Leica passport length query

[mobeyone]

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I have just received my passport for the lux and it states 12 months, is this correct? I am sure I read somewhere it was 3?

[Jeff S]

Unless things have changed again, the passport was discontinued after 2007. The post by David Farkas in this old thread explains the subsequent warranty information for various Leica products.

 

Jeff

[andybarton]

mobeyone is in the UK where the Passport is still offered.

 

It's for 12 months.

[Jeff S]

I checked his location before posting. David's post specifically states that the warranties are standard world-wide as a result of the change.

 

Jeff

[andybarton]

David refers to the warranty being consistent worldwide. The Passport is in addition to the warranty.

 

I got a 12 month Passport with my new MP. It's here on my shelf. It's something that Leica UK offer their customers. If Leica in the US have decided not to do this, that's up to them.

 

If you don't believe me, it's here

 

http://uk.leica-camera.com/news/news/1/7944.html

 

It's also worth noting that new Leica film cameras get up to 5 years warranty.

[Jeff S]

I'll blame it on George Bush.

 

Jeff

[mobeyone]

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Andy is right, still offered here in the uk for 12 months burgle some reason I thought it was 3!

[Borge H]

I recently bought a M-Summicron 50 mm from Robert White in UK, and I am not living in UK.

 

I got all warranty papers with from Robert White, so I gladly applied for a Leica passport at the British Leica importer, as the conditions in the Leica passport is favorable for the customer.

 

After some time the Leica importer replied that the Leica passport is only valid for Leica products purchased in UK and imported by the British Leica importer. They also added that the customer must be a resident in UK.

 

In the application form there is nothing mentioned about residency.

 

I guess the Leica importer is trying to reduce its cost, the passport must be some kind of insurance. A decent company would offer the customer some part of this profit, perhaps a lower price for non-residents? I wonder how Leica UK treats all British people living overseas, are they also not eligible for the Leica passport?

 

Naturally, I draw the conclusion that the Leica UK obviously don´t want me as a future customer.

[bill]

On the other hand, I can't imagine Leica AG encouraging their local distributors to go about offering favourable terms to customers in each other's patches. The Leica distributor in Sweden would have justifiable reason for complaint in that case. This seems reasonable to me. It was your choice to buy out of your local market, presumably for reasons of price; you cannot have it all ways.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[jaapv]

I bought several items from ffordes, including a Summilux 50 asph, a Summilux 24 and an M9 and each time sending the required paperwork in to Leica UK I got the validated Passport by return mail or with very slight delay. I live in the Netherlands. The reason I bought in the UK was not price, in fact it was slightly more expensive. I bought there specifically for the Passport guaranty.

At the beginning of 2010 the Passport length was reduced from 2 years to 1 year.

 

I would inquire of Robert White btw, as it appears from Leica UK's letter that he sold you grey import.

[Borge H]

I bought several items from ffordes, including a Summilux 50 asph, a Summilux 24 and an M9 and each time sending the required paperwork in to Leica UK I got the validated Passport by return mail or with very slight delay. I live in the Netherlands. The reason I bought in the UK was not price, in fact it was slightly more expensive. I bought there specifically for the Passport guaranty.

At the beginning of 2010 the Passport length was reduced from 2 years to 1 year.

 

I would inquire of Robert White btw, as it appears from Leica UK's letter that he sold you grey import.

 

Jaap, I agree with you that the Passport guaranty is good, it covers almost anything.

 

The lens I bought was not a grey import outside the official channels. The box had a wrapping cover from Leica UK and all relevant papers.

 

The only reason that Leica UK will not send me the Leica Passport is my non-UK residency.

 

I have contacted Robert White. They have called Leica UK and discussed with them with no success.

 

So Jaap, if you buy from UK at higher price next time, check in advance that you will get the Leica Passport.

[Borge H]

On the other hand, I can't imagine Leica AG encouraging their local distributors to go about offering favourable terms to customers in each other's patches. The Leica distributor in Sweden would have justifiable reason for complaint in that case. This seems reasonable to me. It was your choice to buy out of your local market, presumably for reasons of price; you cannot have it all ways.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

I disagree. Most people think that a free market and trade between countries are fundamental for commerce. It stimulates companies and distributors to do their best for us customers. In fact, most countires in Europe are now in an union to promote this.

 

What Leica UK does, is to give UK-residents a better deal than non-UK residents.

 

I think that all customers, regardless of residency, should be treated same.

