No International warranty on Canon Lenses

[agb]

Canon lenses purchased overseas no longer have an international warranty in Australia.
Looks like they are trying to cut off the grey market on lenses.
Nikon?

September 1, 2011: Canon has announced the introduction of region-limited warranties for Canon interchangeable lenses, Speedlites and IS binoculars for Australia and New Zealand.

Effective today, this change – from international to local warranty – follows on from an across-the-board local price reductions for Canon photographic products in August and the launch on Monday of a Canon retailing website. Canon says these initiatives are designed to 'attract consumer attention locally' in the new globalised marketplace for photographic products.

Purchasers from overseas sources will be either directed back to their point of purchase to pursue warranty service at the country of origin, or offered service by Canon for a repair fee, as is the case with out-of-warranty repairs.

http://photocounter.com.au/photocounter/site/articleIDs/E0975CC8D683A134CA2578FE0000BA83

[Xenedis]

Very interesting.

I'm really at a loss to understand how Canon's approach of dropping its RRPs on an extremely limited range of products by a very marginal amount, combined with abolishing international warranties on lenses (et al.), is going to 'attract consumer attention locally' in any sort of good way.

The prices are still too high and the international warranties are now gone.

Good move, Canon.

I'll continue to thumb my nose at the over-priced B&M retail market in this country and source my lenses through parallel importers.

Canon's warranties are only valid for a year anyway, and having owned 16 Canon lenses, none of which have ever needed warranty service, missing out on Canon's warranty is a small risk I am prepared to take in exchange for saving significant money.

While Canon was arguably never obliged to provide international warranties on some of its products, the fact that it has abolished these warranties in an apparent counter-move against parallel importers, strikes me as aggressive and anti-competitive.

Despite this, fortunately consumers still have a choice. Those who want a Canon warranty and are prepared to pay potentially significant money to get one, can do so; and those who consider a year-long warranty as an unlikely-to-be-needed and expensive option, can continue to enjoy their minimal-risk savings elsewhere.

[camerasnoop]

I'd certainly agree with what Xenedis says here. I see this as nothing more than a cynical move by Canon to protect it's wholesale margins. I can still buy retail OS for less than the wholesale price paid by many retailers in Australia. Why is that Canon Australia?

[ashey]

A bit rude if you ask me, they make the product so they should fix it dose,nt matter where it was purchased. As far as grey imports go who do they buy their product from, if not directly from Canon how can they sell the gear at such low prices compared to other retailers as they would also have to put mark up on, and please don,t give me the overheads and taxes story. There are dealers in this country who sell from home and there prices are on par if not more than Camera stores.A couple of years ago I was in Kuala Lumpur and went to the Canon store in the Petronis Towers just to have a look as you do. I seen a lens that I was wanting to buy looked at the price reverted it back to Aussie dollars and it was the same price as here, the salesman came over and ask if I was interested in something, I said no I can buy it back in Australia for the same price, he quickly got out his calculator pressed the buttons and low and behold $500 came of the price in the blink of an eye. Please can someone explain how this is possible,as I am sure they would be paying a premium for there rent in this building. As far as prices go here in Australia there is to big a difference between stores and we are talking substantial differences here,not just a few dollars but hundreds and thousands depending on the item. At the end of the day there is not to much that can be done about it, the grey imports will still sell their product and we will still buy them.

[Mark L]

I can still buy retail OS for less than the wholesale price paid by many retailers in Australia. Why is that Canon Australia?

G'day Snoopy, you might have to change your user title, 'cause I think Canon do charge a Canon tax....... :D
And your question is a very good one.

[Speedway]

I still fail to see how they get away with this rip off. Canon/Nikon made it, if it's faulty Canon/Nikon should fix it no matter where it was purchased. I would certainly let them and every coustomer in the shop know what I thought if I bought canon/Nikon gear while on an OS trip and had it fail then had to pay for what should be a warranty repair. I would like to see what the courts would say about this.
Keith.

[TieNN89]

Agree with you all
It all comes out of the same factory so why should it not be covered

And the price drop is crap. It's still cheaper to buy it os

[triptych]

Not surprising in the least, disappointing yes. But I agree with Xenedis in that I'd still buy grey import over Australia's exorbitant prices.

[KeeFy]

The move was initiated by Canon HQ about a year back and not Canon Australia. But clearly it was due to distributors like Canon Australia making noise at their less than spectacular sales that forced Canon HQ to set the standard worldwide.

I personally prefer buying grey as well unless a deal is to be had. A shop locally told me they had to meet numbers to get good prices. I was offered $540 for a 2X III extender. And i still can claim GST. Imagine $490 for local stock. Nowhere online could match this price, unfortunately i decided it's a want not a need. So i went with a 50 1.2L, which i picked up locally from another shop and the price after GST rebate will come down to it being cheaper than buying grey and covered with Cannon AU warranty as well :)

[Xenedis]

The move was initiated by Canon HQ about a year back and not Canon Australia. But clearly it was due to distributors like Canon Australia making noise at their less than spectacular sales that forced Canon HQ to set the standard worldwide.

