Checking a Pentax lens serial number

Good evening,

As may have been noted in "Leads to Deals" I have just receive a Pentax 18-135WR which is claimed to be a genuine, not grey, import.

Is there anyway/anywhere I can check if the serial number in question denotes a genuine import but I might want to consider returning the lens under the 7 day period of the Distance Selling Regs if it is not?
(Note: have already sent an email to Johnsons, but am not sure if I will get a response in time - not that I particularly want to send it back as it is in "new condition" and reasonably sharp in the few tests done yesterday)

I'm not sure exactly what the problem is if the lens is OK?

I think you'll be lucky to make any sense of Pentax serial numbers though. Manufacturers may mix up the numbers to avoid giving away the numbers of production runs. A few manufacturers in the past have been fairly rigorous in keeping track, but not Pentax.

John

Thanks - but it is difficult to tell exactly how good/poor the lens actually is from the few shots made so far.

The seller claims it is covered by the Pentax 2yr European Warrantee, but no warrantee card came with it - and if it were to be a grey import to the EU then, should it be "problematic" within those 2yrs, then I might be a bit "stuck".

That's why checking the S/N seems like a "good idea".

John A

The seller is/was Cardiff Camera Centre, a long established Pentax Pro dealer.

I would very much doubt they would risk their reputation selling grey imports.

Thanks - didn't realise that Cardiff Camera Centre is a Pentax Pro Dealer until you pointed that out! (confirmed via the Pentax UK website). So everything should be fine.