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Leica repairs for secondhand owners in the UK? (1 Viewer)

B

Boogieshrew

Well-known member
Hi,

can anyone tell me what Leica are like for repairing bins for secondhand owners in the UK, please.

I have a feeling that I have heard or read somewhere that they can be expensive and slow to get things done but I can't remember where I got that idea from.

I am looking for secondhand bins and future repair service is an area worth considering when deciding what to buy.

Thanks
 
I have a 35 year old Leitz 10x40 BA Trinovid that needed cleaning and the eye cups replacing.
The prisms had become increasingly tarnished over the years and the image was dull.
My local Leica dealer here in Auckland, New Zealand quoted me the equivalent of 500 GBP to send them to Leica in Germany for repairing. Needless to say I declined.
After some 'Googling' in the end I sent them to the UK to 'Optrep' in Sussex.
They cleaned, re-collimated and replaced the eye cups [not original but still a perfect fit] for $135 GPB.
Tony the Technical Director was most helpful.
They returned as new binoculars. They are one of my used binoculars today.
Optrep are highly recommended.

Chris
 
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There is no service department in the UK so they will have to be sent to Germany. Prices for repairs seem to vary, from free, to silly money! Good luck.
 
I inquired about this several years ago to Leica USA for my Leitz 7 x 42. They estimated the cost would be $250.00 and advised that they no longer had parts for them. They were not (and still are not) in bad shape so I decided against it. I was able to pick up new eye cups for them from a dealer for $25.00.

Bob
 
Boogieshrew,

In 2008, Leica began its "Sport Optics Goodwill Service," presumably to become more in line with its competitors' policies. You can read about the policy change in this brochure (page 8):

http://issuu.com/interwritelearning/docs/leica-field-sports_eng

I no longer see this policy mentioned on Leica's Website, and it's also missing on Optics Planet's Leica warranty information (see link below).

http://www.opticsplanet.com/leica-passport-warranty.html

I guess they they either ran out of Goodwill or they are issuing their Goodwill policy through some sort of lottery system, because you hear one bad story, then you heard a good one. No consistency. That's what's kept me from buying a second hand Leica myself, because the repair cost might be equal to what I paid, and if I had that kind of money, I would have bought a new one to begin with.

Then they dropped their warranty from Passport Lifetime to 10 years, customers protested and threatened to stop buying Leicas so they brought back the lifetime warranty.

Here's a happy story about a Goodwill repair from 2010:
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/3810919/My_Leica_customer_service_expe

My take with second hand Leicas: "Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances."

Boogieman
 
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"Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances."

Seems to sum it up Brocknroll Boogieman.

Since starting this thread I have overheard a sales assistant telling someone they would not buy Leica because of their expensive and very slow repairs service. They said this was caused by Leica falling out with their parts supplier.

I have come to the conclusion that nobody beats Swaro for their follow up service. Except maybe Opticron.
 
Boogie,

As far as I know all repairs of Leica products in Europe are done at their CS in Germany which I visited recently to get a repair training for optics because of our Second Life Optics program they sponsor.
So from close I whitnessed how their repairs are done.

To be frank they don't work commercially, but repair with an act of love you would expect before World War II. Not only the defect will be repaired, but the total product is examined and they take the time for it, resulting in a waitinglist but every repaired piece of optic is in new state when it leaves CS Leica. But this attitude has a backside and that is the price ticket on the repair.
I've visited the plants of Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski and at Zeiss you feel the superiority, at Leica's it's the family feeling and with Swarovski everything is smooth and professional to the smallest detail.
Jan.
 
Ha, gotta disagree with regards to Leica's caring policy. The coating has come off of my APO-77 both on the objective lens and the eyepiece yet Leica won't repair it unless I pay a small fortune (£140 for the eyepiece alone) - even though they have admitted that the flourite coating on early models was suspect and prone to 'peeling'. A company should rectify their own design flaws no matter how old the optics are. Would never buy Leica again because of this attitude
 
Adam,
First of all I don't have stocks in leica so I can only speak for what I have seen.

You're absolutely right in your conclusion. I would have done the same. Commercially wise Leica's aftersales are an nightmare. Look at how Brock describes it. He analizes it to the bone. But the guys on the workfloor have to work with the material they got.

Your Leica is not made by them but by Meopta where the Zeiss scopes also were built.
Leica and Meopta didn't split like friends when Leica decided to built their new scopes in their factory in Portugal instead of in Tsjechië.

