Buying gray-market camera equipment has always been a bit of a sticky subject and if a recent report is anything to go by, it could become even stickier. According to Nikon Rumors, Nikon Hong Kong has announced an administration-fee charge for gray market repairs or maintenance, as high as HK$5,000 (roughly $638 / £473 / AU$890), and that’s in addition to the necessary repair/maintenance costs. The worry for gray-market buyers, or prospective buyers elsewhere, is whether or not this policy will one day expand to other regions.
It would seem that this is intended to deter gray-market purchases. If you’re unsure as to what gray-market products are, they’re genuine goods (not counterfeit) sold in regions they were not originally intended for via distribution channels that are not authorized by the original manufacturer. As such, they tend to ship without a manufacturer warranty. The temptation, of course, is that gray-market goods can offer significant discounts on an item’s RRP, further bolstered by seller warranties. However, such warranties can prove problematic, especially if goods are required to be shipped long distances back to the retailer or if the retailer no longer exists.
