Plainfield Indiana R-D1 Repair - Uh, Oh

E

Edward Felcher

Guest
I've had a lot of experience having R-D1's repaired by Epson in Indiana.

A few weeks ago I had the rangefinder of another one of my in-warranty refurbs go so badly out of alignment I could not adjust it myself.

My past experience was that they were now fixing the cameras rather than replacing them.

I sent my pristine, late serial number R-D1 via FedEx to Plainfield, Indiana, expecting them to fix it.

Two weeks later, I got back a camera that clearly was not mine, even though they had swapped the flash shoe to keep the same serial number.

The one they returned was pretty beat up, scratches, many signs of wear, and the original version firmware, not the the Version 2.0 upgraded camera that I had sent them.

By the numbering on the image files it had thousands more actuations then the one I sent.

However, the alignment on this one is dead-on perfect, after testing with several lenses and upgrading firmware again.

I guess I can't complain, but it appears they are replacing, not repairing R-D1's again.
 
May I ask how on earth does one get the phone number to this mythical Epson place where they fix or replace the R-D1s? I've tried for so long to get ANY Epson person to talk to me, I am too tired to tell the story...
 
Just curious--does the warranty allow them or replace (w/ an inferior item) or repair at their option.....or do you need a "Philadelphia lawyer" to figure out what the warranty says?

For awhile I toyed (pun intended) w/ the idea of buying one, but dropped it. I can only imagine in my worst nightmares the service (or lack of it) I'd get on one in Korea if everywhere else in the world it's that bad.
 
This is the direct number to Indiana for R-D1 support. DON'T use their 800 numbers, etc, nobody will know what you're talking about:

562-276-4315
 
Maybe the one you sent in was non-repairable for some reason (e.g. damaged main casting)...?

If that were the case, I'd still want to know up front. Have you tried asking them flat-out whether this is a replacement camera?

If someone is planning to send in an R-D 1 to Indiana, it might be interesting to do an experiment such as peeling back the rubber covering and putting a mark (such as a dot of paint) on the main casting. Take a picture of the mark before you send off the camera. Then, if you think you got a different camera back, you could check the mark, and if missing, ask Epson what happened.
 
Just FYI - If anybody else doesn't want to go through this, and your only issue is the rangefinder alignment on your R-D1, send it to DAG. A friend of mine sent his and had it back in under two weeks.

Forgot how much it was, but it was worth it for the peace of mind and a job well done.
 
One of my RD1's is still under warranty, but if it were to die I wasn't planning on sending it to Epson. But then I'm only a few miles from Steve's Camera so getting it serviced isn't much of an ordeal.

It's too bad Epson won't work with these excellent 3rd party repair people. It'd be less headache for them and for us...

j
 
1) The camera I got back was definitely not the one I sent them.

2) There was no main casing damage or anything other than the rangefinder.

3) My experience is you can't get a coherent answer from anyone there. Nobody really seems to know what has been fixed, whether it has been replaced, etc. The people you talk to just look at a computer screen with in and out dates, no tech info.
 
My refurb so far has been perfect, and it was a late# and looked like it'd never been used when I got it. I've made up my mind that the only way I'll send it to Epson is if the electronics die. Otherwise I'd have DAG or Steve Choi do repairs on the mechanicals.
 
Edward Felcher said:
This is the direct number to Indiana for R-D1 support. DON'T use their 800 numbers, etc, nobody will know what you're talking about: 562-276-4315
Click to expand...
Thanks a bunch!
 
Greetings,

I saw your thread and was curious about it since I live in central Indiana. In fact I live about 30 miles east of Plainfield. The telephone area code for central Indiana is 317. The 562 area code that is listed is for Long Beach, California. Are you sure you sent the camera to Plainfield? If you did in fact send it to Plainfield, Indiana then I wonder why they would give you a phone number to Long Beach to call. Sure is strange!

Regards,
Tom Harrell
 
Tom, i live in Anderson and wondered the same thing when i saw the area code. Fletcher, do you have the address? Tom or i might make a trip out there to scope out the place. Nothing like laying your eyes on a business to see what the heck is going on.
Steve
 
It's 2350 E. Stafford Road - on an industrial estate?

I'd be interested in the phone No. too - the Plainfield one I had on my R-D1 website was apparently wrong, so I've added the Long Beach one temporarily (at least it works).

I have tried googling "Epson Stafford Road" but couldn't find a phone other than the non-working one...
 
I drove out to the purported repair facility after dropping by Customs at the Indpls Airport to register my gear for a Europe trip next month. What I found is huge warehouses for PepBoys, Dick's Sporting goods, etc. but no Epson repair site. Now, i did see a small sign on the road advertising for help for Repair Technicians for a 'Bell Labs' with a phone # on it. I could see nowhere where there could be an Epson repair site. Disappointed to say the least.
Steve
 
Yeah, but this type of flexible-use commercial space is exactly where you'd expect to find an industrial repair facility. And since Epson deliberately discourages direct contact with their repair facility, let alone walk-in traffic, they're not likely to put up a sign.

Meanwhile... It may be for a completely unrelated operation, but I double-dog-dare ya to call that phone number, tell them you're a repair technician experienced on several varieties of precision work, and ask what type of equipment their openings involve...
 
Ah ha! i don't think I could even come close to passing myself as a repair tech. I do 'repairs' on people. Not much overlap there! And, yes, you could hide a dozen repair facilities in those huge 1/4 square mile buildings!
It was fun doing a litlle detective work tho. Wife thought I was nuts. She's right! As a result it took us 2 hours to get home due to rush hour traffic. It's usually a 1 hour trip home. But my nibbing around delayed us until the trafiic peaked! i hate that!
Steve
 
Last edited:
Well if anyone was driving in that area yesterday, it was a freakin' zoo! I know cuz I almost got stuck in race traffic, but managed to get onto 465 instead. But I digress.

If you do a Google map on the address, the result identifies the address as Epson America with a local number of (317) 839-4694. I dialed that number and got a voicemail/answering machine greeting state that "Ralph and Linda are unable to come to the phone at this time, so that information may not be accurate.

My guess is that the 562-276 number (for which I think MCI is the carrier) is either being forwarded to to 317-839-4694 and "Ralph & Linda" are subcontractors for Epson, or the 317-839 number is incorrect.

The other option is tha tthe 562-276 number is bound to an IP phone that is physically installed in Plainfield, which of course is a violation of E911 regulations.

Earl
 
I also called that phone number that the google map gave as being for Epson America. A fellow answered with, "Ugh, hello." I asked, "Hello, is this Epson?" Fellow replied, "No, it's not."

Michael
 
When you dial the "562" number they answer "Epson R-D1 technical support".

I definitely shipped to Indiana.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom