edinsiam Posted June 11, 2009 Share #1 Posted June 11, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) I bought my M8 about 2 months ago from an authorized Leica dealer in Hong Kong, and it has already had a problem, going sometimes off when on and vice versa. As the camera is obviously still covered by the warranty, about one week ago I decided to take it to the Leica center (actually Schmidt) of where I live (not Hong Kong) for a fix. The Leica staff of the country where I live saw the problem, and said that, as they do not have a technical unit here, that they would have to send it over to a third country to get it fixed. They said that this would take at least 2 months, and that, as I bought it in Hong Kong, they will have to charge me for the shipment to this third country (which is a quite substantial expense). They claim that they normally take care of the shipment expenses for cameras that are bought in this country, but that, as I bought mine abroad, I will have to be charged. While I have no doubts on the honesty of the local staff, I wonder where this policy comes from, and why a customer should be penalized - not only for the trouble of finding himself with a broken camera and the long fixing time, but also financially - for the lack of a proper Leica unit where he lives. I do not feel that this a customer's responsibility, and, as far as what I have read at least, the warranty is supposed to be international with no mentions of other charges. About one week ago, I wrote an email to the Customer Service of Leica about this (address: cs@leica-camera.com), but I got no reply from them. What do you guys thinks? Has anybody had any similar experience? Oh, and does anybody know a Leica email address from which they actually answer?? Thanks a lot for all your help, Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 Hi edinsiam, Take a look here The M8 "international" warranty. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Nick_Yoon Posted June 12, 2009 Share #2 Posted June 12, 2009 Try these: customer.service@leica-camera.com Eberhard.Jakob@leica-camera.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinsiam Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted June 12, 2009 Thanks a lot, Nick, I will. Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisatge Posted June 12, 2009 Share #4 Posted June 12, 2009 Please post back - would be interesting to know the reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsteve Posted June 12, 2009 Share #5 Posted June 12, 2009 Ed: The shipping to a repair depot is not covered by any camera company. If you buy from a dealer, they will usually deal with the shipping for you. In your case, since you cannot bring it into the original selling dealer, just ship directly to Solms and avoid the middle man. If it is under warranty, Leica will cover the return shipping. Regards, Robert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olsen Posted June 14, 2009 Share #6 Posted June 14, 2009 Bought my m8 at Cathay Photo, Singapore. got the line problem after a few months back here in Norway. Went to the Norwegian importer, Lars Farnes. They sent it to Solms. I paid nothing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinsiam Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share #7 Posted June 14, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks for the replies, Robert and Olsen. Robert, I had already agreed with the local Leica that I would do it through them (was not aware of the possibility of sending it myself to Solms), so they must have already sent it. I did not sign anything regarding shipping expenses tho, and was not asked to. I wrote to Leica Germany again anyway, let's see what they say (if they answer). Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinsiam Posted July 11, 2009 Author Share #8 Posted July 11, 2009 Update: After 4 emails to 3 different email addresses and 2 months' wait, Leca has replied me, saying that "We are sorry about the problems with your camera. We are not involved in the terms of dealers. They all have different terms. It may be possible that costs are billed for a camera which has not been purchased where you live, they are not depending on our terms. I can only propose to send it by your self or to send it to Hongkong where you bought it, they may help you." In other words, the internationality of Leica's "international warranty" is just a matter of opinion, with Leica's and the dealers' opinions sometimes happening to be different. But Leica is so kind that they even suggest that you could send the camera by your self - 2 months after you had already taken action. But never mind: it's the thought that counts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfokevin Posted July 11, 2009 Share #9 Posted July 11, 2009 Bought my m8 at Cathay Photo, Singapore. got the line problem after a few months back here in Norway. Went to the Norwegian importer, Lars Farnes. They sent it to Solms. I paid nothing. Having a good working relationship with a reputable local dealer save ones a huge amount of headaches... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinsiam Posted July 11, 2009 Author Share #10 Posted July 11, 2009 Having a good working relationship with a reputable local dealer save ones a huge amount of headaches... Next time I have a problem, I'll take the warranty card and a big box of chocolates, then... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted July 11, 2009 Share #11 Posted July 11, 2009 Update: After 4 emails to 3 different email addresses and 2 months' wait, Leca has replied me, saying that "We are sorry about the problems with your camera. We are not involved in the terms of dealers. They all have different terms. It may be possible that costs are billed for a camera which has not been purchased where you live, they are not depending on our terms. I can only propose to send it by your self or to send it to Hongkong where you bought it, they may help you." In other words, the internationality of Leica's "international warranty" is just a matter of opinion, with Leica's and the dealers' opinions sometimes happening to be different. But Leica is so kind that they even suggest that you could send the camera by your self - 2 months after you had already taken action. But never mind: it's the thought that counts. I don't see the problem. Leica is fixing the problem FOC (free of charge) and sending it back at no cost to you. I can't count how many times I have sent a camera into a manufacturers repair center, Leica or others, and I have always had to pay for the shipping to the repair center. The only times I haven't is after getting a camera back from a reapir of one problem and something else is wrong that wasn't wrong before I sent it in. This has happen a few times with Leica NJ. