[Leica] M8 Shutter fault - service levels

[cummer at netvigator.com (Howard Cummer)]

Frank,
Schmidt Hong Kong lent me an M8 when my original M8 had the dreaded  
shutter error notice (and Leica Solms gave me a new camera). When  
that replacement developed a pixel line in the CCD 23 days after I  
got it - I took it to Schmidt and was again given a loaner. Schmidt's  
technician hand carried the camera to Solms (he was going on a  
training course), Leica replaced the CCD in the week that he was in  
Germany and he brought the camera back to Hong Kong in his carry on  
luggage. Some complain about how poor Schmidt is as a Leica  
distributor but that has not been my experience. By the way I didn't  
buy the camera in Hong Kong - I bought it from the Leica Shop in  
Vienna - and still I got this level of service. I am not and never  
have been a working pro - but I did invite Schmidt to see my Leica  
pictures at the China Tee Club - and dropped SK Lee's name several  
times (I know that wouldn't help much now). Years ago I had to send  
away an M6 for a service problem and Schmidt lent me another M6 which  
I kept for about 4 months so that seems to be their policy. Perhaps  
this level of service happens to me because I am invariably polite  
(even when seething inside) and the Chinese revere age. Who knows!
Cheers
Howard
(in Hong Kong where his M8 is functioning just fine - touch wood -  
but where he notices how much better the low light high ISO  
performance of the Nikon D300 is - technology is marching on)




> Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 06:41:26 -0800
> From: "Frank Filippone" <red735i@earthlink.net>
> Subject: RE: [Leica] M8 Shutter Fault, Help!
> To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org>
>
> Probably the most interesting part of this story.......
>
> Do ALL USA M8 users get this level of service?  Or is this a  
> special deal
> because Tina is a Pro?  Or complains louder than the rest ( which I  
> do not
> think is true)?  Or has Leica USA gotten better with their service  
> time?
>
> Frank Filippone
> red735i@earthlink.net
>
> Leica has had my M8 for 4 days now and I haven't heard anything from
> them.  They are supposed to send me a loaner if it takes longer  
> than a week.
>
> Tina
>
>