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

[rbaron]

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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.

 

Thanks, Mark.

 

I have recently been told that Leica US service technicians are periodically going to Solms for training on the M8, but I do not know what if any repairs they are being trained to do.

[Guest tummydoc]

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

 

Practically anything that goes awry on a film Leica can be sorted within the scope of a comprehensive service, which costs around $300 in the US. Exceptions are meter circuits and shutter curtains, which can add a couple hundred more. So excluding catastrophic damage (itself covered under the US Passport) $500 could reasonably be considered a cost cap. OTOH the M8 combines many of the mechanical assemblages of a film M, plus an electronically-controlled and armed shutter, plus all the accoutrements of digital. I should think therefore that it would not be out of the question that the sum of the parts plus labour to exchange them, could very well exceed by several times the cost of the M8 itself, much the same way that holds true for automobiles. I'm sure Mr. Fisk could give you some cost scenarios for replacement of various components, however the unanswerable question would be which repairs a particular M8 would be likely to require.

 

Clearly it's naive of Leica to think that by refusing to transfer the balance of factory warranty, they will inhibit the second-hand market from cutting in-to new sales. In fact the lack of transferable warranty only serves to depress the price of second-hand M8s thereby making them even more attractive. If Leica was proactive they would simply offer to transfer the balance of the factory warranty--for an administrative fee of $100.

[rbaron]

A good analysis, I think.

[hahn73]

Interesting thread. I'm in a somewhat unusual situation. I got my M8 from my sister. She bought it new, but then ended up not liking the whole rangefinder system so I traded her my entire SLR setup (a LOT of stuff just for a camera body) for the M8. Well, as I mentioned in another thread - my M8 has a sticky frame selector lever. I wrote an e-mail to Leica USA about it and explained the warranty situation and they seemed okay with it (at least they made no mention of anything) and asked me to send in the camera. I need the camera for an upcoming wedding I'm going to but after that, I will send it in and see if they take care of the problem for me. I suspect since I got the camera from a family member, they would honor the warranty.

 

While we're on the topic, they never sent me an RMA#. Is that normal? It's a little scary sending in this camera without any RMA#. Guess I'm worried about them losing track of it.

[rbaron]

In my experience over the years they do not send out RMA's (Return Merchandise Authorizations).

 

Be sure to enclose a letter with it, outlining the history of your discussions with them and any promises or representations they made....and of course send it insured with delivery confirmation requested.

 

Then after a while they will snail mail you a form called Repair Estimate for you to sign and return to them. It will be self-explanatory....or should be.

[rbaron]

And if they do not intend to charge you for the repair but just for, say, return shipping, that will be / should be clear on the form.