Checking Serial numbers

[Fred Salles]

Hello,

Is there a way to check the serial number "owner status" for lack of a better word, somewhere?

Main reason is when buying second hand gear.

How do you do it?

If we contact the manufacturer what shall we ask that they would accept as non intrusive?

Thanks

Fred

[codyman]

I've called manufacturers before and ran a serial number by them.  Thankfully every time I've done it (only a handful of times), everything came back OK.

[Constantin]

Yes, you can ask most of the manufacturers and they will tell you as much as they feel is appropriate, so you don’t have to worry about it. They won’t give you a name, but they may confirm that your name is correct, although may not know, as a dealer would have sold the item. So basically they can tell you if the serial is legit and probably the region where and when it was first sold, but not much more

[Fred Salles]

Thanks Codyman and Constantin, so I wrote to Schoeps directly sales@schoeps.zendesk.com, and a Niklas has been very helpful although he has no other information than where and through which reseller the items were sold.

At least I could check that correspond to what I was told so I am good to go.

 

But I guess we should expect that manufacturers or other systems where you can register your serial numbers would know the name of the present owner. Not that they have to disclose it but for us to be able to signal a theft or loss on other places than forums and social medias so that the SN is known to the manufacturer to be a lost or stolen one.