Leica abandons Hong Kong ?

[Guest jvansmit]

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Surprisingly given the number of Leica boutiques & users here, there is no longer a local service point in Hong Kong since the Leica-Schmidt relationship ended.

 

I queried Leica Customer Care and it seems we now need to contact Leica in Shanghai which is not very practical so I'm thinking that perhaps the best course of action is to sell all my Leica gear, and move over to Fuji or Sony.

 

https://leicarumors.com/2017/03/12/leica-canceled-schmidt-marketing-after-60-years.aspx/

[IkarusJohn]

I was in the Leica Boutique at the top of Times Square in Hong Kong last week.  They seemed friendly and helpful.

 

Do you need a local service point in Hong Kong that much that you'll switch systems?  The nearest Leica service to here is Wetzlar ... okay, it isn't, but any servicing I need I get done there.

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[almoore]

I queried Leica Customer Care and it seems we now need to contact Leica in Shanghai which is not very practical so I'm thinking that perhaps the best course of action is to sell all my Leica gear, and move over to Fuji or Sony

Have you tried the Shanghai office and found that they fall short in comparison to HK? Things weren't great in HK before, so conceivably this might even be the beginning of better service.

[Guest jvansmit]

I was in the Leica Boutique at the top of Times Square in Hong Kong last week.  They seemed friendly and helpful.

 

Do you need a local service point in Hong Kong that much that you'll switch systems?  The nearest Leica service to here is Wetzlar ... okay, it isn't, but any servicing I need I get done there.

 

 

The Leica HK Boutiques have twice refused any help, and insisted that I go to Schmidt. And convenience is important to me. I don't really want to pack & courier equipment to Shanghai or Germany, for example, whenever I have a relatively minor adjustment issue.

[Guest jvansmit]

Have you tried the Shanghai office and found that they fall short in comparison to HK? Things weren't great in HK before, so conceivably this might even be the beginning of better service.

 

The last time I couriered something to Shanghai (not Leica), it disappeared, and the local HK couriers just aimlessly chuck cartons out of their trucks onto the ground while they sort out their delivery runs. I see them every morning on my morning walk to work.

 

Good service is being able to talk to a service person, and have simple issues resolved locally....especially given the price of Leica equipment.

[almoore]

the local HK couriers just aimlessly chuck cartons out of their trucks onto the ground while they sort out their delivery runs. I see them every morning on my morning walk to work...

SF Express in Sheung Wan?

 

I agree, it's always better to have a good local service department, but I never found Leica service good here. And the local Leica Boutiques are awful places, staffed by fools. Canon has very good service in the city, but obviously they have no M counterpart.

[IkarusJohn]

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The Leica HK Boutiques have twice refused any help, and insisted that I go to Schmidt. And convenience is important to me. I don't really want to pack & courier equipment to Shanghai or Germany, for example, whenever I have a relatively minor adjustment issue.

Understandable.

[Guest jvansmit]

SF Express in Sheung Wan?

 

 .

 

yep

 

....worryingly, they also act as agents for some of the global courier companies.

[almoore]

It's worrying that I was able to guess the company and location.

 

I have very mixed feelings about SF Express. On the one hand, they do just toss cartons out of vans and cordon off road space that they don't own, on the other, I've always found their staff polite and helpful, traits which aren't found in abundance in HK. Still, I'd rather they didn't juggle cameras.

[Guest jvansmit]

 

some good news from Leica today which I'm really happy about:

 

"Cherry and her team are working on a HK Customer Care solution and hopefully can announce soon a much better solution for our HK customer.

 

We will keep you updated."

 

 

[Richardgb]

I'd be very surprised if Leica 'abandoned' HK. In contrast to others, my experience with Schmidt there they did as good a job as could be expected (lens repairs done properly, sending a flashgun to Solms [as was] under warranty).

 

What's more, unless things have radically changed, while shipping items to HK from the PRC was usually painless, it was practically impossible from HK to the PRC unless you were sending an item already officially imported into the PRC (which, as someone who'd brought his equipment from the UK, I hadn't). In effect, I had to ship to HK and then go and collect in person - neither cheap nor quick.

[Guest jvansmit]

Update

 

Leica have now opened a new customer care centre in Hong Kong:

 

Leica Camera Hong Kong Customer Care

14/F, Honest Building
9-11 Leighton Rd, Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

Phone: +852 3709 7188

E-Mail: customercare.hk@leica-camera.com