“What does Nikon have to offer?” VS “What does a grey item offer?”

Besides the functionality and specifications of a camera, another deciding factor is of course the price. Grey market items are relatively cheaper when compared to a Nikon camera purchased through the right channel, yet what are the disadvantages of purchasing a cheaper product?

When money becomes an issue, you’ll probably tend to think along the lines of, “Now what does Nikon have that is worth my every penny?”

Grey sets have certain dis-advantages such as:

• May not be able to receive full technical support as the warranty is valid only in the country where the camera was purchased from.
• You will also have to pay to have your camera serviced if it was bought from another country.
• The manual may not be in the preferred language of your region.
• The manual might just be a photocopy
• Owners of grey items may not be able to download online software and firmware upgrades available from the Nikon site, due to incompatible serial numbers.
• Items may not meet mandatory safety and certification codes, or may not have been handled properly, therefore they may malfunction easily.

We have also confirmed this in Malaysia by writing to Nikon direct about the warranty issues, they said:

In terms on how to differentiate between original set is our Nikon standard warranty card is “yellow” colour and also on the warranty card will stated the camera distributed by Nikon (M) Sdn. Bhd. So, if your warranty card is other than the colour which is above mentioned, it means that they are from grey products.

So be careful!

Nikon VS Grey Market