[wattsy]

The Passport is no longer the 'bonus' it once was. There was a time when the Passport ran in parallel for the full two years of the Solms guarantee and was occasionally offered for longer (I remember when the MP came with 5 years Passport and, in the days when Leica needed to provide offers to help sell lenses, buying a lens and being supplied with a 5 year Passport). 1 year now seems a bit stingy when you consider the useful life of the product and the price paid for it. More like a pisspot warranty.

 

All that said, there is no reason for Leica to arbitrarily deny the benefits of the extra warranty just because they have suddenly decided it suits them to. The application forms does not specify residence as a condition. It is quite clear on the form that the scheme applies when the qualifying product is bought from a UK authorised dealer with a condition that the goods are official Leica UK goods. It is a pity that Leica's agent (based somewhere in High Wycombe) is trying to arbitrarily change the 'rules' on the fly in this manner. It does Leica UK (and, by extension, Leica AG) little credit.

[Richardgb]

Quite a lot of discussion about the Passport's international validity (or otherwise) here

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m9-forum/189762-another-observation-my-little-shop-horrors-2.html

 

This includes my own experience of buying in the UK but being denied Passport coverage owing to my non-UK (and non-EU) residence.

[Borge H]

I guess the German people in Leica HQ will have a discussion with the Leica agent in High Wycombe in the near future.

 

After getting three identical letters declining my passport application, with a week or so between each, I start to wonder.

 

The letter politely tries to explain that the Leica passport is only given to customers with residency in UK. The letter is not signed, and there is no name to contact.

 

But why do they have to send me three identical mails? Is it part in a Leica UK program to support Royal Mail? Why are they anonymous?

 

I suggest that they only send one letter and use the money for postage in the Leica passport warranty.

[andybarton]

The Passport in the UK is offered by the Leica UK subsidiary. It is nothing to do with Leica in Germany.

 

Leica Sweden, if there is one, would be at liberty to offer the same deal to Swedish customers if they so wish.

[wattsy]

The Passport in the UK is offered by the Leica UK subsidiary. It is nothing to do with Leica in Germany.

 

It depends how arms length Leica management is in Solms. Leica UK (incidentally now known as Leica Camera Ltd.) is a 100% owned subsidiary of Leica AG and, as such, is answerable to Leica in Germany.

 

Returning to the Passport, the apparent limitation of it to UK residents does now appear to be official policy and is mentioned at the end of the latest official price list. Presumably they will change the wording on the Passport application form when they get around to having another batch printed.

[andybarton]

Leica Camera Ltd do seem to have a fair amount of autonomy from the mother-ship. For example, the Paul Smith cases are something that London put together and are only available in the UK.

[jaapv]

It depends how arms length Leica management is in Solms. Leica UK (incidentally now known as Leica Camera Ltd.) is a 100% owned subsidiary of Leica AG and, as such, is answerable to Leica in Germany.

 

Returning to the Passport, the apparent limitation of it to UK residents does now appear to be official policy and is mentioned at the end of the latest official price list. Presumably they will change the wording on the Passport application form when they get around to having another batch printed.

In general, limiting an offer to a country's residents, be it a lottery supermarket offer or a camera guaranty, is highly doubtful under EU law, which determines that the citizens of other EU member states may not have lesser rights than the citizens of the state in question. It is just that nobody has bothered yet to fight this issue through to the highest European court, which would cost years and an amazing amount of money.

 

 

Anyway, the loophole is glaringly clear. The restriction applies to the original buyer and the Passport has unlimited transferability. My next purchase will be by Patricia's cousin who lives in Bristol and he will sell the equipment on to me as soon as the Passport is in....

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[aesop]

In general, limiting an offer to a country's residents, be it a lottery supermarket offer or a camera guaranty, is highly doubtful under EU law, which determines that the citizens of other EU member states may not have lesser rights than the citizens of the state in question. It is just that nobody has bothered yet to fight this issue through to the highest European court, which would cost years and an amazing amount of money.

 

 

Anyway, the loophole is glaringly clear. The restriction applies to the original buyer and the Passport has unlimited transferability. My next purchase will be by Patricia's cousin who lives in Bristol and he will sell the equipment on to me as soon as the Passport is in....

 

 

...red herring, Jaap - the relevant criterion here is residency, not citizenship. Thus, a citizen of EU country X or Y can avail themselves of the offer, subject to them being resident in the UK. With regards to the offer, citizens of EU country X or Y do not have lesser rights if they live in the UK - similarly, UK citizens who reside outside the UK cannot avail themselves of the offer, because they do not satisfy the residency criterion.

 

I see no conflict with existing EU legislation on this point. Feel free to set me straight.