Canon L Lens Warranty

Impspeed

Impspeed

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David
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I have a 24-105 L which is now 11 months old and has developed a horrible creaking noise when auto focussing. I understand the warranty is 12 months but slightly confused about the whole international warranty lark. Lots of people say they do international warranty, others say they don't and then there are certain terms to deal with.

I bought the lens in New Zealand last year whilst I was living over there. I paid NZ tax on it and bought it from a proper Canon dealer. My question is, where do I stand on warranty. Is this something Canon are likely to honour or charge for instead?

Any previous experience with this would be gratefully appeciated. No hear-say or rumours, only what people know to be true please.

DB
 
Why not contact Canon direct? They are very quick with replies and incredibly helpful.

They have an email response from their website but I think you can phone them too. Don't delay with only a month left on the original 12 month warranty.

http://www.canon.co.uk/
 
Canon will repair it if you have proof of purchase. It's the bodies that are country specific.
 
That is good to know. I have already contacted Canon and have a ticket number to get it sorted, just wanted to ask on here just in case I shold expect a big bill.

DB
 
I think international warranty is international warranty, isn't it? I've not heard of people having too many problems these days.

I think that in the not too distant past, when grey importing and parallel importing was a major problem for distributers, that is not the case so much now. Manufacturers have got their act in order so that international prices do not vary that much and the incentive to get stuff in from abroad isn't so strong, once import dutes and VAT have been paid, plus shipping etc. It was always a problem created by the manufacturers in the first place, basically taking the mick by profiteering in certain countries, particularly the UK it seems.

It was a big problem ten years or more ago, and that is what prompted Canon, Minolta and several others to put different names and numbers on US spec stuff - Rebels and Maxxums etc - as nobody in Europe wanted one with that written on it and it was a good deterrant.

The problem is that UK importers are actually UK operated, and when loads of stuff comes in to them for repair that they have not supplied, ie have not made any profit on, they are disinclined to fix it at their cost. Maybe they have come to an accomodation with the parent companies over this now, but either way it doesn't seem to be an issue. And even at the worst times, stuff still got rapaired under guarantee, it just got put at the bottom of the pile when the service manager was in a bad mood.
 
It has finally gone off in the post to Canon Repair Centre in Elstree. Spoke to them this morning and they confirmed there was no issue with it being bought abroad which is a weight off my mind.

Now all I have got to do is worry that the Royal Mail deliver it!!!

Can anyone comment on the turn around time?

DB
 
Impspeed said:
It has finally gone off in the post to Canon Repair Centre in Elstree. Spoke to them this morning and they confirmed there was no issue with it being bought abroad which is a weight off my mind.

Now all I have got to do is worry that the Royal Mail deliver it!!!

Can anyone comment on the turn around time?

DB
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Thats great news and I'm sure a weight of other peoples minds aswell as mine. :thumbs:

Did Canon not give you an idea of turn around time - if not, you could phone them tomorrow afternoon to enquire and also check your lens arrived safetly ??
 
It went SD with £1,000 insurance. Only cost £7.55 to post as well which suprised me.

I will wait for Thursday to phone them as it will take a bit to process it and get it in the system.

Sent with a receipt so I am guessing as long as you have the original bill of sale for the country purchased it shouldn't be a problem for anyone. Just checked the receipt and my warranty ends on Friday!

DB
 
This discussion on warranties is interesting. I just got a new Canon 100-400L from ebay and the guarantee has "USA ONLY" printed across it. I'm not bothered because I saved a bit but the implication is that the lens is not guaranteed. Any thoughts?
 
My guess is, and it has been mentioned on here a number of times before, that USA is deemed one market and one warranty and 'rest of the world' is deemed another. This is the main reason why canon started to brand cameras in the US 'Rebel' to almost devalue them elsewhere in the world for the grey market.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

DB
 
See post 4,

All Canon lenses can be repaired under warranty in the UK if you provide a receipt that proves it is still in the warranty timeframe.

Impspeed, they will send you a text and/or post a receipt of the lens within the next few days.
 
Glenn Surtees said:
This discussion on warranties is interesting. I just got a new Canon 100-400L from ebay and the guarantee has "USA ONLY" printed across it. I'm not bothered because I saved a bit but the implication is that the lens is not guaranteed. Any thoughts?
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Glen, check the small print on your warranty card.

I have just got a US sourced lens, from Kerso, and the warranty is issued by Canon USA, but it clearly states that if you return faulty goods "to Canon or its authorized service providers" with "proof of purchase" then they'll fix it FOC.

There is no mention of returning it to Canon USA, or needing a US receipt, or any other clauses. If I have a problem, it's going back to Canon UK and I'm sure they'll mend it without a murmur. And it says they will return it at their cost. Maybe there will be an internal recharge back to Canon USA, but that's their business.

I have no idea why the card is stamped 'USA only' - it doesn't appear to have any relevance. I can only guess it is to put people off buying internationally, in the same way that branding their cameras Rebel does rather effectively. I don't believe it affects the "Canon International Warranty" as it clearly states it is.
 
HoppyUK said:
Glen, check the small print on your warranty card.

I have just got a US sourced lens, from Kerso, and the warranty is issued by Canon USA, but it clearly states that if you return faulty goods "to Canon or its authorized service providers" with "proof of purchase" then they'll fix it FOC.

There is no mention of returning it to Canon USA, or needing a US receipt, or any other clauses. If I have a problem, it's going back to Canon UK and I'm sure they'll mend it without a murmur. And it says they will return it at their cost. Maybe there will be an internal recharge back to Canon USA, but that's their business.

I have no idea why the card is stamped 'USA only' - it doesn't appear to have any relevance. I can only guess it is to put people off buying internationally, in the same way that branding their cameras Rebel does rather effectively. I don't believe it affects the "Canon International Warranty" as it clearly states it is.
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The difference is here we are talking about a lens and not a body. Also, you have a receipt (from Kerso) and Glenn might not. If Glenn has no receipt from a Canon dealer then there will be no warranty.

If you buy a body outside the UK then Canon UK are not liable for any warranty work.
 
I had my US-Supplied freshfromthewomb 24-70L adjusted and calibrated with my 10 month old 40D (UK purchased)...

All done under warranty without even a hint of a murmour by Lehmanns.
 
admirable said:
The difference is here we are talking about a lens and not a body. Also, you have a receipt (from Kerso) and Glenn might not. If Glenn has no receipt from a Canon dealer then there will be no warranty.

If you buy a body outside the UK then Canon UK are not liable for any warranty work.
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Yes, but if you have no receipt then you have no warranty anyway, regardless of where it was bought. The receipt is actually more important than the warranty card - it proves when the product was purchased (although my Canon warranty also says it is not transferrable, and my name is on the receipt). I think that making sure it's within one year of purchase is pretty much all they're worried about.

What does the warranty card for cameras bought internationally actually say? How does the wording differ to lenses?
 
HoppyUK said:
Yes, but if you have no receipt then you have no warranty anyway, regardless of where it was bought. The receipt is actually more important than the warranty card - it proves when the product was purchased (although my Canon warranty also says it is not transferrable, and my name is on the receipt). I think that making sure it's within one year of purchase is pretty much all they're worried about.

What does the warranty card for cameras bought internationally actually say? How does the wording differ to lenses?
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My NZ lens did not come with a warranty card and all Canon wanted was a copy of the reciept. I was a bit suprised when there was no card but I was not worried as I was in the shop when the delivery came in from Canon Japan and they opened a box of 1D's and lots of L lenses in front of me.

DB
 
Impspeed said:
My NZ lens did not come with a warranty card and all Canon wanted was a copy of the reciept. I was a bit suprised when there was no card but I was not worried as I was in the shop when the delivery came in from Canon Japan and they opened a box of 1D's and lots of L lenses in front of me.

DB
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That's interesting. So your lens came directly from Japan, and there was never any warranty card included.

