I will avoid Leica NJ from here on...

[sepiareverb]

I understand this is a first world problem, but one that some here might also needlessly suffer through, so I post this in hopes that everyone else who might consider this type of thing has a smoother go of it.

I have had a black chrome MP al a carte that I got second hand many years ago from a member here. A lovely camera, but it had the full engraving top-plate which I've had comments on from people while out shooting, that I don't get with another MP with no engraving, so I often wondered about having it changed. When the 'Re-Design" program came about I thought more about this. Decided I would really like to have the camera get the MA top-plate, with no engraving, but black chrome, my preferred finish. A regular factory part, so likely easy I though. I could re-use all the other parts from the camera, and have the red infill paint on the shutter speed dial replaced with the yellow/orange like on an M6/7 as I have a hard time seeing the red. Might as well get the Monochrom type vulcanite since the vulcanite has to be changed anyway.

My timeline follows. Note that I had a Logic Board failure of my MacBook Pro during this process, so not all emails are included below.

Email to a contact at Leica NJ 7/21/16 no reply.

Email to same contact at Leica NJ 8/15 no reply

Email to a contact of a friend at Leica Solms 9/3 on vacation auto reply.

she replied 9/19.

I replied to her 9/19 asking her to get in touch w/NJ & she replied saying she would have NJ contact me.

Leica NJ finally emails me 9/19

I Replied 9/19 with further details, they returned my email the same day.

Camera shipped 9/22/16 to NJ (two months after contacting NJ myself, three days after having Solms contact NJ)

Camera arrived in NJ 9/26

Phone call from NJ, entering camera into system 10/5, needed street address ( I use a P.O. Box for most correspondence and shipping) I gave them my street address.

11/4/16: Phone call from NJ, estimate sent was wrong, top cover price was quoted at 10% of actual cost, amended estimate being sent.

11/5 I approved the updated estimate.

12/15 checked NJ about a return date via email. "Techs are gone for the day but I will check tomorrow and get back to you." No further reply.

Gap in my email record due to Logic Board failure.

2/3/17 Camera arrives back - with wrong covering and red infill paint. I was told the M6/7 yellow/orange infill paint on the shutter speed dial was a special order item in the original estimate, and I agreed to pay for it. The camera came back with the shutter speed dial unchanged from when I sent it in. It also came with MP type covering, not the covering as used on the M9/Monochrom I had requested and paid for.

2/7 email to Beth - re problems with paint and covering

3/18/17 Camera ships back to NJ for correct paint and covering.

5/30/17 spoke w/ NJ. Got new work # 10042543 should hear back about the paint at the end of the week.

6/8/17 left voicemail with NJ about eta on the paint.

6/12/17 no reply to 6/8 call - emailed about eta on the paint.

6/16/17 No reply to email. - called. Paint is in Germany. Tech is going to Germany and will bring it back with him, paint the camera, let the paint dry and then ship it here. Should be 2 ½ weeks.

6/28/17 Called. Camera will ship tomorrow, the paint is drying now.

7/5/17 Called at 1:50. System is down nothing can be looked up. Might be on the ship cart now. Called back at 3:15, left a voicemail. Called back at 4:14. No tracking info available, everyone is gone for the day. Person I spoke to (the only one who genuinely seems to try) will check first thing tomorrow and call me back.

7/6/17 Called. Camera will ship Monday. Did not know why, it was something to do with the paint.

7/10/17 Called at 10:30. “Yes, it will ship today.”

7/10/17 Got an email at 2:30 - a tracking number!

7/11/17 The camera arrives home via UPS, finally as I had ordered it to be.

My advice, and my practice from here on is to send my equipment directly to Wetzlar for any work required that DAG, Sherry or Gerry Smith cannot do. I have had enough of NJ. The worst possible customer service imaginable.

 

[Robert Lai]

Sorry to hear about your experience. My experiences with them have been good.

Just curious. What were the nature of the comments about the top script on your camera? I've never had any comments on my Leicas. However, the unmetered ones have an MR-4 meter on top, blocking the script. My M7 has a plain top.

 

[sepiareverb]

Just people saying "Oh, that's a Leica?" and turning their observation into a conversation when I want to be left alone. I don't make pictures of people, and generally keep to myself, so the engagement is an intrusion. I don't get anywhere near the same number of interruptions when shooting with other M bodies. The Rollei also gets comments, but usually only looks and nods instead of attempts at some long, drawn out conversation. I don't like to be rude, but I really hate getting pestered. I generally have ended up being ruder than I want to be to get away and back to work. No more!

 

[aizan]

oh geez, let's hope the new top cover actually attracts less attention.

 

[farlymac]

Repair places are always just one lost screw from going completely under. I've found that communicating with just one person helps the most, that way you don't get the issues where the person you talked to today has no idea how to tell the person you'll talk to tomorrow what your request was.

I sent my R lens to Leica NJ because it's likely the only place in the US that would have the parts for it. I originally talked to Sandra, but since then have only used e-mail as I find it hard to understand her over the phone (my problem, not hers). Always a quick reply, and they had an estimate back to me within a couple of days after they received the lens.

Sure, it's taken a while for them to get around to it, but then maybe they had to send out for parts. I'm not worried, or in a rush for it. I've plenty of other cameras to keep me busy.

It might have been good for you, Bob, to have been able to talk to one of the techs that would be doing the work, so that they would understand exactly what it was you wanted done, and to find out if it was feasible. The front desk folks can always promise things, but then the workers get the order, and things start hitting the fan.

