Leica M8 repair for Canadians?

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chuck77

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Jan 1, 2013
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I recently had my newly acquired M8 fail on me. The shutter is in need of repair, and Leica NJ has asked me to send it in.

My question is - if I ship my camera to the US from Canada, will I get charged duties and taxes on the camera (again) when it comes back to me from repair?

I don`t mind going to the states to ship it, if that`s what it takes to avoid extremly expensive duties and taxes when the camera comes back.
 
I've had repair cameras go back and forth from the USA. The US sender needs to write on the customs form that it is a Canadian camera, returning to owner, after repair service. Then there won't be taxes. Also, specify on your senders form that it is a camera going to the USA for service. And be prepared to show that documentation when receiving the camera, to back up the claim that it is a returning camera.
 
To the best of my knowledge, Gerry at Kindermann does not work on digital M's. However, I believe that Kindermann can facilitate the shipment to and from Leica NJ if you wish them to.

On a slightly different note, and not to highjack the thread, but I am very surprised that you would refer to the service at Kindermann as slow. I just had a lens in to Gerry. Turn-around time was about a week (from the time I sent the lens to the time I received it back by mail). And this experience is in keeping with my other experiences with Gerry (CLAs on three cameras and on at least three lenses that I can remember), as well as the experiences that have been reported by others I know who have dealt with Gerry. Apart from the superb service he offers, I would actually say that speed of turn-around is one of the consistent characteristics of Gerry's work.
 
Never had an issue with Gerry's turnaround. He always let me know if he was backlogged.

As for doing the M8, I don't think they do them. I had an M8 "go bad" and they recommended New Jersey.
 
You know it's funny, I've always heard he's very quick and I've had friends who did get their gear back fast. Unfortunately I've never been so lucky. I've waited 2 months for a lens and 3 months for a CLA. Never got a heads up they were backed up or any information on whether or not they were waiting for parts.

I'd still recommend Gerry, but I just can't personally say they've always been fast.
 
I haven't shipped to Leica, but I have had to send cameras for repair. The biggest hassle is actually shipping to the U.S., not getting it back. There's no duty on cameras in Canada anyway, and I haven't had even HST/GST charges where the form clearly indicates repair. I would avoid UPS if you can--I've had blood-pressure raising experiences with them a few times with international shipping. While I wouldn't go to the U.S. just to ship, if I was planning a trip anyway, or had something else to do there, it's worth shipping from there. I used a trip to Cape Cod last summer to finally ship both my OM-1 and T3 for long-needed repairs. Both were returned to me by USPS with no hassle. Of course, both are worth less than the Leica, so I can't advise whether insisting on USPS is a good idea or bad one in your case. You might call Leica and see what your shipping options are.
 
Great news! I shipped my M8 to Leica and after looking at it, they were willing to repair it free of charge. I clearly insisted that it should it should not fail with just 15xx actuations, and was lucky that they helped me out.

I shipped it from New York, via USPS for a total of $33 USD, but insured for the full value of the camera.
 
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