I think to be fair, we ought to report not only the negative events and situations which we encounter when dealing with binocular service and repairs, but also the positive ones, and I promise not to forget to do so after my next positive experience!
But first, I have to report my current experience with the Leica Customer Service, and it is unfortunately not so good.
Here is the chronology of events:
- On July 29, 2019 I sent my Ultravid 7x42, serial number 1596540, to the Swiss Leica Service Center. The Ultravid is 4 years old and suddenly exhibited internal fogging (of a nature I have not seen before, lots of little dots on the internal optical surfaces). I attached the purchasing documentation / warranty certificate. The binocular arrived a Leica’s service center on July 30.
- After not hearing anything for a month, I emailed the service center on August 29 and asked for news.
- On August 30, the “head of technical customer service” replied by email that they had contacted Leica’s “Main Office” and been told to send the Ultravid there “since this is a special case of leakage. The Quality Department would like to inspect the glass in order to prevent this kind of leakage in the future”.
- I replied the same day, Aug. 30, by email that this seemed to mean that the repair would take long, and asked whether it would not make sense if Leica just exchanged the glass for another one, as Zeiss had done in a similar situation (faulty focuser)
- Leica Switzerland replied forthwith and informed me that they could not arrange for an exchange, but they could offer me a temporary replacement for the duration of the repair, but it would be an 8x42 and not a 7x42
- Still on Aug. 30, I replied and said ok to the replacement glass.
- On Sep. 2, I received the 8x42 replacement Ultravid together with an invoice over CHF 2’690.00 and a note “on loan for the duration of the repair. The Ultravid came in its case and with the neck strap, but no eyecups nor objective covers
- On Sep. 6, I received a letter in the mail from Leica Switzerland, informing me that unfortunately the repair, which normally would take just a few days, would this time “take considerably more time”.
- On Sep. 24, I emailed Leica Switzerland again and asked about the state of affairs. I also asked I should contact Leica Wetzlar directly to get further information, since they had sent the binocular there
- In the m morning of Sep. 25, Leica Switzerland replied by email and informed me that “sports optics are being produced and serviced in Portugal since quite some time. The factory in Portugal had had a reduced staff working during the summer holidays which leads to delays. We have asked Portugal about this matter and will inform you once we get an answer from there”.
- On Sep. 25, afternoon, I got another email from Leica Switzerland: “The parcel with the repairs dispatched to Portugal unfortunately got stuck at the customs, and for a long time nobody became aware. We hope things will now proceed.”
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So: it will soon be 2 ½ months and I don’t even know whether my Ultravid has already arrived at its destination, Leica Portugal.
It took already a full month for the Swiss service center to find out that they could not repair the binocular themselves.
I plan to email them again in the second half of October to ask about news. I still don’t understand why Leica did not just exchange the binocular against a new one.
And: I am being told all sports optics, including the Ultravids, are being made in Portugal for some years now – on the box of my Ultravid, there is a clear note “Made in Germany” (I know, one should not believe such declarations of origin too much, but still …)
Canip
But first, I have to report my current experience with the Leica Customer Service, and it is unfortunately not so good.
Here is the chronology of events:
- On July 29, 2019 I sent my Ultravid 7x42, serial number 1596540, to the Swiss Leica Service Center. The Ultravid is 4 years old and suddenly exhibited internal fogging (of a nature I have not seen before, lots of little dots on the internal optical surfaces). I attached the purchasing documentation / warranty certificate. The binocular arrived a Leica’s service center on July 30.
- After not hearing anything for a month, I emailed the service center on August 29 and asked for news.
- On August 30, the “head of technical customer service” replied by email that they had contacted Leica’s “Main Office” and been told to send the Ultravid there “since this is a special case of leakage. The Quality Department would like to inspect the glass in order to prevent this kind of leakage in the future”.
- I replied the same day, Aug. 30, by email that this seemed to mean that the repair would take long, and asked whether it would not make sense if Leica just exchanged the glass for another one, as Zeiss had done in a similar situation (faulty focuser)
- Leica Switzerland replied forthwith and informed me that they could not arrange for an exchange, but they could offer me a temporary replacement for the duration of the repair, but it would be an 8x42 and not a 7x42
- Still on Aug. 30, I replied and said ok to the replacement glass.
- On Sep. 2, I received the 8x42 replacement Ultravid together with an invoice over CHF 2’690.00 and a note “on loan for the duration of the repair. The Ultravid came in its case and with the neck strap, but no eyecups nor objective covers
- On Sep. 6, I received a letter in the mail from Leica Switzerland, informing me that unfortunately the repair, which normally would take just a few days, would this time “take considerably more time”.
- On Sep. 24, I emailed Leica Switzerland again and asked about the state of affairs. I also asked I should contact Leica Wetzlar directly to get further information, since they had sent the binocular there
- In the m morning of Sep. 25, Leica Switzerland replied by email and informed me that “sports optics are being produced and serviced in Portugal since quite some time. The factory in Portugal had had a reduced staff working during the summer holidays which leads to delays. We have asked Portugal about this matter and will inform you once we get an answer from there”.
- On Sep. 25, afternoon, I got another email from Leica Switzerland: “The parcel with the repairs dispatched to Portugal unfortunately got stuck at the customs, and for a long time nobody became aware. We hope things will now proceed.”
-----
So: it will soon be 2 ½ months and I don’t even know whether my Ultravid has already arrived at its destination, Leica Portugal.
It took already a full month for the Swiss service center to find out that they could not repair the binocular themselves.
I plan to email them again in the second half of October to ask about news. I still don’t understand why Leica did not just exchange the binocular against a new one.
And: I am being told all sports optics, including the Ultravids, are being made in Portugal for some years now – on the box of my Ultravid, there is a clear note “Made in Germany” (I know, one should not believe such declarations of origin too much, but still …)
Canip
) from the eyepiece side - yet, but I had the feeling they were growing into sort of a layer over time, that‘s what made me send the bino in (and, as I learned, Leica seems to think it has to do with some leakage problem).
