Leica needs to fix Service and Customer Support department

[Guest malland]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Mitch,

 

When Leica replaced the camera, you were in Bangkok, right?

 

Didn't Leica Customer Service sent you a new document indicating the camera replacement with the new serial number? They have done that when they replaced my two M8. If you received your new camera in Bangkok, you should have also this document which replaces the old invoice and transfers the warranty from the camera you bought in Paris to the new one. That should be more than enough.

 

If I were you, I would send an email (or call) to Herr Jörg Kaufmann (Head of Customer Service) asking for an explanation.

Now this is an interesting question: what is, or what should be, the serial number of the camera? The camera came back with my old top plate installed on what I was told was a new camera. The paper that came with it had the old serial number because that was what was on the top plate. Is there another serial number that is inside the camera. I can no longer check because the camera has been sold.

 

—Mitch/Paknampran

Barrier Series

[ArtZ]

Mitch,

 

Henri just remind me I got also new warranty cards from Solms after they replaced both cameras. Your's should have arrived from Solms with the camera and the "Delivery note" indicating the replacement of the camera with the new serial number... I DO NOT really understand what else need people at Customer Service to transfer warranty.

 

:confused:

[Guest malland]

Mitch,

 

Henri just remind me I got also new warranty cards from Solms after they replaced both cameras. Your's should have arrived from Solms with the camera and the "Delivery note" indicating the replacement of the camera with the new serial number... I DO NOT really understand what else need people at Customer Service to transfer warranty.

 

:confused:

See my post #21.

 

I've had to fuss so much in getting Leica Service to do the right thing instead of sending the camera back to me "as is" because they couldn't reproduce the "intermittent spurious rectangle problem — for more than two weeks I had to repeatedly send e-mails and phone Solms from Bangkok — that I've more or less reached my limit of how much more I want to do. It was only after all those e-mails and phone calls that they looked at the camera again and found the problem.

 

When selling the camera I wanted the new owner to have the benefit of the warranty from the outset but, if Leica is being so difficult for no reason or benefit to themselves, I'll just wait until I'm in Europe and can get the original papers and send them to the dealer who then can send them to the new owner. I started this thread only because I feel strongly that Leica needs to change the attitude toward customers in their Service and Customer Support departments. Now that the point has been made, I don't know how many more posts on this thread I'll respond, as it's beginning to take up too much of my time.

 

—Mitch/Paknampran

[Rolo]

Mitch,

I think you should give to your buyer the originale warranty card .

So this transaction will be finished .

 

Rather than blaming Leica for not bending over to cover your inadequacies, I agree with Doc that you need to put the situation right by getting the documents to the buyer so that he IS covered in the event of a failure. He's a long way from the retailer and although it might be inconvenient for you to get the papers, you really should do something about it.

 

Further, most of us know that Leica is an exceptionally good company to deal with and your bad mouthing will not affect our experience, or opinions. Your HORROR stories are far from that - you ended up with a re-newed camera that was ready for immediate sale with no loss to yourself ! I think you came out of it very well - thanks to Leica - and a bit of respect from you to them would be in order. Of course, that's only in my opinion.

[M'Ate]

Of course, that's only in my opinion.

 

No it's not Rolo, it's MY opinion as well.

 

Wish he'd go and moan somewhere else as it's depressing me reading his attacks on Leica.

 

MSOAB !

[bill]

+1

 

Unbelievable. Talk about "compensation culture". Ah, just a minute, I've broken my fingernail... I know, I'll blame Leica - after all, I was typing on here at the time...

[charlesphoto99]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Huh. This is the first time I've heard that the warranty is transferable. Is this something new with the M9?

 

Mitch, you know I've had some terrible service from Leica in the past but there does come a point where you have to play by the rules and Leica have made that clear to you. Frustrating yes but end of story. Personally I think you should be out taking pics with the best image maker on the market instead of fiddling about withglorified p&s but that's another story. Feel fortunate you got full price for it and move on.

[jaapv]

Solms guaranty is transferable, worldwide. Local guaranty like the USA apparently not. But if you send from the USA to Solms international rules apply.

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/customer-forum/117297-transferability-guaranty.html

[charlesphoto99]

Also the use of "horror" is a bit much. We all have our personal horror stories and the world it's larger ones, alas, and none of them involve cameras.

