Jump to content

Leica Service Australia


doronski

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Very disappointing experience here. Despite opening up several Leica stores in Australia, their capacity to service here is limited and poor quality.

 

For example: Lens sent to retailer (very high standard) Mid Dec. Lens sent to Camera Clinic for repair. They know a priori that they cannot repair lenses with floating elements. They still take weeks to examine it. It has subsequently been sent to Solm (apparently). I cannot get a job number out of the Camera Clinic and when I plug in my serial number into the Leica tracker, nothing shows. I suspect that 6 weeks after I submitted it for repair, it has still not been sent. I was also not offered the express service as an option.

 

Very stuck, with 3 lenses (1 and 2 years old) all with focusing problems, no ETA and I can't even get a loan lens in the interim for use on my M7 body.

 

I wouldn't even know who to speak to in Germany.

 

Suggestions?

Link to post
Share on other sites

hmmm, this is timely- I was just on the phone with them this morning- considering sending a camera and three lenses. You may have juts made up my mind- I think will send direct to Solms- Camera clinic is already 900kms from where I am. I already had to wait 10 weeks or more for a battery charger under warranty through the Aus leica reps. I hope with new Leica stores comes new/better Leica service for us down here...

Link to post
Share on other sites

Camera Clinic is the authorised repairer for Adeal (the distributor). However most repairs do need to go back to Germany. This is common from many locations unfortunately (even with much larger populations than Australia). The distributor (and possibly your dealer) may send in batches and Customs are involved at both ends so again you can see delays.Your dealer should be able to follow up for you if you sent via them, especially if this is warranty work of course.

 

If you lodged something just prior to the end of the year you probably were affected by company stand down periods too, including in Germany. Worst possible time for turnaround sadly. If you lodged at your dealer in mid December (4 weeks back) you may be looking at reduced activity periods at your dealer, Adeal, Camera Clinic and Solms customer service.

 

You can speak directly to Customer service in Solms. The contact addresses are available from the Leica website. I'm not permitted to post individual's email addresses here but there are several people on staff with excellent English (since my German is abysmal). My experience is that they are a small group with a lot of work but genuinely want to do the best for you.

Leica Camera AG - Contact

Edited by hoppyman
Link to post
Share on other sites

You can certainly deal directly with Solms Customer Service. It is best to contact them directly first and there is a standard form that you fill in authorising work up to a set amount should this not be covered by warranty. Doing it this way should be faster. You need to pack, send and insure of course. Solms pays the return costs to you.

 

When you lodge a repair with your dealer they then must send it to Adeal/Camera Clinic and most repairs would then go from Melbourne to Solms. That is likely to be slower but the organising and the costs of sending and insuring are covered for you.

 

Keep in mind of course that both Australian and German Customs processes will always apply.

Link to post
Share on other sites

What's wrong with Camera Clinic? - I've got no complaints - in fact I'd say you would be better off with them than going anywhere else.

 

and........just as some European countries "close down" for summer holidays we are basically off line from just before Christmas 'til Feb - that's just how it is

Edited by Clive Murray-White
more info
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Clive, let me answer your question as non-emotively as I can.

 

1. The top plate on my M9 was damaged

2. The barrel on my 21 mm summilux was seriously damaged

3. Out of the 3 lenses that I sent them with focusing issues: one was sent to Germany for repair. They knew they couldn't repair it yet they took a few weeks to communicate this. The remaining 2 lenses they sent back saying they had repaired them, when in fact they were damaged and not repaired. They were obviously still back focussing.

 

My retailer has been incredibly responsive and angry on my behalf. Adeal have also been fantastic.

 

Cheers,

Link to post
Share on other sites

and to think- I was just about to send my Noct and m9 to 'the Clinic'. I am also leary of sending my kit to Adeal to then be sent on to Solms- simply because of the double handling. And last time I sent my M8 to be repaired via Adeal it was a nightmare scenario- I had to pay Adeal a handling fee of over 400 dollars- and in the end the repair blew out to over 1500 over what I was originally quoted (originally Solms assured Adeal that the repair would be done for free). Add to that the fact that the work done in Solms was substandard. Actually they didn't do the work that was asked for (replace LCD) but instead replaced the front cover saying it was damaged. I never noticed any damage at all and it didn't affect the camera performance at all. It is entirely possible whatever damage was there occurred in transit- This required me to send the camera back yet again at my expense (this time I skipped the 1000KM detour to Melbourne) sheeeesh!!

 

In Adeal's favour they (much later and only after I hounded them) accepted the error and helped my dealer source an M9-P for me with a slight discount applied- and Solm's also offered me a partial refund on the repair work. Even after these two concessions I lost well over 900 AUD directly and ended up with an M8 with a new LCD (replaced due to manufacturing fault- coffee ring affect) but with the original scratched LCD cover put on the new screen... Beforehand I was directly told by a Solms representative that the camera would come back with the LCD 'like new'- in fact they said the camera would be like new. It didn't- and it wasn't- and I never should have bothered having the camera repaired at all. I only accepted to begrudgingly go ahead with the repairs when I was given this assurance.

 

I could have had the camera upgraded to m8.2 for LESS MONEY and I ended up having to sell my own M8.2 to pay for the repairs on the cursed M8!

 

My only other encounter with after sales service issues in Australia was getting my failed m9 charger replaced- that took well over 10 weeks!

 

All this left a bitter taste in my mouth and makes me concerned about any future issues I may have with Leica equipment. I was pretty much shocked and had expected that I would receive much better service from a company with Leica's reputation . I still feel somwhat abused when I read on this forum of other users getting excellent, speedy, attentive, quality service from Leica when they have issues.

 

I was left with a feeling that Leica do not really care much (if at all) about users from far flung places like Australia- unless they are high profile- or have a long buying relationship with them. I hope I am proved wrong down the track.

Edited by jaques
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

My experience of Adeal has been much more positive, I have a long loan of an M9 and two lenses whilst this is being sorted out. They have been very receptive to my concerns, but I think that this is because of my dealer, Fotoreisel, who are excellent and represented my interests with vigour.

 

Cheers

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...
Why would anyone deal with Camera Clinic for repair of a Leica product? Bad decision.

Problem is, they don't tell you what will happen with, or is happening to, your camera. In my experience with their Leica repairs, there are no worries about quality; but time and feedback are major problems. With collectible Nikon repairs, excellent on all counts. Could it be a communication problem with Adeal or Leica? By the way, I'm looking for someone to service my new, well used, M2. Any recommendations??

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ernest at Camera Electronic in Perth serviced my M2. He is Leica trained and suitably obsessional. I would happily use him again.

 

"Obsessional" is music to my ears under these circumstances - I would get my German Master Mechanic to service my Leica's if he could!

 

CES - big thumbs up from me! :) (and if any Leica repair was beyond in house capability - they would let you know straight up!)

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I once sent a very good condition late production M3 to Ernest for a CLA due to its age, even though I saw no faults in operation. I çouldn't confirm its previous service history.

Ernest contacted me and said he could not improve it as there was no work needed at all. There was no charge for anything but freight back to me.

 

My last warranty adjustment of a modern Summilux 35 sent to Camera Clinic came back perfectly adjusted in about 3 weeks total, including Brisbane/Melbourne and return... .I recently sent them two Elmarit M 90's for exchange of the bayonet flanges (one is already coded) and quotes for CLA's as needed. About a month later I still don't have any quotes or advice beyond that they have now 'made it to a technician's bench' despite multiple follow up calls by my dealer.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...