holly_dexter Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 I recently purchased a Canon 5D, 24-105mm lens and 580EX II flash through an online site. I know I got scammed (now I know) after they pulled the "bait and switch" on me. I was charged $220 shipping and handling and when I look up the body number (0296B002AA) all the sites are not in English. If this a "grey market" item, will this void any warrenty I have? Any suggestions on what I should do to fix this mess... or am I just stuck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryantan Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Basically, Canon USA will not honor warranties for gray market items. But you should call them to make sure that you indeed have a gray market 5D. The description that you provided is not conclusive. It'd help if you post the site you ordered from, as well as what the warranty card looks like. USA items will say something about USA/Canada or "Canon USA" on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryantan Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 A little more detail... The warranty cards for my bodies and lenses come stamped with "USA AND CANADA ONLY", while the one for my 430EX is an international warranty, with all Canon divisions (including Canon USA) listed on the top of the card. If yours are different, your suspicions are correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holly_dexter Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 I purchased it from 1WayPhoto.com because they advertised a lower price for the camera body...which they later claimed was a plastic body... The warranty card does say "USA and Canada only" on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuppyDigs Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 "Basically, Canon USA will not honor warranties for gray market items." Not completely true. Canon USA has done warranty work for several gray market lenses and film bodies I have owned over the years. They simply require the original invoice to prove it was bought within the past year warranty period. They asked no questions and made no comments. However, I hear Canon USA will not honor warranties on DSLR bodies from outside their sales region. You must seek repair in the original sales region. Seems odd in this age of constant travel. Basically a gray market 5D is simply a camera intended for a sale region other than the USA: was shipped to another sales region, e.g., Hong Kong, sold out the back door for a discount, and remarketed in the USA. My 5D warranty card has USA & Canada printed in gray across it. Sometimes the light’s all shining on me. Other times I can barely see. - Robert Hunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuppyDigs Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Incidentally, there are no plastic 5D bodies. All are made in the same factory and to the same specs. The main body shell is magnesium. Sometimes the light’s all shining on me. Other times I can barely see. - Robert Hunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holly_dexter Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 I realize there are no plastic bodies...after the whole "bait and switch" phone call from them. I've been learning alot from this experience... If it's too good to be true... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve torelli Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 http://www.resellerratings.com/ If you used a credit card, you may be able to stop the transaction. As Puppy said, there are no "plastic" 5Ds. Grey market items are guaranteed through the company you bought it from rather than the manufacturer, although I wouldn't count on much help from the outfit you dealt with. Lesson learned I hope. Again, for the newbies, deal with B&H, Adorama, 17th St. Photo etc. Anybody much cheaper than that is a scam. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_schuster Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 If you have a receipt that shows the shipping was different from what was charged, you can contest it with your credit card company. If your receipt says that a US warranty is included, and it's not, then you can contest the entire amount. Check to see if your credit card comes with other warranties for purchases... some do. If you bought it from a retailer, or eBay seller, post the information here to alert others to be cautious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aviro Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 oops ! they sell 5D with 18-55 lens. :) http://www.1wayphoto.com/products.asp?dept_id=10314&product_id=12725 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tholte Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 1wayphoto, One way alright, their way! You did get scammed so I hope you learned to check out who you are buying from in the future. 1wayphot's reseller rating in less than one on a ten point scale. They should change their name to runawayphoto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_osullivan Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Holly: Hate to say it but now would be a good time to cancel that credit card and replace it with a new account number. Probably not a bad idea to put a fraud alert on your credit reports too. I can't say for sure if 1wayphoto does this, but there have been several reports of these types of scammers also selling your credit card info to identity theives as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photo_dark Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 The more I deal with a local dealer, the happier I am. I always get a fair price, no hassle repairs, and any questions I have are answered. I was going to buy a 5D for $1,495 from a slightly sketchy new york online dealer, but decided that i'd much rather have the peace of mind of a 40D for $1250 from a local dealer instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holly_dexter Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 I can't believe the reviews on resellerratings. i guess i may have gotten off better than many other people have dealing with them. I had checked their rating with a few other sites (not knowing about resellerratings) and it looked fine...another scam I guess. It was suggested to me to try to register the 5D online with canon to see if it goes through properly. I was also told there was a possibility of the warranty card being switched somehow. Is there anything else I should check? I'm still very worried that there is something that else that I'm overlooking. I appreciate all the comments. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuppyDigs Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 How much was the 5D, 24-105 and 580EXII? Sometimes the light’s all shining on me. Other times I can barely see. - Robert Hunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holly_dexter Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 according to the receipt they mailed (they never emailed me it before shipping...even though i asked repeatedly) the cam was $2000, 24-105mm f/4L lens was $1000, and the 580EXII was $340. they also convienced me to purchase a 5yr extended warranty for $300 (hopefully that isn't fake). i found out the shipping was $220 when i received the receipt/order. so total: $3860. there is also no registration card for the lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah_fox Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Holly, Tristate Camera (www.tristatecameravideo) sells the 5d/24-105 kit for $2758 and the 580EXII for $389. I buy most of my equipment from them. They're honest and reliable, albeit smaller than B&H/Adorama. They won't pressure you to buy junk you don't want, the stuff they sell is US (unless they clearly state otherwise), and they don't do bait/switch. They'll almost certainly have the equipment in stock, and they'll ship it in a timely fashion. They're a no-frills dealer, but they'll get you the equipment. If there's a problem, they also take returns. If you don't trust tristate, B&H probably isn't much higher, and I think everyone defaults to B&H as the most reliable mail-order dealer. There's no reason to deal with operations like 1Way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tholte Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 It appears that you only lost a few hundred in the deal, learn from it and check out who you are dealing with in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinsouthern Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Can't anybody get these scum bags locked up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_holland Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Well, it sounds like the camera is working fine. You got the product and paid within a few hundred dollars of going rates. Since you got the USA/Canada warranty card, it sounds like you got the non-grey item. I have rarely purchased grey items and the warranty card is different, it doesn't say USA/Canada. You will probably never need the warranty anyway, and if you do I suspect Canon would come through, and if not then the extra warranty you bought might help. It sounds like a lot of effort to cancel this transaction, and you may be no further ahead. Personally I would keep it and move on. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjb Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Maybe you did not lose much this time, A previous thread from another dealer copped an efs18 55 with her 5D, not sure of the eventual outcome, but the store owner/manager was list a real mongrel, hope your 5d stays healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w_t1 Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Can somebody in NYC area get Chris Hansen of Dateline NBC on this? I'd love to see a Predator series aimed at these scumbags. I'm totally serious - any B&H or Adorama employees around? Chris could visit you as the "standard" for honest deals, your business would probably increase. I keep hoping I will never see a thread like this again, but it keeps happening. (Holly, what Ken Schuster said also, $220 shipping is a joke) Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagesax Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 How was it paid for? Pay Pal and American Express will back you up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tholte Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 "Can't anybody get these scum bags locked up?" Would be nice if somebody could but most of what the Brooklyn scumbag photo sellers do is not illegal (unethical yes). They take advantage of customers that want to save a few bucks and didn't do their research about what the camera goes for at respectable dealers (B&H, Adorama, KEH, Calumet etc) in the first place. The worst thing about buying from these clowns is not the extra money you paid, it's the always worrying about what will happen if something goes wrong with the camera. Respectable dealers usually take care of problems in a timely fashion, that is worth a lot in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savas_kyprianides Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 It's just desserts for people who are always looking to get something for the lowest price. That kind of person is a "market" that is the lawful prey of the scum bag photo dealers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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