Any U.S. Experience: Out of Warranty M8 Repairs?

[rbaron]

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There are now a number of clean looking but out of warranty (or with only 1 year warranty in the case of demos) M8s coming on the market in the U.S.

 

I am trying to quantify the dollar risk of buying one if it develops problems.

 

I would like to hear from anyone who has actual U.S.-relevant knowledge of or experience with such.

 

I suppose the worst case scenario is "write it off and toss it" but surely there has to be an incremental series of less drastic possible financial hits.

 

Thanks,

 

--Bob

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[canlogic]

Don't see how there can be any out of warrenty as it hasn't been out for a year yet. Unless the warrenty is not transferable.

[rbaron]

Don't see how there can be any out of warrenty as it hasn't been out for a year yet. Unless the warrenty is not transferable.

 

I understand from usually reliable sources the warranty is not transferable.

[Bill W]

I received a Passport Protection Plan for my 24mm and it states that it is non transferable. I could not find any written information on the M8 specifically but it seems like it is a 2 year warranty if I am not mistaken. I would assume it is also non transferable. I could be wrong on this.

[Shootist]

I understand from usually reliable sources the warranty is not transferable.

 

I would think that even IF the warranty is not transferable that Leica USA and or Leica AG Solms Germany would cover any problems that may pop up if those probelms are the same as or related to the ones that have plagued the M8 since it introduction. SDS, line running through the image, misaligned rangefinder and so on.

 

Best thing to do if you buy a used M8 is to get the original receipt. If you can't do that then don't buy it. Unless it is for cheap, like $3000 or less.

 

Other then that No I don't think anyone has dealt with any out of warranty repairs YET.

[Shootist]

I received a Passport Protection Plan for my 24mm and it states that it is non transferable. I could not find any written information on the M8 specifically but it seems like it is a 2 year warranty if I am not mistaken. I would assume it is also non transferable. I could be wrong on this.

 

 

 

Correct, from what I understand the Passport part of the warranty is NOT transferable. That is only for the original buyer.

[1234]

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Here is a quote from an email to me who had asked Leica NJ about this point re my purchase of a two month old M8 on the auction site. I too would be interested in hearing otherwise!

 

 

"According to Leica policy, we are not able to transfer the remainder of the warranty coverage to your name."

 

Best regards,

Leica Camera Inc. / Technical Info

1 Pearl Court/Unit A

Allendale, NJ 07401

Leica Camera AG - Home

Tel 800-222-0118 / Fax 201-995-1684

[AGeoJO]

It may be true but you can ask the original owner or seller in this case to help you obtain any warranty work, if needed, as a part of the deal.

[jaapv]

Leica factory warrantee is transferable, US passport not. I am a bit surprised at the "out of warrantee" part. The cameras carry a one year transferable factory warrantee. A few hundred have been delivered between November 2006 and January 2007, all other camera's are about half a year or maybe eight months old, well within warrantee.

[rbaron]

Jaap, it has been made clear to me by a well known Leica dealer and one or more sources within Leica US that if I buy a used M8 from an individual in the US I cannot have the unexpired portion of the warranty transferred to me.

 

Further, there is no 'Passport Warranty' in the US on the M8.

 

There is only the official 2 year Leica US (or one year in the case of a demo) non-transferable warranty.

 

--Bob

[rbaron]

It may be true but you can ask the original owner or seller in this case to help you obtain any warranty work, if needed, as a part of the deal.

 

True but potentially extremely cumbersome and time-consuming in the inevitable situation when the camera needs service quickly.

 

And yes, I have got quick service from Leica US when the situation required it.

[jaapv]

I beg to differ, Bob; Leica US may well refuse guarantee, in fact it has been reported here before, but I am sure that direct dealings with Solms are different. For instance, I lost all paperwork on a Clux1, which subsequently lost its autofocus. My dealer somehow had no record of sale, they appeared to have some computer glitch, so I was left high and dry on guarantee in Holland. For Solms: "No problem, Sir, we have the camera noted as sold and please send it to us directly."

 

 

Jaap, it has been made clear to me by a well known Leica dealer and one or more sources within Leica US that if I buy a used M8 from an individual in the US I cannot have the unexpired portion of the warranty transferred to me.

