Hi matyi,
Some price variance is due to what you find in the box, with the
larger price differences due to the gray market.
When shopping online, pay close attention to what is ?In the box?.
Some sites sell the bare camera, others include lenses, a camera bag,
cables, etc. This will affect the price. Many online merchants will
send an e-mail, urging you to call, after the purchase. This is an
effort to sell you accessories and upgrades. Buy from trusted sites
and read reviews of merchants.
Check the merchant?s reputation at the BBB site,
http://search.bbb.org/search.html
Using Google, check the merchant?s reputation also by using these searchwords
Reviews + name of online store
Or
Complaints + name of store
Epinions is a good site to check user?s reviews.
http://www.epinions.com
Epinions has a very poor rating of Broadway Photo:
??Finally, after giving out my phone, address, credit card number,
etc., I dealt with the annoying upselling: "Do you want a case, extra
memory, AC adaptor, battery?" etc.
At the end, as I was about to finish the transaction (without any
upselling), the gentleman (who never gave me his name) mentioned: "You
know this is a 'gray market' camera right?"
I didn't even know what that means! In case you don't know, a gray
market camera is a camera that was made for sale outside of the U.S.
In this case, this means that it doesn't have most of the accessories
(no AC adaptor to recharge battery, smaller battery than standard, and
more importantly no manufacturers warranty!).
Of course, they would be happy to add any of these items to the sale,
therefore, increasing the cost of the camera.
In the end, I canceled my order and will continue to search. I don't
recommend using this company and I ask all epinions members (and
anyone else who reads this) to avoid Broadway camera!?
http://www.epinions.com/content_49323085444
http://www.bwayphoto.com/product.asp?item=nkd2x&l=BuyersEdge
A&M Photoworld does indeed have the Nikon D2x for $2,699 USD
http://www.amphotoworld.com/product.asp?id=nkd2x
***But, buyer beware!*** See customer reviews of this site here:
?SCAM! I wanted a Panasonic DVD camera. They lowballed the price then
I "had to call" to "confirm" the purchase. Turned out to be the non-US
version they were selling - no warranty. The call consisted of them
telling me to upgrade the model, get the US version for another $100,
get filters, extra batteries, etc. I refused the add-ons and they
finally told me I did not know what I was doing but it was on order.
After 4 weeks of still being on backorder, I canceled and went to
another firm. I guess I did not get enough extras to make it worth
their while.?
?can you say SCAM! they LURE you in with low price. I even called to
confirm the order and what came with it. needless to say what they
said on the phone the day I ordered it, thursday. Received email
tuesday saying contact them to comfirm order? With that, here comes
the part of the bait and switch. they VERY RUDELY told me all that
came with my order was the camera (not everything that is in the
manufacturers box(as told on the earlier phone call)) that's an
additional cost. I CANCELLED the order as he chuckled with anger.
NEVER use this company. They were to send cancellation confirmation,
have yet to receive it.?
?STAY AWAY FROM THEM and digitalliquidators.com. They are the same
company. I ordered my lens 2 weeks ago, they emailed me to call back
(what a surprise after reading this page). Tried to sell me warranty
and more parts which I refused and the guy hang up.
I thought I got a good deal, a friend of mine ordered it a week after
me and his price is $20 extra. Two weeks later, he got his lens but I
didn't. Called them and they said it's on backorder for 14-21 days.
How the hell did someone got it first.
If you read this forum carefully, they give you a good deal to lure
customer, then tried to sell you warranty, accessories, and when you
decide not to buy, they treat you like ****. (Actual word ?bleeped?
out by crabcakes-ga)
Read this guide about these retailers from New York:
http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/7-wheretobuy.html
Also, please file a complaint with bbb.org and
www.oag.state.ny.us/consumer/consumer_issues.html?
BEWARE?
http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1988.html
Remember the words, Caveat Emptor, ?Buyer Beware? and ?If it?s too
good to be true, it usually is?
Read legitimate photo sites for reviews and recommendations for online
merchants. For example, looking at one of my favorite camera review
sites, Steve?s Digicams, you can see that the price for the Nikon D1X
has a large price variance. While the commenter is right about being
careful, I have purchased several cameras from Abe?s of Maine and
Butterfly Photo, which are the same company. (They do not yet have the
D2X reviewed yet.)
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2001_reviews/nikond1x.html
Let?s look at Pricescan, linked to Digital Photoclub.
The price is $4,998 USD
http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/sc/from-pricescan.asp?id=964597883&rf=pricescan&dfdate=04_27_2005
Digital Photo includes:
· Nikon D2X Digital SLR body
· Type-B Focusing Screen
· Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL4
· Quick Charger MH-21
· Body Cap
· Camera Strap AN-D2X
· Audio Video Cable EG-D2
· USB Cable UC-E4
· LCD Monitor Cover BM-3
· Battery Chamber Cover BL-1
· PictureProject software CD-ROM.
