Re: [Leica] How can a Leica not come from an "authorized Leica dealer"?

[Patrick Jelliffe <pbjbike@yahoo.com>]

To belabor the point--I just talked to George at
Tamarkin NY.  They sell both gray and US Leica. 
Here's what he told me:

1)A gray market item will not be serviced, under the
international warranty these cameras come with, by
Leica USA. Tamarkin offers their own 2 year warranty. 
The gray cameras are generally sourced from Europe. 
In this case, you are not buying from a European
dealer, and the international warranty is void.

2)A Leica USA Passport warranty covers mechanical
failure and/ or catastrophy for three years.  A claim
on a Passport warranty would need to be sent back to
Leica NJ from wherever you are in the world.

My own conclusion:  A dealer cannot "make" a piece of
equipment a US model if it doesn't have the serial #
that matches a US model that came through NJ. 
Obviously, someone gets around customs/duties, and
brings these things in and they end up costing less.  


Cheers

Patrick
  


- --- Austin Franklin <darkroom@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> 
> > If, however, something comes in without proper
> documentation, and is
> > truly "gray," the customer is charged the normal
> repair rates.
> 
> I have to believe every Leica comes from Leica in
> the first place, and Leica
> only sells the cameras to authorized Leica dealers,
> I mean, if Leica sells
> it to them, they are obviously authorizing them to
> sell it, right?  So, how
> can a camera exist that doesn't come from SOME
> "Leica authorized dealer"?
> I'm missing this magical intermediate step, that
> somehow a camera sold BY
> Leica, to a dealer, which Leica sold it to, then
> loses "provenance".
> 
> The above should certainly hold true for a
> transferable warranty, such as
> the International Warranty, and it simply shouldn't
> matter what happens to
> the camera after it leaves the Leica manufacturing
> facility.
> 
> > I mentioned some USA dealers, also, sell gray. Ray
> said all Leica
> > products imported by Leica Camera Inc. carry a
> mylar sticker on the box
> > saying "Officially Distributed by Leica Camera
> Inc."
> 
> But...if the USA dealer sells me a non-Leica USA
> camera, and they ARE an
> authorized Leica dealer, will they stamp and sign
> the warranty card, and
> will the camera be covered by the International
> warranty?
> 
> Austin
> 
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