[rbaron]

I beg to differ; Leica US may well refuse guarantee, in fact it has been reported here before, but I am sure that direct dealings with Solms are different. For instance, I lost all paperwork on a Clux1, which subsequently lost its autofocus. My dealer somehow had no record of sale, they appeared to have some computer glitch, so I was left high and dry on guarantee in Holland. For Solms: "No problem, Sir, we have the camera noted as sold and please send it to us directly."

 

You may well be correct, but if you were me in the middle of the US and needed quick turnaround to finish an assignment or a trip would you want to deal with Solms or with my established contacts at Leica US in New Jersey?

 

And are you sure that in such a situation Solms could not say 'deal through New Jersey first'?

 

I am trying to quantify my risk (see my original post) and having to bypass Leica US and deal with Solms, with the possible attendant difficulties, is not acceptable to me.

 

Thanks,

 

--Bob

[jaapv]

Of course I cannot guarantee the guarantee , but I mean to say it might be wise to check this with Solms first, before drawing conclusions. As to turnaround, what I have seen on this forum seems to indicate that going through Leica US seems to slow things down a bit, especially customs processing. Having said that, I agree that by buying new avoids all these questions.

[rbaron]

It appears one can now find a clean, relatively new (perhaps only a few months old) M8 from a private seller in the range of US$4,000. This is in the range of US$1,000 less than the cost of a new one.

 

The latest anecdotal reports are that in the case of a new M8 that goes bad, Leica US replaces it rather than sending it to Solms for repairs.

[jaapv]

My brother bought a new-in-box one from Poland for less. 4000$ for a used one is too much imo, considering his experience. Taxfree on Schiphol Airport is about 4000$ too I believe.

[wattsy]

It appears one can now find a clean, relatively new (perhaps only a few months old) M8 from a private seller in the range of US$4,000. This is in the range of US$1,000 less than the cost of a new one.

 

Yes, a UK seller sold a mint looking silver one for something like £1900 on eBay the other day. I might have been tempted if I didn't already have all the Leica stuff I want at the moment. (Incidentally prices seem a bit soft on eBay recently - I've seen a chrome 24 ASPH go for £750, a chrome 90 ASPH for £750 and a black paint LHSA 50 ASPH for £890.)

[Guest tummydoc]

The key issue is whether the first owner registered the camera (includes applying for the 2 free IR filters) with Leica or not. If he did then the warranty is in his name and you would have to procure service using his name, as if you were he. It's been done for years, but repairs on older cameras were more or less perfunctory. The M8 is a beast of another colour. Could get a little tricky if telephone calls, letters and e-mails are required to expedite matters. OTOH if the camera has not been registered then all you need is the receipt. Put a note saying you're sorry you're a little late registering, just received it as a birthday gift from my sister and brother-in-law and they bought it a while ago ;) . In the most ridiculously unlikely case they challenge your story and want corroboration, you get a letter from the seller.

 

That said, I've seen some demos advertised in the US for around $4200 with official Leica 1 yr warranty. Why anyone would pay $4000 to a private party and then have to depend on the seller to take his time cooperating for a repair, is beyond me. Frankly, it's also beyond me why anyone would buy a used demo for $4200 with a 1 yr warranty vs spending $5000 for a brand-new one with an additional year's warranty. Seems to me if an additional $800 is worth taking that kind of risk then the purchaser probably oughtn't be buying something as costly as the M8 in the first place, but that's none of my affair.

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[rbaron]

Why anyone would pay $4000 to a private party and then have to depend on the seller to take his time cooperating for a repair, is beyond me. Frankly, it's also beyond me why anyone would buy a used demo for $4200 with a 1 yr warranty vs spending $5000 for a brand-new one with an additional year's warranty. Seems to me if an additional $800 is worth taking that kind of risk then the purchaser probably oughtn't be buying something as costly as the M8 in the first place, but that's none of my affair.

 

I agree fully with your first sentence.

 

Taking into consideration that $5,000 is apparently soon to become $5,300, look again at my initial post. I'm simply trying to quantify the risk by asking if anyone has paid for M8 repairs in the US, has been quoted a price for M8 repairs in the US, or can pass along from a reasonably reliable US source a report about same.

 

Thanks,

 

--Bob

[marknorton]

Keep in mind that the cameras cannot be repaired in the US - they all have to go back to Solms. The only cost I can recall seeing here is for a shutter which Leica claimed was damaged, and that was something like €700.