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Nikon Service on Used Lenses?

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ghostrider25

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I'm in the US and recently bought a US model used lens that I think could use some service. Would Nikon accept it? I doubt they would work on it for free since there is no warranty and I don't have a problem paying if that was an issue. Do I have a shot or am I out of luck?

--
-Mike
http://www.pbase.com/ghostrider25

'Uh, you shot who in the what now?'
 
Since you do not have warrenty, then you are paying for the repair, right? So, why won't Nikon take it in?
 
There are Nikon authorized shops that will do it for a charge (obviously). I remember stopping by one looking for parts here in Chicagoland. I think I found the link from Nikonians.com They had a database there of authorized service centers.
ghostrider25 said:
I'm in the US and recently bought a US model used lens that I think
could use some service. Would Nikon accept it? I doubt they would
work on it for free since there is no warranty and I don't have a
problem paying if that was an issue. Do I have a shot or am I out
of luck?

--
-Mike
http://www.pbase.com/ghostrider25

'Uh, you shot who in the what now?'
Click to expand...
--
The Lonely Raven

Jack of all Trades,
Master of None
 
jc200300 said:
Since you do not have warrenty, then you are paying for the repair,
right? So, why won't Nikon take it in?
Click to expand...
Well, I seem to recall some people saying that Nikon would not repair gray market lenses even for pay. I was just curious if that applied to out of warranty and used lenses as well.

--
-Mike
http://www.pbase.com/ghostrider25

'Uh, you shot who in the what now?'
 
Tried to send in a used Nikon 35mm f/2 and got it back after 4 weeks with a big red stamp "Grey Market"

They will not touch it. I took it to a local repair shop and they took care of my needs.

Whomever you take it to be sure they will work on it locally and not send it off.

Stay well
--
Mike Weaver
Shenandoah Valley, VA USA
 
They will repair any Nikon lens if you pay for it. They don't know if a lens was bought outside the US and then brought in by the user or if it was directly imported and sold as "imported".

Its only repairs under warranty that they refuse to do if its imported.

The term "gray market" makes it sound as if it was something not really legal, but its perfectly legal.

--
-------David-------
http://flickr.com/photos/childish/
 
I did not ask for under warranty. Sent it to Melville NY, I think. Took forever. Wanted to get oil off my 35 f/2 leafs.

Wrote a note saying that I understood it was beyond warranty and the repair would cost money. Said I understood there would be a charge.

Called customer service. They said no repairs on grey market lens. They could tell by the serial number. I said what if I purchased overseas and personally brought it in. She said then you can fax in your reciept from overseas and they will fix it.

I said what if a person buys used or gets a gift from a friend. How to know if it is grey market. Customer service rep said you can call in with the serial number and ask and they will tell you if it is grey market.

I wonder if they actually would.....

More reasons to buy new. But the other references of repair facilities are nice.

Thank you all.

--
Mike Weaver
Shenandoah Valley, VA USA
 
Mike Weaver said:
I did not ask for under warranty. Sent it to Melville NY, I think.
Took forever. Wanted to get oil off my 35 f/2 leafs.

Wrote a note saying that I understood it was beyond warranty and
the repair would cost money. Said I understood there would be a
charge.

Called customer service. They said no repairs on grey market lens.
They could tell by the serial number. I said what if I purchased
overseas and personally brought it in. She said then you can fax
in your reciept from overseas and they will fix it.

I said what if a person buys used or gets a gift from a friend. How
to know if it is grey market. Customer service rep said you can
call in with the serial number and ask and they will tell you if it
is grey market.

I wonder if they actually would.....

More reasons to buy new. But the other references of repair
facilities are nice.

Thank you all.

--
Mike Weaver
Shenandoah Valley, VA USA
Click to expand...
This is rather odd.
 
It's beyond odd. It's completely pig headed of Nikon. Charge me more for the repair if they must, but to completely refuse service because they didn't get their extra 10% on the original purchase price is such a bad policy. Infuriating. I've never ran into this problem, I've only sent in one lens and there was no problem. I guess it was a US lens, I didn't know either way. But I have bought many lenses used and I don't know where most of them originated. One of the primary reasons I use Nikon is the rich market of used glass. It's sad to know Nikon fails to see ALL Nikon lenses add value to Nikon Cameras, no matter where they were originally sold.
 
What makes you think you have a "gray market" lens?

"I'm in the US and recently bought a US model used lens"

Nothing gray market there.
 
Where did you get this information?
Octane said:
They will repair any Nikon lens if you pay for it. They don't know
if a lens was bought outside the US and then brought in by the user
or if it was directly imported and sold as "imported".

Its only repairs under warranty that they refuse to do if its
imported.
Click to expand...
 
Nikon USA got 0% on the sale of the lens you want them to fix. I disagree with the policy, but I understand it and they can set whatever policy they decide.

Nikon USA is clearly serious about protecting itself from gray imports. Refusing to fix any gray market Nikon product is one of the few weapons they have against the practice.
 
DonAvebury said:
What makes you think you have a "gray market" lens?

"I'm in the US and recently bought a US model used lens"

Nothing gray market there.
Click to expand...
Sorry, that was somewhat of an ambiguous statement that I made. I purchased a US model lens (says so on the serial) that was used (so no warranty) and wanted to know if I could get it serviced even if I paid for the service.

I have heard before that gray market lenses have been refused service even if pay was offered. I was curious if Nikon treated used lenses in the same way as gray market lenses (i.e. refuse service) even if they are US models.

--
-Mike
http://www.pbase.com/ghostrider25

'Uh, you shot who in the what now?'
 
Gee, did they give the lens away or was it stolen from Nikon? Seems to me that Nikon had to make it and somebody bought it. Don't they make anything at all on the first buyer they choose to sell to?
--
John Ellis
 
What I mean above is that Nikon better start paying attention to Nikon, not just Nikon USA., Nikon Duetschland, or anywhere else they have a subsidiary. Without products to sell, these local resellers won't have much to do. I doubt Ford Europe has such draconian service policies.

John Ellis
 
There are thousands of people who own Nikon products purchased overseas. What a stupid policy it would be if a person who lived outside of the U.S. for several years were to move back to the U.S. and could not get his/her Nikon products repaired simply because they were not originally purchased through Nikon U.S.A.

I sincerely hope that Nikon U.S.A. is not that petty!

Actually, the main tool that they have to discourage gray market purchases is the warranty policy. If someone is willing to pay for repairs, there is no valid reason, commercial or otherwise, for Nikon authorized shops to refuse.
 
John, I suggest you go back, read what I wrote, then respond to what I wrote.

The fact is, Nikon USA gets 0% on the sale of a lens imported via gray market.
 
Nikon Japan is in the driver's seat. They are the ones choosing to allow or even encourage the USA subdidiary to make these maddening policies. To just stand back and say it is Nikon USA is ludicrous.

As long as they all can get away with it, they will. As in almost all things, economics rules and will rule here, too. With a trend toward defection to other brands, watch things change. This arrogance has come along with their success, unfortunately: no service on grey, wanting to monopolize white balance, wanting or at least hoping to restrict us to their own software to decode RAW images, and keeping a proprietary rather than Adobe Raw format or at least a choice of either one. The rest of you can take it if you choose, that's the American way, but I am going elsewhere for my next DSLR.
--
John Ellis
 
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