Warranties in the U.S. if purchasing international copy?

[kinetic]

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I'm looking for a Summilux 35mm (11726) FLE II in the United States, but I believe it's backordered everywhere on the usual sites. Also, it's too new to find any copies of it in classifieds (as far as I've been able to find). The only places that seem to have it are internationally, but some of the listings say it's not warrantied.

I'm not exactly sure what that means. I'm guessing if it comes broken (like one of the blades is loose) I'm SOL of getting it fixed for free, and would have to pay up myself. Others have said that I wouldn't have any trouble getting it fixed under warranty.

Does anyone know the actual warranty / fixing details of lenses bought internationally of the U.S.?

Edited March 11, 2023 by kinetic

[logan2z]

Leica has an international warranty that should be in effect when the product is purchased from an authorized Leica dealer.  I assume if a listing states that the lens is not covered by Leica's warranty then the seller is not an authorized Leica dealer. 

Is the lens being sold at full price or is the seller offering a substantial discount to offset the risk of buying a lens without warranty?  I would personally stay away from such a seller and buy from an authorized dealer instead.

And despite what some people might have told you, I very much doubt that Leica would cover the cost of a repair if the product is not under warranty.  That's what the warranty is for, after all.

[kinetic]

4 minutes ago, logan2z said:

Leica has an international warranty that should be in effect when the product is purchased from an authorized Leica dealer.  I assume if a listing states that the lens is not covered by Leica's warranty then the seller is not an authorized Leica dealer. 

Is the lens being sold at full price or is the seller offering a substantial discount to offset the risk of buying a lens without warranty?  I would personally stay away from such a seller and buy from an authorized dealer instead.

And despite what some people might have told you, I very much doubt that Leica would cover the cost of a repair if the product is not under warranty.  That's what the warranty is for, after all.

Thanks. So it seems like it just needs to be from an authorized dealer! Most authorized dealers don't have it in stock, bummer. I'm on every "notify when in stock," list I can find haha.

[frame-it]

1 hour ago, logan2z said:

Leica has an international warranty that should be in effect when the product is purchased from an authorized Leica dealer. 

Not really, even 2nd hand lenses within the warranty period are serviced by Leica..as long as you have all the papers etc and a receipt of purchase.

at least in ALL of Asia..

unless Leica usa is messing around

Edited March 11, 2023 by frame-it

[KFo]

My 90 elmarit macro m was fixed by leica no charge.  I did not have "paperwork" for the lens bought it 2nd hand from a person not a Leica dealer.  Process originated in the US.

[logan2z]

2 hours ago, frame-it said:

Not really, even 2nd hand lenses within the warranty period are serviced by Leica..as long as you have all the papers etc and a receipt of purchase.

at least in ALL of Asia..

unless Leica usa is messing around

 

1 hour ago, KFo said:

My 90 elmarit macro m was fixed by leica no charge.  I did not have "paperwork" for the lens bought it 2nd hand from a person not a Leica dealer.  Process originated in the US.

Quoting from the Leica Warranty Statement:

The product warranty term ("period of cover") begins on the day of purchase from an authorized LEICA dealership and ends latest two years after that date.

That may mean that the warranty is valid as long as the lens was originally purchased from an authorized Leica dealer, but it is transferable to subsequent owners.  FWIW, they don't mention 'transfer of warranty' anywhere in the warranty statement that I can see, but it may be implied by the above statement.

I was mostly responding to the OP's claim that what I assumed was a new - never before sold - lens was being sold without warranty by some sellers.  That lead me to believe that the seller was not an authorized dealer (possibly grey market) so the Leica warranty would not be valid.  

Edited March 11, 2023 by logan2z

[Chris W]

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It may be that Leica repair products free of charge as a courtesy, good customer service.

Not specific to Leica, but usually each official dealer has an exclusive area (which includes pricing and customer support). The dollar is up against the UK pound and Euro at the moment, so I'm seeing lots of Americans claiming that prices are 'cheap' in Europe, even if they import the product to the U.S. and pay for shipping etc.

Most companies will refuse returns, customer service and repairs, to stop buyers crossing international boundaries to buy their gear, thus taking away business from a local dealership.

Leica may be different?

[logan2z]

45 minutes ago, Chris W said:

The dollar is up against the UK pound and Euro at the moment, so I'm seeing lots of Americans claiming that prices are 'cheap' in Europe, even if they import the product to the U.S. and pay for shipping etc.

The other thing for US buyers to be cautious of is possible import duties on German made lenses due to the Trump-era tariff (the reason behind the Made in Portugal lenses).  I can't seem to find anything definitive that says the tariff was lifted, but it may no longer be in effect under the Biden administration.  Worth checking into before buying a Made in Germany lens as the duties could negate a good chunk of the savings when buying from overseas sellers.  

[Ba Erv]

Leica USA won't honor the warranty unless it was purchased from an Authorized Leica dealer in the US. They may honor the warranty if the purchase was made from an International Leica dealer (at their discretion); otherwise, the lens would have to be returned to Wetzlar for warranty repair.

[jpto]

All Leica lenses will carry an international warranty even grey market lenses. Who services the warranty and how long the warranty period is depends on where you purchased the lens.

When you purchase grey market you're buying through a middle man and the warranty clock starts ticking the moment the middle man buys their stock from their official source, often a Leica dealer in a market they have a long standing relationship with. With newly launched lenses this often isn't an issue as product is moving pretty quickly through the channel.

The middle man often handles warranty work on your behalf by sending your grey market lens back through their channels/region to Leica. If you send your product back directly to Wetzlar, Leica can usually track the approximate warranty period based on the serial number. Regions generally don't do warranty work outside of where it was purchased in. I.E. buy your lens in Asia, don't expect service in NJ but Wetzlar will accept from anywhere. 

[kinetic]

12 minutes ago, jpto said:

All Leica lenses will carry an international warranty even grey market lenses. Who services the warranty and how long the warranty period is depends on where you purchased the lens.

When you purchase grey market you're buying through a middle man and the warranty clock starts ticking the moment the middle man buys their stock from their official source, often a Leica dealer in a market they have a long standing relationship with. With newly launched lenses this often isn't an issue as product is moving pretty quickly through the channel.

The middle man often handles warranty work on your behalf by sending your grey market lens back through their channels/region to Leica. If you send your product back directly to Wetzlar, Leica can usually track the approximate warranty period based on the serial number. Regions generally don't do warranty work outside of where it was purchased in. I.E. buy your lens in Asia, don't expect service in NJ but Wetzlar will accept from anywhere. 

Thank you for summarizing it all up. That does make sense!

[Harout62]

From my experience ? I have registered second hand lenses as well as grey market lenses and Leica offered the extended 3 month warranty, I have never send any lens for repair but I am assuming it will be covered if needed 

[Huss]

My M6 was bought from an authorized dealer in the UK, and warranty repaired in the US (long story on another thread).  I had to show a copy of the sales invoice to get the warranty repair.

[Huss]

p.s. make sure you get this through an authorized seller, as there have been issues w damaged aperture blades.

[69xchange]

Grey market/parallel imports are covered under warranty by Leica Germany. Depending on who you buy your grey market gear from, the store may or may not offer exchanges if it arrives defective, but you would still be able to get it serviced: repaired by Leica (germany).
 

A reputable grey market seller is rangefinder HK. I had great experience with Alex when purchasing from him. Both my M-A and MP arrived defective and I had them exchanged without any issues or extra cost. Would highly recommend if going grey market/ parallel import route.