Notice it does not include the lens shown!
http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/sc/from-pricescan.asp?id=964597883&rf=pricescan&dfdate=04_27_2005#includes
Amazon.com has your camera for $4,999 USD, lens sold separately.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00023JKXS/qid=1114811218/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-0151843-2968118?v=glance&s=photo
Here?s Abe?s of Maine Epinion rating
http://www.epinions.com/search/?submitted_form=searchbar&search_string=abe%27s+of+maine&tax_name=&dyn_nav=0&dyn_nav_id=&search_vertical=6205&searchbar_submit=Search
And Amazon?s, which surprised me, as I have had numerous orders with
them, and never a hitch.
http://www.epinions.com/webs-Web_Services-All-Merchants-Amazon_com
Since this camera is fairly new, Epinions only has three reputable stores listed
http://www.epinions.com/pr-Nikon_D2X_Digital_Camera/display_~latest_prices
Ritz Cameras has your camera also for $4,999, lens sold separately.
http://www.ritzcamera.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=13228463&storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001
Employees at local camera shops are a great source of information for
when camera prices are getting ready to drop. I have called several
times, to see when a new model is coming out, as when they do, the
previous model drops significantly in price. The Nikon D2X looks like
a doozy of a camera, one I?d love to have. Alas, it is light years
from my budgetary constraints.
You will have to decide whether or not to make a grey market purchase.
It certainly appears the online merchants that sell these are not
highly trusted sites however. It?s a gamble. Saving $2,000 on the
price of a camera that may or may not have a problem may be worth it
to you. If you get a great camera that never needs a part replaced
shortly after your purchase, or has no broken parts can be a bargain.
But what if something fails immediately? You may not be able to get it
repaired, and if you do, it may be as costly as having bought a camera
with a good warranty. The cameras themselves seem to have no
difference than those intended for sale within the US, other than the
warranty, and the fact that less than reputable sites sell them.
http://www.shutan.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=1&Category_Code=Digicams
?Grey market ("Grey") cameras are those which are purchased from
either a dealer who is not an authorized Leica dealer, or else from an
authorized dealer who has in turn obtained the camera from a source
other than the official distributor in that country.
Sounds like scholastic hair-splitting, but the difference is crucial.
A typical Grey example would be to purchase from an Authorized Leica
Dealer in (say) the USA, but one who themselves sourced the camera
from (say) Germany bypassing Leica NJ, the authorised US distributor.
Keep in mind there is nothing illegal about this - "grey" does not
mean "stolen"! - it is just that grey items bypass the sanctioned
distributor and/or reseller in the country where you bought the
camera, that's all.?
?Mind you, Leica will still repair and service Grey cameras, it is
just that you will have to pay for it. This is unlike the USA
distributors for Nikon or Mamiya, who refuse to touch any camera not
brought into the country via their official channels. Also, often when
you buy grey market in the USA, you will be covered by what is called
a "MAC" warranty. This means that Mack Camera & Video Service warrant
to do any repairs, rather than the official Leica distributor.?
http://www.nemeng.com/leica/016e.shtml
?Although it sounds oh-so-cloak-and-dagger, the grey market is a
rather mundane phenomenon.
As an official matter, it refers to any importation of a product
outside the manufacturer's official channels. Many manufacturers who
export goods choose an official sales agent in the target country.
This sales agent cultivates the market, performs advertising
functions, and sometimes holds the trademarks. Typically, the sales
agent provides warranty repairs and absorbs some (but usually all)
associated costs.
Sometimes the sales agent is an independent corporation or individual.
Other times, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the manufacturer. Grey
marketeers (the politically-correct term is parallel importers) are
those who bring in products outside the manufacturer's official
channels and sell them to the public.
2. So why does grey market cost less?
Contrary to what US distributors like to tell you, products sold
abroad are not subjected to less intense inspection at the factory
(some offcial importers, such as Kiev USA, advertise that they do so
here). Do you really believe that Nikon has separate production lines
for products it sells in the U.S. and in Japan? Their image is equally
tarnished wherever a product fails.
Nor do grey marketers typically get product at lower prices than the
U.S. distributor. Although this may be hard to believe, grey market
goods often start with a factory net price that is actually greater
than the price the official importer pays the factory. This is due to
two things. First is the volume and most-favored-nation advantages for
the primary importer. The second is that many grey operations are too
small to buy directly from the manufacturer and buy from a wholesaler
instead.
Grey marketeers make up their net price handicap by marking up the
product less (in absolute dollar terms). They can do this by avoiding
several types of overhead that get rolled into the price your dealer
pays for "USA" goods:
o Maintaining repair facilities, equipment and technicians;
o Participating (financially) in national advertising campaigns;
o Maintaining credit facilities and creating incentives for dealers; and
o Abosrbing warranty costs and product dropout.
