Grey Market warranty?

[fatrooster]

Does anybody out there have any experience with the Grey market warranties on European optics such as Leica, Swarovski etc.? Is the American warranty just a bunch of hoopla to get us to buy locally? And is hotbuys.com using the grey market passport overseas warranty? Thanks. fatrooster.

 

[782warbird]

If you purchase optics from the gray market and they go bad or you damage them there is no warranty
Take swarovski for instance, Swarovski will call you before any repairs are done and you have to prepay for what would be warrantied if they were not gra market.
I own several swarovski optics and just recently sent 10\42 slc in for repair,they were 13 years old and in rough shape
they were purchased here in america,upon calling swarovski they asked for the serial # and gave me a RMA number
When I received my binoculers back Free of charge I could not believe my eyes,they looked bran new the invoice stated that they replaced every part internal with new ones they also replaced all 4 of the outside lenses they stated that they were not repairable so they replace them NO CHARGE
I basically have a bran new set of 10\42 no charge
I don't advise you to save 100.00 or 200.00 and get the gray market because the warranty said it all. I have had friend actually ran over a pair of EL's and swarovski gave him a pair under warranty,can we say anymore
warbird

 

[fatrooster]

Thanks for the reply Warbird. I also have some swaro's with the American warranty but my buddy who is gonna buy some new binoculars next month challenged me on the different warranties. We have a mutual friend who bought "grey market" and is perfectly happy with them so far but he hasn't had to use his passport warranty yet. I honestly could not relate any
"War"(no pun intended) stories to him about anybody getting burned with "grey market" optics. We've read the warranty information that the outdoorsmans and bear basin has on thier websites but now we wanna hear the sob stories. But we wanna hear the good stories about how the American warranty has saved peoples bacon also.
When I bought my swaro's the warranty and how swarovski honors it was THE BIG selling point for me. Thanks again Warbird.
fatrooster.

 

[Sandbrew]

Fatrooster,

Have your buddy check out www.bighornsheep.org for Swarovski binos. They are a authorized dealer with full warranties. Your friend will get the best price availabe and a tax deduction for the difference of (his price paid)-(dealer cost).

Best part all the money goes help to Bighorn sheep.

Sandbrew

 

[ALLMASS]

I had the same exact experiance as 782warbird with my Swrvski 10x42's that were 8 years old, bought from Cabelas'. Had a little coating coming off the front lens, sent to repair THAT and got back a brand new pair basically-everything new except the Serial No.