did i get a grey market camera ??

[Stephen Shepherd]

just got my dvx100p from profeel.
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the actual panny box was inside a bigger box, because i bought some extras.
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on the actual panny box was a blue ups 2 day air sticker and one of those clear plastic pouches that had something removed.
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the camera looks to be new. on the bottom there was something about "complies to canadian standards"
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so now i'm paranoid i received a grey market camera from canada.
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any advice ?

can someone look on the bottom of their camera and see if there's anything
about canada,eh ?
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thanks!
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stephen
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[Stephen van Vuuren]

My cam has the same Canadian label. Contact Panasonic and verify they are a legit dealer.

[Gerald Galloway]

I just the other day called Profeel, inquiring about a dvx100, and was told it came with a US warranty. However, while comparison shopping, the guy at B&H told me that profeel was not an authorized dealer and that they probably sold grey market - the reason for the 200 dollar price difference. Anyways, I ended up buying from B&H, just so that I don't have ulcers over a 3200 dollar purchase. The extra two hundred dollars was worth the peace of mind. I thought, after looking up profeel on resellerratings.com that they seemed pretty legit, but I just couldn't afford the risk. Please let us all know if you discover it _is_ grey market, so others know to not buy from there. Gerry

[Marc Young]

The question to ask the seller is: Are they a Panasonic-authorized dealer, not whether the camera comes with a US warranty. Buydig also sells at $200 under b&h's price, but because they are in NJ, the price is even cheaper by another $200 due to the sales tax (in NY). Buydig represents themselves as an authorized dealer, and hopefully, they are not lying.

[Don Donatello]

on panasonic's site you can find a authorized dealer by entering a zip code .. entering Profeel zip 10952 they are not listed ( other dealers in the area do pop up) .. entering B&H zip code 10001 they are listed as a dealer ...

[Scott Shaffer]

Marc, are you saying that only Panasonic-authorized dealers can sell Pany's with USA warranties? I suppose that makes sense. I was just about to purchase a DVC80 from Profeel when I read this and now you've got me paranoid.

Can anyone tell us whether you can look at anything else on this cam or on the warranty card or in the paper work to verify that this is NOT a gray market cam?

[Jeff Donald]

There is a difference between coming with a Panasonic US Warranty and coming with a US Warranty. Any company can warrant a camera will perform a certain way and if it doesn't they will repair the camera (subject to the terms of the contract).

Please support the dealers that support this community. You can link to our sponsors page with the link at the end of my signature.

[Peter J Alessandria]

I don't think you need to purchase your camera from an "authorized" Panasonic dealer to get Panasonic to honor your warranty. The question is whether the camera you buy is authorized for sale in North America (or where ever you happen to be). "Grey [gray] market" connotes cameras authorized for sale elsewhere and then resold in another territory. Also (and I don't know if this applies to Profeel) some of these dealers provide "US warranties" that are not manufacturer's warranties. (They also sell with "International warranties" - whatever that is!) So be careful. Read the fine print. And use a credit card.

[Marc Young]

For the guys whose camcorders were transhipped from Canada, what is the address on the warranty card? If it happens to be the USA address, just mail it in, with delivery confirmation. Unless Panasonic writes back to you right away disavowing the warranty, assume it is valid. If they dispute it later, fax them the USPS receipt showing that you mailed it on such and such a date.

FYI: This is the paperwork that came with my dvx-100. Service Support guide with USA, Puerto Rico addresses and phone #s. Limited Warranty and Panasonic Product Analysis Card, all with a Secaucus NJ address. Panasonic Canada Inc Warranty Statement, with an Ontario address.

As for credit cards, even the gold and platinum ones, there is a dollar limit to the amount of warranty support they will give you, after the one year manufacturer's warranty expires. Some limit it to merchandise with a $1000 or less purchase price. The other thing the CC companies won't do is to stand by your side should you get into a dispute with the seller about who does warranty repairs during year one. Unless they (the seller) explicitly stated that Panasonic's authorized US service center would handle service, don't count on anything.

If you're really worried, call up the service center with the serial number, and ask for an rma or whatever to ship the dvx to them for repair. Say the lens is jammed or something like that. Their computer should show when the unit was made, where it was distributed, etc. I doubt Panasonic will stiff you. After all, people do legitimately buy their camera in Canada, and move to the US. Why discriminate? Of course if you have a camera destined for the Japanese market, that's a different story.

Finally, take the claim Buydig made about being an authorized Panasonic dealer with a grain of salt. As far as Panasonic's web site is concerned, Buydig dba Worldwide Enterprises is not authorized to sell Panasonic professional/broadcast video equipment. So, in a sense, those of us who bought from this place to save a few bucks are in the same boat as those who purchased from Profeel. What, me worry?

[Chris Hurd]

It took a lot of effort to secure authorized Panasonic dealers as sponsors for these message boards here at DV Info Net (click the "sponsors" link in my signature below.

When you buy from our sponsors, you can rest assured you're getting the best possible deal from an authorized Panasonic seller, and you're giving back a little bit to these boards which are free of banners and other annoying ads. Hope this helps,