andybarton Posted February 7 Share #1 Posted February 7 Advertisement (gone after registration) I left my M240 with Stephens at the beginning of December and, despite chasing them, have heard nothing from them at all with regards to where my camera is. I spoke with one of the guys there today and he says that there are two potential reasons why I haven't heard anything. Leica close for Christmas and the New Year on 10th December and don't reopen until the first full week of January. Cameras are taking 4 - 6 weeks to pass through UK customs ON THE WAY OUT of the country, so may not even have arrived in Germany yet. Then... Within a couple of days of the camera getting into the hands of the German authorities, it will have arrived at Wetzlar and Stephens will receive an acknowledgement that the camera has been received. An estimate of the cost of the repair is likely to take another two weeks. Then it has to be repaired, on my approval, and then the whole s-show begins having the camera returned here. Brexit... the gift that keeps on giving. 🙄 I should have got on a plane and taken it to Leica in person. I would definitely do that in future, should I need to get anything to them. I hope that they are insured... 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 7 Posted February 7 Hi andybarton, Take a look here M240 “lost” on the way to Wetzlar for service. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
250swb Posted February 8 Share #2 Posted February 8 Shouldn't Stephens have a tracking number which will say exactly were the camera is? Things can go wrong at busy periods. Overlapping the Coronation I sent something to the US by FedEx, and because a lot of their staff were home watching TV they put it onto a charter flight, which meant it got a new tracking number. So my tracking number said it was in UK Customs when the parcel was by then in New York and being sorted. It took a complaint to FedEx for them to pull their finger out and do a full investigation, but after six weeks they caught up with the parcel at a FedEx warehouse in Florida. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 8 Author Share #3 Posted February 8 I have no idea how Stephens send stuff to Wetzlar, but any courier service will have tracking of course. The individual there who deals with returns etc wasn’t in yesterday, so someone else looked me up on their system. Maybe, there might be some more positive news today when the first guy is at work, but I’m not holding my breath. I’m not sure how long to leave it before staring to get really quite cross. They have had it over two months now, so they should have some record of the process somewhere. I think that a trip to Manchester might be in order next week. 🙄 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 8 Author Share #4 Posted February 8 A return flight from Manchester to Frankfurt on Lufthansa is about £260, plus there’d be a car to hire. At least the onsite hotel is very reasonably priced I would have to make a weekend break of it, if I were to go there personally to collect it, if it ever turns up. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoCruiser Posted February 8 Share #5 Posted February 8 vor 18 Stunden schrieb andybarton: I should have got on a plane and taken it to Leica in person. I would definitely do that in future, should I need to get anything to them. Yep, sometimes this is the best solution and particularly if goods are expensive. However, in eralier times i bought frequent dive gear in UK and there was no particular issue, also not after Brokeit. You may ask FedEx, DHL, etc for running times for a parcel to Wetzlar and i guess fastest would be overnight or max +1 day so i honestly i dont believe at all that UK customs hold it for 6 weeks if export for repair documents are in order. If i should have to ship for repair from Switzerland to Wetzlar (Non EU as well) i would ship it by courier directly to Leica in Wetzlar. The only "tricky" thing is to compile the documents for a repair and return, but should not bee too difficult. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 8 Author Share #6 Posted February 8 Hindsight is a wonderful thing! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted February 8 Share #7 Posted February 8 Advertisement (gone after registration) There do not seem to be any shipping problems / delays when new Leica cameras, including newly released models, are shipped from Wetzlar to the UK. dunk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 8 Author Share #8 Posted February 8 That’s true. I’m beginning to smell a rat. Or is it BS? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoCruiser Posted February 8 Share #9 Posted February 8 Zitat Cameras are taking 4 - 6 weeks to pass through UK customs ON THE WAY OUT of the country, so may not even have arrived in Germany yet. I guess this is BS if they send each camera immediately. My guess is that a) they forgot to send b) they did not send as they send many together so save som £££ c) they messed up the export for repair document and shipment was either sent back or hold by customs for further documents I personally would start immediately to put pressure on them to discover what happened. Chris 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benj Posted February 10 Share #10 Posted February 10 On 2/8/2025 at 12:19 PM, andybarton said: That’s true. I’m beginning to smell a rat. Or is it BS? On 2/7/2025 at 3:04 PM, andybarton said: I left my M240 with Stephens at the beginning of December and, despite chasing them, have heard nothing from them at all with regards to where my camera is. I spoke with one of the guys there today and he says that there are two potential reasons why I haven't heard anything. Leica close for Christmas and the New Year on 10th December and don't reopen until the first full week of January. Cameras are taking 4 - 6 weeks to pass through UK customs ON THE WAY OUT of the country, so may not even have arrived in Germany yet. Then... Within a couple of days of the camera getting into the hands of the German authorities, it will have arrived at Wetzlar and Stephens will receive an acknowledgement that the camera has been received. An estimate of the cost of the repair is likely to take another two weeks. Then it has to be repaired, on my approval, and then the whole s-show begins having the camera returned here. Brexit... the gift that keeps on giving. 🙄 I should have got on a plane and taken it to Leica in person. I would definitely do that in future, should I need to get anything to them. I hope that they are insured... Hi Andy, I understand you came to see us this morning. Just wanted to clarify some details regarding your repair on your M and any repairs that go to Germany now from the UK. In the pre Brexit world we would send repairs directly to Germany and that would be there the next day. All repairs now need to cross the UK and EU customs border, so are sent in bulk from the UK to the factory through Leica UK. All repairs now need to be itemised with the relevant customs paperwork. This is to avoid VAT and duties when it lands in the Germany. If this isn't done you would be charged 21% German VAT and 20% UK VAT when it comes back on the retail price of the camera. This is on top of the repair cost. This takes time and people on both ends to facilitate and officially can take up to 4 weeks but usually doesn't (yours probably did because of Christmas). Estimates on M cameras currently when they arrive is estimated to be 7 weeks, and repairs are another 7 weeks after approval. As a side note, if you wanted to take your camera to the factory for repair, that is possible. However, you need to make sure that you collect also as there needs to be paperwork going into Germany to not pay the UK 20% when it's shipped back. I assure you there is no foul play, it's just the Joys of Brexit. We are just a tiny example of what's going on in Nigels world. On 2/8/2025 at 12:15 PM, dkCambridgeshire said: There do not seem to be any shipping problems / delays when new Leica cameras, including newly released models, are shipped from Wetzlar to the UK. dunk This is unfortunately not true either. Shipments used to take 2-3 days from Germany. These days they are anything from 5 days to 3 weeks generally. Feel free to ask any questions. Ben 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 10 Author Share #11 Posted February 10 I have been to Manchester this morning and I have an update on where my camera is. It's in Germany - probably. Leica dealers in the UK are no longer able to deal direct with Wetzlar, so every camera or lens sent for repair, has to go through Leica in London. Some fixes can be done there, but most need to go back to Germany. If the correct export paperwork is not included with the camera, London will not correct any mistakes for you, they will leave the item on a shelf until you claim it back. Seriously. I left my camera with Manchester on 5th December. Leica in London sent it to Wetzlar on 13th December, so it would probably have arrived there during their Christmas / New year shut down, which is not helpful. This is on the assumption that it isn't still stuck in customs, which is a distinct possibility. Wetzlar do communicate with dealers any longer (regardless of the dealer's standing within their network), so any acknowledgement will have gone to Leica in London - who clearly have not passed anything on. I have to assume and trust that the camera has arrived with them. Leica Manchester have emailed London today to get them to update us on the situation. I am not holding my breath for an early reply. So, I am still none the wiser, really, but I do know that the problem does not lie with Leica Manchester, but with Leica in London / Wetzlar. The guys in Manchester have been excellent as always. There are, apparently, up to 3,000 cameras waiting for service in Wetzlar, and if you return an analogue camera back to them, the estimated wait time is at least 14 months... If you make the effort to go to Germany, and hand deliver a camera or lens for service directly to Wetzlar, they will not return it to you - you have to collect it in person. All in all, this is diabolical service by Leica in London and Wetzlar. