Dreadful customer service (1 Viewer)

iraqbabbler · Dec 17, 2013

I have a pair of Leica Ultravids 10x50 and I've never been very happy with them, in the sense they're really prone to fogging, the coating stains the external glass elements and the focus ring is either too stiff (when I originally bought them) or too loose (after a warranty service).

I travel a lot and now I find myself in the situation of needing to send them in for warranty repairs but I don't know where to send them !. I'm in the US at the moment, so I contacted their New Jersey office and I got a rude lady on the phone who tried her best to shirk their responsibility by asking me to write a detailed letter, providing the original purchase receipt and saying that it would take more than a couple of months to get anything done with them !!.

My bins are still well within their warranty span, were bought from a reputable dealer and I forked out the money at the time thinking that Leica look after their customers.

I'm truly sorry that I bought Leica, and by the way even previous warranty repairs were just as awkward with Leica.

So I'm just wondering if I'm better off contacting their head office in Germany, or does anyone know of a regional office that is more customer friendly then their US one ?

Clive A · Dec 17, 2013

iraqbabbler said:
I have a pair of Leica Ultravids 10x50 and I've never been very happy with them, in the sense they're really prone to fogging, the coating stains the external glass elements and the focus ring is either too stiff (when I originally bought them) or too loose (after a warranty service).

I travel a lot and now I find myself in the situation of needing to send them in for warranty repairs but I don't know where to send them !. I'm in the US at the moment, so I contacted their New Jersey office and I got a rude lady on the phone who tried her best to shirk their responsibility by asking me to write a detailed letter, providing the original purchase receipt and saying that it would take more than a couple of months to get anything done with them !!.

My bins are still well within their warranty span, were bought from a reputable dealer and I forked out the money at the time thinking that Leica look after their customers.

I'm truly sorry that I bought Leica, and by the way even previous warranty repairs were just as awkward with Leica.

So I'm just wondering if I'm better off contacting their head office in Germany, or does anyone know of a regional office that is more customer friendly then their US one ?

In my experience, definitely contact Germany, Andrea Frankl was most helpful for me.

Jon Turner · Dec 17, 2013

Hmmm, I visited the Leica stand at the Birdfair, with a pair of old Trinovids. They were cleaned (thanks) and then I was promised that they would find out whether the repair they needed could be done. (both strap attachments have broken off) but I'm still waiting to be contacted, it's only 4 months, yawn. Glad I bought the Swaro's....

CSG · Dec 18, 2013

It's a shame we rarely hear of good experiences with Leica CS on this forum. Swaro and Zeiss seem to be far and away better. It's one of the main things that keeps me from seriously looking at Leica products any more.

chris butterworth · Dec 18, 2013

From the various posts I've read on here it does seem that Leica really need to take a long, hard look at customer service in North America. I sent my extremely well (hard) used 20+year old 8x42BA's off for recollimation and servicing at the beginning of last month and I've just got them back. Not only were all the jobs required done but they even put a new 'red dot' and size/model plate on (the old ones having fallen off years ago) all at a price that, for what are basically a new pair of bins, was like getting an early Xmas present. I'd get in touch with Germany and let them sort it out.

Chris

dalat · Dec 18, 2013

chris butterworth said:
all at a price that, for what are basically a new pair of bins, was like getting an early Xmas present.

Well, I think it also much depends of attitudes and expectations of people. You are very happy, others would be complaining that they had to pay anything at all.

Sc0tty · Dec 18, 2013

Jon Turner said:
Hmmm, I visited the Leica stand at the Birdfair, with a pair of old Trinovids. They were cleaned (thanks) and then I was promised that they would find out whether the repair they needed could be done. (both strap attachments have broken off) but I'm still waiting to be contacted, it's only 4 months, yawn. Glad I bought the Swaro's....

So I'm not alone. I also took my old trinovids to the Birdfair. Someone at the Leica stand took my details and said they would post me a prepaid address label so I could return my bins for repair. Likewise, I've not heard a thing.

chris butterworth · Dec 18, 2013

dalat said:
Well, I think it also much depends of attitudes and expectations of people. You are very happy, others would be complaining that they had to pay anything at all.

