Grey Market Information Products FAQ's Who is Selling Grey Market Merchandise? - Just about everyone on E-Bay, Yahoo Shopping, Internet Websites or especially the New York Dealers with the exception of a few good honest dealers.  If you don't know ask us, we will tell you the truth.  Protect yourself by asking this question to your dealer specifically to see if the Merchandise you are getting is grey market or USA Authorized "Is this a NEW item that is covered by the MANUFACTURERS USA WARRANTY & are you an AUTHORIZED USA Dealer for this product ?" What is Grey Market ? - A Grey Market item is an item that is imported directly from another country that bypasses the U.S. Manufacturers Authorized Distributors Will the Grey market Item carry the Manufacturers USA Warranty ? - No absolutely not.  Some stores will mislead you with useless third party U.S. warranties or outright lie to you and claim that they warranty the items directly.  The item will not be covered under the Manufacturers U.S.A. Warranty which is supplied by the Manufacturers U.S.A. Authorized Distibutor. Will the Grey Market Item include any current Promo's or Rebates ? No.  Grey market items are not included in any Rebates or Promo's since these are handled once again by the Manufacturers U.S.A. Distibutor. If my Grey Market item needs service or repair can I send it in to the Manufacturers U.S.A. Distributor for repair ? Sometimes, if you pay them to fix it, you can get repair from the U.S.A. Distributor.  Leica will still repair grey market items if you pay them.  Nikon will not service or repair any grey market item even if you pay them.  They will simply send the item back to you with a nasty note.  Most U.S.A. Distributors are following Nikon's lead in this area.  Some items are actually Illegal to purchase as grey market in the U.S.A.  Mamiya & Sekonic items are Illegal to purchase as grey market items in the U.S.A. due to copyright infringement laws. Why do Grey market items cost less ? Since the Manufacturers Authorized Distibutor is bypassed, they don't get paid.  You buy the item for less because of this.  The downside is that the people not getting paid are the people that are there for Your Support, Service and Warranty.  If they don;t get paid, they will not honor your Warranty and sometimes simply not service or support you at all. I'm I really saving money with Grey market Items ? Not any more.  The value add of having a Warranty and in some cases a Lifetime Warranty, Authorized Service with Trained Service personnel and Genuine Parts is worth a great deal on money, especially with todays digital and electronic products which can often need repair or HiGH Quality LifetimE Warranty products which can need service/adjustment throughout its lifetime of use.  You save a few $$ up front but lose in the long run.  Its not worth it.  How do I protect Myself from grey Market Products ? Buy from an Authorized Dealer and ASK specifically if the item is NEW with a USA Manufacturers Warranty.  Most U.S.A. distributors put their seal on an Officially Distributed Product (IE.. Swarovski puts a small hologram sticker on every box).  Call the USA Distributor and Ask them if the Store you are buying from is a U.S.A. Authorized Dealer of that product.  If the prices you see are way Lower than others, you can almost bet that you are getting a Grey Market item.  Authorized Dealers of products are held to dealer agreements that allow them to advertise products only at a MAP price (Minimum Advertised Price).  If someone is advertising below this price, they are not a dealer.  the dealer is allowed to sell at any price he feels reasonable, but only AFTER you the customer contacts them directly via Phone or E-Mail. Why do some people selling Grey Market items Lie and tell you that their Grey Market items do come with a manufacturers warranty ? Simple - They are lieing to you or misinformed thinking that you can send your binoculars (or product) back to Germany/Japan for warranty repair (its not going to happen).  Read the Warranty carefully and it will tell you that the item has to be bought from a U.S.A. Authorized Dealer for the Warranty to be valid in the U.S. or Abroad.  The rip-off artists are betting that by the time you need warranty or service repair that it will be years after the transaction has taken place leaving you with no re-course. Why is Grey Market so bad for Digital Products ? Grey Market is especially bad for digital cameras because many countries have different requirements for power and TV/Video standards.  These items are made specifically for specific markets.  the Manual, Language, Software, Electrical and Video connections can all be different and not what you need here in the U.S.  This makes you frustrated with your product and leaves you with no warranty or support. Are All Grey Market items the same ? No.  Some stores directly import New products, others import seconds or refurbished products and sell them as New.  The Best case scenerio is that you are getting a Grey Market item that is New in Box but without a Manufacturers U.S. Warranty.  A worst case scenerio is that you are getting a remanufactured second rate or used product with no warranty which is more than likely the case. Who are the Worst Grey Marketers ? Easy, look on the web for the lowest prices or the back of magazines in ads from Popular Photography or other leading magazines.  Many of these merchants operate out of New York (but not all, and there are some good merchants from New York, though very few).  They are full of Bad merchants trying to undercut the next bad merchant with the intention of selling you a grey market product or pull the Bait and Switch routine on you (IE.. Why do you want that product ?  This product is better and blah blah blah...)  They will sell you whatever makes them the most money and you the customer end up with not what you wanted nor expected.  Ripped-Off. Which E-Tailers do I stay away from ? This is easy - The real bad ones will offer you no real way to contact them via telephone or talk to a live person.  If the website offers no real Person that you can talk to, you can bet they will frustrate you and take your money. Why is not getting a Manufacturers Warranty Bad thing ? Do you want a some ill-trained garage mechanic working on your expensive Swarovski Binoculars or Canon Digital Camera with non-Genuine parts and no proper diagnostic equipment ? The Flow of Authorized U.S.A. Product: Manufacturer ---> U.S.A. Distributor ---> Authorized Dealer ---> Customer I don't want to pay more than I have to: I don't blame you, we all want value when we shop.  Value is Not giving up your Warranty and Service rights though.  It's O.K. - We all need to make a little money to stay alive and feed our kids and keep our Jobs here in the U.S.  How would you feel if someone walked into your place of employment and asked you to work for nothing ?  Honest retailers deserve to make a living for the services they offer, people they employ and products they stock with their own money, just like you deserve to get paid after you put in an honest days work at your employer. BOTTOM LINE:  The Manufacturer, Distributor and Authorized Dealer are there to answer your questions and Support you and your New Product.  Don't lose those Value-Added services by trying to save a couple bucks.  It's not worth it and you will lose in the long run.