A world class camera from a world class company!

[Sailor Ted]

Just a heads up- I received my replacement Leica M8 today just in time for a trip. This was sent out to replace my old M8 that was damaged as a result of a faulty strap. What other camera company honors their customers in this way?

Viva Leica!

 

[AGeoJO]

That's great, Ted. Leica did come through for you. Did you ever doubt that they didn't 😀?

 

[rsl]

Ted, That's really good news. Congratulations. Hope all goes well on the trip.

 

[Berliner]

It's included in the price of admission! Seriously, They are very customer service oriented. They've even repaired used, modified (not by Leica) gear for me. Usually free, or for the cost of parts. Very impressive company...

 

[Grober]

Agreed, it's a great camera from a fine old company.

Now, wouldn't it also be great if Leica aspired to attain world-class status in becoming more responsive and more effective with customer communications? (By "customer" I mean, of course, their end-user and not just their dealer network.)

-g

 

[zeitz]

Ted, or any other responders, do you know how to get Leica USA to respond to e-mail? I have sent the simplest messages to both repair and customer service, and I get no response. I love the M8, but I don't know why there is not even an automated response to e-mail.

 

[Keith]

I can't help but ponder on what a response from a company like Nikon or Canon is to these sorts of situations ... does anyone have experience. If the strap on my D70 had broken not long after I bought it and the camera had taken the 'Newton option' ... I have to wonder what would have come of it?

 

[Berliner]

Re: How to get Leica USA to respond--

E-mail Solms! They'll contact NJ, and you'll get a response that day! It seems Leica is bogged down resolving M8 issues...My man Lothar , in Solms will get the NJ team to respond...worked every time for me...

 

[Sailor Ted]

Ted, or any other responders, do you know how to get Leica USA to respond to e-mail? I have sent the simplest messages to both repair and customer service, and I get no response. I love the M8, but I don't know why there is not even an automated response to e-mail.

I did not mess with email- I called and talked to the boss.

 

[zeitz]

Berliner, thanks for the information. I will forward my unanswered e-mails to lothar.luehring@leica-camera.com. I'll let you know if I do get a response from Leica USA.

 

[Sailor Ted]

Good to know...even for someone who uses Luigi straps like myself.

: ) Two things.
1. If your using a Lugi strap Leica won't cover it.
2. If your using a Lugi strap you don't need to worry : )

One more thing. Get a new strap for your M8 or upgrade the hardware to SS circular clasps (not sure if that's the proper term but you all know what I mean).

ST

 

[zeitz]

So, Ted. Give me a name and phone number. I don't know who the boss is. Berliner gave me a name I could use.

 

[Sailor Ted]

I don't remember his name but I posted it in my OP for the incendent. You can find it there or you can call Leica as I did and ask a few questions and find out who is the person you need to talk to.

One word of advise- stay calm, present your case what ever it may be, and Leica will back you up if they agree with you.

 

[Joe Mondello]

Great news Ted.

Will you be posting pictures during your trip? Or will you be out at sea?

Remind me of your itinerary. All I recall is that this is a huge adventure you are undertaking.

 

[usccharles]

good news mr. ted. you gave me a bad habit of checking my strap 50 times a day. THANKS!

🙂

 

[naos]

I don't like the straps that come with the current M's. I like to wrap my strap around my wrist and the stock Leica straps don't work so well. I find Luigi's straps are really good.

 

[RObert Budding]

I can't help but ponder on what a response from a company like Nikon or Canon is to these sorts of situations ... does anyone have experience. If the strap on my D70 had broken not long after I bought it and the camera had taken the 'Newton option' ... I have to wonder what would have come of it?

Nikon and Canon users would just pull out their backup bodies. They can afford 2 or 3 bodies for the cost of an M8.

 

[Sailor Ted]

Nikon and Canon users would just pull out their backup bodies. They can afford 2 or 3 bodies for the cost of an M8.

Is there a parallel universe I am unaware of? Is RFF a portal to another dimension where the M8 is more expensive or significantly more expensive to the point where this statement would have any bearing in truth? The truth is Canon and Nikon do not back up their cameras the way Leica does and yet top line Leica, Canon, and Nikon bodies all cost pretty much the same (perhaps Leica is the more affordable).

 

[Ben Z]

Congrats Ted. If you recall I was one who thought there was a good chance Leica would step up and do right by you. They are a small enough company that individual cases can be decided. Larger companies there are just too many thicknesses of bureaucracy between the customer and satisfaction 😉 Also right now I wouldn't be surprised if Leica is exceptionally amenable to anything that can generate positive PR on the internet 😉 Now I just hope that your replacement M8 will be as problem-free as the original. Enjoy safe travels and take lots of pix!

 

[zeitz]

I still can't get over Leica USA not answering e-mails. I e-mailed Canon on the use of the PIXMA iP4200 printer with Photoshop. I got a very detailed reply the same night. This was for an $ 80 printer bought at Office Depot. I e-mailed Epson about a problem with a $ 60 printer and got a very quick reply, albeit the answer was that the printer was not economically repairable. I e-mailed Sony about a Konica Minolta Elite 5400 scanner and got a reply the next day, for a scanner they didn't even make, but inherited. I've spent over $ 15,000 with Leica the last two years, and they won't answer an e-mail. That is not world class by any standard. If you're not going to answer e-mail, then remove the address off of the web site. I'm going to the LHSA convention in Rochester next Fall. I hope I don't get thrown out of the meeting.

I will admit that the last two new technical articles on the Leica-USA web site this week are very helpful. Except we're past early April and I haven't gotten my E39 filter. My E43 filter seems to be way in the future.