Canon has a little-known program called the Canon Loyalty Program that may be able to get you a good deal on your next Canon camera.
Canon’s goal with the program, as I understand it, is to provide Canon digital camera owners who have old, damaged, irreparable, and out-of-warranty Canon cameras with replacement, refurbished cameras at a reasonable cost.
For example, you can get a Canon PowerShot SD890 IS for $150, a Canon PowerShot A570 IS
for $89, and a Canon Digital Rebel XT DSLR with kit lens
for $299, all with a 6-month warranty. In exchange, you send Canon your old Canon digital camera. In fact, to make it convenient, Canon actually sends you your “new” refurbished camera first via 2-day shipping and includes a return shipping label for your old camera. Not all cameras are eligible for this offer and you’re limited to only a few cameras that Canon offers for this program; the cameras that are offered and their prices can change at any time. The Canon Loyalty Program isn’t advertised and there’s no official information online about it from Canon. You need to call Canon at 866-443-8002 or contact Canon Customer Support online.
Canon also has a similar program for their printers, fax machines, scanners, and camcorders.
Is it worth it?
The Canon SD890 IS for $150 and the Canon A570 IS for $89 sound like great deals if you have a very old camera that’s not working right and you’re looking to upgrade for a low price. Before you buy into the Canon Loyalty Program however, you should check out the Amazon.com Digital Camera Best Sellers page
for Amazon.com’s hottest selling cameras and current prices. For example, buying a new Canon PowerShot A590 IS for $100 plus $7 shipping might be worth the extra dollars over the A570 IS for $89 plus shipping that the Canon Loyalty Program offers.
Likewise, the Canon Digital Rebel XT DSLR with kit lens for $299 may or may not be a good investment, depending on what its owner intends to do with the camera. If you clearly understand what features the Rebel XT has and doesn’t have compared with the newer Canon Rebel XS DSLR
shown above, for example, then the Canon Loyalty Program may save you $150 that you could use to buy another lens. But if you’re planning to make a serious investment in your DSLR gear for your photography business, you may not want to start with a camera that’s four years old, unless you clearly understand its limitations. For tips on buying a DSLR, see the article “10 Tips for Buying a DSLR” in the Photobird Daily.
When shopping for cameras, you may find the Photobird Digital Camera Buyer’s Guide to be helpful as well.
Get refurbished!
As to the refurbished nature of the cameras, I actually think that refurbished electronic equipment is a bonus if you can get what you’re looking for because refurbished products are offered at reduced prices and typically have been tested more.
When you buy new equipment, it’s passed through the manufacturer’s normal testing process. With refurbished equipment, it’s gone through not just one testing process, but three: the manufacturer’s normal testing process for new products, the consumer’s own use and informal testing, and then the manufacturer’s testing for the refurbished process.
Just keep in mind that the level of quality and testing for refurbished products may be different from manufacturer to manufacturer, so be sure to have a clear understanding from the manufacturer of what refurbished means to them. Is the product fully tested, or just repackaged? What is their warranty on their refurbished products? Do their refurbished products ever have any scratches or blemishes on them?
Thanks to Digital Shot and Cheapshooter for the leads on the Canon Loyalty Program. Check Cheapshooter for comments from a few people who participated in the program and seem very happy with it.
Here are some other websites with satisfied customers of the Canon Loyalty Program:
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/with-canon-loyalty-has-its-privileges/
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/673519
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/849344/
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