Sticker and blacked-out bar code on the box of a new Canon lens

[wenamun]

Greetings! 

I just purchased a new Canon RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM on Amazon (sold by/shipped from Amazon), which arrived today.

The box has no seals on it whatsoever. The white field on the top of the box has two stickers that cover the original bar code (see photo). One has "Canon Inc. Made in Japan (etc.)" and a bar code and two alphanumeric codes. Then another sticker was added, not covering the first sticker but clearly placed after. That one has been blacked out, but I can see that it has a bar code and another alphanumeric, which is followed by "2004" in a much larger font. None of these numbers matches the serial number faintly engraved on the body of the lens.

The lens itself looks clean... except for an imperfection on the front element, tiny but large enough for my nearsighted eyes to notice it unaided. I can't tell if it is on the front or back of the glass. It is quite close to the rim.

Can anyone suggest what might be going on here regarding the box? I think I ought to return it for the lens flaw alone, never mind the seemingly suspicious packaging, but I am very curious about what they sent me.

Thank you in advance!

[Tintype_18]

This waves a red flag, IMO.

[SignifDigits]

Since this is Amazon and around the holidays I want to share experiences and some important things to note.   Perhaps we should post this or something like it every holiday buying season.  Amazon IS on the Authorized Dealer list at https://www.usa.canon.com/contact-us/where-to-buy/authorized-dealers?srsltid=AfmBOor9wXEvwz9BPLcIxM8....  When you see an item and put it into your cart it tells you specifically where you are purchasing something from.  When you're browsing and looking at an item if it says "Visit the Canon Store" this SEEMS a good indication that you're ordering direction from Amazon, yes?  No.  I just put a R6 Mark ii bundle in the cart and when I go to the cart is says "shipped from XYZ"  THAT is where you item is coming from, not Amazon direct.  In this case the XYZ IS an authorized dealer.  Sometimes it will say "Amazon LLC" as well, but not often anymore.  I think most of their sales are being satisfied by others.  I have had XYZ (authorized dealers - names you would recognize) send me gray market products instead of US market products.  Amazon is very good about returns and/or replacements, BUT it's a way for these dealers to make additional margin on consumers who do not know the difference.  I once ordered a refurbished product from Amazon.  It was NOT refurbished but a NIB gray market item, which, of course, carries only the return policy and no warranty whatsoever.  I no longer even try refurbs from anyone other than Canon direct.  So, I like the 5% rebate that I get using an Amazon credit card, but I always have to check as Amazon and the dealers they use to fulfill the order (Canon authorized or not) are NOT going to be the ones to ensure I get what I've paid for.  I want to have assurance that when I pay full USA retail for a Canon product that's what I will get, but that falls on my shoulders, not theirs.  I assume the same is true for other brands other than just Canon.

[ebiggs1]

It is an issue because Amazon doesn't make it clear where you are buying from unless you are really paying a lot of attention. People assume I am on the Amazon web site so I am buying from Amazon. Not an unjustified thing but as always it is buyer beware and read everything.

[Stephen]

When buying on Amazon, the seller and shipper must BOTH be Amazon, or you are not getting the product from an Authorized Canon Dealer; you are purchasing from a reseller, which is Gray Market. 

[ebiggs1]

Marketplace as Amazon calls them which are third-party sellers account for the majority of sales on Amazon. It is reported that it makes up around 62-63% of all sales. That means the majority of items you buy from Amazon is not Amazon. Not necessarily a bad just make sure you read everything very carefully before you click the buy button.

[SignifDigits]

I have had the shipper in the cart show "Amazon LLC" (or whatever it says - something like that) and STILL get the order fulfilled by a third party authorized Canon dealer sending me a gray market product.  So Stephen, even IF Amazon shows both the seller and shipper in your cart as Amazon, Amazon can STILL fulfill via a third party authorized dealer who MIGHT (mistakenly or purposely) send you a gray market item.  Rule of thumb when buying Amazon is take a "zero trust" policy and verify everything before and after the sale.  I may sound negative, but I've bought a lot of items from Amazon with good success. 

My concern is that there are a lot of folks out there who are less informed on what to check and how - aka this OP for instance.

[wenamun]

For the record, yes, shipper and seller both were indicated throughout as Amazon for the new lens and the replacement. Nowhere is there any indication of a third party in the documents related to the order or on the shipping box. Upon receiving the replacement, I had no trouble registering it with Canon in the United States. And when I uploaded my receipt to Canon, I also included records related to the return. I of course did not try to register the damaged/reboxed lens, so we can only speculate regarding its origin or how it wound up on an Amazon delivery truck to arrive on my doorstep.

[SignifDigits]

Yeah, I only found out about the third party when I looked at the shipping address on my Amazon box one time.  Sounds like Amazon shipped you a returned lens as new, but, as you say, impossible to know.  Kudos to you for letting the bells and whistles go off when things didn't look right to you!