Photography Bay is reporting that Canon USA has sued two of the largest Canon grey market eBay dealers (GetItDigital and BigValueInc), seeking an injunction to prevent them from selling grey market bodies. You can read Photography Bay for the full details and a great analysis of the lawsuit.

CanonPriceWatch’s Opinion

We think this is the latest salvo in a war against grey market. We’ll remark that the vast majority of our readers report a very positive experience with purchasing grey market bodies via eBay. Many readers are aware of the risks with grey market: lack of guaranteed Canon USA warranty; a third-party USA power cable provided (to replace a European or Asian cable); but otherwise, a brand-new body that was originally destined for another market.

We think grey market dealers should be more transparent by clearly marking their goods as grey, stating all restrictions up-front, and stopping upsell calls. We do, however, see them as a valuable part of the Canon ecosystem. These dealers put pressure on the authorized USA market and keep prices in-check, so this action by Canon USA is cause for concern. We’ll continue to post deals from reliable grey market dealers via eBay, and continue to clearly spell out all the risks involved with grey whenever we post.

We understand that grey market deals aren’t for everyone. If you’re still uncomfortable, we invite you to check out our street price program with authorized dealers, look at refurbished items from Canon USA, or wait for an advertised deal from a Canon USA authorized dealer.