mgreernz Posted June 7, 2012 Share #1 Posted June 7, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I first emailed Leica Customer Service in Solms well over a week ago, wanting to make arrangements for an M9 upgrade. I've used the correct email address - I've triple checked. But I've received no reply, nor any reply to a follow-up email I sent a few days ago. From NZ, obviously I don't want to be making a telephone call to Solms unless it's really necessary. Any suggestions out there as to how and from whom I might elicit a timely response? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 7, 2012 Posted June 7, 2012 Hi mgreernz, Take a look here Contacting Leica Customer Service. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted June 7, 2012 Share #2 Posted June 7, 2012 What is wrong with using Skype for your phone call? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgreernz Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share #3 Posted June 7, 2012 What is wrong with using Skype for your phone call? Nothing wrong with Skype that I can think of Jaap. I guess I just mistakenly assumed that there might be a way of getting an email answered. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Verrips Posted June 7, 2012 Share #4 Posted June 7, 2012 I have done the update in january this year and have had mail contact with the persons in the mailadres below. But first i contacted them by phone, asked how it was going to work etc. so i had a person that i could mail in person. They always answered my mails correctly and i was very happy about the communication and of course the upgrade. Hope this can work for you. Please do not post third party email addresses in the forum Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michali Posted June 7, 2012 Share #5 Posted June 7, 2012 It's always best to make contact in person. Phone them. Every time I've phoned Solms there's a human being at the other end of the line answering the phone, not some answering machine. The additional cost of $3.00 or $4.00 to phone them is negligible in the scheme of things, especially if it saves you all the aggravation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delcredere Posted June 7, 2012 Share #6 Posted June 7, 2012 I have always found Leica takes a few days to reply - and then always courteous and helpful. I suggest another polite email before calling. Perhaps they have been glued to the TV watching the Queen's Jubilee. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted June 7, 2012 Share #7 Posted June 7, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) In my experience nobody ever responds to emails sent to the generic customer services address. If you email a named person you'll get a quick response. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted June 7, 2012 Share #8 Posted June 7, 2012 In my experience nobody ever responds to emails sent to the generic customer services address. If you email a named person you'll get a quick response. My company does - they almost inevitably end up on my desk... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipus Posted June 7, 2012 Share #9 Posted June 7, 2012 Fwiw I emailed Leica UK a few times using the contact info on their site and received very prompt replies. It may be worth forwarding your question to another Leica office if Solms takes too long. But as stated above ringing is usually the best for a quick answer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted June 8, 2012 Share #10 Posted June 8, 2012 I can understand all suggestions and the question. Email at least gives a written comment that you can act upon. If it an address and c/o to send your Leica in, then getting the address wrong over the phone is more likely than an explicit email. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgreernz Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share #11 Posted June 12, 2012 Well today, finally a reply from Leica's Customer Services - but only after I trawled through my archives and found the name of a person with whom I'd had helpful email from on a different issue some long time back. She immediately replied to say she would refer my email to the person responsible for customer service - and would ride shot gun on it to ensure I received a reply. Hey presto, there was a reply in my in-tray within 24 hours. All thanks to Ursula. But what puzzles me is that Solms' reply answers none of my questions about arranging an M9 upgrade (totally ignores them in fact) - and simply tells me to contact the NZ importer and agent. Why on earth should Solms be off-limits to NZ Leica owners? Aside from currency fluctuations and shipping costs, is there some strange reason a NZ owner should pay more for an M9 upgrade than they would if they lived somewhere else in the world? Has anyone else encountered this rather odd, "we can't discuss it with you..." stance from Solms? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgreernz Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share #12 Posted June 14, 2012 Finally, we're cooking with gas! A second email from Solms this morning apologising for their email yesterday which inappropriately brushed it all off to the NZ importer. Yes, of course Solms will handle everything direct for me and a scheduled date for the M9 upgrade is on it's way to me. Just a pity it took a couple of weeks, five emails and some inside leverage to get this far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McMaster Posted June 14, 2012 Share #13 Posted June 14, 2012 I have been happy to use Lacklands in my dealings with Solms. Are you going to get suitable insurance to send your M9 to Germany? john Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgreernz Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share #14 Posted June 14, 2012 ...are you going to get suitable insurance to send your M9 to Germany? john You raise a good point John - my preference to deal direct related mainly to the fact that an M9 upgrade has to be booked with Solms for a specific date - and Lacklands thought a "middle-man" role might not be helpful. They also normally ship when they have several items, rather than only one to be sent. But thanks - I'd better do some homework. Although I have shipped expensive camera kit to and from overseas on other occasions - touch wood, without problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akiralx Posted June 14, 2012 Share #15 Posted June 14, 2012 I'll be interested to hear how you get on as I am considering upgrading my M9 from Victoria. Hope it all goes well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgreernz Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share #16 Posted June 14, 2012 I'll be interested to hear how you get on as I am considering upgrading my M9 from Victoria. Hope it all goes well. Perhaps like you, my thinking around the idea went in all sorts of directions for a while. Finally (having retired 2 or 3 years ago) I came to the conclusion that whatever the M10 may be, it's going to be way beyond my reach - and anyway, for all its foibles, I'm genuinely very content with the M9. So why not bring it up to a full M9-P spec? I weighed it against the idea of trading the M9 for a new P, but interestingly, the upgrade came out ahead. And I'm doing the reverse of what most seem to have opted for - I'm going from silver to BLACK. I'll keep you posted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
akiralx Posted June 21, 2012 Share #17 Posted June 21, 2012 I'm doing the reverse of what most seem to have opted for - I'm going from silver to BLACK. I'll keep you posted. Cheers. Yes, I would do grey to black. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IkarusJohn Posted June 22, 2012 Share #18 Posted June 22, 2012 HI Michael, I dealt directly with Solms for my upgrade last year. Shipped insured with no problems. Cheers John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgreernz Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share #19 Posted July 16, 2012 Time for a brief update. For whatever reason, it took more than a few weeks to get some progress out of Leica's customer care service. But finally (after prevailing on a contact I'd had with Leica a couple years back) earlier this month the communication started to flow and since then, their response has been faultless. The camera left NZ on 9 July, within 4 days I had confirmation of its arrival and today, the formal estimate of costs. Hopefully a rejuvenated, fully upgraded black M9 will be back in my hands by August, accompanied by a new one year warranty Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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