KUDOS FOR LEICA UK. Make this one a sticky !

[proenca]

Now heres a little story :

one day I get home, I was robbed. What was taken from a 5 bedroom house, with laptops around etc ? My Leica M7 and my lens. That's it.

There goes the theory that Leica looks like old cameras to the ordinary joe.

So I called police, CSI came, bla bla. On my own, I email every second hand shop, pawn shop and photo club I could imagine with the serial numbers of my camera and lenses.

One of these days, I get a call on my mobile . Its Leica UK. They received a lens that matches the serial numbers I sent. I put them talking to the police, guy was caught ) not the guy who sent the lens though, that chap didnt knew he was buying stolen.

After a week or so, the detective on my case said it gave orders to Leica to return the lens to me. Leica called me again ( they did dozens of time to keep me updated, more accurately and often than London Police by the way ) worried, explaining that the guy who sent the lens is a pro photographer and he sent the lens but he bought the caps on his own, so they had to return the lens without caps or box. I told them that of course, the lens was attached to the camera when stolen, so must have been sold without caps, but please include some caps for the shipping, ring me later for credit card ( for them to charge the shipping charges and the new caps ).

Today I called them, the lens was shipped. Caps and shipping costs ? Free.

Now that's what I call exceeding every possible expectation from a customer. And not to mentioned that I bought this lens second handed and the lens wasn't even registered on my name, was on the original buyer.

Leica UK, congratulations. If I was thinking that Leica was the top of the quality in terms of imagery, I do have the same line of thought when I think about their customer service.

Just to finish, Im not pro photographer, I have no Leica Pro pass or whatsoever, Im not married to Barnacks daughter, Im not the mayor of Solms or carry Wetzlar in my family name. Just a normal guy who bought a Leica.

For those who rant customer service, here goes a big cheers for Leica UK customer service.

 

[Ororaro]

Ok, so leica is a nice company.

No sticky, please!

 

[Edward Felcher]

You should get together with THIS guy:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1038&message=23495920

 

[jarski]

No sticky, please!

I would not mind, for a few days...

good news it all worked out.

 

[photogdave]

You should get together with THIS guy:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1038&message=23495920

That's what I thought as soon as i read this. I followed his story on the Leica user group!

 

[pizzahut88]

Well lucky you!

Well lucky you!

This story isn't perfect.

First, nice to know you got lens back!
Second, poor guy who paid for stolen goods.
He got ripped off. He is innocent, or perhaps not?
What about the authenticity of his claim?

So where is the crook?
That guy should be caught.

Meanwhile Leica is sending the lens back to you because they are under threat from prosecution from the Police. For aiding and abetting a criminal activity as accomplice if they fail to return stolen property to its rightful owner.

If they don't send the lens cap back to you,
you could take action against them.
Perhaps most likely the Crown (CPS) will.

Leica in legal reality has not done you any favour,
they are covering their a_ss.
I think they would have obtained legal advice in between.


Cheers,
Manfred

 

[Ororaro]

Honestly, this story about "Leica being a corporate angel" is quite annoying to me. Same for "I love Nikon because they cleaned my sensor for free" and same for "Canon gave me a free lens-cleaning cloth! I love you Canon!" or even the usual dpreview classic: "I'm a Canonian but please don't flame me, Nikonians. I came to make peace... blabla...blabla" Like who is Canon or Nikon or Leica, anyway? I mean, really! Who is that person? A big guy with a mustache? A lady wearing a mini?

Everybody is talking about those companies as if they we're a person.

Anyhow... people should build their lives on solid things as Love, friendship, relationship with partners, etc... There's so much more in life and in photography forums and photography in general then a blunt "Sticky for Leica because they gave me a free Cap". Wow, you received a 0.02$ made in China plastic lens cap for free.

Just MO and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Marc-A.]