[charlesphoto99]

Thanks Jaap. Not sure why the US gets shafted. Typically I'll offer to take care of warranty issues with cameras I've sold but it does mean extra legwork on my part. Seeing as Leica are tying international prices to the euro shouldn't they do the same with warranties? Make them the same for everybody?

[jaapv]

I think they should. This is not good for the corporate image.

[Mike Rawcs]

Mitch, before you sold the replacement, were you able to test the exposure LEDs for brightness? I know that your original M9 suffered from dim LEDs.

 

Hope you get sorted for the coming year.

 

Mike.

[Guest malland]

Thanks Jaap. Not sure why the US gets shafted. Typically I'll offer to take care of warranty issues with cameras I've sold but it does mean extra legwork on my part. Seeing as Leica are tying international prices to the euro shouldn't they do the same with warranties? Make them the same for everybody?

Charles, the international warranty is definitely transferrable: the M9 came with a card that had a form for change of ownership. It may be that the Passport Warranty, which is a type of insurance and goes way beyond the terms of the international warranty, is not transferrable, but I would think that Leica would still honor the terms of the international warranty if you sold a camera purchased in the US.

 

On handling warranty matters on behalf of the buyer: I would have no problem with doing this, but it's impractical in this case because the buyer was a visitor to Thailand and has gone back to his country — also I don't know who he is and he doesn't know who I am, as the camera was sold through the main used Bangkok dealer for Leicas and other fine cameras.

 

—Mitch/Paknampran

Barrier Series

[Guest malland]

Mitch, before you sold the replacement, were you able to test the exposure LEDs for brightness? I know that your original M9 suffered from dim LEDs....

Mike, yes, the LEDs had the same issue of not being visible in the bright light here, which was one of the main reasons for which I sold this camera.

 

—MItch/Paknampran

Barrier Series

[Rolo]

Thanks Jaap. Not sure why the US gets shafted.

 

Why do you believe the US is being shafted ? Leica's in-country selling prices and package contents are the responsibility of the local sales company. They transfer goods at agreed prices and offer the goods to the market using their knowledge of what their customers want.

 

Presumably, shipping costs, advertising expenses and dealer margins etc will vary by territory. Maybe the US office didn't want to add to the retail prices to offer Passport, or terms that suit the French market, for example.

 

Passport in the UK, for instance, is added by the UK company and is not a responsibility of Solms. It is not a Warranty extension at all, as Malland suggests, it is an insurance policy for accidental damage. For a claim to qualify, the serial number must be readable. Drop it in the salt water and it's OK, drop it in the ocean and there's no claim. The cost of providing Passport is a local issue and part of the purchase price. You want the same for the US, then be prepared to pay more, or give up something.

[jaapv]

Why do you believe the US is being shafted ? Leica's in-country selling prices and package contents are the responsibility of the local sales company. They transfer goods at agreed prices and offer the goods to the market using their knowledge of what their customers want.

 

Presumably, shipping costs, advertising expenses and dealer margins etc will vary by territory. Maybe the US office didn't want to add to the retail prices to offer Passport, or terms that suit the French market, for example.

 

Passport in the UK, for instance, is added by the UK company and is not a responsibility of Solms. It is not a Warranty extension at all, as Malland suggests, it is a 5 year insurance policy for damage. For a claim to qualify, the serial number must be readable. Drop it in the salt water and it's OK, drop it in the ocean and there's no claim. The cost of providing Passport is a local issue and part of the purchase price. You want the same for the US, then be prepared to pay more, or give up something.

One year nowadays, Rolo

[Rolo]

One year nowadays, Rolo

 

Yep, it's changed. First M9's sold by the UK had 2 years warranty and that's now reduced to 1 year. Passport for the M9 is 1 year.

 

My MP has just passed into it's 3rd year of it's 5 year Passport. Not sure what's being offered on film M's this week. Maybe it's all changing because of the mitching.

[jaapv]

I was lucky. I've got a 2 year one

[Rolo]

I was lucky. I've got a 2 year one

 

Jeez .... WTF ..... that's not good for the Corporate image.

 

Is it transferrable ? If so, transfer it to mine ...... :D

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[innerimager]

I hesitated saying this when the post was born, but now after so many responses I can't resist. If this situation meets your criteria for "horror", you live on a different planet than I do, one where real horrors don't ruin the lives of untold numbers of human beings on a regular basis. I find the choice of adjective offensive. I really don't care who's at "fault" in causing this minor inconvenience, this triviality, not this horror.