wlaidlaw Posted March 2, 2007 Share #1 Posted March 2, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I bought an Elmarit - M 90 from a dealer in Germany. He asked if I wanted to get it coded and I said yes, subject to my being reasonably certain I could get it back by the beginning of March. This was at the beginning of February. The dealer phoned Leica and was told that as they had the parts in stock (ready coded bayonet?), it would be done within 14 days. On that basis I told the dealer to go ahead and paid him €110 in addition to the purchase price, to allow for the coding cost and postage to Leica. I know that Leica had the lens by the 8th at the latest. When I checked some two weeks later on their tracking system, the lens had only just been entered onto the system. I asked the dealer to phone up to see what was happening. He was now told by Leica that they had a backlog and the lens would not be ready for another 6 weeks. I therefore told him to cancel the coding and get the lens to me ASAP. This was over a week ago. Apparently Leica have still not sent the lens back to him, it has vanished off the tracking system and Leica do not seem too sure where it is. The poor dealer is rearing his hair out and has very kindly offered to lend me a Summicron 90 meantime. Sadly this is just too heavy for my poor old hands. Do the forum think that Leica should "bite the bullet" and send me another Elmarit-M 90 from stock - perhaps a refurbished return or ex-demo unit? I await your opinions. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 2, 2007 Posted March 2, 2007 Hi wlaidlaw, Take a look here Missing lens at Solms - Do I get difficult. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Roderik Posted March 2, 2007 Share #2 Posted March 2, 2007 i had just sent in a M6 for service and brand new 21 for coding... it was sent in somewher end november 2006. normaly i have my stuff back within 14 days (Pro service) but this time it took much longerjust got it back yesterday. It seemed they lost it to... but nevertheless turned up again All checked and repaired. so i think they have some logistic trouble at service now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venkman Posted March 2, 2007 Share #3 Posted March 2, 2007 I understand that your dealer is the coding ordering party in this scenario, so he's the one who should "bite the bullet" and sort you out. Shouldn't be your concern what he deals out with Leica, should it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share #4 Posted March 2, 2007 I understand that your dealer is the coding ordering party in this scenario, so he's the one who should "bite the bullet" and sort you out. Shouldn't be your concern what he deals out with Leica, should it? Dirk, Dealers are in a difficult position and I do understand that in today's climate of long waiting lists, they might find it impolitic to get too irritated with Leica. The dealer has offered me the only alternative he has available but it is not suitable in my particular circumstances and would involve yet more postage for me and more expense. The apparent coding chaos at Leica (it may not be but that is how it looks to an outsider) is not the dealers fault. He is trying to do his very best and I have no argument with him. It is not him who misquoted coding times or has lost the lens but Leica. I need the lens in just over a week for a trip. Do you think I should just wait indefinitely on the off chance that Leica eventually find the lens? Where will it have been "kicking around" in the meantime? Am I being unreasonable in expecting Leica a) to recognise they have erred in two aspects of this case Take responsibility for those errors and c) Sort something out to get the customer out of a jam, even if it is a return-paid, loan lens until they find the original. Although I would maintain it would be easier to give me an equivalent condition lens and then put mine if they ever find it, back into the dealer network as a second hand, factory-refurbished and coded item. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roderik Posted March 2, 2007 Share #5 Posted March 2, 2007 try to contact the pro service they might give a better look Leica Camera AG - Service - headquarters germany Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_h Posted March 2, 2007 Share #6 Posted March 2, 2007 Hi Wilson, Perhaps you could try Leica UK and see if they can help. They may be sympathetic to your plight. Your only option may be to get a full refund from the dealer. Regards Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eoin Posted March 2, 2007 Share #7 Posted March 2, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I feel for you Wilson, not a lot you can really do except wait a reasonable time for the lens to be returned. I know that's no good to you given the need for the lens in early March. I would suspect that the dealer phoned and was told 14 days but service are known to take longer that that. However I do think you were cutting it very close to the wire anyway allowing for shipping both ways dealer - Leica and a further shipping on to you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted March 2, 2007 Share #8 Posted March 2, 2007 Dirk, Dealers are in a difficult position and I do understand that in today's climate of long waiting lists, they might find it impolitic to get too irritated with Leica. The dealer has offered me the only alternative he has available but it is not suitable in my particular circumstances and would involve yet more postage for me and more expense. Wilson That is not the only recourse. Simply contact your CC company and dispute the charges. The simple fact is you paid for a lens and never received it. Tell the dealer you are no longer interested in the lens and that you want a refund. It is his responsibility, he sent it to Leica. It doesn't matter if you requested it or not. You never had possession of the lens. Let him fight it out with them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted March 2, 2007 Share #9 Posted March 2, 2007 Wilson, Annoying, but it means imo that the lens is in the container / awaiting customs /having a shipping cockup.. Leica provides tracking whilst the lens is in Solms and it disappears when Solms ships it. So it is stuck somewhere in transit and outside the control of either Leica or your dealer - who btw should be the one responsible and searching for it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted March 2, 2007 Share #10 Posted March 2, 2007 Dirk, Dealers are in a difficult position and I do understand that in today's climate of long waiting lists, they might find it impolitic to get too irritated with Leica. The dealer has offered me the only alternative he has available but it is not suitable in my particular circumstances and would involve yet more postage for me and more expense. The apparent coding chaos at