waileong Posted April 18, 2011 Share #1 Posted April 18, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Anybody know who he is? I need to write him a complaint. I sent an M7 for the free optical DX reader upgrade, but the service dept wants me to pay $1,200 for a CLA and rewind knob replacement before they'll do the job. Why should I buy Leica products if this is how the company treats customers? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 18, 2011 Posted April 18, 2011 Hi waileong, Take a look here Who's Leica's head of sales?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
earleygallery Posted April 18, 2011 Share #2 Posted April 18, 2011 Leica will usually inspect any camera sent into them for a repair and quote for any work which they think is required, I doubt that they make stuff up. If you're not happy just ask them to do the DX replacement only and confirm that you will accept the camera back with any other 'faults' - I doubt they will offer you the usual 12 month warranty however! I'd also suggest phoning them rather than writing a letter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
waileong Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted April 18, 2011 Leica will usually inspect any camera sent into them for a repair and quote for any work which they think is required, I doubt that they make stuff up. If you're not happy just ask them to do the DX replacement only and confirm that you will accept the camera back with any other 'faults' - I doubt they will offer you the usual 12 month warranty however! I'd also suggest phoning them rather than writing a letter. They don't make stuff up but their prices are crazy. No wonder DAG, Sherry, etc. are backed up. And if the optical reader upgrade is free, they should not insist on the CLA and replacement of the knob. Any idea who's the head of sales? I'd call but I don't speak German and it's not going to be easy getting the guy on the line anyway. I'll call if I don't get a response to my letter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted April 18, 2011 Share #4 Posted April 18, 2011 decades back I sent a fairly new M4-2 in for repair of the sync plug and to have 75mm frame lines installed. I asked for a quote first. Never got the quote, but the camera came back repaired with 75mm lines and A CLA. You can smell the lug on a fresh CLA. So it would seem they do it as a matter of course if the camera needs it. They decide. I objected and was not charged for anything. The camera was NOS as it was early 1980`s so it probably really did need it although it was new. Leica recommends CLA every 5 years unless you are a war photographer or do 100 rolls a week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted April 18, 2011 Share #5 Posted April 18, 2011 I'd call but I don't speak German and it's not going to be easy getting the guy on the line anyway. I'll call if I don't get a response to my letter. Stress can make one pessimistic. Relax. Everything is going to be okay. You received an estimate, no? If your estimate was in English, then you can be assured that they have someone, perhaps everyone, fluent in English. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
waileong Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share #6 Posted April 18, 2011 Stress can make one pessimistic. Relax. Everything is going to be okay. You received an estimate, no? If your estimate was in English, then you can be assured that they have someone, perhaps everyone, fluent in English. I still need a guy to write or talk to. Can anyone help? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k_g_wolf ✝ Posted April 18, 2011 Share #7 Posted April 18, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) These were the old LEITZ- days, Tobey. Things have changed a bit since then. I remember having had to pay for my M4-2 v/f upgrade, and: it came back without the upgrade after a service years later. But this is another story. WAILEONG should talk to the person stated on the C/S-letter and clarify things. They speak very good English there. "Head of sales" would the wrong person, he is too busy arranging fresh products to be shipped. Best GEORG __________ here you are with a phonenumber: 0049 6442 208 180 (or 186 in the end) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted April 18, 2011 Share #8 Posted April 18, 2011 Just phone Customer Service in Solms. The number is on their website. They speak excellent English. They won't insist on a CLA being done - they are just suggesting that the camera does require attention beyond the DX reader. If you want that attention to be done by someone else, that's your prerogative. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted April 18, 2011 Share #9 Posted April 18, 2011 Go here to find the contacts for any country. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted April 18, 2011 Share #10 Posted April 18, 2011 There's good reason for the policy: For almost all repairs, an M Leica needs a major disassembly. The obvious thing is, "while we're in there, we might as well fix everything and give the customer a guarantee." Waileong, did you send the camera yourself, or did you send it through a dealer? (Dealers sometimes add some to the charges without telling the customer.) If you've got a Leica repair estimate, you've got a repair order number and a phone number to call printed on the estimate (at least in the US). It's labeled an "estimate," and they want your approval before going on with the work. If you don't want the work done that they suggest, just tell them that you only want the code reader. Easy and quick. Oh, and to your question: ... Why should I buy Leica products if this is how the company treats customers? Because they're thorough and care about the customer and the equipment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted April 18, 2011 Share #11 Posted April 18, 2011 Some good advice here. I'd also take a deep breath before picking up that 'phone. Nobody is trying to con you here. If I was on the receiving end of a call from someone taking such an accusatory and aggressive tone it might just influence how co-operative I felt towards them... Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Ash Posted April 18, 2011 Share #12 Posted April 18, 2011 I like to add that your are not entitled to any free upgrade from a legal point of view. In this respect I would recommend to cool down first. Regards Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted April 18, 2011 Share #13 Posted April 18, 2011 They have sent you an estimate have they not. There's nothing to prevent you from saying no thanks, please just replace the dx sensor. That's how estimates work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgeenen Posted April 18, 2011 Share #14 Posted April 18, 2011 Look at: Leica Camera AG - Investor Relations - Board & Supervisory Board Johannes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Verrips Posted April 18, 2011 Share #15 Posted April 18, 2011 Maybe it's a she..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overgaard Posted April 18, 2011 Share #16 Posted April 18, 2011 You probably got an e-mail so you can answer that. No reason to write the chairman of the board about it. Leica usually check any gear coming in, and will find the most interesting things such as the bayonet is slightly out of adjustment (if the camera has had a hit on the lens or something; I've tried getting that message on a R8) and give a quote for bringing it up to mint condition. This does not mean you have to say yes, it just mean that Leica has found things they can fix in case you want them to. They basically check it for you, and unlike some other repair facilities it doesn't cost a thing to send equipment in to get checked, and then decline getting repaired. As far as I know they will even send it back free of charge in regards to freight. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guido Posted April 18, 2011 Share #17 Posted April 18, 2011 They don't make stuff up but their prices are crazy. So you're having a problem with Leica's prices? And you're actually planning to strong-arm the Head of Sales over the phone into custom-tailoring the company's pricing policy for you because you've determined it's "crazy"? Unless you're one of Leica's major shareholders and/or customers, I'd say you're on quite a mission there! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posto 6 Posted April 18, 2011 Share #18 Posted April 18, 2011 the service dept wants me to pay $1,200 for a CLA and rewind knob replacement before they'll do the job. Just spent roughly that having my watch serviced in Switzerland by the makers. I suppose I could always buy a Swatch... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted April 18, 2011 Share #19 Posted April 18, 2011 I never said they would or should fix it free. The point was THEY thought a CLA was necessary on my camera and did it. THEY think it needs to be done in this case. Poster can refuse and have the camera taken apart again and suffer another wait period at some future date. Personally I do not do things that way. When I take the car in, I always get all related service done, in fact I insist on it. Why keep going back for piecemeal repairs? If you think you know more than they , do what you want. I just think while it is with the experts, let them finish the job. Leica cameras are expensive and you need to know that going in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
waileong Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share #20 Posted April 22, 2011 I never said they would or should fix it free. The point was THEY thought a CLA was necessary on my camera and did it. THEY think it needs to be done in this case. Poster can refuse and have the camera taken apart again and suffer another wait period at some future date. Personally I do not do things that way. When I take the car in, I always get all related service done, in fact I insist on it. Why keep going back for piecemeal repairs? If you think you know more than they , do what you want. I just think while it is with the experts, let them finish the job. Leica cameras are expensive and you need to know that going in. I'm going thru my local leica subsidiary, who claims the leica service hq are inisisting that those repairs be carried out or they'll not upgrade the dx reader. This is not right. Whatever you guys think, it's my camera, I have the right to the decision. To the guy who said Leica has no legal obligation to upgrade the reader-- this ain't about legal obligations. Customer service staff don't have legal obligations to treat customers nicely but they do it because it makes business sense. Since they offered the upgrade, they should not tie it to a cla. My experience refusing this cla seems different from those put up by some sponsoring members. Anyone who thinks leica just takes "no thanks" for an answer, please feel free to pm me and I can send you the entire email threads. It's disappointing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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