Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/01/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Austin-- International warranties are honored by Leica USA, but the repair will be done in Germany. Leica USA warranties are honored outside the U.S., but the camera has to be sent to the U.S. for repairs. The Leica USA Passport Protection Plan Warranty is a special warranty paid for by Leica USA, over and above the Leica warranty provided by the factory. It is the equivalent of a special insurance policy that provides extra protection (plus an additional year as well as protection for conditions over and above the usual international warranty coverage) beyond the international warranty. Yes, Leica USA will honor the warranty in the sense that they will take the lens in at the New Jersey Leica USA offices, and then send the lens off to Germany for repair, where the repairs are undertaken and paid for by Leica AG. But they don't do the warranty service in the U.S. for non-U.S. warrantied lenses. I think not enough folks in the U.S. (or outside the U.S.) know about the special protection of the U.S. warranty. Naturally, you won't find Leica dealers outside the U.S. pushing people to buy a U.S. Leica, as it carries a better warranty than the international warranty. Leica USA doesn't "shirk" their responsibility to repair the lens under the non-US warranty; it is my understanding, on information provided me by our representative, that the lens will be forwarded to Germany for the repairs. If you want to know more, you can contact Leica USA for further clarification. Kit - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Austin Franklin Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2003 8:14 PM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: RE: [Leica] Tri Elmar Repair Kit, > Because you bought the lens in Germany, and not in the U.S., your warranty > must be serviced in Germany, rather than by Leica USA. I have a Leica "Warranty Card" in front of me for a 50/1.4 that I purchased NOT in the USA. It is an official Leica warranty card, and it clearly shows in the back of it that in North America, the authorized Leica dealer is Leica Camera Inc., in Northvale, NJ. The conditions listed on the warranty card do not say a thing about having to send the lense to Germany, but say, and I quote "return...to...a Leica Camera Agency" and as I said, the Leica US is a Leica Camera Agency according to the list in the back of the card. They do not say they will then forward it to Germany for the repair. > All non-U.S. > warranties are international warranties, and Leica USA does not honor them They ARE listed an a Leica Camera Agency, how can they NOT honor the warranty? Though I think it's BS, they forward them to Germany you say below...so they do honor them... > (re: pay for repairs). They will forward the camera or lens on to Germany > for you, which will save you shipping costs, but they will not service the > product under the warranty. Hum. The warranty card doesn't say that... Of course, if they are incapable of making the repair, I would then say it would be fine to send it to Germany...but for routine servicing that they are fully capable of, I'd say it's a violation of the warranty for them to not service it. In fact, they go on to say that "Tourists may make user of the Agency of the country in which they are traveling...". So, I would take that to also apply to if I WAS traveling and bought a Leica item, that I could get it serviced here as well. It's weasel words for them to do otherwise. > Conversely, if you bought your lens or camera in the U.S., with a > full Leica > USA Passport Protection Plan warranty, and were outside the U.S. > and needed > a warranty repair, Leica AG (Germany) would be happy to repair the product > for you for a fee, but would not honor the USA warranty. I do not believe that...see above referring to #5 on the "Conditions of the extended Warranty" as included with my lenses. > The USA warranty is the best in the > world. It > is also more comprehensive than a standard international > warranty, covering > accidents like dropped equipment, etc. Yes it is, but that does not shirk them of the responsibility for repairing gear under an International Warranty. Leica sold the gear with a warranty in the first place, and they should honor it under the terms of the warranty they offer. If they want to caveat it to death, then they should say that in the warranty card...but they don't. Damn this BS by the camera companies about warranty repairs really pisses me off. They try to pretend that they aren't the same company...when they clearly are. Austin - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html