Leica's 19/12/08 email (MERGED)

[jaapv]

This mail just arrived:

If you are having problems viewing this email please click here. Leica Camera AG / Oskar-Barnack-Straße 11 / D-35606 Solms / www.leica-camera.com / info@leica-camera.com /
Telefon + 49(0)6442-208-0 / Telefax + 49(0)6442-208-333 / AG mit Sitz in Solms / Amtsgericht Wetzlar HRB 966 /
AR-Vorsitzender: Dr. Wolf Schumacher / Vorstand: Dr. Andreas Kaufmann (Vorsitzender), Dr. Martin Picherer
(stellv. Vorstandsvorsitzender), Andreas Lobejäger, Stefan Trippe To our customers 12.12.2008

Dear customers and friends of our company,

This year is no exception; suddenly Christmas is almost here, even though, four weeks ago, everyone thought there was still plenty of time. Christmas is supposed to be a peaceful season, but suddenly, everything is so hectic. As you all know, Leica Camera quite deliberately decided to sell the brand's products exclusively through a network of authorised Leica dealers some years ago. Because, only there can you, as a discerning customer, find the expert advice and service you deserve and expect from a brand like Leica. Our authorised dealers are the partners we all rely on! I would like to request something important of you all: Please support your Leica dealers in these current tough times for the business world. When you are planning your Christmas presents, please spare a thought for your local dealer and our range of products. We will be actively supporting our dealers in the Christmas season and some time beyond with particularly attractive special offers and promotions. So visit your Leica dealer and take a look at the special Leica offers he has waiting just for you. I am looking forward very much to hearing news from our partners, our authorised dealers, about your support. In closing, I want to wish you and your families a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful start to the New Year! Yours
Dr. Andreas Kaufmann
CEO of the Leica Camera AG

[ArtZ]

Hi all,

I've just got this letter from Dr Andreas Kaufmann asking me to support Leica dealers and Leica at this Xtmas buying Leica products.

I suppose you've also received it. Otherwise, here's the link.

Leica Newsletter

[Hans Roggen]

Yep, got it too...kinda strange....

[jaapv]

I already got this kind of mail from Canon, Mamiya, Calumet, and a considerable number more. It would have beenstrange if we had +not+ gotten one....

[Hans Roggen]

Hey Jaap,

I got it too...not sure what to think of it....

[Hans Roggen]

I never got a mail from Canon asking me to please please please buy their products when they didn't have anything new to offer.

[andybarton]

I got mine too, of course.

It seems to say "Please buy our stuff and if you don't, we know who you are"

[vanhulsenbeek]

h

Originally Posted by Hans Roggen

Yep, got it too...kinda strange....

I found it rather sad. And planning Christmas presents - of Leica dearth - 5 days before the 24th of December? That sort of presents I would plan well ahead

Not to forget, as Hans implied, that the real goodies, like the Noctilux and the new charger , are not available yet! I did have a look though at the Elmar 24mm: enticing!

[Aerospace]

I want to help Leica but my bank not agree

[GMB]

This is from a letter signed by Dr Kaufmann and send by the Leica Customer Service

"I would like to request something important of you all: Please support your Leica dealers in these current tough times for the business world. When you are planning your Christmas presents, please spare a thought for your local dealer and our range of products. We will be actively supporting our dealers in the Christmas season and some time beyond with particularly attractive special offers and promotions. So visit your Leica dealer and take a look at the special Leica offers he has waiting just for you."

Funny request in the light of Leica's price increase for the upgrade . But may be the purpose of the upgrade was indeed to support the dealers by pushing the sales of the M8.2 . On the other hand, if the value of the used M8 decreases, many will be sticking to it, particularly in the current climate.

BTW, what I find most unacceptable as regards the upgrade price increase is that it came without a warning and apparently in Europe only.

Any way, Merry Christmas!

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by Hans Roggen

I never got a mail from Canon asking me to please please please buy their products when they didn't have anything new to offer.

I got a general one to weeks ago, I cannot show it as I junked it

[delander]

I've always bought new Leica from an authorised dealer, is there any other way?

Done my bit my new 28 cron arrived yesterday. Perhaps the price of the M8.2 is due for a re-assessment downwards?

Jeff

[Kent10D]

Got it half an hour ago.

Leica ... begging?

Although it's worded to imply that we all need to rally around and support Leica dealers in "these current tough times for the business world, ... please spare a thought for your local dealer and our range of products ...", I can't help noting some irony after all the price increases.

I'm usually pretty positive about such things, but this one has a decidedly incongruous ring to it.

Perhaps "sparing a thought" for loyal Leica customers might be a good idea as well?

[rickp13]

my email from leica arrived today too.

in general, i support local dealers whenever possible, on all sorts of products. i'm also a big fan of leica equipment, and try to be as positive as i can in contact with other owners, or in this and other forums.

that being said, i'm probably not a typical amateur leica user. i am certainly not a collector, and have purchased most of my equipment online. on the two occasions when i visited a dealer, i was a bit surprised at the pricing: a replacement (used) m3 film spool for €65 was 20% of the cost of the m3, and a UV filter in 58mm (probably leica original) was priced at over €100, which represents about 2/3 of the price i paid for the 200mm telyt lens.

where to get good advice and help on leica? unfortunately for dealers, the forum search function and members' experience are, for me, the nr. 1 source of information on 99% of all leica subjects.

for repairs or coding, i always send the articles directly to CS in solms, or to reinhardt in hannover, or to john milich in new york. it saves a bit of time.

in fact, there is at least a small possibility that if i, hobbyist instead of pro, had to buy mostly new leica equipment from the authorized dealers in europe, i might not have been able to change to the m8. i'm very glad that wasn't the case.

holiday greetings from hamburg

rick

[mongrelnomad]

I shudder to think how bad things are...

[stunsworth]

All their asking is that you support official dealers. I can't see what's wrong in that, times are hard.

Some people seem to see demons behind every door.

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by mongrelnomad

I shudder to think how bad things are...

So stop reading the financial news....

[jaapv]

Originally Posted by Kent10D

Got it half an hour ago.

Leica ... begging?

Although it's worded to imply that we all need to rally around and support Leica dealers in "these current tough times for the business world, ... please spare a thought for your local dealer and our range of products ...", I can't help noting some irony after all the price increases.

I'm usually pretty positive about such things, but this one has a decidedly incongruous ring to it.

Perhaps "sparing a thought" for loyal Leica customers might be a good idea as well?

Hmmm...incongruous? I wish they did it more often - after all they are announcing
"attractive special offers and promotions" I have no quarrel with that...

[SJP]

My reading of this is that dr. Andreas is worried about his dealer network folding on him. Considering the (until recent) enthusiasm for getting M8 upgrades I guess their turnover has picked up quite nicely since photokina. The M8.2 sales may be lower than they hoped but also in this forum we see quite a few new members that have just bought an M8.2. So that is hard to judge.

[Kent10D]

Originally Posted by jaapv

Hmmm...incongruous? I wish they did it more often - after all they are announcing
"attractive special offers and promotions" I have no quarrel with that...

I think we need to wait and see just what those "attractive special offers and promotions" are before we decide that Leica is doing the customer a favor rather than the other way around.

Sorry ... cynical mood today ...