Thanks guys.
I did not expect the explanation so detailed. Appreciated.
I agree with pretty much everything you say. The bottom line - I'll
probably
buy from eBay, risking to hit a gray warranty - but at least knowing that
I
am paying 15%-20% less fort his risk. In the "good" camera shop the sales
guy tried to scare me away from on-line shopping through blunt lies and
misrepresentation, so I have less confidence in his business now.
Tony, Chris - thanks again!
"Chris H" <chris@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:dtoRd7DZif7HFA+a@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> In message <eZgHj.3422$CM5.8158@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, S B <sb@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> writes
>>People,
>>
>>This question may have been asked before, but I still do not understand
>>how
>>come that brand-new SLRs (and probably other cameras) are considerably
>>cheaper on eBay? The salesman at a photo store said with a touch of
>>disdain
>>that all cameras sold over the internet are "grey market" and never come
>>with a warranty, even if one is promised. Well, what about sellers
dealing
>>in photo equipment and having feedback ratio close to 100%?
>>For example, I can get a Canon 40D with 17-85mm ISU + some extras at
>>1475.00
>>Canadian, while the guy in this quite reputable store asks 1688.88 for
the
>>same set (with no extras)? And this shop-boughten camera is made in
>>Thailand
>>anyway.
>
>
> 1 Shops have over heads.
> Many eBay sellers just have a store room and minimum overheads. Some
times
> run as a side line Therefore the sell a lot of items with a much reduced
> margin. However any back up from them is zero. They just sell as many
> boxes as they can the most efficient way they can.
>
> 2 Not all eBay seller are honest.
> Feedback reactions can be (and often are ) faked. There have been
stories
> of good not arriving, the wrong goods, incomplete goods, new advertised
> but clearly 2nd hand arriving.
>
> 3 Grey market.
> This is a hot topic in any distribution chain from cars to jeans and all
> manner of good.
>
> There are Official Distributors in a country. They get their stock
> through Official channels and offer the full manufacturers warranty and
> sometimes additional protection of their own. They have a lot of
> experience and staff that are usually happy to help on the items you
have
> bought and, in this case, photography in general. However they tend to
> sell at "recommended retail price" or within an agreed level of
discount.
>
> There are other sellers in the country who will source the goods from
the
> cheapest place they can world wide and sell at the lowest price they
can.
> This gives several problems.
>
> It pisses off the official distributors who are playing the game for the
> manufacturer and not selling below a certain floor limit.. T
>
> The grey im****ts will often not be recognised by the official
> distributors and the Official local office for the brand. No one wants
> to spend money sup****ting something the have not sold as they get no
> income from it. So if you have a problem you will have to go back the
> place you got it from. If you are lucky they will be a "normal" store
and
> assist. However many of the grey market im****ters tend to the
box-****fter
> type and selling high volume at low margin in a way that is not geared
to
> any after sales service.....
>
> Then you get eBay and the Internet....
>
> Internet. Many businesses just trade mail order and these days use the
> Internet (normally as well as conventional adds in magazines) They have
> listed business addresses are safe to deal with in fact most have the
> walk in store they started with. The same applies if you buy from a
mail
> order place inside your country they will probably be an official
> distributor or have official stock.
>
> If they are outside your country whilst they may be official in their
own
> country the things they supply you may not be sup****ted by the official
> distributors in your country. However the local office for that brand
may
> sup****t items bought from an *official* distributor in another country.
> Nikon US is one of the few that will not.
>
> Buying form an unofficial distributor tend not to get you sup****t from
> anyone.
>
> However..... there is no such thing as a free lunch. any one can get a
> web site, card payment, free phone line, accommodation address and
appear
> as a cor****ation whilst operating out of a spare bedroom or just a
mobile
> phone and a laptop from a friends couch. They make their money be
> selling cheap and hope that no one comes looking for sup****t or warranty
.
> etc.
>
> eBay
> Some reputable shops and distributors have a presence on eBay as an
> extension to their normal Internet presence . However many eBay sellers
> are literally working from a shed or spare bedroom. Some only have an
> accommodation address in your country and are actually somewhere else in
> the world.
>
> The problem with eBay is you have no idea what you are getting until it
> arrives. There have been stories of people ordering cameras and
basically
> getting a box of assorted second hand parts with manuals in a language
> that they did not understand and no warrantee cards. Unless you want
to
> travel half way round the world to sort it out (which usually costs far
> more then the good are worth) you are stuck with a box of unsup****ted
> junk.
>
> As for made in Thailand... (or china, Singa****e, Taiwan etc ) that is
> where most things get manufactured... Even major "local brands" will
> often have the manufacturing in the cheapest place globally. IBM's were
> made in China.
>
> The answer to your question is to haggle. Most shops will give a little.
> BUT or price match with other *legitimate* offers but not usually with
> unofficial or grey im****ts.
>
> Remember with the one bought in the local shop you can go back and get
> help, warranty etc. They will, usually, be friendly and helpful with
> advice on cameras and photography in general. What to get for doing
> certain things etc.
>
> With the eBay one you are on your own.... (assuming that what you
> actually) get is what was expected. If you turn up at a camera shop
> asking for advice with one fo these grey or unofficial im****ts they may
> well be too busy to talk to you....
>
> Finally where do the cheap cameras come from?
> Second hand part exchange items.
> Refurbished items
> stolen
> special batches for a particular local market (all instructions and on
> screen menus in Swahili or Lithuanian with some features disabled)
> old stock (the one with the known bug that can't be upgraded except
though
> the Official dealers)
> obsolete stock (from before they changed the connector and the old style
> connectors can't be obtained any more)
>
> There is NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
>
> OK there is but for every free lunch there are hundreds of thousands of
> scams. Scams and confidence tricks only work through the greed of the
> mark.
>
> --
> \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
> \/\/\/\/\ Chris Hills Staffs England /\/\/\/\/
> /\/\/ chris@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.phaedsys.org \/\/\
> \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
>
>
>
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