About "Grey Market" Imports

Overview:

Grey Market refers to items that are not purchased through an Authorised Dealer channel. Grey market items are predominantly sold on the internet by non authorised resellers and e-Bay where it is difficult for the buyer to inspect the item and then to benefit from after sales service and warranty. Non authorised resellers seldom provide any support and often the customer is left to sort out any problems without assistance. Local dealers are far more experienced to give local advice on what is best for your boat, budget and area of operation.

What is "Grey Market"?

Generally, a manufacturer works with a single importer who can sell and support their products in a given region. The importer usually has local dealers and distributors who resell the imported products, this is called a "distribution channel". Grey Market refers to merchandise that is imported and sold by methods other than these normal channels.

For local safety regulations (Standards Australia) and certifications and government requirements (Australian Communications and Media Authority) ACMA, the authorised distributor provides special packaging (manuals in the appropriate language, standard manufacturers cables, warranty card etc.) and product engineering is designed to meet local codes as well as EMC/C-Tick labeling. Manufacturers also have service and support agreements with the authorised importer that affords customers access to quick and reliable warranty and back-up service for products that have been purchased through the Authorised Distribution Channels.

Grey Market items are not designed to be sold in a particular market and cannot be supported by the authorised importer because they may not meet mandatory safety and certification codes. Because these items are not designed for a particular market they may not function properly, or the authorised importer may not be equipped to provide warranty service, support or software.

With the opening of international borders and the use of the Internet to sell goods, Grey Market equipment has become extremely common in the marine electronics and consumer electronics markets. Many different types of equipment are brought into the country for sale without the proper documentation and many consumers do not always know what they are purchasing or that the product may not comply with Australian Standards.

Remember that because the non authorised online resellers' cost is less they can sell Grey Market items for less. Unfortunately this price saving is only on the initial purchase and because service and support is more difficult to obtain it may end up costing the consumer more in the long run.

How do I know if my Furuno product is "Grey Market"?

If the deal was just too good to be true, it probably was. One of the first indicators that a piece of merchandise might be Grey Market is if the price is considerably less than most Authorised Dealers.

Additionally, a genuine Furuno product will include an original Owners' Manual and local Warranty Registration card in English. It will also include the standard manufacturers cables & accessories (if applicable) as well as C-Tick labeling. Any other language on the printed material or wrong cables indicates a Grey Market item.

What does owning a "Grey Market" Furuno product mean to you?

JN Taylor & Co. Ltd trading as Furuno Australia cannot provide any technical support or warranty service on Grey Market items. Please do not contact JN Taylor, Furuno, Australia, Taylor Marine or any of their Authorised Dealers for help with any Grey Market products. Please contact the reseller or importer of your Grey Market items for warranty and service information as well as software updates and downloads. However, JN Taylor are still able to perform fee-based repair work on Grey Market items if necessary.

JN Taylor / Furuno Australia receive a substantial number of phone calls and complaints from customers who have purchased Grey market items and experience problems due to the many unknowns associated with these products. The standards of storage and transport are highly questionable, and there is also the possibility that item is refurbished and not new. Common complaints are refurbished / remanufactured goods sold as new, incorrect or missing cables and transducers, old software versions and no reply from the reseller when questioning warranty issues or other concerns. Grey Imports or products that have been purchased through resellers other than the Authorised Furuno Reseller channel are not covered by Furuno’s 2 Year Warranty, and therefore JN Taylor cannot provide technical support to these products under the standard manufacturers warranty.

Below is detailed information about the many issues associated with buying from the Grey market, and the advantages of buying from Authorised Resellers.

	Authorised Australian Reseller			Grey Import
	All products comply to Australian Standards and Australian Communications & Media Authority EMC regulations and C-Tick labeling requirements.			DOES NOT comply to Australian Standards or ACMA regulations and does NOT carry AMCA labeling.
	Full technical service is provided both during and out of warranty.			May NOT qualify for technical support during or after warranty.
	2 Year Warranty. During the warranty period any repairs and service deemed to be covered by the manufacturers warranty will be carried out free of charge.			Is NOT covered by manufacturers warranty unless prior authorisation is obtained from the manufacturer or an authorised distributor.
	The manual in the package will be in English			Often no Installation or Operators manual included or it is a photocopy.
	Owners are able to register their products online for local support, warranty and back up service.			Cannot register online for local support. No Grey Imports are registered on JNT Online.
	The unit will have the latest software, modifications and upgrades when shipped from our facilities.			Often the unit is “old stock” and the Grey market has no ways of updating software or carrying our modifications or upgrades.