link?
It seems to vary all around the EU as to what is normal warranty (& by manufacturer as well) & in the UK where goods are expected to be fit for purpose & durable it's reasonable to assume that a £700 camera body should last more than 1 year but you might have to go to court to fight it in the event ...
I shouldn't need to link this as it should be common knowledge that "all" goods sold within the EU are covered by the EU warranty
The canon offering is as follows
Linky
these are the relavant sections
This is part of the UK bit,
This warranty is offered to Consumers who have purchased their Canon products within the United Kingdom. It is in addition to, and does not affect your rights under, the Canon European Warranty System or your statutory rights.
Scroll down to the EU bits
Standard European Warranty Sytem (EWS) Conditions
Canon and the EWS-members warrant the hardware of this product to be in good working order during the warranty period. In the event that the hardware is found to be defective within the warranty period, hardware repair service will be provided free of charge at the authorized Canon service centre(s) in the countries of membership of EWS.
And Canon admit to (as they have to under the EU Consumer Goods Warantee Directive)
1. Warranty period
This warranty is valid for three years (ninety days for lamp) from the date of purchase by the consumer, as evidenced by the abovementioned documents.
The whole thing is freely readable on Canons Website on that link.
On further reading It appears that Canon UK give amore than the Statutory amount of time, I think that it appears to be two years for the EU legislation. Sales of Goods legislation lays a period of liabilty on the seller for 6 years (for goods bought within the UK).
It's a bit of a minefield sorting out whether you need to pursue a claim with the maufacturer, or use Sales of Goods legislation with the seller, and it doesn't mean we can have 6 years of use and demand a new DSLR if it then packs in. You would likely have to go through the courts to sort it out. (that's why we have warantee statements, its a promise from the manufacturer that save us all legal hassle).
If you choose to exploit the fact that some markets are cheaper, you run the risk of giving yourself a right headache if it goes wrong. One of the reasons we pay more, is the increased liability of the Manufacturer. SOmetimes, it's really not worth it to save £50, but then it might be if you are saving £500....
Personally, for digital cameras, i'm not sure the saving is worth it in the USA. A quick google for a 40D and 17-85IS kit, in UK and USA reveals a saving of £70 in the USA at current exchange rates. If you get hit for Duty on the way back (i've seen it happen), or take advantage of Canons current cashback offers, it's actually cheaper over here. (mind you, if you are spending a week in Hong Kong, take an empty suitcase
)