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 11, 2009 Share #12 Posted July 11, 2009 I bought my M8 about 2 months ago from an authorized Leica dealer in Hong Kong, and it has already had a problem, going sometimes off when on and vice versa. As the camera is obviously still covered by the warranty, about one week ago I decided to take it to the Leica center (actually Schmidt) of where I live (not Hong Kong) for a fix. The Leica staff of the country where I live saw the problem, and said that, as they do not have a technical unit here, that they would have to send it over to a third country to get it fixed. They said that this would take at least 2 months, and that, as I bought it in Hong Kong, they will have to charge me for the shipment to this third country (which is a quite substantial expense). They claim that they normally take care of the shipment expenses for cameras that are bought in this country, but that, as I bought mine abroad, I will have to be charged. While I have no doubts on the honesty of the local staff, I wonder where this policy comes from, and why a customer should be penalized - not only for the trouble of finding himself with a broken camera and the long fixing time, but also financially - for the lack of a proper Leica unit where he lives. I do not feel that this a customer's responsibility, and, as far as what I have read at least, the warranty is supposed to be international with no mentions of other charges. About one week ago, I wrote an email to the Customer Service of Leica about this (address: cs@leica-camera.com), but I got no reply from them. What do you guys thinks? Has anybody had any similar experience? Oh, and does anybody know a Leica email address from which they actually answer?? Thanks a lot for all your help, Ed Well,the problem is called " gray import" and I'm afraid there is no remedy for that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinsiam Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share #13 Posted July 12, 2009 Shootist, if you have to send the camera to the country where you bought it, or to Soloms, yourself, then I do not understand what the difference between an "international" and a non-international warranty would be. Jaap, I bought the camera in Hong Kong from an authorized Leica dealer, whose name is listed on the Leica website itself, so it should not be a grey import. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted July 12, 2009 Share #14 Posted July 12, 2009 I see, so you bypassed the local dealer to buy from Hong Kong at (presumably) lower cost than in Thailand and are now complaining that the local dealer wants to charge you to ship the camera to Solms. What do you think they are, a charity? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
efftee Posted July 12, 2009 Share #15 Posted July 12, 2009 Ed, your 'plight' is consistent with customers who bought Leicas in different countries represented by Schmidt. Apparently, even authorized dealers in these countries sometimes carry stock not supplied by Schmidt; I know someone who purchased a new M8 for a substantial savings and we suspect it's a 'gray import'. If you think that's bad, wait till you have to bring your camera in for minor stuff like cleaning the sensor and such. If you had purchased your M8 in the same country and the camera is verified to have been supplied by Schmidt, it is done free of charge and immediately while you wait. Otherwise, you'd have to pay USD80 and leave your camera there for a day or more! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted July 12, 2009 Share #16 Posted July 12, 2009 ...But Leica is so kind that they even suggest that you could send the camera by your self - 2 months after you had already taken action. But never mind: it's the thought that counts. Not sure if i comprehend your point. You can hardly expect gray imports to cost you nothing do you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinsiam Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share #17 Posted July 12, 2009 Mark, Efftee and Ict, thanks for your comments. Efftee and Ict, as I said earlier, the shop is an authorised dealer whose name even appears in the Leica website. They gave me a regular Leica international warranty card with the shop's receipt, and the camera serial number allowed me to register for international warranty on the Schmidt website - so I really do not think that it is a grey import. Mark, prices in Hong Kong are cheaper because shops do not have import taxes. So people who buy stuff there take advantage of the local regulation: anything wrong with this? I bought my camera in Hong Kong because I knew that it would be protected by the international warranty - which was also confirmed to me by the dealer himself before I bought it. If as you say the local dealer of the country where one lives feels 'bypassed' when a customer buys a camera abroad, then I think that they should complain with Schmidt or Leica, and say that they don't want to adhere to the international warranty terms anymore. I do not see why a customer should be involved in their discontent. I think that what I did respected the terms that Leica - not myself - decided. On the other side, I do not feel that I received the service that customers are promised. For the record, this thread is not a complaint to Leica or Schmidt - I already told them via email what my position is - but an account of my experience with the M8 international warranty. It was written because some Leica users might possibly benefit from it. Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted July 12, 2009 Share #18 Posted July 12, 2009 The warranty doesn't say that Leica will pay for the M8 to be shipped back to them. What it does say is... "When submitting claims under warranty, please return the LEICA M8 together with the Warranty Card and a description to the Leica Camera AG or a Leica Camera Agency". The 'agency' in this case appears to be the Leica subsidiary rather than a dealer - see this page for an example... Leica Camera AG - Service - worldwide network The warranty then goes on to say that if you are are abroad you can use the local agency in the country you're in rather than the one in the country where the camera was bought. IMHO your 'problem' lies with the dealer who isn't prepared to take the financial hit of shipping the camera back to Solms. Which if he isn't going to get paid for it from Leica seems quite reasonable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted July 12, 2009 Share #19 Posted July 12, 2009 Yes nothing illegal if you paid VAT and/or import taxes in Thailand but you bought your M8 in HK so either you send your camera to your HK dealer or you pay shipping cost to Solms, there is no free lunch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtZ Posted July 12, 2009 Share #20 Posted July 12, 2009 Ed, I don't know if this helps. I have bought a Canon G9 at Hong Kong Airport on my way to the Philippines in Mars 2008. They seller asked me which was my Country of Residence. I said France. Attached to the G9 box, wrapped in transparent film, it was a set of papers and documents containing all warranty forms for each Country. He picked up the French document, signed and stamped. On this trip, my phone HTC TnTY II, got soaked and stopped working. On my way back, I saw the same model at Hong Kong airport and I bought one. It was 50% cheaper than in Paris. It happened the same thing than with the Canon G9. The seller filled up and stamped the French document. Two months ago, I had a problem with this telephone. I went to Darty (a big shop in France who sells them) and with the French warranty signed at HK airport. They took the phone and send it to the manufacturer for repair with no cost. I don't know if with Leica is the same thing. But I'm sure if you contact Customer Service at Solms explaining your problem and asking them if you can leave your gear at your local dealer to be sent to Solms, they will arrange that for you. I think it's Leica who pays for transport between official dealers and Solms (and, of course, from Solms back to the dealers) Leica can even arrange to pick it up at your home but if your equipement is not defective, they might ask you to pay. Cheers. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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