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Canon 40 D - error 99 again but now its getting silly! (1 Viewer)

J

James Lidster

Well-known member
In early March 2009 my Canon 40D started showing ‘error 99’, i took the battery out, and it would work again until the camera went on to standby. Im English living in Holland and contacted companies in both countries. Two companies in England wanted around £140 to fix the problem, a company in Holland said it would be fixed for free under warranty (it was bought in Oct 2007 so it must be out of the one year warranty). I was told 3-5 weeks for the repair, and after about 5 weeks it was back with me..... and after 15 activations it showed the same error message. So i sent it back again. This time they said it would be fixed in 3 weeks, which it wasnt, as the wrong part was ordered from Germany.

Anyway...in the meantime this Dutch company has gone bust, and i was told (only after i contacted them) that my camera was now with Canon Netherlands. I phoned them and they said it would take 3 weeks to fix. So it has now been 17 weeks, and i spoke to Canon Netherlands again today. I have my reference number and they knew who i was from this information, but i cant remember if i ever registered the camera with Canon online. Because of this, and not having the serial number they are not currently able to trace my camera and tell me where it is being fixed or when it is likely to be returned! I have read other peoples stories on here about error 99 and ongoing problems but does anyone know who i should contact, and where i stand with getting a new camera? Im going away again for 3.5 weeks so in total it will be 5 months without it, which i think is really poor for something that cost me £800 at the time.

I hope that some of Canons staff do read these threads but guess im just a small piece in their big industry?

Any thoughts or suggestions on who to contact would be much appreciated

Many thanks

James

http://jameslidster.web-log.nl/

http://picasaweb.google.com/lidstersunbird
 
It's not a "common" (single) fault at all - the number of Err 99 posts is clearly distorted by the fact that people only post when something's wrong; and Err 99 is a catch-all for any number of problems that aren't, in themselves, common enough to warrant a "bespoke" error message number.

"Known" faults and "common" faults are by no means the same thing - it's like saying the Ebola virus is common because you've heard of it...

All Canon DSLR bodies can get an Err 99, and the number of 40Ds with ongoing Err 99 problems is a vanishingly small percentage of the number sold (something in excess of 100,000) - hell, I've had a 40D since September 2007 and I haven't had a single Err 99 (or with either of my 30D bodies which I've had since early 2006).

Some facts: http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.12.31/canon-err99
 
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Thanks both for your input. I understand 'err 99' covers many things, my main point is that i think 4 months without the camera, which wasnt cheap, isnt good, and if its another month at one point do i ask for a new camera, 4 months, 6 months, 8 months, a year?
I have the contact details for Canon uk now, and Chris Galvin kindly found out my serial number for me,
Fingers crossed
James
 
Jos Stratford said:
In my humble opinion, faults with the 40D are common though - for a camera of this price, Canon really should be thinking about it, and when standards of service are as described by this poster, it is pathetic.
Click to expand...

I agree that you do hear about a lot of problems with the 40D but as a percentage of units sold I doubt that it's any worse than other cameras on the market. The service has clearly been bad, though this seems to have been at least on part down the the repairer used and the fact that they then went out of business, at least Canon took on the repairs rather than leaving customers of the company out in the cold. All that said I'd not be a happy bunny if I was the one in that situation.
 
I agree with Postcardcv that they did at least take on the repairs but now i have the serial number i called Canon Netherlands today....and they still cant find my camera, i was assuming that it would be easy now they had the number! They are running a 2nd check and putting me as high priority and they hoped someone would call me back today. If its that hard to find though its not looking too likely?
Away for over 3 weeks now but will let you know the outcome.....please let there be an outcome by the time i get home!
Thanks all for your help again
James
 
Roy C said:
That's interesting - thanks for the post. This seems like a liability on the retailers so sending to a authorised repairer like Fixation would not work unless the retailer authorised it. Does this mean that our camera gear is guaranteed for six years?
Click to expand...

Have a look here Roy. It's a more detailed article that includes a guide to using the EU directive.

In brief, just download and print out the directive, take it with you to get the full 2 years.
 
Keith Reeder said:
Some facts: http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.12.31/canon-err99
Click to expand...

Keith,

having read and re-read that article many times there are preciuous little in the way of facts presented. There is lots of speculation about why ERR99 occur and in fact a whole paragraph entitled "Let's Speculate".

I still believe that ERR 99 is a common and known fault albeit a catchall error code as was said before. I can't believe that it is a fault designed to discourage the use of third party lenses and or third party batteries, and believe that if Canon wanted to go down this route then they would incorporate software into both the camera bodies and batteries in the way that Sony have done this for many years.

I have encountered ERR 99 in conjunction with ERR 1 a few years ago when changing lenses on my 1DmkIIn from a 500/4 to a 100-400. It resulted in a complete re-build of the camera circuitry which Canon paid for.
 
Hi All
well i said i would keep you updated on progress.....and i wish there had been some! Im just home from 3 weeks holiday and never received the promised phone call from Canon Netherlands. The number they told me i could use to call from abroad didnt work, so i asked a friend to call. He called and was told that a brand new camera had been posted to me on 13th July, and that was on the 15th. So we checked with a friend who was lookin after the house...nothing. He phoned again and told them there was still no camera and was told he would be called back in 3 days....nothing heard. So i phoned them yday to be told that i would have a new camera within 2 weeks, they even promised! ; ) I asked them for an email confirmation of this, which im still waiting for...
Im quietly confident that they will keep this promise (not sure why!) but i did get slightly angry when the customer service chap made out i should be grateful as im getting a new camera. I would be grateful if it had been my fault but as they lost my camera in the first place then i think im entitled to some kind of compensation. Nearly 5 months now...
Will keep you posted
James
 
Well after this length of time and the shabby way you have been treated I would be contacting one of the television consumer programmes, a little publicity could work wonders.
 
Good news, Canon kept to their promise, well almost. Instead of a new 40D they sent me a new 50D as replacement. Its a shame they couldn't have told me this snippet over the phone as it would have kept me quieter! Im not sure if this was to keep me quiet or if they just seem to be having more problems with 40D's than other bodies?
Shame all my tours and my holiday are over...so i better hope for a busy autumn here in Holland to give it a try.
Thanks all for your help and advice, much appreciated
James
 
Congrats on your new camera James. I always knew that there was a new camera in this for you, just a shame it took so long and you missed so many photo opportunities
 
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