Lukewarm service from Leica NJ

[Calzone]

I'm cheap so I've not had the watch serviced as often as I should over its life. My best friend and I each bought our Rolex GMT Masters as gifts to ourselves when we earned our Navy Wings of Gold. I still have the receipt and we paid a little over $800. The watch today sells new for over $8k. I expect to pay $800 or so for the service and know the watch on return will be like new.

Btw, my Leica M-E (that I bought new 3 years ago) has been to NJ twice for sensor replacement. A few months after purchasing the camera it developed issues and it took about 6 weeks. And then this last time I waited till the newest sensor was available before I sent it in for repair. Now that took a bit longer but I was able to talk NJ into a M240 loaner. I was also offered the opportunity to upgrade to the newer CMOS Ms but declined as I prefer my CCD M.

Duane,

I vaguely remember when you posted about your options. Glad to hear that your patience paid off.

It does seem like $800 is around the going rate for a luxury watch repair. My Panerai GMT 8-day is a manual wind watch. It kept remarkable time for the first 2 years, within a second or two within a month. It featured an in house movement, but it sometimes would loose a lot of time after those initial two years. I suspect the watch would stop. Basically a rather complicated three barrel design to store so much energy. Although an 8-day it really could store 10 days worth of energy and keep within a second or two a month.

So imagine a big Paneria on a skinny Asian wrist.

Anyways I used zero APR offers that extended to two years to buy my watches, and also two Cartiers for my gal. It was a deal of a lifetime that made it easy.

Thank you for your service. I worked at Grumman for 17 years, and even though I was not in the military, vets surely helped me become a man, taught me a lot, and were a great influence.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I completely get the Leica thing and would hand over my $8K for the right one. But watches?! They sure don't do much.

I was so happy when mobile phones arrived and eliminated the need to wear one.

John

John,

I don't have much use for a cell phone, let alone a smart phone. For me the world would be a better place without them.

Mostly sentimental value. My dad was poor and illiterate, but my sister took him to Hong Kong when he was about 70 and he came back with a Rolex. This was a man who worked tirelessly his whole life, he brought up 5 children, somehow was able to buy a house pay it off, and only owned one brand new car his whole life.

Anyways I was my dad's caretaker for a while, and I kinda later learned that I was likely my dad's favorite, even though I wasn't the oldest, because I was a hell raiser and angry kid, and I guess parents inadvertantly love the most the kid they should really hate. I was an aweful kid.

Anyways when my dad passed my oldest brother kinda took all my dad's belongings. My dad had signed over the house to me, but I sold it to my brother so my dad had the money. The one thing I wanted was his Rolex.

Cal

 

[brennanphotoguy]

Having sentimental value tied up in objects like this make them lose their monetary value for me because I know that I'd never sell them so I don't even think about it. That's where my M3, IIIg and Rollei came from. They will always remain a constant for me. On top of that we have my grandfather's WWII issue 1911 in OG WWI spec which is supposed to make it extremely valuable also a .45 1911 Gold Cup and .38 1911 Gold Cup Mid-Range gun. I shot a box of ammo through each of them the last time I was home. I think it makes the experience even more cool using things that have historical or immense sentimental value.

 

[Huss]

The fact that this thread has strayed to talking about fancy watches shows exactly what the problem is. Digital Leicas are seen as fancy baubles by the majority of their owners and so they have no problem with the wait time.
If the majority of owners saw them as cameras, things would change with the way Leica services them.

Guess what? A Nikon D5 costs $6000. Do users of the D5 expect a 6 month turn around for service because it cost $6000 like some Leica owners here do? And apparently are proud of? NO! They get it back in 3-7 days. And get back to work taking photos.

 

[brennanphotoguy]

I'm pretty sure it strayed because everyone was more or less in agreement that the wait time shouldn't take that much time and there isn't an excuse.

 

[Calzone]

Having sentimental value tied up in objects like this make them lose their monetary value for me because I know that I'd never sell them so I don't even think about it. That's where my M3, IIIg and Rollei came from. They will always remain a constant for me. On top of that we have my grandfather's WWII issue 1911 in OG WWI spec which is supposed to make it extremely valuable also a .45 1911 Gold Cup and .38 1911 Gold Cup Mid-Range gun. I shot a box of ammo through each of them the last time I was home. I think it makes the experience even more cool using things that have historical or immense sentimental value.

Brennan,

Some very cool treasures.

Read the book "Cold Mountain." A gun called a LaMatt has an interesting history and is key to the story. Great southern story telling.

History surely is important.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I'm pretty sure it strayed because everyone was more or less in agreement that the wait time shouldn't take that much time and there isn't an excuse.

I agree.

But some interesting stuff came out.

Perhaps because I have so much fancy babbles as Huss says, I kinda know that I likely have more than my fair share. I really have little to complain about. I know I am a very lucky guy.

Cal

 

[______]

Guess what? A Nikon D5 costs $6000. Do users of the D5 expect a 6 month turn around for service because it cost $6000 like some Leica owners here do? And apparently are proud of? NO! They get it back in 3-7 days. And get back to work taking photos.

The obviously don't understand the culture.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

The fact that this thread has strayed to talking about fancy watches shows exactly what the problem is. Digital Leicas are seen as fancy baubles by the majority of their owners and so they have no problem with the wait time.
If the majority of owners saw them as cameras, things would change with the way Leica services them.

Guess what? A Nikon D5 costs $6000. Do users of the D5 expect a 6 month turn around for service because it cost $6000 like some Leica owners here do? And apparently are proud of? NO! They get it back in 3-7 days. And get back to work taking photos.