It's not the first such move Canon (or Canon Australia) has made against the practice of parallel importation in this country.

A few years ago, the CPS eligibility requirements (with respect to equipment) were changed. Previously you needed to own a certain number of professional-grade cameras and lenses, but added to that was the requirement that they be purchased from authorised dealers (ie, no parallel importers).

From http://www.canon.com.au/en-AU/EOS-Professional/Apply:


To qualify for a CPS Silver Membershipyou need to have purchased a minimum of two Canon 5D series bodies, two L-series lenses and be a full-time, professional photographer. You will need to show proof-of-purchase, and equipment must have been purchased from a Canon Professional Dealer in Australia.

[Tricky]

There are several parallel importers who've been around for many years who offer their own 2 year "replacement" warranties. Alternatively, you can use the parallel price saving to buy an independent warranty from Mack.

[Xenedis]

There are several parallel importers who've been around for many years who offer their own 2 year "replacement" warranties. Alternatively, you can use the parallel price saving to buy an independent warranty from Mack.

Indeed.

It's a personal decision as to whether one wants (or needs) a warranty, and ultimately whether one is prepared to spend sufficient money to get one.

My experience owning six Canon cameras, 16 Canon lenses, two Canon tele-converters and two Canon flashes has shown me that a warranty has been unnecessary.

Or maybe I just got lucky 26 times

[rodeo550]

:scrtch: I totally agree with Xenedis, I have bought grey lens on two occassions one being an L series 100-400 plus a 430 ex II speedlite and have had no problems. I find it difficult to understand that with the Aussie $ being so strong recently, prices have not dropped further. I would guess that it comes down to pure greed, as the import diuty lame duck doe not work anymore, as people are not that gullable. Maybe if they put a five-seven year warranty on their products it mightbe worth it but thats a big might.

[mR_CaESaR]

Hmm a little strange on canon's part. I guess they are sick and tired of everyone purchasing from overseas.

It my experience too with canon lenses, I've had one time where I needed to get a lens serviced as it had dust on inside the glass.

All other experiences with canon equipment have been positive.

[ricktas]

Hmm a little strange on canon's part. I guess they are sick and tired of everyone purchasing from overseas.

It my experience too with canon lenses, I've had one time where I needed to get a lens serviced as it had dust on inside the glass.

All other experiences with canon equipment have been positive.

I don't think Canon the manufacturer would care, cause it would/could be assumed that the product straight from the factory sells at a basic unit price. Say $100.00 USD. That is then distributed around the world. My guess is that in the distribution chain, the Canon companies in each country are probably the ones who put the pressure on Canon worldwide to do something. Cause Canon worldwide still gets its $100.00 per unit, anyway.

The country based Canon distributors and retailers would be the ones putting the pressure on. After all if that $100.00 unit could be bought retail from Hong Kong for $200.00, but in Australia it is $300.00, it is the Australian Distributor and retailer who are loosing out, not Canon (they still have their $100.00). If the government really wants to do something for retailers, they should be looking at why/who is causing the disparity in pricing in the chain. If Australian companies cannot buy the product for the same price (comparatively) as say their Hong Kong counterpart, then that is what needs investigating and resolving.

This issue (and the price of goods in Aus) is not necessarily retailers price gouging, they are just the last in the chain and therefore seen to be the rip off merchants, compared to the retail prices elsewhere for the same products.

I reckon this non international warranty, is disguising the real issue behind all this, and that is to hide the steps in the chain where we are being ripped off.

[camerasnoop]

That would seem to be a reasonable assumption Rick, but I think you'll find that Canon Japan might well sell to different wholesalers and retailers at different prices. The problem is, does the international manufacturer called Canon also own (or partly own, have an interest in, or collude with) the importer/distributor. They certainly support the importer/distributor by ensuring that they only supply that one source. Anybody else is considered "grey" or a parallel import. The distributor is in fact a monopoly. The ACCC should be looking at this. These rules on international warranty simply aim to prop up the exclusive import monopoly of entities like Canon Australia.

For me, the bad guys in the price gouging are the "protected" authorised importers/distributors who impose a second or third price margin in the supply chain.

[reaction]

the importer/distributor is generally a separate entity. the ACCC has already looked at the issue and thus declared grey imports fully legal, and banned distributors from penalising retailers who also grey import.

Note that some other countries have gone the OTHER way and banned grey imports.

anyway, since canon warranty do NOT cover dust in lens, I really doubt this will cause any issues since that's about the only issue most people deal with.

[Bennymiata]

Importers' margins are very dependant on volume sold -v- fixed costs.
Fixed costs are things like rent for the offices and warehouse, wages paid to sales and warehouse staff and obviously, the percentage cost of these goes down with increasing sales.

In Hong Kong, I would venture to say that they sell around 10 times as many cameras there than retailers do here, and so, their margins can be a lot lower than they are here, yet their fixed costrs would be similar to ours, or even a little lower.
As the US has around 15 times our population, well, you can do the maths for yourself, and warehouse rental and basic labour costs in the US are lower than they here.

It's just a matter of volume, competition and greed.