Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/25

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Demo or Repaired Leica ??
From: "Robert G. Stevens" <robsteve@istar.ca>
Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 14:13:29 -0300

Lucien:

I think there may be different levels of distributors for Cameras in
different countries.  The distributor is supposed to deal with repairs as
part of their pricing from the manufacturer.  For example Leica USA may pay
$800 per R8, but have to take the good with the bad, while a smaller
distributor is say Australia may pay $1,000 for the R8 but get repair and
support from Leica.  Thus Leica USA is probably stuck with any cameras that
they decide to replace rather than repair.

This is how I had it explained to me by an owner of a Camera store that has
been in the business for over fourty years.  His example was for Canon and
Pentax, and explaining why their is different warranties between Canadian
and US distributed cameras.  That is why Canon Canada does not like to
honor claims on US purchased cameras.  The national distributor is
reponsible for the repair and claims for product they distribute and this
is factored into what they pay for the product.

As for Leica Canada, I have bought some Demo's from them including a 400
2.8 and both the 1.4 and 2x APO extenders.  These items were all actually
demos used for shows at dealers and in like new shape.

As for Canon, their demos are usually the ones the sales reps put in the
dealers and loan out and can be pretty worn looking.  They also sell off
their rentals, which can look really terrible, particularily the long
lenses.  

I guess if Leica USA calls them demo, as other manufactures do, you should
just consider them used.


Regards,

Robert

At 06:28 PM 5/25/99 +0200, you wrote:
>
>
>Harrison McClary wrote:
>> 
>> IMHO labeling a defective camera that has been "repaired" as DEMO is
>> unethical, may not be illegal, but it left a very bad impression of Leica
>> with me.
>
>Harrison,
>
>Is this a Leica USA or Leica Solms politic ?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Lucien
>
>
>
>