For consumers who are new to digital cameras, parallel imports and refurbished goods are issues that must be paid attention to when purchasing digital cameras. Unlike licensed goods that enter the Chinese mainland market through normal channels, parallel imports and refurbished goods have many problems in terms of quality, accessories, and warranty. Therefore, consumers who do not know how to distinguish often suffer greater losses, or are deceived into buying. For parallel imports that cannot be guaranteed, or in serious cases, you may buy refurbished products specially provided by the merchants. The money will not be paid, but it will also greatly affect the use of the camera and the mood of the consumer. On the eve of 3.15 Consumer Day, the author combined his own experience to summarize some characteristics of parallel imports and refurbished goods and the comparison with licensed goods. At the same time, the article also introduces the information of licensed goods from major manufacturers. I hope everyone can consume and buy clearly. to your favorite digital camera.
Explanation of parallel imports and inflow channels
When it comes to parallel imports of digital cameras, let’s first understand what is a licensed product. Licensed goods refer to cameras purchased from foreign original manufacturers through formal channels and passed national customs inspection, as well as cameras produced by digital camera manufacturers in Chinese factories. The biggest advantage of licensed products is that they have quality assurance and enjoy the "three guarantees" after-sales service promised by the manufacturer. Parallel imports refer to digital cameras that enter the Chinese mainland market through informal channels, evading customs inspections and tariffs. Such digital cameras cannot receive warranty services from manufacturers in mainland my country, so parallel imports are often hundreds or even hundreds cheaper than licensed products. More than one thousand yuan.
The main source of parallel imports is Hong Kong, my country’s duty-free/low-tax free port. Therefore, there are two common parallel imports: Hong Kong licensed imports and Hong Kong parallel imports. The former enters Hong Kong through formal channels, while the latter enters Hong Kong through informal channels. Whether it is Hong Kong licensed goods or Hong Kong parallel imports, if it enters the mainland market without going through normal customs procedures, it is considered parallel imports. The main channels through which parallel imports flow into the Chinese mainland market are: first, "false customs declaration", which uses other products as a guise when entering China for customs declaration, and a large number of digital cameras are privately carried; second, "passing through customs", which mainly comes from the sea by ship. Ship directly to mainland China; the third is to carry, this method is to hire a group of people who can travel between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and then carry several digital cameras over.
Explanation of refurbished goods and inflow channels
Refurbished goods, as the name suggests, are used old cameras that are refurbished and then sold to consumers as brand new digital cameras. The main sources of these digital cameras for refurbishment are second-hand goods and faulty machines at home and abroad. Some unscrupulous merchants often have refurbishing technology and equipment themselves or their colleagues. They obtain these cameras at low prices through channels, then remove the scratches on the appearance of the digital cameras, slightly organize the accessories and packaging boxes, and then sell them to consumers. . The method of renovation is actually not difficult. There is a profiteer who specializes in renovation in an electrical appliance city in Guangzhou. The author learned through the introduction of a friend that it costs about 150 yuan to remove two or three scratches. This shows the high profit of refurbished goods.
The dangers of parallel imports and refurbished goods
For parallel imports, if they are truly shipped completely from Hong Kong or other places to the country, the quality problems are often not major. However, since parallel imports are illegal in order to evade customs duties, the transportation of some parallel imports is often rough. For example, in order to carry more parallel imports, criminals often take the camera out of the box, wrap it in soft objects such as cotton cloth, and transport it. The bumps and bumps in this process often cause the camera to suffer some kind of damage that is difficult to detect in advance. . On the contrary, licensed products have a set of formal procedures for their transportation, which can effectively ensure the safety of the camera during transportation and storage. In addition, so far, all parallel imports of digital cameras have not been able to obtain the manufacturer's warranty service in mainland China. Some merchants falsely claim that they can get a warranty, but in fact they contact their peers to provide a cheap warranty. The quality of repairs is often poor. Many users who buy parallel imports often have repairs that get worse and worse. At the same time, merchants often use many excuses. Defraud consumers of their money. Moreover, most parallel imports do not have a one-year warranty, and most merchants promise a warranty of one month to half a year.