For once, I totally agree with NB23. Leica gear are great, that's why we buy them. Leica compagny is just a business firm that makes money. It would have been unbelievable if they had sent it to you without caps!!! Don't they know front and rear glasses are delicate and precious?
Want to know a great story: I bought a Rolleiflex on eBay; I sent an email to the seller (standing for a small German photoshop) to add a scissor strap. Of course, I was ready to pay the strap. You know what: he sent it to me for free. On eBay, such a strap costs about €70 or more. That's a pretty great service, isn't it?
Now remember: a seller makes money, a firm makes money. Providing a good service is part of their job. It's always nice, wheh they do their job, but it's only their "raison d'être".

 

[kully]

I'm with Marc and NB23, I think putting on a couple of bits of plastic from their mound would be expected, not above expectations.

I am more suprised that you had such good comms with them over the theft itself.

 

[proenca]

well maybe I posted it wrong.

sending the caps for free wasn't what made my day : well , sort of.

Leica service customer, in the name of mr David Humpries, was always very polite, called me ever other day to inform of the situation, how things were doing, etc.

It was nice to see that they could do nothing since it was no insurance claim, just an email sent to leica advising them that my lens has been stolen and they were the ones who acted on that.

I belived that Jono , in dpreview, was the one who bought my lens, the stories match, both in the UK, the hood/caps thing, etc. Still, he praises Leica customer service as well, despite the fact that he his without lens and without money.

Just posted because nowadays Canon, Nikon, etc always have script-like answers and if you are not a pro photographer things drag along and in this case things were pretty quick thanks to Leica. I experienced terrible customer support from Canon and Nikon, so-so from Fuji, although when I approached Canon with a CPS number things were very different and got first class treatment.

Then again, when you have millions of customers its hard I suppose ( ie Nikon, Canon ) to deliver consistent customer support but still Im impressed how Leica dealt with things promptly and swiftly, keeping both parties informed in a very nice manner. Not because of the free caps.

 

[kully]

I understand what you're saying - I've had hideous customer service from Pentax UK for servicing.

 

[mr_phillip]

Jeez you guys are harsh! We're all so quick to criticize when we receive poor service, yet when someone takes the time to mention a positive experience with a manufacturer they get treated like a lab rat who's decided humans are ok really. Hell, even the guy who bought the stolen lens took the time to say how 'sympathetic and helpful' Leica's service department had been.

The real messages to take from this, for me at least, are: be careful as hell when buying gear from eBay; don't send your lenses off to Leica for encoding – you might find out something you really don't want to know; and keep your insurance up to date.

Hope they find your camera too proenca!

 

[photogdave]

Here's the other side of the story:
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/26769-ebay-scam-happy-ending.html

 

[erikhaugsby]

That's what I thought as soon as i read this. I followed his story on the Leica user group!

I kind of have to feel sorry for that guy, but at the same time I still feel sorry for proenca. Two owners of one lens means somebody's going to be left high and dry.

 

[Nick R.]

No good turn goes unpunished.

For once, I totally agree with NB23. Leica gear are great, that's why we buy them. Leica compagny is just a business firm that makes money. It would have been unbelievable if they had sent it to you without caps!!! Don't they know front and rear glasses are delicate and precious?
Want to know a great story: I bought a Rolleiflex on eBay; I sent an email to the seller (standing for a small German photoshop) to add a scissor strap. Of course, I was ready to pay the strap. You know what: he sent it to me for free. On eBay, such a strap costs about €70 or more. That's a pretty great service, isn't it?
Now remember: a seller makes money, a firm makes money. Providing a good service is part of their job. It's always nice, wheh they do their job, but it's only their "raison d'être".

 

[flashfirenze]

what happened to the camera body?

 

[back alley]

...There's so much more in life and in photography forums...

and yet you take the time and energy to be rude in said forums.
so much for more in life like love.
in your case though it seems there is more in life like rude.
tone it down please.
that's my opinion and i'm sticking to that.
joe

 

[Marc-A.]

...There's so much more in life and in photography forums...

and yet you take the time and energy to be rude in said forums.
so much for more in life like love.
in your case though it seems there is more in like like rude.
tone it down please.
that's my opinion and i'm sticking to that.
joe

Who was rude, Joe? 😕 <<<< I'm confused

 

[back alley]

i quoted nb23 marc.

 

[thomasw_]

i think the quotation indicates he is referring to NB23.