Those who owns 6 K$ Leica and Nikon or even Canon to use as cameras to generate income or at least some regular recognition usually have backup camera.
For them it is not how long the service will take, but how long it is to reach for another camera and not miss the shot on very same day and location.

But if you own 6 K$ camera and no backup it is same as owning jewelry, which were compared to luxury watches here.
IMO.

 

[Calzone]

Those who owns 6 K$ Leica and Nikon or even Canon to use as cameras to generate income or at least some regular recognition usually have backup camera.
For them it is not how long the service will take, but how long it is to reach for another camera and not miss the shot on very same day and location.

But if you own 6 K$ camera and no backup it is same as owning jewelry, which were compared to luxury watches here.
IMO.

I kinda phased in the purchase of a SL to cover the absence of my Monochrom. I have sporatic income from photography, but I need a digital for my gal's blog. In a way the sporatic income covers the cost of the SL.

Of course I still have mucho film cameras. I find what you say is true. I'm not in a crisis, but cameras surely are important to me.

Cal

 

[x-ray]

The fact that this thread has strayed to talking about fancy watches shows exactly what the problem is. Digital Leicas are seen as fancy baubles by the majority of their owners and so they have no problem with the wait time.
If the majority of owners saw them as cameras, things would change with the way Leica services them.

Guess what? A Nikon D5 costs $6000. Do users of the D5 expect a 6 month turn around for service because it cost $6000 like some Leica owners here do? And apparently are proud of? NO! They get it back in 3-7 days. And get back to work taking photos.

The majority of Leica owners are amateurs that don't make a living with them. If they did ti would be a totally different thing too. This is why I'll not be buying another new Leica product and especially a digital one.

+1 for me.

 

[jaapv]

Guess what? A Nikon D5 costs $6000. Do users of the D5 expect a 6 month turn around for service because it cost $6000 like some Leica owners here do? And apparently are proud of? NO! They get it back in 3-7 days. And get back to work taking photos.

Like registered professionals with Leica do....🙄
Leica can be pretty good at such things. I'm not a professional, but when my M9 sensor died a week before I was off to Afrika for a month they had a loaner, brand new, in my hands within a few days.

 

[Huss]

Like registered professionals with Leica do....🙄
Leica can be pretty good at such things. I'm not a professional, but when my M9 sensor died a week before I was off to Afrika for a month they had a loaner, brand new, in my hands within a few days.

And they can be pretty lousy at such things too. When my M-E broke after only 3 months of use, Leica USA denied they had a loaner program, and offered me nothing.

The Leica Professional Business Unit was launched only three months ago, and does not cover the M series.

"The Professional Business Unit combines marketing and sales activities in the B2B sector. This includes the Leica S medium format system, the mirrorless Leica SL-System and the entire product portfolio of the Leica Camera AG subsidiary, Sinar Photography. Sinar Photography AG is the leading manufacturer of view cameras and offers complete digital solutions comprising cameras, lenses, digital backs and shutter systems to professional workflow software."

So.. back to square one. Lousy service for the vast majority of their customers. Want decent service? Step up to a Leica S/SL series camera or use Nikon/Canon.

 

[Stephen G]

There's quite a thread on another forum about Leica (lack of) Service
http://www.getdpi.com/forum/leica/59271-leica-service-4.html

Quite disappointing.

 

[Huss]

There's quite a thread on another forum about Leica (lack of) Service
http://www.getdpi.com/forum/leica/59271-leica-service-4.html

Quite disappointing.

Maybe someone should post on that thread and tell them to just register with the professional service..
🙄

(being sarcastic in case the internet doesn't pick up on that)

 

[jaapv]

If you read the thread on LUF you find that there are professionals on that thread reporting that the service works just fine. There is even one post detailing how to register. It also shows that experiences vary greatly, and that the problems are mainly with Leica USA.

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/264856-leica-repair-wait-times/

 

[LChanyungco]

g.a.s. cured.

Yeah, none of the well known techs work on them due to the electronics from what I'm told.

 

[jaapv]

Hasselblad is a small company. Phase One is a small company. Both of these have fabulous post-purchase customer support. Leica is a large company (though not as large as others) who's users keep calling small to justify very poor service and support.

Really? Hasselblad is a subdivision of Shriro, a worldwide company with 3500 employees.

Both Phase One and Hasselblad are owned by Silverfleet Equity. Not the same as Leica... 1500 employees worldwide.

 

[Michael Markey]

It also shows that experiences vary greatly, and that the problems are mainly with Leica USA.

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/264856-leica-repair-wait-times/

In that case why aren`t these problems being addressed.

This thread has been a constant for some time with enough dissatisfied customers to suggest that Leica USA has an issue.

It doesn`t really matter how large or small the company is.
Nobody is interested in excuses they need to start coming up with a solution.

 

[robert blu]

The main question is not if Leica is a small or large company but if a few month waiting fora repair of a 6/7 K EUR tool in "normal" or not for photographers.

As I already wrote Leica invested a lot of money in shops and boutiques and not much in developing a better customer service. But the management is not stupid, company was almost bankrupt a few years ago and now makes profit.

So it is a deliberate option they selected and as it seems it pays back the company.

And as far for a loaner service it is something a little bit, opps very foggy, no mention in Leica web site, no mention even in the Leica shops. Maybe it's just reserved to customer who bought more than xx K EUR and have special personal relationship within Leica.

But all of this is a well known things and it's up to us to decide if buy or not, no one is forced...

robert