After 20+ years constant, and I mean daily, for the whole time I've owned them, usage and considering the amount of work needed? Anyone that would jib at paying a, frankly, minimal amount needs to ask if they would have done the work for free.

Chris

Sancho · Dec 18, 2013

Leica Germany serviced a pair of Ultravid 8x20 for me earlier in the year, it wasn´t a warranty issue, but I wasn´t charged and they sent them back within 3 weeks. Top marks.

jgraider · Dec 19, 2013

Leica USA is a joke. They need to stick to making cameras and leaving the sport optics business and service to the companies that know what they're doing. Leica isn't even in our discussions when buying new optics anymore.

brocknroller · Dec 20, 2013

Sancho said:
Leica Germany serviced a pair of Ultravid 8x20 for me earlier in the year, it wasn´t a warranty issue, but I wasn´t charged and they sent them back within 3 weeks. Top marks.

Speaking of jokes... You got a freebie because the 8x20s are so tiny, they have elves working on them, and elves will work for milk and cookies. Leprechauns, OTOH, are gold diggers.

<B>

St. Elmo · Dec 20, 2013

I liked my Ultravid very much.
I had it serviced by Leica.
I was left with the feeling they were not only careless and incompetent, but supremely arrogant.
No one gets away with that at those prices.
Bye-bye Ultravid, hello Victory FL.

pimpelmees · Dec 20, 2013

St. Elmo said:
I liked my Ultravid very much.
I had it serviced by Leica.
I was left with the feeling they were not only careless and incompetent, but supremely arrogant.
No one gets away with that at those prices.
Bye-bye Ultravid, hello Victory FL.

warning: zeiss is not mutch better !!! After a lot of bad stories i've heard before , now a friend had dust in the eyepiece from a diascope, zeiss refused to repair this in warranty !!

ibramr · Dec 22, 2013

Iraqbabbler...This is an interesting thread as it creates the question whether we (Leica users) should differentiate between Leica (USA) and Leica proper (i.e., Germany) or not. Are they one and the same, or do they keep themselves separate to combat grey imports (among other reasons like different pricing structures, varied warranties levels, taxes.., etc.). If so, Leica USA will only service units imported through them, and send other units to Germany for service.

For example, I understand--and please UK members correct me if not-- that over there (UK), warranty is transferable with no question -- something that we do not have it here in the US. If so, what would Leica USA do with a unit purchased in the UK? Most likely, ask you to send it there.

Iraqbabbler, I am a not defending Leica (USA), but am trying to understand better, particularly that my dealings with them were satisfactory. In completeness sake, my dealings with Zeiss were equally satisfactory. Perhaps you may consider giving Leica US another try. Best of luck.

Clive A · Dec 22, 2013

ibramr said:
Iraqbabbler...This is an interesting thread as it creates the question whether we (Leica users) should differentiate between Leica (USA) and Leica proper (i.e., Germany) or not. Are they one and the same, or do they keep themselves separate to combat grey imports (among other reasons like different pricing structures, varied warranties levels, taxes.., etc.). If so, Leica USA will only service units imported through them, and send other units to Germany for service.

For example, I understand--and please UK members correct me if not-- that over there (UK), warranty is transferable with no question -- something that we do not have it here in the US. If so, what would Leica USA do with a unit purchased in the UK? Most likely, ask you to send it there.

Iraqbabbler, I am a not defending Leica (USA), but am trying to understand better, particularly that my dealing with them were satisfactory. In completeness sake, my dealings with Zeiss were equally satisfactory. Perhaps you may consider giving Leica US another try. Best of luck.

There doesn't seem to be any joined up thinking with Leica, I had problems with my scope, and Leica UK were a waste of time. Leica Germany however were superb, they fixed my scope free of charge.

iraqbabbler · Jan 11, 2014

Thanks to all who replied. This is what happened subsequent to my original post:

I contacted Leica USA again and this time I got through to a helpful lady in the appropriate department who appeared to care !.
She arranged for the bins to be picked up by express courier and said that she would contact Germany to verify my warranty. This was fine by me as I had registered my bins at the time when I bought them.
They serviced the binoculars as required and sent them back to me (express courier again) and that's it.

