Re: [Leica] A Chatterton story

[Thomas Kachadurian <kach@freeway.net>]

Save the few cents it cost you for the phone call, Don did all that he
could to make you whole. You were not satisfied, and you got a complete and
prompt refund. How is that not an example of honesty? 

What more should he have done? Send you his first born?

Tom

At 08:48 PM 3/19/98 -0000, you wrote:
>Jeff,
>
>I have gone from liking him to disliking him in record time.
>The other day I gave Don a free puff on the board and today, I take back
>all those nice comments I made about him.  Maybe I was to hasty in
>believing his promises.
>I purchased from him one of the (5) Black 50mm f2.8 Elmar-M lenses that he
>had advertised for $555 too.
>When the lens arrived, it was defective.  I called Don, explained the
>problem, he said to return the lens for a replacement, no problem.  He
>added that, anyhow, the price was very good.  This comment should have set
>some alarms off at the time but ...
>So I returned the lens with a note (explaining the problem and what he
>agreed to do) just in case he forgot.  And waited for the replacement.  A
>few days later I received a check in the mail for $555 + shipping.  No
>note, no explanation, no nothing.  I called him up to to see what was going
>on.  He said that what I thought was a bubble was actually an oil stain
>that came right off when they cleaned it - that unfortunately these things
>happen at the factory.  As for the small dots inside the lens, they could
>not see them.  They had tested the lens on a collimator and it was perfect
>- and since they considered that there was nothing wrong with it and
>couldn't improve on that particular sample, they had decided to send me my
>money back.  Well I hung up the phone thinking that I had let him get off
>too easy.  He was honest enough to send a check, and he didn't have to
>reimburse me for the shipping charges, but he certainly didn't live up to
>his word.  I seriously doubt that it was an oil stain as he claims ( but
>even if that was true, oil will ruin a lens MC over time) and there were
>indeed fungai spots which I saw with a penlight (probably due to improper
>storage since it left the factory at Solms).
>I have older lenses that are cleaner.   
>Personally I think that Don took the easy way out, he simply didn't want to
>send a replacement.  Now, a few days ago I saw a similar report from
>someone who reported having similar problems with the purchase of a used
>Leica R camera.  Don also changed his mind to his own convinience without
>consulting this fellow, after promising to repair it.  The repair he
>claimed later was too expensive. Hmmm, pattern?
>Personally I will wait for the check to clear and deal with someone else. 
>And I don't know about you but when I buy a lens it's because I need it -
>and time is money, not only for Don.
>
>Regards to all,
>Robert 
>
>