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Monday, May 21, 2007 
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Gray market electronics
Electronics – and cameras in particular -- are favorite products for unscrupulous sellers. You’ll find cameras quoted at hundreds less than list price. You’re reeled in by these low prices. The products could be gray market. Gray market products are not intended for sale in the United States. Rather, they’re intended for sale overseas but are imported here by third parties. Gray market products are not necessarily bad. Generally speaking, the quality won’t be any less. The product may just have a different name or badge. But some companies won’t honor warranties for non-U.S. products. If the product fails, you could be out of luck. Also, menus could be in a different language. And units of measurement may differ from American products. I would think twice about purchasing gray market goods. Now, some respectable sites sell gray market products. For example, B&H Photo is highly regarded in photo circles. It sells some gray market products; they’re labeled “imported.” When you buy a product from a U.S. retailer, you assume that you’ll get a product intended for sale here. So, gray market products should be clearly labeled. That’s where unscrupulous sites differ from respectable ones. The bad guys aren’t clear about gray market products. A disclaimer hidden on the site may say some products are "imported." You’re left to guess which ones. (The use of the word "imported" can be confusing. That is often a code word for gray market. In fact, nearly all electronics products are made overseas. The real question is whether they were intended for sale in the United States.) The salesperson will try to sell you overpriced accessories. Some, such as batteries and cables, should be included with the product. But the seller strips them from the box. The salesperson may also try to sell you a U.S. warranty. The seller may say you will be upgraded from an imported product to a U.S. one. The price of the product jumps dramatically. In other cases, the product won’t be upgraded to a U.S. version. Rather, the seller provides the warranty. Yikes! Resist the sales pitch, and the product may suddenly be out of stock. It is the classic bait and switch scam. The customer service reps are often rude and abrupt. You may encounter swearing and verbal abuse. Returns are difficult and promises on shipping may not be kept. Buyers have even reported being charged more than the agreed price. How do you avoid unscrupulous sellers? Be skeptical of prices that seem too good to be true. Look at accessories. Overpriced memory cards, cables or lenses are warning signs. Do your research. Shopping sites usually rate sellers. Don’t go on ratings alone; sellers may game the system with fake reviews. Check negative reviews for mention of bait and switch tactics. If a seller has very few reviews, move on. Unscrupulous merchants frequently change names. That gets them a clean slate. These sellers also start new sites when the old one attracts the attention of law enforcement. The old company shuts down and a new one is started. Do a Google search on the seller. You’ll find other buyers’ experiences. This is particularly true if the seller offers cameras. Photo buffs are not shy about sharing their stories in forums. I like to save money. But getting caught up in a bait and switch scam is not the way to go. I only buy from sites I know and trust. After all, I’d rather support the good guys than the bad guys. Speaking of cameras, I have some buying guides that might help you out:Coming up in tomorrow's Tip: Videos are scrambled. Google Earth is one of the few programs I get really excited about. And Google Earth will soon see some improvements. Tune in to tomorrow’s Kim Komando Digital Minute to learn more. Visit my site to find out how you can catch my Digital Minute. I'm a big fan of photography! Visit my site for photography tips and cool sites! You'll even find some photos I've taken in my online scrapbook! 
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I recently tried to buy a camera online. I had to call the seller to verify the purchase. Customer service told me the camera was gray market: The warranty was Japanese, the battery was cheaper and the instructions were not in English. The rude representative said the U.S. version of the camera would cost more. The product description page did not say the product was imported. I cancelled my order. I think everyone should watch out for sites selling gray market cameras.
Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous merchants online. Your experience is not unusual. In fact, anecdotal evidence suggests that you got off easy.
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