK.

[andy_shukie]

Thanks Bob.

 

I was aware that it would work, it just when you spend GBP1200, you expect to have the correct kit and not have to use adapters. It was the waranty aspect that freaked me out.

 

Thanks again

[photo_dark]

You should be ok. I live in Canada, and the service center (we have one here in Calgary) only wants a proof of purchase from an authorized dealer. In other words, assuming I buy from a Canon authorized dealer, I can purchase it in the UK, Australia, the US or Canada, and Canon will honor my warranty.

 

That's my understanding according to the dealer I go through here in town (an authorized dealer)

 

My advice would be to check that your dealer in the US is actually an authorized dealer.

 

Also, your charger should work with the correct adaptor attatchd (as much of a pain as that is)

[andy_shukie]

Jeff, the two pins in the charger are part of the moulded unit, there is no way to plug a figure eight lead into it.

 

Thanks anyway guys, I'll get them to send me a new one.

[mark u]

I think you could well have problems in the event you need to make a warranty claim. As I understand it, the company is based in Pasadena, CA, so your purchase is from a different region, and being an import was liable for VAT. Canon now operate regional warranties for DSLRs, where Europe and Americas are different regions. Moreover, Canon UK were always known as sticklers for local warranty entitlement proof, requiring the warranty card as well as an invoice. I doubt that has changed even though warranty cover extends across Europe for European purchases (partly due to EC law). You also have none of the protection of UK law such as the Distance Selling Regulations. The current Canon cashback programme only applies to purchases made via authorised resellers in Europe - so it won't apply if you import a camera from the US, whereas you would be liable for VAT on the shipped cost regardless of the currency or place of payment.

 

Some more detail and similar tales of woe about this company here:

 

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/forums/index.cfm?action=showthread&threadid=313260&forumid=2

[NK Guy]

Yes, I'm afraid it's likely you've been screwed over.

 

The battery charger can be used in the UK with a simple, if inconvenient, plug converter.

Don't use one containing a transformer, since the battery charger already works from 100

volts through to 240. You probably have the CG-580, which has flip-out pins for Japanese

and North American sockets. The equivalent with a figure-8 socket for everywhere else on

the planet is the CB-5L.

 

The bigger problem is the warranty. Canon EF lenses and EOS film cameras have

international warranties. But from what I can tell, Canon digital EOS cameras have

warranties tied to region of sale. So Canada and the USA is one region and Europe is

another. If the camera fails in the UK you will not have any warranty coverage if the model

you have came from a US distributor, as it sounds like.

 

If in doubt read over the warranty card that should have been in the box. Unless the

retailer charged you extra for that...