Lesson learnt: It would appear that it really depends on the individual you get to deal with when you contact Leica.
You could be unlucky to get someone lazy, awkward or otherwise uncooperative, or you could be lucky enough that you could get someone who is professional enough to realize the value of customer satisfaction.

So perhaps it is a good idea that if you do get an unhelpful person at Leica, then just hang up and call again, or even ask for another person, and if all else fails, call Germany

!.

Thank you once more to all the replies and happy birding o

A2GG · Jan 11, 2014

I mailed my warranty card recently to Leica's NJ office.
Since I live
in NJ, I hope that I could just send the bin to the NJ location if it ever needs to be serviced. However, I'm not sure if this is where they would do the actual repairs.
After reading this thread I'm hoping I never have to send it in.

Hermann · Jan 11, 2014

Annabeth2 said:
I mailed my warranty card recently to Leica's NJ office.
Since I live in NJ, I hope that I could just send the bin to the NJ location if it ever needs to be serviced. However, I'm not sure if this is where they would do the actual repairs.
After reading this thread I'm hoping I never have to send it in.

If the Trinovid is anywhere near as tough as the old Trinovids, I don't think you'll ever have to send it in. On every twitch over here you still see quite a few old Trinovids, usually 10x42BAs/BNs, many of them close to 20 years old. Some of these are used by professional birders day in and day out at the coast which basically means the get regular soakings in saltwater. Most other binoculars that old have long been retired, but the Trinovids seem to be still going strong.

In all those years I've only seen one Trinovid that had a problem - a screw had worked loose inside. That was repaired under warranty, of course.

So I wouldn't really worry too much about your Trinovids.

Hermann

ibramr · Jan 11, 2014

Hermann said:
If the Trinovid is anywhere near as tough as the old Trinovids, I don't think you'll ever have to send it in. On every twitch over here you still see quite a few old Trinovids, usually 10x42BAs/BNs, many of them close to 20 years old. Some of these are used by professional birders day in and day out at the coast which basically means the get regular soakings in saltwater. Most other binoculars that old have long been retired, but the Trinovids seem to be still going strong.

In all those years I've only seen one Trinovid that had a problem - a screw had worked loose inside. That was repaired under warranty, of course.

So I wouldn't really worry too much about your Trinovids.

Hermann

Hermann. Point taken, and I agree with minor two exceptions for the Trinovids BA and BN series. The first is related to the waterproof seal-rings which need to be checked every some years to ensure that nitrogen is still injected inside. The second is the likely need to replace the rubber armouring every decade or so as it becomes marginally less attached to the body chassis and also slightly discolored. Of course, cleaning the lenses every decade is also a likely plus.

A good warranty is a wonderful asset to have for the binoculars we became almost daily habitual users to mitigate possible mechanical issues (e.g., focusing, or movement of eyecups). Leica, when their service department perform as expected--and in my case, they did--garnish considerable amount of brand name loyalty. The close to 15 year old BA I have was serviced 18 months ago, and it now performs like new after replacing the proofing rings and the rubber cover. The BN, 7 or 8 years old, is still performing like new, but will go for service in a year or so.

The new Trinovids do part with the feeling of customery reliability associated with other Leica binoculars (the differences are nebulous). Their demo models (in the US) come with 10 years service warranty, and this should provide their owners many, many, years of concern-free enjoyment. Best regards.

spiralcoil · Jan 11, 2014

jgraider said:
Leica USA is a joke. They need to stick to making cameras and leaving the sport optics business and service to the companies that know what they're doing. Leica isn't even in our discussions when buying new optics anymore.

People often have their emotion rather than carefully recognized facts into their comments; as well people expecting everything is free and treated like "King/Queen"... but in reality, no binocular company can do that.

Leica is just as reliable if not better, and as good in custom services as the other "well known" ones, in my experience. Leica made mistakes too, but correct they as they could.

Leica not only makes great quality cameras/lenses which famous for, but also make great sport optics. Many do prefer Leica's bino designs more so than the other ones on the market. Leica does make great binoculars.

Those beautiful profound classical music masters were not necessary being mentioned by daily people often, but it does not mean those great masters are any less good than today's shallow and loud musics.

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