My US sourced lens is clearly stamped USA, but it says printed in Japan on the bottom :thinking:

I'll PM Kerso now and see if he can shed any light.
 
HoppyUK said:
Yes, but if you have no receipt then you have no warranty anyway, regardless of where it was bought. The receipt is actually more important than the warranty card - it proves when the product was purchased (although my Canon warranty also says it is not transferrable, and my name is on the receipt). I think that making sure it's within one year of purchase is pretty much all they're worried about.

What does the warranty card for cameras bought internationally actually say? How does the wording differ to lenses?
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You are correct, the receipt is more important than the warranty card.
 
Well the good news is that the Royal Mail have not lost my parcel and it was infact delivered this morning to Canon!

Hopefully they will get in touch soon and should be back all fresh and new!

DB
 
I have just got a US sourced lens, from Kerso, and the warranty is issued by Canon USA, but it clearly states that if you return faulty goods "to Canon or its authorized service providers" with "proof of purchase" then they'll fix it FOC.
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Mine says that too but the very first paragraph says "This Limited Warranty set forth below is given by Canon USA Inc and Canon Canada Inc.......when purchased and used in the United States and Canada" my underlining.

Also, you have a receipt (from Kerso) and Glenn might not. If Glenn has no receipt from a Canon dealer then there will be no warranty.
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Is Kerso a bona fide Canon Dealer and not just someone who sells Canon equipment? because if he isn't then a receipt from him will carry no weight with Canon.

Confusing ain't it?
 
Canon have no problem with receipts issued by Kerso.
 
Glenn Surtees said:
Mine says that too but the very first paragraph says "This Limited Warranty set forth below is given by Canon USA Inc and Canon Canada Inc.......when purchased and used in the United States and Canada" my underlining.

Is Kerso a bona fide Canon Dealer and not just someone who sells Canon equipment? because if he isn't then a receipt from him will carry no weight with Canon.

Confusing ain't it?
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Yes, it is confusing. And whatever the facts of the matter - and I'm guessing a lot of this like most people - it is clearly a problem. I've PMd Kerso with a link to this thread, but while I heard from him the other day I think he may still be away from his desk full time.

I don't know what Kerso's status is as a Canon supplier but he sells a heck of a lot of stuff - pretty much anything Canon and some other brands too. Loads of people on here have bought from him, spending very large sums. He told me that it is sourced from the US and that the Canon lens I bought had international warranty. His reputation says that his word is good. He also told me that he pays VAT in this country as there has been some speculation that he had a VAT loophole, I even suggested similar myself since his receipt doesn't show VAT, but he tells me this is not the case. I'm sure C&E are wise to that sort of nonsense, and it doesn't apply to Kerso anyway.

Glen, my warranty card says the same as you. But the wording I would pick up on is that "the Warranty is... given by Canon USA". It doesn't say that Canon USA has to fix it, or that you have to send it to them. It just says send it to an authorised agent. I take that to mean that Canon USA says they will get it fixed, via official Canon international subsidiaries etc, and that somewhere along the line Canon USA, as the suppliers, will pick up the tab via some internal transfer.

This seems to me to be right and proper. I understand that they might want to discourage people from trading internationally on a regular basis, and hence the ambiguous wording, although the only reason people do that is because prices are lower elsewhere, and Canon controls those prices so any problem is fundamentally of their making. Yes, currency fluctuations can cause short term anomolies, but we've been paying higher prices in the UK for as long as I can remember, like decades, and it's high time things were sorted out. If the motor trade can do it (remember the fuss about car prices coming in from Belguim and Ireland?) then surely it can't be too hard.

And what if I'm a tourist, abroad on the holiday of a lifetitme with my new gear, and it fails? Surely any manufacturer will want to put that straight in double-quick time and minimal cost and inconvenience to me. The only way to do that is through the local distributor, so the facility must exist.