Leica (it may not be but that is how it looks to an outsider) is not the dealers fault. He is trying to do his very best and I have no argument with him. It is not him who misquoted coding times or has lost the lens but Leica. I need the lens in just over a week for a trip. Do you think I should just wait indefinitely on the off chance that Leica eventually find the lens? Where will it have been "kicking around" in the meantime? Am I being unreasonable in expecting Leica a) to recognise they have erred in two aspects of this case Take responsibility for those errors and c) Sort something out to get the customer out of a jam, even if it is a return-paid, loan lens until they find the original. Although I would maintain it would be easier to give me an equivalent condition lens and then put mine if they ever find it, back into the dealer network as a second hand, factory-refurbished and coded item. Wilson I have read HUNDREDS of messages, complaints, advices, how-to-do...about lens coding:seems some points can be drawn : - There is an increasing backlog of lenses to be coded: it means many M8s...good for Leica - Leica Co. SUFFERS from this: logistics and tech service stressed out of the norm - Customers, see this forum, generally also SUFFER from this - In technical terms, coding is not such a delicate task: can be even hand made... not highly specialized tools...specs are public... adjusting a RF is by no doubt a lot more critical task. An obvious proposal: why not to pass this task to the number of repair shop that are everywhere in the world ? In Milano (Italy) only, I know at least two of these labs, that have regular links with dealers in the territory... they are people you can easily contact and have easy discussion with... It Would be so simple, without having to deal with Solms, that I call one of these, ask "hi, Frank, if I send You my 28 2,8, how long to coding?" "well, I have still 12 to do... send me the item 10 or 12 days from now, I'll do the job in 6 or 7 days..." "ok, Frank, I wait some day and I'll send you the item..." I do not understand why Leica has not set up this kind of process Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venkman Posted March 2, 2007 Share #11 Posted March 2, 2007 Wilson, I understand your frustration and also your sympathy for your dealer, but this is IMO ultimately a matter between your dealer and Leica. Leica itself won't most probably even know about you. As suggested above, I'd cancel the deal. I understand this won't put you into a position where you hold a coded lense in your hands, but at least you got your money back and can search for alternatives. Who knows if your dealer actually did call Leica for a turnaround time? The information you receive is filtered by your dealer. If you would have dealt with them directly and received all the info you got so far from them directly, I'd see their responsibility to compensate you in a way, even if it would be a gesture of good will. But the way it looks to me right now, your dealer is the one taking the blame. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share #12 Posted March 2, 2007 Wilson, Annoying, but it means imo that the lens is in the container / awaiting customs /having a shipping cockup.. Leica provides tracking whilst the lens is in Solms and it disappears when Solms ships it. So it is stuck somewhere in transit and outside the control of either Leica or your dealer - who btw should be the one responsible and searching for it. Jaap, Afraid not - it is or should be being shipped inside Germany so no customs involved, just as there would not be for shipment to the UK as inside EU. It has not left the factory - at least we think we know that or a shipment tracking number should have been generated and it has not. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roderik Posted March 2, 2007 Share #13 Posted March 2, 2007 does it sya ready for shipment or something in the tracking system? mine siad that for 3 or 4 weeks and no tracking numer was given either Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share #14 Posted March 2, 2007 Just had an email from the Dealer - the lens has been found this afternoon and is going to be sent to me tomorrow - great relief all round. Amazing how quickly things happened when dealer said they would have to give me a new one but that just might be me being cynical. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted March 2, 2007 Share #15 Posted March 2, 2007 Good news Wilson - enjoy! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giulio Zanni Posted March 2, 2007 Share #16 Posted March 2, 2007 My 90 elmarit and noctilux are in Solms for coding since 2 January. Giulio Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjv Posted March 2, 2007 Share #17 Posted March 2, 2007 I feel your pain, mate. My Summicron 50 has been in the repair dept since Aug last year! It has been to and from Germany three times now. I received it back after four months and they hadn't fixed it plus lost the lens cap. The second time it returned was it was repaired but not coded. Now I'm waiting again and am not holding my breath it will be returned coded AND repaired as asked. Really bad service. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share #18 Posted March 2, 2007 My 90 elmarit and noctilux are in Solms for coding since 2 January. Giulio Giulio, I was aware that there had been delays and problems with the coding process. This was specifically why I asked the dealer to phone Solms prior to deciding whether to send it to them. The dealer had said before he phoned that he thought the 90 was taking about 4 weeks. If that had been the answer and allowing for slippage in timing, I would not have sent the lens for coding, particularly as it is not too vital for this long lens to be coded. The dealer then phoned me back to tell me the "good news". Solms had said they "had the parts in stock" and could return the lens to the dealer within 14 days. The only interpretation which can be arrived at from this statement is that they have pre-coded bayonets ready to fit. No other parts are required. I would not have been too worried if it had taken say 3 weeks, as this would still have been within my time-scales. What made me so cross was that the initial statement by Leica was total rubbish. It would seem apparent that there was never any prospect of the lens being coded within 14 days. The backlog to even get a lens entered into their tracking system was 12 days alone. What was the motive of the person at Solms in saying this to the dealer? I cannot imagine. There was no advantage for the dealer in sending the lens for coding. He was not making money out of it and it was actually extra work for him. If we cannot rely on what we are told by reputable companies like Leica, then things have got to a pretty sorry state. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.