give canon customer service a ring and quote the serial number they will tel you
There is no discernable difference between a grey market item and one originally sold through an authorized retailer. But the grey market item might have been sold with a third party battery and/or charger.
Actually Canon is unable to trace origin of camera sold according to serial numbers. Years ago when I bought grey-imported 5D III (my copy actually came with USA warranty card) I called Canon USA and Canon CPS, both of them told me firmly they cannot trace. They even told me theoretically Canon CPS in USA only service models sold in USA, but actually don't care for paid-based out-of-warranty service, and personally I never encountered once that Canon requires me to provide warranty card for in (only receipts) or out of warranty services (receipts are not required).
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Months ago there was $2800 grey-imported 5D IV. But this $3000 CPW street price with USA warranty is very good. Personally I am waiting even sweeter deal (likely grey-import) till the holiday season as I don't really must need it and could wait. Hope there will be another $2500 Black Friday deal
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Months ago there was $2800 grey-imported 5D IV. But this $3000 CPW street price with USA warranty is very good. Personally I am waiting even sweeter deal (likely grey-import) till the holiday season as I don't really must need it and could wait. Hope there will be another $2500 Black Friday deal
All Canon Sales Organisations can trace the origin of goods according to serial numbers.
Where you got this info? When I talked to Canon USA and Canon CPS years ago, they both told me there was no database (that's the word I used) to record such sales for each market based on serial numbers after I further pressed.
Unless they changed in last 2~3 years. But why Canon or other manufacturers to do that for paid-basis out-of-warranty services? I don't see a reason without benefiting themselves.
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That is absolutely true but although you, or indeed most people, can not tell from the serial number whether the product is 'grey', Canon certainly can. Whether Canon choose to make use of that knowledge in the case of a warranty claim is another thing entirely.
Enjoy your camera.
They may have told you that but if they did I'm afraid it's not true. Where there may be some confusion is that not all Canon Distributors always record serial numbers for their shipments to individual dealers.
Canon USA may be not so interested in individual grey sales. For one thing they may well take the attitude that refusing service to a possibly innocent purchaser is not really worth the potential fallout.
I guess the assertion is just your speculation. Technically Canon or any vendors could enforce services based on origin of cameras sales. But since Canon didn't do that (at least true 3 years ago when I called Canon USA and Canon CPS, they both told me firmly they technically didn't know if it's grey imported or not based on serial numbers because they didn't record such info, and there was no difference in camera look or in menu system, at least to 5D III.
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