I'm inclined to think that this stuff about international warranties only being valid in the country of purchase is a lot of hot air put about by those that do not want us to buy cheaply from Hong Kong or wherever. But that's their problem, of their making, and reducing UK prices would stop it in an instant. I wonder why they haven't thought of that? It worked for the car and motorcycle industries.
 
admirable said:
Canon have no problem with receipts issued by Kerso.
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admirable, your avatar suggests you might know something more about all this. Care to comment further?
 
I still think the key words on the guarantee are 'when purchased and used in the USA or Canada'. Nothing ambiguous about that. For the that particular guarantee to be valid you have to have bought the lens in the USA or Canada. Obviously if you are travelling and it fails in a country other than US or Canada you could reasonably expect the local Canon repair organisation to fix it.
 
Glenn Surtees said:
I still think the key words on the guarantee are 'when purchased and used in the USA or Canada'. Nothing ambiguous about that. For the that particular guarantee to be valid you have to have bought the lens in the USA or Canada. Obviously if you are travelling and it fails in a country other than US or Canada you could reasonably expect the local Canon repair organisation to fix it.
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Yes, that's the way I read the warranty too, that if you take it outside Canada/USA the rest of Canon would look after it under their warranty.

Perhaps they work on the fact that most US citizens don't travel.
 
Glenn Surtees said:
I still think the key words on the guarantee are 'when purchased and used in the USA or Canada'. Nothing ambiguous about that. For the that particular guarantee to be valid you have to have bought the lens in the USA or Canada. Obviously if you are travelling and it fails in a country other than US or Canada you could reasonably expect the local Canon repair organisation to fix it.
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Ah, more small type. Yes, that is unambiguous and would clearly seem to exclude my lens. It has certainly never been 'used' by anyone in the US (packing was virgin) but I don't know if it was technically 'purchased' in the US, perhaps it was, by Kerso, if not by me. If so, the warranty is not transferrable, so that's a moot point.

This is strange. I'm still certain that my lens will be sorted by Canon UK if needs be. Kerso has told me so (in as many words) and admirable has posted categorically that Canon UK has no problem with Kerso's receipts, which I've heard before. And presumably official US products must be supplied by Canon USA, and they will know full well where they are ending up. And Canon UK will know all about Kerso's business when stuff comes in via him. There's no deceit here.

What does the law actually say about warranties? There must be something about consumer protection in there. What does it say?
 
HoppyUK said:
admirable, your avatar suggests you might know something more about all this. Care to comment further?
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Ha, are you joking?......I've got a 1D MKIII, I'm on 1st name terms with everyone at Elstree and the man from UPS (Shuggie) is on my Christmas card list! :lol:

It's like I said in post 4, Canon UK will repair lenses if you have a purchase receipt from Timbucktwo with a date that proved it is still under warranty.

Bodies are country specific, if you buy a body on holiday in the USA and it goes Pete Tong when you are back here, that is when you are
struggling. Of course Canon UK might look at things differently if you are a big customer!

Anything you buy from Kerso is OK as he gives you a receipt with a UK address on it.

I had a lengthy disscussion about this with the Canon guys a while back.
 
admirable said:
Ha, are you joking?......I've got a 1D MKIII, I'm on 1st name terms with everyone at Elstree and the man from UPS (Shuggie) is on my Christmas card list! :lol:

It's like I said in post 4, Canon UK will repair lenses if you have a purchase receipt from Timbucktwo with a date that proved it is still under warranty.

Bodies are country specific, if you buy a body on holiday in the USA and it goes Pete Tong when you are back here, that is when you are
struggling. Of course Canon UK might look at things differently if you are a big customer!

Anything you buy from Kerso is OK as he gives you a receipt with a UK address on it.

I had a lengthy disscussion about this with the Canon guys a while back.
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Thanks admirable. Very helpful. This, then, is what I'm getting so far on Canon warranty.

