RE: [Leica] New Items on E-Bay

[Tom.Henson@bakerbotts.com]

Seth,

I agree that having a personal relationship with the store you're buying
from can really help in a pinch.

I had the unpleasant experience of having purchased a new R8 and 100 f/2.8
APO rom from a big camera store in L.A. and then found out about two months
after using the R8 that the serial number on the camera did not match that
on the box, and worse yet, it did not match that on the passport warranty
card that I had sent in and registered.

The lens also had problems and had to be sent to Leica USA under warranty.
They in turn sent it to Germany since they can't work on APO lenses.

When I called the salesman at the store he was quite embarressed about this.
He did some research and then called me back later that day and apologized
all over the place. Seems that someone in the store had shown two R8's to an
in store customer and then mixed up the boxes and cameras. It was a mess.
Leica registration even got involved to try and straighten out the
registration mess since the other camera had been sold also.

I asked salesman if they would allow me to pull a new one directly from
Leica USA stock with the serial # of my choice and he said he would call
them.

I sent the now used camera back to them, contacted Brenda Olesin at Leica
USA and they shipped directly to me a brand new high serial # R8 from their
stock.

When the 100 f/2.8 APO lens finally came back to me, it was not to my
satisfaction, so I contacted Bredna Olesin again about it.

She talked with the vice president and got permission to take it back from
me for the full retail price that I had paid for it, then issued a credit
back to the store I bought it from.

I then turned around and had that same store ship me directly from Leica USA
and brand new R6.2 from their stock with a high serial #.

The balance I simply got as a store credit that I used for other things.

If it wan't for the store willing to go the extra mile, and Brenda Olesin at
Leica willing to really help me out I don't know where I would be.

You can't get that kind of service from an auction place.

But then, my circumstances were really quite unusual to say the least.

Tom Henson


Seth said: << My thing, Marc; when I buy new, I want a factory warranty and
a good merchant 
who will stand behind the product. I'm not interested in bargaining for the 
last dollar. I know the good store usually can't compete on price with a 
discounter, let alone an auction site. But on a new item, I can't go back to

an auction site. And I want to let the good dealer make enough to be there 
for me to trade with for a long time. 

Years ago I bought a new Leitz lens from just such a solid Leica dealer,
took 
it to Marty Forscher at Professional Camera Repair in NYC to check out.
Marty 
said "the lens is a very good specimen, within spec, but with your contacts 
at Leitz NY I think you can get a 'better' one". Took it back to the dealer 
who sent it back to Hudson Street (that's how long ago it was) and Vince 
Fochtman hand-picked a fabulous specimen for me. Still have it. You can't do

that with the big discounters or with a website.   >>

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