This last item is very significant from the consumer's point of view,
because with many low-end goods, it can add up to a significant
expense at the time of purchase.?
http://www.dantestella.com/technical/greymrkt.html
?We've personally always been leery of grey market goods, at least
when it comes to complex products like cameras. We confess that we
have at least one grey market lens in our camera bag, which we bought
from a reputable dealer who offered their own warranty service. We
figured a lens would be unlikely to require service, and if it did,
it's a fairly straightforward mechanical system that a large dealer's
shop could reasonably be expected to handle on their own. Cameras are
another matter though, particularly when you consider the possibility
that repair will likely require access to electronic sub-assemblies
that aren't commonly made available for sale by the manufacturers.
Still, a lot of people in this country have routinely bought grey
market cameras and used them with good results. We think it ultimately
harms the industry, since at least some of those people will be
calling the US tech support lines, receiving help that they haven't
"paid" for, since none of their purchase dollars went to supporting
the U.S. organization. - But that's up to the individual purchaser, it
isn't our position to moralize about how people should spend their
money.?
http://www.imaging-resource.com/NEWS/997460674.html
?How can I spot Gray Market "deals"?
US Manufacturer?s Warranty- This is the first tip off. If the product
advertised does not come with its manufacturer?s US warranty (make
sure it actually says it?s both a US warranty and a manufacturer?s
warranty), chances are you are getting gray market.
Authorized Dealer- If the site is not an authorized dealer for that
brand, you don?t know what you are getting. Authorized dealers usually
stay away from gray market products, as this tends to hurt the
manufacturer, jeopardize the camera retailer?s dealership, and most
importantly, hurts the consumer.
Fine print- Many websites will attempt to cover themselves by burying
details about the nature of their products in the fine print
descriptions. Any site that mentions ?May be missing original
packaging, cables, manuals etc.? should be avoided, unless you want to
risk buying an incomplete camera.
Ask- Not many people bother to ask about gray market products. If you
see a deal that seems ?too good to be true? take the time to call them
and ask. Most sites will be up front about it, if asked directly, and
it?s better to be safe than sorry.?
http://www.mycamera.com/index_graymarket.cfm
The following is from an online merchant, so it is not without bias:
?Like any hot market, the price competition in the digital camera
market is fierce, and margins are very thin. We have tried to offer
the best possible pricing. If you find lower pricing, it is very
likely that something is wrong. Quite often these products are "Grey
Market", and don't carry US warranties. Even more disturbing is the
practice of some dealers operating on the fringe to remove
accessories, such as memory cards, and sell them separately. In short,
if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.?
http://www.thebestthings.com/cameras/cameras.htm
?"Grey Market" products are imported from another country without
going through the factory authorized import channels. By looking at
where the dollar is strongest at any particular moment, it is often
possible to import stock at a lower cost than buying it through the
official factory importer. The disadvantage of this is that you
typically do not get a valid US warranty when you buy a "grey market"
product. Some dealers will try to obscure this fact by offering a
house warranty. The quality of service, if any, that you will get
through one of these house warranties is dubious. Olympus and Canon,
for example, can tell which cameras they imported to the US by the
warranty. If they get one in for repair that they did not import, they
will not fix it under warranty. At The Best Things, we sell only US
warranted products, purchased directly through the manufacter or their
authorized importer.?
http://www.thebestthings.com/misc/greymarket.html
?What physical difference is there between USA and Gray Market Canon Lenses?
Usually none - in fact, I haven't found any differences yet. These
Canon lenses are made in same factory using the same parts and are
identical in the finished product form. Reputable retailers will make
any differences clear.
There historically have been more differences between "USA" and
"Gray/Grey Market", "Imported" or "Direct Import" cameras and
accessories. In fact, gray market Canon cameras usually have different
names or model numbers. I remember a certain gray market Canon flash
that had distances in meters (I am aware of no differences in the
current gray market version of the 420ex and 550ex flashes).
The attractive difference in a Gray Market Canon lens is price. The
imported version is nearly always cheaper - even (usually) with the
rebates offered on the USA versions.
So which should you buy? I'll let that decision up to you, but will
say that I have more than one copy of the "Gray/Grey Market",
"Imported" or "Direct Import" Canon lenses.?
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/Gray-Market.aspx
This forum discusses Grey Market cameras.
http://www.dcresource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-5438.html
If you do decide to purchase a grey market camera, use your credit
card, and not a debit card, as you?ll have more protection with the
credit card. Read the site and the terms carefully, and save any and
all communications by e-mail. Print out all the information from the
website and e-mails and save them. Try to find the site with the
fewest complaints by checking the BBB and Epinions.
I hope this is the information you were seeking. If any part is
unclear, please do not close this question by rating it before asking
for an Answer Clarification. This will enable me to assist you
further, if possible.
Regards,
Crabcakes
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