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 10 Author Share #12 Posted February 10 Thanks Ben - our posts have literally been made within seconds of each other. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 10 Author Share #13 Posted February 10 On the plus side, if you want a Mint, as new, M3, with 50 Elmar (IIRC), or a Midland 111G (engraved Leica Canada), with lenses, then I know a man that has one to sell. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted February 10 Share #14 Posted February 10 19 minutes ago, andybarton said: All in all, this is diabolical service by Leica in London and Wetzlar. This should be a pinned post on the forum. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benj Posted February 10 Share #15 Posted February 10 25 minutes ago, andybarton said: I have been to Manchester this morning and I have an update on where my camera is. It's in Germany - probably. Leica dealers in the UK are no longer able to deal direct with Wetzlar, so every camera or lens sent for repair, has to go through Leica in London. Some fixes can be done there, but most need to go back to Germany. If the correct export paperwork is not included with the camera, London will not correct any mistakes for you, they will leave the item on a shelf until you claim it back. Seriously. I left my camera with Manchester on 5th December. Leica in London sent it to Wetzlar on 13th December, so it would probably have arrived there during their Christmas / New year shut down, which is not helpful. This is on the assumption that it isn't still stuck in customs, which is a distinct possibility. Wetzlar do communicate with dealers any longer (regardless of the dealer's standing within their network), so any acknowledgement will have gone to Leica in London - who clearly have not passed anything on. I have to assume and trust that the camera has arrived with them. Leica Manchester have emailed London today to get them to update us on the situation. I am not holding my breath for an early reply. So, I am still none the wiser, really, but I do know that the problem does not lie with Leica Manchester, but with Leica in London / Wetzlar. The guys in Manchester have been excellent as always. There are, apparently, up to 3,000 cameras waiting for service in Wetzlar, and if you return an analogue camera back to them, the estimated wait time is at least 14 months... If you make the effort to go to Germany, and hand deliver a camera or lens for service directly to Wetzlar, they will not return it to you - you have to collect it in person. All in all, this is diabolical service by Leica in London and Wetzlar. Thanks Andy. I will say that us UK dealers and Leica UK have been dealt with a very difficult hand. This is just all a paperwork exercise. Most non EU repairs are sent to other service centres in the US etc so Germany and the UK have had to employ people and add process to deal with it. These processes have had to be put in place to minimise delays and mistakes. UK customs is generally a basket case and any mistakes mean a very expensive item is sat in a customs warehouse somewhere with a very upset customer at the other end of it with nothing we can do about it. Customer Care suffered a lot during the COVID, pre the pandemic repairs were around 3 weeks. Without being political, if anyone still thinks Brexit is still a good idea needs to do some research. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedaes Posted February 10 Share #16 Posted February 10 (edited) I see the guy whose name begins with a 'F' is demanding to know "The true cost of....". Shame he wasn't so keen on true cost of Brexit! As time goes on the disaster just gets worse. Edited February 10 by pedaes 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedaes Posted February 10 Share #17 Posted February 10 1 hour ago, andybarton said: Leica in London sent it to Wetzlar This is useful information and one take away maybe to take kit into Leica Mayfair yourself if at all possible, irrespective of where bought. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 10 Author Share #18 Posted February 10 Maybe, but it would only save a couple of days. There’s nothing we can do about the stupid customs hoops and paperwork that has now been forced upon us, but there is something that Leica (not the dealers) can do to keep their customers abreast of where their kit is. I really still have no idea. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted February 10 Share #19 Posted February 10 As a side issue, I thought Stephensons in Manchester was now owned by Leica UK. Until a few years ago I believe it was independently owned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 10 Author Share #20 Posted February 10 AFAIK, Stephens is still independent, but is the only "official" Leica dealer outside London. Their website says that they are the "UK's only independent Leica Store". They definitely don't get special treatment by anyone at plc/Gmbh, from what I can gather. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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