Infurating Lens Repair Experiences with Wetzlar

[sdw]

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I have two lenses I wanted to have repaired: my trusty 35mm Summilux-M ASPH Flew and my WATE. The latter was pretty destroyed in a motorcycle crash; the former has a dented rear element and some other exterior damage. Since I was visiting Wetzlar, I dropped them off in person along with a 75mm Summilux for adjustment. I was told it would take two weeks; possibly 3. This was in April.

You can probably guess where this is going. I still don't have my lenses. More than six months later. In the mean time, a friend had called in from the Netherlands and was told it was 'done soon'. This was two months ago.

Leica has been nearly impossible to reach, until this week, when an email finally was answered. 

I was first told that my two lenses were done and if I'd like them sent out. I said yes, please. I then had some clarity and asked if they had been completely fixed.

A reply followed a day later. 

Quote

 

Good Morning Mr. de With,

the Leica SUMMILUX-M 1.4/35mm ASPH., schwarz and your Leica TRI-ELMAR-M 1:4/16-18-21mm ASPH have not been repaired. The lenses are unfortunately a total damage.

So i should send the 2 lenses back to your right and should’nt wait fort he Summilux 75mm ?

 

This wasn't, of course, mentioned in the 'it will be done soon' phone call at all. 

My WATE was previously in for a repair which took 18 (eighteen) months. I think I wouldn't be exaggerating when I say this is truly some of the worst customer service I've seen. I get being a boutique brand; I get long wait times. I do not get a total lack of communication and transparency. 

A cautious tale for those that might want to try to turn in their lenses. 

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[M9reno]

Being one myself, I sympathise with foreign language speakers, but I still find writing like this unacceptable.  What does "a total damage" even mean?  Totally (i.e. very) damaged (i.e. requiring more time), or a "total loss" (i.e. unrepairable)?  I assume the latter, but it could take them months to clarify.

[Guest]

Total damage = "Totalschaden" = irreparable.

[M9reno]

1 hour ago, Studienkamera said:

Total damage = "Totalschaden" = irreparable.

I know the writer was probably trying to be helpful, but they should have just written in German and let the OP translate for himself. It would have been more clear.

It also seems more reasonable to expect the “irreparable” verdict in April rather than October.  It sounds from the OP’s own description (“pretty destroyed”) that the damage was not that hard to spot.

Edited November 1, 2023 by M9reno

[pedaes]

12 hours ago, sdw said:

 pretty destroyed in a motorcycle crash

This looks more like an insurance claim for a replacement. How realistic is it to expect a 'pretty destroyed' lens to be rebuilt at less the cost of a new lens. 

Totally agree if this was self evident, Leica should have said this at the outset rather than leave it on the shelf until its turn came up in the repair queue.

[douglas fry]

Having been a professional photographer and Leica shooter for nearly 30 years now, the repair times are getting longer and longer. In the past if I marked the DHL box with a red 'P' designating 'Professional' (having jumped through a few hoops with company numbers and VAT numbers etc) the repair would be done in a couple of weeks or so. 

My Summilux is approaching its 5th month at Wetzlar,I had 348 corporate shoots last year so I shoot every day it is my go to portrait lens, I've been lucky and could borrow a friends Summilux and Leica London lent me a 50mm SL Summicron for the duration (not ideal as I only use M lenses but I appreciated it), but the repair time is far too long, I was told at the end of month 1 it was due back shortly, same again month 2 and 3, then an email just saying that all repairs will take 5 months and I would just have to wait.

There is no longer a professional stream for repairs and all kit for repair now has the same delay of about 5 months.

In the end my friend understandably wanted his lens back and much of my available light work is far better done on a Summilux rather than the SL lens which I am not used to. I resorted to just buying a new Summilux, I cant wait any longer and will immediately trade in the old repaired Summilux when it eventually comes back. Especially when I was told that some of the repairs coming back are below par anyway and need to be returned.

Its a shame, Leica isnt for professional photographers, they make great cameras and lenses, but if anything needs repairing, which it inevitably will as I use the cameras and lenses much harder than a hobbyist then you are in trouble.

A photographer friend has just sold all his Leica kit and bought Hasselblad instead, the repair times (which he hasnt needed yet) are supposedly much quicker at 3 - 5 weeks.

[Stuart Richardson]

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Yeah, I have to send in my M7 and even though I was under the professional program when they had it, the CS rep was like, "maybe they will do it faster if they link it up to your past professional account, but it will probably take 9 months to a year". They no longer have a professional program, which is weird. I remember when the S first came out they made a big to do about it being professional and how the repairs would be handled very quickly with special numbers and so on. It lasted for a while, but they seemed to have dropped it like a stone. It seems like it is easier to just keep raising prices and catering to amateurs who hopefully will not have enough gear or usage to warrant many repairs, and if they do, will be annoyed but not crippled by the long repair times.

Considering last year was apparently Leica's most profitable ever, perhaps they should hire more people for customer service and repair? It is only getting worse as most camera repair technicians who deal with Leica are getting older and retiring.

Edited November 1, 2023 by Stuart Richardson

[Ecar]

1 hour ago, Stuart Richardson said:

It is only getting worse as most camera repair technicians who deal with Leica are getting older and retiring.

This is becoming a serious issue. Leica should encourage third-party technicians by providing spares (instead of hoarding them), training, etc. These techs usually also deal with non-Leica items, such as LTM lenses, and ultimately support the rangefinder (but not only) ecosystem. At the end of the day, a thriving community of competent, independent repair shops benefits both Leica and its customers.

Edited November 1, 2023 by Ecar

[28framelines]

1 hour ago, Ecar said:

This is becoming a serious issue. Leica should encourage third-party technicians by providing spares (instead of hoarding them), training, etc. These techs usually also deal with non-Leica items, such as LTM lenses, and ultimately support the rangefinder (but not only) ecosystem. At the end of the day, a thriving community of competent, independent repair shops benefits both Leica and its customers.

1000% agree with this. It’s ridiculous that for a company based in the EU with strict Right to Repair laws, Leica has somehow managed to get an exception here. It seems the solution here is simply to write in if this affects you stating something along the lines of “I will be selling this lens as soon as it’s returned in good condition; I’ve switched to Voigtlander, which offers 99% of the performance of your modern offerings for a fraction of the price with repair times in the weeks, not years.”

[pedaes]

49 minutes ago, 28framelines said:

repair times in the weeks,

Is this substantiated fact?

[tsleica]

Leica seems more interested in maintaining its fancy boutiques than actually taking care of customer business in a professional manner.

I'm not sure why any hard boiled pro would go the Leica route.

Panasonic had my cam back in 2 weeks pre covid under warrantee.

Leica is basically saying..

Pros..go away...we dont wantcha..

Pretty nice huh!

[Olaf_ZG]

I used to be pro for ten years, using mostly Nikon. Being in Croatia, service meant sending abroad. Whatever needed service, was due to my mistake: dropped on the floor, put into a pool etc.

I didn’t bother about service, sold damaged item cheap (buyer would know about fault) and simply replace.

Problem with Leica is, it’s rather expensive and therefore repair would make sense. If they could handle it. It’s fine for a amateur, but as a pro, I am not sure if I would rely solely on Leica.

[fotografr]

13 minutes ago, Olaf_ZG said:

I used to be pro for ten years, using mostly Nikon. Being in Croatia, service meant sending abroad. Whatever needed service, was due to my mistake: dropped on the floor, put into a pool etc.

I didn’t bother about service, sold damaged item cheap (buyer would know about fault) and simply replace.

Problem with Leica is, it’s rather expensive and therefore repair would make sense. If they could handle it. It’s fine for a amateur, but as a pro, I am not sure if I would rely solely on Leica.

Leica used to offer pro service with fast turnaround for registered members. I took advantage of this for many years but for some reason they discontinued the program. 

[fotografr]

2 hours ago, pedaes said:

Is this substantiated fact?

One of my friends sent his Voigtlander 35/2 in for a warranty repair and it took three months. 

Edited November 1, 2023 by fotografr

[pedaes]

1 minute ago, fotografr said:

Leica NJ

I was referring to the claim about Voigtlander lens repair times as quoted. I agree Leica repair times are totally unacceptable, both it seems in the US and Europe. 

[fotografr]

Just now, pedaes said:

I was referring to the claim about Voigtlander lens repair times as quoted. I agree Leica repair times are totally unacceptable, both it seems in the US and Europe. 

Yes, I realized that and edited my post. 

[jaapv]

57 minutes ago, fotografr said:

Leica used to offer pro service with fast turnaround for registered members. I took advantage of this for many years but for some reason they discontinued the program. 

They turned it into a paid (200$) express service but had to discontinue it as so many customers took advantage of it that it became unsustainable. 

[Anbaric]

7 hours ago, Stuart Richardson said:

Considering last year was apparently Leica's most profitable ever, perhaps they should hire more people for customer service and repair?

A cynic might wonder if they looked at the balance sheet and decided they didn't need to change anything. With Leica moving further and further into the luxury goods niche, perhaps they don't think that things like repairs are much of a priority?

28 minutes ago, jaapv said:

They turned it into a paid (200$) express service but had to discontinue it as so many customers took advantage of it that it became unsustainable. 

I suppose if you have well-off amateur customers who think nothing of spending $9000 on a 50/2, a $200 surcharge won't be much of a disincentive. Some other companies have special schemes for genuine pros, which require proof of your professional status.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[jaapv]

The problem is, there is no trained technical staff to be found. As simple as that. If you employ untrained staff you have to pull experienced technicians off their work to educate them, which would make the repair times even worse.

[UliWer]

I do not deny that there are serious problems at Leica Customer Care as far as times for repairs, postage handling and precise answering of questions are concerned. 

Though I do not really understand the chronology of events described in the original posting. For me it reads as if the items were dropped at Wetzlar and all the following communication was only by telephone.

That's not what I know.  Whether I drop something directly at the counter in Wetzlar or I send it in by post I always get a "Kostenvoranschlag" - an estimate of costs which describes the necessary works to be done. Only if I agree to this estimate in a written document with my signature they will start the repair. If I don't agree I'll have to pay 80,-€ for handling and they send it back to me.

So did you receive an estimate of costs in a written document? When was this? Shortly after you left the items in Wetzlar, or only months later? Did they tell you in this document  what they would do to repair your items and backstepped months later telling you it was not possible? 

If the estimate is agreed upon I get a confirmation for my repair with a number. Enclosed is a  link which looks like this: https://repair.leica-camera.com/service/rep_track_V2/index.html. With this link I can follow the progress of my repair, even if it takes a lot of time. 

Did you ever get a confirmation and a repair number? Did you get the link? 

If it all happened the way I described and you only got the information that the repair was not possible much, much later, there must be another serious problem with the people who first check the items sent in and are responsible for the estimate of costs.