I once had a guy come running from across a field because he thought I had a Leica, only to find out it was a Zorki. If the light is good, I usually will engage them in some conversation about the merits of whatever camera I am using. But if the light's shifting a bit, or the subject is on the move, I'll just take photos until they get the hint that I've got other things on my mind.

Good luck with your camera remodeling.

PF

 

[p.giannakis]

Sorry to hear about it. I had plenty of good experiences with various camera repairers and a horrendous one with a reputable repairer (not Leica NJ) and that was enough for me to make me suspicious each time I sent a camera for repair. It is easy sometimes to overlook the important job these people do..

 

[mich rassena]

That's some of the slowest service I've heard of. I hope you were able to get a tremendous discount for your trouble.

 

[Darthfeeble]

Is NJ the only factory repair place in America? If so, how many Leicas do you think are up for repair on any given day? Of those the purchased new and under warrantee would probably take precedence over cosmetic mods to a used piece I would think. That said, the communication could have been better.

 

[Dan]

Just people saying "Oh, that's a Leica?" and turning their observation into a conversation when I want to be left alone. I don't make pictures of people, and generally keep to myself, so the engagement is an intrusion. I don't get anywhere near the same number of interruptions when shooting with other M bodies. The Rollei also gets comments, but usually only looks and nods instead of attempts at some long, drawn out conversation. I don't like to be rude, but I really hate getting pestered. I generally have ended up being ruder than I want to be to get away and back to work. No more!

Once they discover the change you made you're in for a whole other conversation! 😀

 

[splitimageview]

Sent a Leica Q to NJ for service, they quoted 3 weeks, it took 7 months. And this was with one of their top dealers pushing them. One would think dealer leverage would make a difference, but it doesn't. I could never shoot with Leica professionally as it would require too much cash outlay for spare bodies in the event of a needed repair.

Leica has spent money on a fancy HQ but hasn't put any effort into updating their poor service turnaround. For a premium brand this is unfortunate.

 

[finguanzo]

Yeah, I had a bad experience with NJ myself. loose 28mm elmarit, 1 day out of warranty, not covered.... and 6 months to tighten.

 

[tunalegs]

Where else would you have sent it for that sort of work?
The wait time is pretty ridiculous, but I'm not sure there is much choice when it comes to having stuff like that done.

 

[taemo]

sorry to hear about another Leica NJ horror story.

Where else would you have sent it for that sort of work?
The wait time is pretty ridiculous, but I'm not sure there is much choice when it comes to having stuff like that done.

that's what scares me from getting another Leica to be honest.
as much as I want to get another digital M, the horror stories that I've experienced from Leica NJ and from others is preventing me from getting another digital Leica.

 

[sepiareverb]

I would send any camera directly to Germany, through an intermediary if necessary. Leica NJ has proven impossible to deal with. They do not reply to emails, they do not reply to voicemail, unless you are lucky and someone actually answers their phone when you call you are SOL. Even then, I often got little to no explanation for how it could take so long.

I wrote to the contact in Wetzlar to complain about the process/timeline in NJ but have not heard back yet. Never any mention of a refund or partial one for being without the camera for about eight months. I may email to ask...

 

[Huss]

Leica has spent money on a fancy HQ but hasn't put any effort into updating their poor service turnaround. For a premium brand this is unfortunate.

It's because the majority of Leica owners are trinket collectors. Impressed by a fancy HQ. Not knowing if their cameras work or not, because they hardly use them.
Enthusiasts like us (and heaven forbid pros), that use Leicas to take pictures are a royal pain in the a$$ to Leica. Complaining about expensive cameras that do not work properly..

 

[raid]

Leica

Leica

I would send any camera directly to Germany, through an intermediary if necessary. Leica NJ has proven impossible to deal with. They do not reply to emails, they do not reply to voicemail, unless you are lucky and someone actually answers their phone when you call you are SOL. Even then, I often got little to no explanation for how it could take so long.

I wrote to the contact in Solms to complain about the process/timeline in NJ but have not heard back yet. Never any mention of a refund or partial one for being without the camera for about eight months. I may email to ask...

You may simply have been unlucky with your contacting Leica NJ. I call them easily, and they respond quickly. Maybe they respond well on some days but then they don't on other days. :bang:

 

[Vince Lupo]

I just got my Monochrom 246 and 50/1.4 Summilux back from them (sent them in together to be 'mated' to one another and to have everything checked out). Took about 3 weeks total. Warranty covered the 246, and I paid for service on the Summilux. I had no issues with their service (and generally have never had any issues with their service over the years), but I may possibly be more the exception than the rule.

 

[ptpdprinter]

There seems to be, at best, a lack of consistency in the service Leica NJ provides.

 

[fireblade]

Sent a Leica Q to NJ for service, they quoted 3 weeks, it took 7 months. .....

In today's day and age, that's just pathetic.

 

[Rob-F]

There seems to be, at best, a lack of consistency in the service Leica NJ provides.

One of our members recently reported that when they sent their M9 to Leica NJ for a sensor clean & check, Leica sent them a mailing label; pre-paid, I believe (not sure). So. I phoned to inquire about sending my M9. I was told they will only send the label if the Leica is under warranty. And I had to call twice, just to get that. On the first day, I phoned around what must have been their lunch time. They didn't respond to my voice mail message. So I called back the next day, and was told to just send it in, but no mailing label and nothing pre-paid.

So is that an example of inconsistency? Or just the fair policy?