Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/07/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi All! As I wrote in a previous post, my Leica M6 TTL camera body died after only 3 months of moderate use. I mailed it to Leica in NJ last week. I called them on Monday to find out if they had received my precious camera. The woman who answered the phone at Customer Service sounded very bored, and turned out to be somewhat rude and unhelpful. She said she was still processing Friday's mail, and that I should call them a few days later. I was unhappy with this exchange, expecting better treatment from the purveyors of a fine camera like Leica! So I called her back a few minutes later to ask if there was a list or log book or computer record that she could check to see if my camera had already arrived there. Her reply was the same as before. During this phone conversation, I was already mentally composing a letter to the Leica CEO to complain about the behavior of the Leica customer service people! I was already very unhappy at having a brand new $2000 camera die on me in the middle of a roll! So, to make a long story short, just when I was about to put all of this down on paper, the same woman from Leica in NJ called me at home to say that they had indeed received my camera on Friday. It would be at least a week before anyone could take a look at it. Then they would notify me in writing what repairs would need to be done and when I could expect it back. Since the camera was covered by the 3-year Passport warranty, I was not too concerned about repair expenses, but I do want my Leica back ASAP. On a much happier note, I can report that on the same day, I received in the mail a replacement lens hood cap for my 35mm Summicron-M ASPH lens, sent GRATIS by Leica USA! I had written them a letter last month complaining about how loose and fiddly that piece of plastic was, and how I had lost it somewhere in Yellowstone National Park. They said in their letter that lens caps were not covered by the Passport warranty, but since mine had been loose fitting from the beginning, they were happy to replace it free of charge. I am sorry about this long post, but my experience with Leica USA so far has left a bitter-sweet taste in my mouth! I am so impressed with the quality of the Leica lenses that I would never go back to Nikon or Canon. But I would like the cameras and lenses to be better built, considering how much more expensive they are relative to their competitors. I will keep you posted on how long it takes Leica USA to fix my broken M6 TTL. Muhammad R.K. Chishty, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Finance Graham School of Management Saint Xavier University 3700 West 103rd Street Chicago, IL 60655, USA