Many customers ask us about warranties on cameras we offer for sale thru our eBay store and on auction. Please make sure the seller you are buying from is providing a genuine warranty with the product! Time and time again we see many sellers stating the product has a full manufacturer warranty. This can be misleading! Here is a secenario for you. You purchase a nice Panasonic DMC-FZ50 10.0 MP camera. The seller states it has a one year warranty. You send the payment. You own the camera for 7 months and you have a problem with the sensor. Panasonic kindly provides a toll free number to call and they ask you all the pertinent information. When did you buy it? They indicate they need the bill of sale from the retailer. This is where your problems begin. If you are unable to provide a retail bill for sale for the camera, you will most likely be out of luck! You own a not so sweet digital camera that will not be repaired under warranty.  We want our fellow traders and customers to know that you must be discerning when buying expensive digital equipment from "garage sellers". In some cases the seller may provide a bill of sale from the place where they bought the item. This is quite acceptable. You are entitled to whatever warranty is remaining from the manufacturer. If no commercial/retail bill of sale from a registered business is provided, you have no recourse. Here is what you should watch for:

1. The seller operates with a legal business name

2. The seller usually charges tax in the state or province in which they operate. (Ask for tax ID as some may charge tax illegally)

3. Ask if a bill of sale is provided with the equipment. If no bill is provided, we recommend you move on even if it is a good deal. This is for your protection!

4. Ask if the unit is a North American model or if it is a gray market unit. Some manufacturers will not work on gray market (international models) outside the originating market for that product. There are also safety concerns with power cords etc that may not be UL or CSA rated. Menus may be in foreign languages with no English options.

Make intelligent and informed decisions. Make sure what you are getting is the same if you walked into your local big box retailer or mom and pop shop. Ask questions. If the responses seem legit, make a deal. If you gut feeling is saying something is not right, its best to move on. An informed consumer is a smart consumer.

TechComm International only offers North American models of all the products we sell. We believe a happy customer, is a repeat customer. For many sellers who engage in the above practices they're main concern is moving product and making a profit. Profit is important, but it doesn't supercede having a happy customer who gives you repeat business because of a mutual respect and loyalty based on honest trading.

We offer many extended warranties that may give you extended protection for your digital cameras bought on eBay. We will warranty cameras that have a minimum of 90 days manufacturer warranty, have a retail bill of sale, originate from anywhere in the world and are no older than 30 days from the start of the manufacturers warranty. Check out our store here: TechComm International

We hope you have found this guide insightful. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail us. Happy buying!

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