As for refurbished goods, merchants usually sell them in the name of parallel imports (some domestic second-hand refurbished goods JS will falsely claim to be licensed goods). At this time, merchants are often eager to sell. After the sale, consumers find that it is often very difficult to replace. Even if they can, they will be exploited because of various excuses from merchants (such as a small flower mark). Not getting a normal warranty is one of the reasons. The quality of refurbished goods is the worst. After several times of "ravage", their service life is often greatly shortened. If it is a faulty machine, it will be difficult to guarantee the quality of the repair if it is unable to receive formal repairs from the manufacturer.
How to distinguish between licensed and parallel imports
It is not difficult to distinguish between licensed and parallel imports. As long as consumers understand the difference between the two in detail, they can quickly distinguish them. come out. Consumers can distinguish from the following aspects when purchasing.
First, the accessories in the box. The packaging box is the first thing we need to check. Most of the digital camera packaging boxes on the market are printed in Chinese or a combination of Chinese and English. In addition, regular licensed goods often have labels affixed to the seal of the box, and you need to tear off the labels to open the box. These are usually the names of the agents.
After opening the box, the instruction manual and warranty card are two accessories that need to be carefully checked. Regular licensed products all use manuals printed in Chinese, and some cameras also come with several manuals printed in Chinese, English and other languages. Parallel imports often do not have Chinese instructions. Even if they do, they are often printed by profiteers themselves at a later stage. The paper and printing quality are relatively poor, and consumers can clearly feel it.
As for the warranty card, all licensed products have a warranty card, which details the warranty regulations, maintenance records and other detailed items. It also lists the maintenance cards for the designated maintenance points in each city and a stamped legal warranty. seal. It is worth noting that Nikon models (parallel imports or licensed products) have the words "NIKON HONG KONG LTD" on the warranty card, which can be identified by the dealer's seal. Parallel imports of other brands generally do not have formal warranty cards. Even if they do, they are guaranteed in Hong Kong. We can check it out just by looking carefully.
Second, body description. After picking up the camera, we first look at the bottom of its body, where the place of production of the camera is marked. Generally speaking, manufacturers such as Sony have all produced their consumer-grade digital cameras in China, so their products are all "MADE IN CHINA". Panasonic and Nikon do not have factories in China, so the origin markings on the bottom of the fuselage are "MADE IN JAPAN". For brands such as Canon, their licensed products may be domestically produced, or they may be produced in Japan or Malaysia. It is often impossible to tell whether they are parallel imports from the origin label. In the notes at the end of the article, the author will list various identification methods for various brands of digital cameras.
Third, menu. All regular products sold in China now have Chinese menus. Turn on the camera, enter the camera's menu interface, and select "LANGUAGE/Language" in the menu of the camera's internal settings. If there is no Chinese menu option, you can determine that this model is Parallel imports. For example, Panasonic's FX series, which are popular on the market, are parallel imports exclusively for local sales in Japan, with only two language options: English and Japanese.
Fourth, call the manufacturer’s toll-free number. This is the safest, simplest, and most effective method. We know that every digital camera from every manufacturer has a unique product number. The manufacturer will register the product numbers in different sales areas and enter them into the computer. After the user makes a call and reports the number of the product he purchased, the service staff can quickly check the location where the digital camera is sold. Make sure it is licensed or parallel import. Now, many manufacturers have opened free consultation hotlines, and most of them are marked in conspicuous places such as camera boxes or warranty cards. You can call them on the spot when purchasing.
Refurbished goods are also differentiated from parallel imports and licensed goods based on the source before they are refurbished. However, whether they are licensed goods or parallel imports, refurbished goods often have quality problems.
Generally speaking, profiteers will recommend refurbished products at low prices to consumers who have never been exposed to digital cameras, and often falsely claim that they are parallel imports without any problems. In this case, consumers can identify it through the following methods:
First, packaging. Most of the packaging boxes of refurbished goods are relatively old, especially the edges of the boxes are often severely worn. The merchant will tell you that it was caused by parallel imports at that time. Don't believe it, just leave as soon as possible. In addition, as far as the author knows, some profiteers will entrust printing factories to print boxes, and of course the printing quality cannot reach the level of the original factory.
Second, attachments. Refurbished products often have incomplete accessories and obvious signs of use. Users can tell this by just paying a little attention. Especially on batteries, there will be obvious traces of use on the metal contacts. Some profiteers will use the reason that accessories are lost during parallel imports as an excuse or use fake accessories to pass them off. Consumers should be alert at this time. If you find something suspicious, compare it with several companies.
