Brand New Leica without the white outer shipping box, should I be worried?

[petereprice]

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Hello,

My brand new store-bought, Leica Q2 Monochrom didn't come with the outer white shipping box. I noticed in unboxing videos and personal experience with other Leica products, it usually comes sealed in a white unlabeled protective shipping box.  Mine did not.

Should I be worried if it's actually new? Everything else looked new and sealed inside.

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[tedd]

The store took it out of the outer carton. This happens all the time with many products. 

[Le Chef]

I wouldn’t waste your time worrying about packaging when you could be out shooting images. 

[frame-it]

1 hour ago, petereprice said:

Should I be worried if it's actually new?

No

[Crem]

1 hour ago, petereprice said:

Hello,

My brand new store-bought, Leica Q2 Monochrom didn't come with the outer white shipping box. I noticed in unboxing videos and personal experience with other Leica products, it usually comes sealed in a white unlabeled protective shipping box.  Mine did not.

Should I be worried if it's actually new? Everything else looked new and sealed inside.

Why not return it? If you paid full price for a new unopened box then that is what you should receive. Personally I would return it and exchange it for a new one in a sealed box. Main reasons to return it:

1. Your dealer should have sold you one with an outer white box (that is sealed). Or they should have made it clear they were selling you something else (a return, a display model, they opened it for you, etc).

2. If you go to sell the camera you will get asked if you have the original packaging. Leica Store Miami asked me if I had the outer white box when I recently sold them some gear. Clearly it impacts value at least somewhat. The outer white box has the serial number on it for M bodies (not sure about the Q2) so you can't just use a different box.

Edited February 27, 2023 by Crem

[darylgo]

It would concern me.  A call to the store might answer the question.  The outer white box has a date imprinted sticker that I find helpful if warranty services are needed.  Also, it is difficult to open the Leica inner box without minimal marks on the "tongue".  That could give you a clue.  

[DenverSteve]

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No. The same answer I left over at DPreview.  https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66898287

[bobtodrick]

First world problem.

[petereprice]

So for those interested, I looked into it with B&H in my case, just to see if they remove the outer box on Leica products.  Sure enough, I spoke to a product specialist and they definitively told me that they do NOT typically remove the outer box, brought one out from the warehouse, showed me what a new box should have looked like, and offered to exchange mine.  I ended up doing that.  It's good to know in the future that typically B&H does sell it with a fully sealed box, and it's not their usual procedure to take them off.  He's not sure why it was opened but agreed given how expensive the camera was, that I should have expected a completely sealed product and seemed surprised.  B&H has excellent customer service, and either way, I'm happy to have purchased it from them.  Questions answered and problem solved.

[robb]

The outer light gray box is very fragile and can easily be torn by coming into contact with other boxes, or clumsy hands in the packing process.  Ask me how I know… lol.  It’s nice to have but not really a must have to me.  Sealed black box would be more important.

Robb

[Phil75]

I'd be more worried if I received a sealed box, because this means that the importer has not verified the correct receipt of the shipment.

[SJH]

I think it matters a bit when you come to sell (if you do at all) but I'd be more concerned as to why it's not there. Anything shipped direct from Leica for example always has the sealed outer box but the inner one isn't, hence why Leica does this

I'd contact the dealer on the basis that your new camera has not been delivered to Leica 'spec', all new Leica's direct from them or a dealer should be delivered this way as part of the 'build' out of the factory. Personally if they can't provide you with that original box and a very good explanation, I'd return it on the basis that they haven't delivered to Leica's packaging specification. I mean why not, it's expensive and then gives you piece of mind.

I'd be very suspicious that you've been given a return or a demo camera opened in store for display purposes.