My 70-200 L lens, bought from Kerso and supplied via Canon USA, is in fact covered by Canon UK because it was bought in the UK, from a UK address. I am therefore assuming that it effectively also has has full Canon European Warranty. The US warranty is void because the lens was neither bought nor used there. Kerso supplies from a UK address, and I also paid in Sterling if that matters and perhaps more importantly Kerso has paid British VAT, so that is apparently okay with Canon UK - maybe they are legally obliged? (Though I'm guessing HongKong etc receipts don't fulfill Canon UK's requirements here.)

I can't see where this is written anywhere, though in all the warranty documents I've looked through, the common theme is that they require proof of purchase by way of a dated receipt, with the dealer's name and address, and serial number. It seems like the warranty is effectively discretionary then, but a UK dealer's address and date within one year seems to do the trick, in practise. (Is there any legislation that dictates this?)

I also have a Canon 17-55 2.8 lens bought from Park Cameras UK, and that has a Canon European Warranty. It is valid in 31 countries listed in the Canon EWS (Europen Warranty System) in the EU and EFTA (European Free Trade Association).

My Canon 40D body was bought from Jessops and that also has a European EWS Warranty, issued by Canon NV (Netherlands, Canon Euro HQ). There are no product details or serial number on it (unlike my lens documents) and it just says 'Canon Imaging Products' in that box. Warranty is valid in all Canon EWS countries.

So, bottom line, if you can prove you bought stuff, either camera or lens, within one year from a UK dealer, Canon UK will warranty it. Is that right?

What if you bought it in say, Germany, with full European Warranty? Presumably Canon UK would honour that, too. Why are cameras and lenses different? In what way? What about stuff bought from HongKong?

Cheers :)

Edit: none of which is very helpful to the OP, who bought in New Zealand. So this looks like a bit of a hi jack - sorry!
 
Don't worry about the hi-jack. As I stated earlier, Canon have taken the lens in and are repairing it under warranty regardless of where it was bought. The main point with lenses and their international warranty is you have a receipt! No warranty card is needed, well not for me, and Canon were aware the lens came from New Zealand.

The only trouble you might have is with bodies which are regional warranties, and as you bought your 40D from a respected authorised UK dealer I shouldn't see you having any problems .


DB
 
The one thing you will have to remember is your warranty lies with the supplier be it Jessops, Park Cameras or Kerso. If anything goes pear shape they should be the first port of call.
 
Hi Guys, hope this helps.
With regards to Canon lenses bought from me.
Canon International warranty which comes with all Canon lenses I sell is covered with Canon 1 year warranty for all Europe and will be repaired within UK or wherever you are in EU, they do not have to be returned to Canon USA even though the other part of warranty card says USA or Canada, the part you are interested on warranty card says "International" at top. Hong Kong or similar purchases are Grey market lenses and usually do not come with any warranty apart from the suppliers warranty and usually have to be sent back to the supplier if faulty. Every seller is different and most should not let you down.
Canon bodies I sell only come with Canon USA warranty, again Canon will repair if you have UK invoice I supply, I haven't been let down yet. I honour all sales regardless for 1 year. Hope this helps. Sorry I can't get involved in the debate here but hope this helps. Regards Ian.
HoppyUK said:
Thanks admirable. Very helpful. This, then, is what I'm getting so far on Canon warranty.

My 70-200 L lens, bought from Kerso and supplied via Canon USA, is in fact covered by Canon UK because it was bought in the UK, from a UK address. I am therefore assuming that it effectively also has has full Canon European Warranty. The US warranty is void because the lens was neither bought nor used there. Kerso supplies from a UK address, and I also paid in Sterling if that matters and perhaps more importantly Kerso has paid British VAT, so that is apparently okay with Canon UK - maybe they are legally obliged? (Though I'm guessing HongKong etc receipts don't fulfill Canon UK's requirements here.)

I can't see where this is written anywhere, though in all the warranty documents I've looked through, the common theme is that they require proof of purchase by way of a dated receipt, with the dealer's name and address, and serial number. It seems like the warranty is effectively discretionary then, but a UK dealer's address and date within one year seems to do the trick, in practise. (Is there any legislation that dictates this?)