Third, camera. The refurbished fuselage must have been used and repaired to some extent before. Although it has been renovated by profiteers, as long as you identify it carefully, you can see some signs of it. For example, the country of origin label sticker on the bottom of the camera is the most easily scratched and worn part, so just be careful to identify it. In addition, it is more effective to observe the lens under smooth light. Renovation repairers generally do not clean the lens. If there is a little dust inside the lens or at the corners, be careful.
Recommendations for preventing the purchase of parallel imports
The price of parallel imports is generally several hundred or even a thousand cheaper than licensed products, so check the price of licensed products online before going to the market, and check first after going to the market. Ask several companies and you will have a good idea when making your purchase. In addition, the information on digital camera reviews on the Internet is relatively detailed now. Understanding the characteristics of the model you want to buy in detail can also improve your confidence. And if you have friends you know who are more familiar with digital cameras, it would be better to go together, and you can have more energy in bargaining. And if you don't have great confidence in distinguishing between licensed and parallel imported digital cameras, and you want to be on the safe side, it's best to go to a large shopping mall. In this way, users can obtain invoices and obtain more complete warranty certificates. In addition, it should be noted that some businesses now play word games. When a consumer asks whether it is licensed, the answer is often "yes". At this time, it is best for consumers to dig deeper and ask whether the model is licensed in mainland China or Hong Kong. Licensed. If the answer is licensed in Hong Kong, it means that the model is a parallel import and cannot enjoy the manufacturer's warranty service.
Finally, it is recommended that you choose regular licensed products when purchasing digital cameras. Although the price is slightly more expensive, after all, digital cameras are still high-tech high-end devices, and the possibility of damage is relatively high. The quality assurance and three-guarantee service of licensed products cannot be provided by parallel imports.
Note: Common knowledge about the origin of each brand of DC
Canon: Canon has set up factories in China to produce consumer-grade digital cameras (some high-end digital SLRs are still imported), and there are also Imported digital cameras. The most effective way to identify is: there is a laser anti-counterfeiting mark on the licensed box. If you scrape off the coating, you can see a number. At this time, you can call to check. In addition, the numbers on the box, warranty card and body are the same. Canon uses a triple warranty card with a laser anti-counterfeiting label in the upper right corner. The warranty card and instructions are printed in Chinese. All licensed products have Chinese menus.
Nikon: Nikon does not have a factory in China. All the licensed products sold on the mainland are imported from Japan. Therefore, its sales are completed by four agents, namely Liangchi, New Kanghua, Quantum and Leda. Therefore, the warranty card of licensed products will definitely be stamped with the legal seal of one of the agents. It should be noted that since Nikon only has a branch in Hong Kong, its warranty card will have the words "NIKON HONG KONG LTD", and if it is printed with "NIKON JAPAN LTD" is a parallel import. In addition, although licensed Nikon cameras are not made in China, they also have Chinese manuals and Chinese menus.
Sony: Sony has a digital camera manufacturing plant in China, Shanghai Suoguang, and all products sold domestically come from this factory. Therefore, Sony's licensed products are relatively easy to identify, just look for the words "MADE IN CHINA". In addition, there are Shanghai Suoguang labels on the licensed warranty cards and boxes.
Casio: Casio does not have a factory in China, but it does have Casio (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd. Its exterior packaging is printed in English instead of Japanese, and a laser anti-counterfeiting label can be seen on the front of the box. There are Chinese instructions and a Chinese warranty card in the box, and the menu has a Chinese interface.
Fuji: Fuji has set up a factory in Suzhou, and the official production base of consumer-grade digital cameras is Suzhou. The product packaging boxes are different from those printed in Japanese in the past. Now licensed products are printed in Chinese, and the instructions and warranty cards are all in Chinese.
Olympus: Olympus also has a factory in China, and the packaging, manuals and warranty cards of licensed products are all printed in Chinese. And regular products will have a logo: Olympus (China) Investment Co., Ltd.
Panasonic: Panasonic does not have a digital camera manufacturing factory in China, and its domestic products are imported from Japan. Panasonic's licensed products mainly have Chinese manuals and Chinese warranty cards, and their menu interfaces also have Chinese options. As far as the author knows, Panasonic parallel-imported cameras on the market only have English and Japanese language options.