Title: Has Anyone Had Issues with Sherry Krauter at Golden Touch Repairs? Seeking Advice

[cinromantic1]

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Hi everyone,

I’m in a bit of a tough situation and would appreciate any advice or similar experiences.

Back in October 2024, I sent a Barnack Leica, a Leica CL, and a Rokkor 40mm lens (valued around $800–$1100) to Sherry Krauter at Golden Touch Repairs for service. There was a considerable delay in her getting to the cameras, and after following up with multiple calls over the next few months, she finally told me that the Leica CL couldn’t be repaired due to her not having the required part, though the Rokkor lens was fine. She also didn’t repair the Barnack Leica.

After this, I reached out to DAG Camera, who confirmed they had the part for the Leica CL. I called Sherry again, and she agreed to ship both cameras to DAG for further repair. Several more weeks passed, and I continued calling Sherry to ask her to send them. Each time, she told me she was too busy and asked me to call back later or said she’d call me back — which she never did.

Eventually, I told Sherry I needed to sell the cameras to make some money and asked her to return them to me. After more delays, I finally called again, and Sherry agreed to let me wait on the line while she located the cameras. I was on the phone for an hour while she and her assistant looked for them, and it was very clear they were unable to find them immediately. Eventually, she found the cameras and promised to ship them out later that day.

She sent me a tracking number, and I was expecting the package to arrive. However, on the day it was supposed to arrive, USPS informed me that the package needed to be returned due to insufficient delivery information. I was sure I had provided her with my full address both verbally and by email. I called USPS, and they confirmed that the package only had my city and zip code — no street address.

When I called Sherry about this, she blamed USPS and was quite indignant. At this point, I started to feel like she wasn’t going to send my cameras at all and might even be trying to confuse or throw me off. She knew I was upset, but instead of offering a solution, she told me to calm down. That was a few weeks ago, and since then, I’ve been calling her every day. She hasn’t answered my calls or responded to any emails.

So, here I am, asking if anyone else has dealt with Sherry Krauter or encountered similar issues with a technician. What happened in your case? Any advice on how I should proceed? I just want my cameras back.

Thanks so much for reading and for any insights you might have.

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[jaapv]

Well this is so unlike the usual reports that I suspect that a compilation of genuine errors occurred here. As there is no doubt about the location of the cameras nor the intention of returning them I would gather my patience and suggest to her that you schedule a parcel collection. That way you will be in full control of the shipping. 

[cinromantic1]

Thank you so much for your confidence, Jaapv! I have been shaken by recently discovering some extremely concerning accounts about Sherry (linked below). But perhaps you are right. I will look into scheduling a parcel collection. That's a good idea and it may help Sherry feel more confident in getting the cameras back to me.

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[250swb]

1 hour ago, cinromantic1 said:

 

Edited May 1 by 250swb
Some bug in the quote

[Pramod Kotwal]

I had my Leica II serviced by Sherry Krauter. I sent the camera by USPS and after receiving her phone call, after everal months of waiting, telling me that the camera was ready, I drove to her hose to receive my camera. She had done an excellent job and I was pleased. The fact that she insisted on receiving cash payment should have alarmed me, but it did not.

Since I was happy with her work,  I left my Leica III with her for adjusting its range measurement.

A BIG MISTSAKE.

After over one year of waiting and receiving several promises of calling me when the camera is ready, she now does not take my phone calls and does not reply to my e-mails. The only recourse, short of legal action, left to me is to drive to her house and get the camera back, probably not repaired. I will report if she actually gives me my camera back. If she refuses to return my camera when I visit her, I will initiate legal proceedings againt her. My experience should serve as a lesson for those who are considering sending their valuable equipment to her.

[Pramod Kotwal]

I had to drive to her house to get my camera back. In my opinion, she is very disorganized and work has piled up beyond her capacity to do it. There are boxes evrywhere and I suspect she has no way of estimating when a particular job will be finished or following up on her promises. She had stopped taking my phone calls and reponding to my e-mails. So do not expect to get your camera back within a resonable period. She showed no regret for causing the great inconvenience or her totally unprofessional conduct. I recommend that you look for some other source for your Leica repairs.

[bags27]

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When I visited with Youxin Ye in February 2020 (I remember it well because there were already rumors about a terrible flu, and I kept social distance in the local library while I waited for him to repair my M4-P and kept far from everyone), his house was nearly filled, top to bottom, with the boxes of cameras and lenses waiting to be opened. He worked on cameras at his dining room table! But Youxin and his wife were/are amazingly organized, and, whether I've been there or mailed my camera, have never had a problem. I've emailed with Sherry about a camera on her website and got an immediate response that her website was way out of date. I know people who say that DAG gives great service and others who are in despair over the delays there. Obviously, none of this explains or excuses some of Sherry's actions. I'm recounting this just to help us understand the crushing demand on the few Leica repair people.

Edited September 15 by bags27

[oldwino]

I had a conversation with an older repair gentleman who told me his system was to leave all the incoming repairs in the original boxes, unopened. He would log them in and number them, and work on them in that order, opening each box as he repaired them. That way, he told me, if he dies, his wife could just take all the unopened boxes to the post office and return them to sender. Everyone would get their camera back.

[wattsy]

On 9/17/2025 at 3:07 PM, oldwino said:

. That way, he told me, if he dies, his wife could just take all the unopened boxes to the post office and return them to sender. Everyone would get their camera back.

Sounds darkly humorous but it is a sensible and considerate approach because these well known Leica repair people are not getting any younger and the risk of not getting your camera or lens repaired and returned before they die or become incapacitated is very real.

Edited September 19 by wattsy

[dleibow]

Sherry did excellent work some years ago on a couple of M cameras, but even then she was turning down CLAs on Barnack bodies.