I also have a Canon 17-55 2.8 lens bought from Park Cameras UK, and that has a Canon European Warranty. It is valid in 31 countries listed in the Canon EWS (Europen Warranty System) in the EU and EFTA (European Free Trade Association).

My Canon 40D body was bought from Jessops and that also has a European EWS Warranty, issued by Canon NV (Netherlands, Canon Euro HQ). There are no product details or serial number on it (unlike my lens documents) and it just says 'Canon Imaging Products' in that box. Warranty is valid in all Canon EWS countries.

So, bottom line, if you can prove you bought stuff, either camera or lens, within one year from a UK dealer, Canon UK will warranty it. Is that right?

What if you bought it in say, Germany, with full European Warranty? Presumably Canon UK would honour that, too. Why are cameras and lenses different? In what way? What about stuff bought from HongKong?

Cheers :)

Edit: none of which is very helpful to the OP, who bought in New Zealand. So this looks like a bit of a hi jack - sorry!
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kerso said:
Hi Guys, hope this helps.
With regards to Canon lenses bought from me.
Canon International warranty which comes with all Canon lenses I sell is covered with Canon 1 year warranty for all Europe and will be repaired within UK or wherever you are in EU, they do not have to be returned to Canon USA even though the other part of warranty card says USA or Canada, the part you are interested on warranty card says "International" at top. Hong Kong or similar purchases are Grey market lenses and usually do not come with any warranty apart from the suppliers warranty and usually have to be sent back to the supplier if faulty. Every seller is different and most should not let you down.
Canon bodies I sell only come with Canon USA warranty, again Canon will repair if you have UK invoice I supply, I haven't been let down yet. I honour all sales regardless for 1 year. Hope this helps. Sorry I can't get involved in the debate here but hope this helps. Regards Ian.
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Thank you Ian. Very helpful and reassuring :)
 
kerso said:
Hi Guys, hope this helps.
With regards to Canon lenses bought from me.
Canon International warranty which comes with all Canon lenses I sell is covered with Canon 1 year warranty for all Europe and will be repaired within UK or wherever you are in EU, they do not have to be returned to Canon USA even though the other part of warranty card says USA or Canada, the part you are interested on warranty card says "International" at top. Hong Kong or similar purchases are Grey market lenses and usually do not come with any warranty apart from the suppliers warranty and usually have to be sent back to the supplier if faulty. Every seller is different and most should not let you down.
Canon bodies I sell only come with Canon USA warranty, again Canon will repair if you have UK invoice I supply, I haven't been let down yet. I honour all sales regardless for 1 year. Hope this helps. Sorry I can't get involved in the debate here but hope this helps. Regards Ian.
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Thanks Ian, and sorry for dragging your name into this in the first place :schtum:

Don't worry though, I'll make it up to you by picking up one of your very reasonably priced canon lenses [with warranty :naughty:] at the end of the month when my wage packet comes in :lol: :thumbs:
 
I have just recieved an email and text message from Canon that the lens has been repaired and will be sent back tomorrow. Really quick turn around and I only sent it to them last Tuesday/received Wednesday!

Hopefully the lens should be good as new when it comes back.

DB
 
Impspeed said:
I have just recieved an email and text message from Canon that the lens has been repaired and will be sent back tomorrow. Really quick turn around and I only sent it to them last Tuesday/received Wednesday!

Hopefully the lens should be good as new when it comes back.

DB
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Credit to Canon UK then :) They have sorted a lens from New Zealand efficiently and without question, and they also appear to do the same with any lens pruchased in the UK, no matter what the original source.

That's good to know :thumbs:
 
Sorry, coming to this late, but can I add two questions:

I might buy a Canon 17-55mm f2.8 lens from Amazon.com, to be sent to friends in the US, who will give it to me on holiday in Canada, from where I'll bring it back to UK.

1. Will I be required to pay duty and VAT when I bring it back to the UK. This site http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingnoneu.htm#6 suggests I will, but wanted to check.

2. Will my Canon warranty by useable in UK. The gist of all the above posts seems to be "Yes".

d
 
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