birding-aus

Great Service from Leica - not!

To: Peter Shute <>
Subject: Great Service from Leica - not!
From: Carl Clifford <>
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 17:30:57 +1100
With Leica Camera setting up in Melbourne, perhaps there is a chance that they 
may start doing repairs in-house. Particularly if they start getting enough 
complaints about the current service provider.

Carl Clifford

> On 28 Nov 2013, at 16:10, Peter Shute <> wrote:
> 
> So one person gets a damaged scope repaired quickly for free, another gets 
> the run around with faulty binoculars. What can we conclude? That Leica 
> service is just erratic? Or that it's good for scopes, bad for binoculars?
> 
> How many pairs of Monarchs can you buy for the price of a pair of Leicas?
> 
> Peter Shute
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On 28 Nov 2013, at 3:18 pm, "Jenny Madeline" <> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi everyone
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> My experience has been somewhat different.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> My Leica 8x32 BA binoculars (purchased from the Binocular & Telescope Shop
>> (Bintel) in Sydney in 2001) were sent to the Camera Clinic (via Bintel) on
>> 22 August because of two issues:  the focus mechanism was stiff (the
>> binoculars had been previously been sent to the Leica agent in Melbourne in
>> 2004 and 2010 for this problem to be addressed, but it keeps recurring) and,
>> secondly, there was a shift in dioptre when focusing.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> For the past 3 months there has been an ongoing saga relating to delays in
>> parts arriving from Germany and then the discovery that the wrong parts had
>> been sent (I don't know where the responsibility for this lies).
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> As I understand it, the Camera Clinic has not provided Bintel with any
>> updates on the situation and it is only when Bintel ring them that further
>> information is provided - and not very satisfactory information as you can
>> see.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I imagine that I would have had the binoculars back well before now if they
>> had been sent directly to Germany.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Today, I am told that a shipment of parts is expected by the end of the
>> month (in 2 days time).  It seems that Leica in Germany wait until they have
>> a number of parts to ship, rather than send out individual items.  This
>> practice seems to have been the cause of long delays with respect to my
>> binoculars on at least two occasions.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I am wondering if I should be pressing for a complete replacement of the
>> binoculars as I'm not sure that I can be confident that the repairs will be
>> satisfactory - particularly in relation to the ongoing problem of stiffness
>> in the focussing mechanism.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> It is just as well that I purchased a 2nd pair of binoculars (Nikon
>> Monarchs) a couple of years ago or I would be even more irate than I am.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Jenny Madeline
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 12:34:29 +1100
>> 
>> From: "Allan Benson" <>
>> 
>> To: "Birding-Aus" <>
>> 
>> Cc: 
>> 
>> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Great Service from Leica
>> 
>> Message-ID: <>
>> 
>> Content-Type: text/plain;     charset="US-ASCII"
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Hi All,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> My Leica  Apo Televid 65 Telescope was knocked over when it was on the
>> tripod. It fell onto rocks after a fall of the height of the tripod plus 0.5
>> metre. The  fall smashed the mounting and damaged the eye piece. It was
>> entirely my fault and in no way could be construed as a warranty claim. I
>> could have lived with the damage to the eye piece but the scope was not
>> usable until the mount was respired.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> After a bit of ringing around, I finally found the correct people.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Camera Clinic
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 56 Easey St
>> 
>> Collingwood
>> 
>> (03)34195247.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Camera Clinic provided a very courteous and efficient service. After
>> inspecting the damaged scope,  they informed me it would need to be returned
>> to Germany for repair and  would take 60-90 days.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I had the scope back in about 4 weeks, as good as new and to my very
>> pleasant surprise- no charge. Leicia had repaired the scope as a good will
>> gesture.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> All in all what a great outcome.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> It is an interesting decision-making process buying high end optics.
>> 
>> Considerations include perceived quality( all the high end optics will do a
>> good job ), personal preference, how the optics "feel" and of course price
>> and retailer service. After sales service probably doesn't rate as highly
>> because we all assume  it won't be required but as my experience has
>> demonstrated maybe more weight should be given to this .
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> My experience with both my Leica binoculars and scope have always been
>> extremely positive in terms of quality of the optics etc. This good will
>> gesture from Leica will ensure I stick with them in the future.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Best regards
>> 
>> Allan Benson
>> 
>> 
>> 
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