Cheap Security Cameras – Is the Grey Market Right for You?

These are products sold as international versions by unofficial distributors.  They are intended to be sold in their own country, which is often in China where they are made, and great products are made there.  These products are obtained somewhere within the distribution process by individual people or large wholesalers.  They could be obtained as parts which need to be assembled before shipment.  They could be just the cameras which will need mounts, user manuals, installation hardware and boxes before being sold.  They could even be unbranded with no labels.   The cameras are then prepared to be sold saving you big brand mark-ups, fancy shipment boxes, and the middle man costs.  That sounds great.  You get the same product but at 25-50 percent less.  Well, it’s not that easy.

Grey market business places are not as regulated as buying from an authorized retailer.  This means you might not get the exact product you expected.  Some parts may be knock-offs, mounts may be supplied from a counterfeit location, or you could be at risk for an electrical incident.  The brand is not going to honor a warranty was such a product, for obvious reasons.

1. You don’t know if you are getting what you paid for in the way of hardware, like in the previous example.
2. The firmware may not be upgradable because in most cases you need access to the camera’s country firmware update.  This means no security vulnerabilities can be fixed if one arises.
3. There is no warranty.  The ad may say there is, but once the timeframe has expired for you to return an item or leave feedback, you are 100% on your own.
4. Any return shipping costs might fall on you.
5. The seller may disappear leaving you nobody to send angry emails to.
6. You may need to pay import duties, depending on your country.
7. Possible long wait times before your products arrive or expensive shipping. Lots of vendors you DHL which usually means getting your stuff within a week.

A grey market product could also mean something a little more risky….  But less probable:

8. The device may contain malware.  Sellers can load software onto the camera with the intent of access it or spreading it to your system for illegal activity.

1. If you are on AliExpress or eBay, then there is a good chance you are looking at grey market products.
2. An inaccurate ad may be an indication.  The title may say it’s a 4MP camera but the description may say it’s 3MP.  If the ad isn’t proof read and a quality ad, chances are the product will not be. I avoid poorly created ads because you don’t know what the heck you are getting.
3. Brand names blurred out in the ad will indicate you will not receive a genuine warrantied product.
4. If the seller specifies the product is not upgradable, this is an obvious indication.  Vendors may also do the opposite and say, yes, this is upgradable, which should raise a flag and make you wonder why they are even bringing that up since all cameras are upgradable by default. This does not need to be highlighted.
5. If the seller specifies the product is English, will often be an indicator that it’s grey market.  This means they have installed the firmware to ensure English is on there.  It used to be a problem in the past that grey market products often had just Chinese firmware.
6. If you are in North America and you have a camera with “CH” in the serial number, then you have a grey market product.  Now, sellers can print off their own tags, so again, there is no guarantee.

1. Selecting a vendor with a lot of positive feedback.  Let other people’s experience guide you. Read their comments and see that they are saying.
2. Being wary of new vendors.  A seller may popup one day and disappear a week later, leaving you with a bad or no product.
3. Looking for upgradable products and upgrade them and change passwords.  Some cameras and NVRs need to be activated, which is a security feature to protect you from the seller adding malware.
4. Buy one device as a test and only buy more from that vendor if you are happy with the product.