You are right that the new coating costs a fortune and Leica should have, IMHO, treaten your complain as an warranty issue, but when the work of Meopta has to been done all over again (and complaining at Meopta is out of order) there is a pricetag on it.
I think this is the real reason of it. And the customer walks away!!
I think their is only one company who understands this fully.

I won't call their name because Brock will hunt me down!!!!

Jan
 
I wish this level of care was seen in the quality of the repaired article but 12 months ago my 6 month old Ultravid HD's went to Leica because of a speck in the field of view. They came back with specks in the other barrel which could be seen without any effort whatsoever. I sent them back again and they came back with another speck visible in the original barrel, plus the rubber armouring was loose and had been stretched. I have glued the armour down and since I dropped them the speck has now gone but no doubt will be back one day.
By bins have been through QC 3 times and should have failed 3 times.
jan van daalen said:
Boogie,

As far as I know all repairs of Leica products in Europe are done at their CS in Germany which I visited recently to get a repair training for optics because of our Second Life Optics program they sponsor.
So from close I whitnessed how their repairs are done.

To be frank they don't work commercially, but repair with an act of love you would expect before World War II. Not only the defect will be repaired, but the total product is examined and they take the time for it, resulting in a waitinglist but every repaired piece of optic is in new state when it leaves CS Leica. But this attitude has a backside and that is the price ticket on the repair.
I've visited the plants of Zeiss, Leica and Swarovski and at Zeiss you feel the superiority, at Leica's it's the family feeling and with Swarovski everything is smooth and professional to the smallest detail.
Jan.
Click to expand...
 
mosschops said:
I wish this level of care was seen in the quality of the repaired article but 12 months ago my 6 month old Ultravid HD's went to Leica because of a speck in the field of view. They came back with specks in the other barrel which could be seen without any effort whatsoever. I sent them back again and they came back with another speck visible in the original barrel, plus the rubber armouring was loose and had been stretched. I have glued the armour down and since I dropped them the speck has now gone but no doubt will be back one day.
By bins have been through QC 3 times and should have failed 3 times.
Click to expand...

Yes, it does start with an "N" - another Leica "nightmare". ;) As Leica nightmares go, this wasn't a paranormal one, only specks, and we know how to get rid of them - drop your binoculars! But I understand your frustration at getting a bin back with the same problem, and even worse -- specks in the other barrel where there were no specks before.

Wuz up with the Ultravid speck pandemic? It's the most common complaint I've read about Ultravids besides "stiff" focusers. What are these specks? Has anyone identified what the specks are made of and where they are coming from -- an external source or pieces of some material (flocking?) flaking off into the bin?

Despite what we've heard about the L-company's desire to turn about its rep in this area, it still ranks at the bottom of the alpha list when it comes to QC manufacturing and repairs. I continue to see good deals on Leicas such as a refurb 7x42 Ultravid for $1,000, but in back of my mind is always -- what will be my total cost with repairs?

Since their "goodwill" is at the company's discretion, there's no way to know if the repairs will be covered, and I might get specks in the tubes to boot! Since the L-company has violated the Alpha Ordnung -- high price means excellent customer service -- I will continue to shun them and subject their optics to the Bann.

<B>
 
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I have heard a bit more about why Leica is poor at repairs.

I wrote above that they have fallen out with a business partner. Well, I can add a bit more info to that. I can't swear that it is true but it's what I have been told.

Leica bins were made (and also repaired) by Meopta. Leica designed and Meopta manufactured. The two companies have fallen out over money so now Leica cannot obtain parts for repairs. That is why Leica's repair service is hit and miss.

Apparently, if you send your bins in for repair or service, it's a lottery whether you will get a free/cheap repair or an expensive repair. I assume, if they have parts in stock you get a free or cheap repair, if they have to obtain parts you get an expensive repair because L have to buy parts from M who probably make L pay through the nose for them.

Any one heard anything like this?
 
As far as I know it, Leica only outsourced the previous model scope to Meopta, just like Zeiss did. They never outsourced binoculars. These are made in Solms or in Portugal where they have a modern facility, something of which I witnessed personally.

There is indeed sometimes a problem with repairs involving stock. If this is the key factor on repaircosts is unlikely to MHO. Maybe someone else can put some light to this.

Jan
 
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