Repair Service in Germany

In the event of claims under warranty, please enclose the following documents:

• Repair under warranty for a lens purchased in Germany or Austria

  (within 2 years of the data of purchase)

• Repair under the terms of the European 5 year warranty

  (Please note that the 5 year warranty is exclusively designed for the first owner of the lens, this warranty is not transferable.)

• Copy of your purchase receipt

• Copy of your purchase receipt

  Printout of the 5 year warranty certificate

Should it be determined that a claim is not covered under warranty, a cost estimate will be issued. If the cost estimate is rejected, we will charge 22 Euro + VAT for preparing the cost estimate, otherwise the amount on the cost estimate will be charged (see also "…about chargeable repairs" below).

Send us your lens in secure transport packaging with a suitable level of transport insurance together with a filled in Tamron Service Form and the above named documentation to the authorised service address in Germany:

Tamron Europe GmbH
Service Department
Robert-Bosch-Str. 9
50769 Cologne

Just in case and in the event of any possible enquires, please make a copy of the following documents for your records:

• Copy of the Tamron Service Form

• Purchase receipt

Once the lens has been received and entered into our system, you will automatically receive confirmation of the receipt of the product either by e-mail (as long as you have provided us with an e-mail address) or by post. We will then check the specified fault: if the product is covered under warranty, we will repair or align your lens.  Otherwise, it will be dealt with as a chargeable repair.

If we determine that the product is not covered under warranty, we will prepare a cost estimate for the repair work.

1. 1. Please confirm or reject this cost estimate (by fax on +49-(0)221-970325-9 or by e-mail at service(at)tamron.de).

   a. If the cost estimate is rejected, we will charge 22 Euro + VAT.

   b. If the repair proves uneconomical, you can ask us to dispose of the device for you free of charge.

2. 2. Please note that the payment method for chargeable repairs is prepayment. We charge additional delivery costs for deliveries abroad.

In the event that repaired products need to be shipped abroad, customs duties and import levies may be applied in the destination country. These charges are always the responsibility of the recipient. Contact your customs office to find out about any duties or levies that may be applied.

Quality issues

Lenses are precise optical and mechanical products. We guarantee the quality of our products by ensuring correct storage, as well as by using the right types of transport and transportation partners. In the case of grey imports, there is an increased probability of improper storage or improper transport. These goods could be exposed to high temperatures, vibrations, jolts, high humidity, dust, dirt or similar negative influences. This can result in defects or malfunctions. As grey imports are not subject to strict controls, it is also possible that they are intermixed with second hand products. There have even been cases where the serial numbers on grey imported lenses have been changed so that it is difficult to recognise whether the product is new or second hand. 

Hidden costs

When ordering from a non-EU state (e.g. Hong Kong), you must take into account the higher delivery costs and other additional purchase costs of at least 25% due to the required customs clearance.

For example, the price of a grey import may be shown by the supplier without VAT, which makes them initially appear less expensive than goods officially imported by Tamron Europe. However, if you want to legally import this type of product into the European Economic Area, this tax must be paid when you receive the goods.

Financial risk

It is often the case that you are forced to pay in advance, which is not a very favourable payment method in the event of loss or transport damage. This is a particular problem because the dealers are mostly based outside of Europe, which makes the process of asserting any claims against these companies more difficult.        

Problems asserting warranty or guarantee claims

If a product displays a defect then you are required to assert your claim for a repair under the guarantee or warranty with the dealer who sold you the product. As grey import dealers are often based in non-European countries, they are not, however, subject to the strict consumer protection regulations found in the EU. It is likely that it would also be difficult to take any legal action against the dealers as a result.

There is also the risk that an online dealer selling grey imports will become insolvent. In the case of a repair, you may be expected to cover the costs of the repair yourself in the worst case scenario.

Do not only compare the price of the goods but also the reliability of the dealer. Research the dealer in advance on the Internet. For example, it is often sufficient to search for the dealer using a search engine or to ask about the dealer in photographic forums in order to determine whether the dealer is reliable or not. A more in-depth investigation of the dealer's Internet presence can also prove useful. Even if at first glance it appears to be a dealer who is based within Europe, it is often only possible to know for sure by firstly checking the relevant general terms & conditions. This is where the place of jurisdiction is stated.

If you discover that you have purchased a grey import, we recommend that you assert your 14-day right of return. This does not even require you to provide a reason for returning the product. Ask for your money back and preferably immediately state a deadline by which time this should occur. Just in case, please keep the delivery slip and the invoice safe.

Tamron products that are sold via distribution routes authorised by Tamron Europe can be recognised by:

• a 5 year warranty sticker

• European-language operating instructions

Also insist on an itemised invoice stating the statutory level of VAT.

You can find a dealer in Europe using our Dealer Search.

If in doubt, please provide us with the model and the serial number and we would be delighted to provide you with further information. Call us on +49 (0) 221 / 66 95 44-0 or use our Contact Form.

• A more secure legally-stipulated warranty period

• The ability to register free for a 5 year warranty extension

• In the event of service provision, fast and uncomplicated assistance is provided by an authorised Tamron Europe Service Centre

• Secure transport routes and packaging e.g. per air freight instead of sea freight 

• You are safeguarding European jobs