Another Leica Service Experience... (1 Viewer)

[Swarovski Man]

I recently purchased a used Apo Televid 82, which I am really pleased with. The only problem was that the rubber eye cup was broken, so I contacted Leica who sent me out a replacement, free of charge. I know that this is small beer compared to other repairs, but I was impressed by the gesture, especially as I had told them that I had bought it used and had no warranty or paperwork for it. I have also recently bought used 8x and 10x Noctivids and am very happy with both of them. The focussing on both pairs is far superior to the SLCs that I bought new last year.

 

[Telebin1000]

Hello all. I have lurked around Birdforum for years now but have never felt compelled to add my two cents to any one thing. However, after dealing with Leica and their service department yesterday I can officially say that I feel compelled. Sadly, it is because of such a negative and bad experience.

When it comes to optics I always want to try new and different models, regardless of brand and price point. Also, before it seems like I am just here to bash Leica, I will admit that the Leica Noctivid, regardless of weight and ease of handling compared to other binoculars, produces the absolute best image that my eyes have ever seen. This is comparing them to Nikon EDG II, Zeiss SF, Swaro EL SV and SLC, Ultravid HD and HD +, Steiner Peregrine XP (the North American version of the Discovery XP), Meopta Meostar, and many other non “premium” binoculars.

I will also admit that I own and have owned many of those that I listed. My current set up includes a Steiner Peregrine XP 8x44 for archery hunting, Leupold Bx-4 Pro Guide 10x42 for my wife’s car, Leupold BX-5 8x42 for my car, Zeiss SF 8x42 (mine) for birding/travel, and a Swaro SLC 10x42 (my wife’s) for birding/travel. I also have a Steiner Shadowquest XP 8x56 (North American version of the Nighthunter XP) for looking at the stars. Needless to say, I have a lot of binoculars/optics. Also, needless to say, my wife thinks I have too many. However I am digressing.

A few weeks ago I called Leica customer service and explained that I had a Leica Televid 77 spotting scope that I wanted cleaned up and adjusted. I could see some dust specs on the prism, the locking ring for the eyepiece was not holding tension anymore, and the eyecup had fallen off. Problems from use, but not abuse. The glass was/is still pristine. The person I spoke with told me to send it in and they would clean and make the adjustments needed. I even told the customer service person that I did not have any paperwork for it (my father, the original purchaser, had thrown these out years ago). They told me that it was not a problem and to send it in. So I did so.

Well I received two invoices yesterday, one for the eyepiece and one for the spotting scope body. The charges list out $312.50 to clean, lubricate and adjust to spotting scope body, $35 for shipping, and $187.50 to clean, lubricate, and adjust the eyepiece. It also says included in the price is the repair of my eyepiece’s zoom mechanism, which is strange because my eyepiece’s zoom was just fine. It was the locking ring on the scopes body which had lost tension. And lastly a mere $13.50 for the rotating eyecup sleeve.

I immediately called Leica customer service thinking that there was an error. I was informed that without the warranty paperwork (which I had previously been told I did not need to send in to have my scope serviced) the charges were correct. This is astounding. Sadly, this is also the reason I will never buy the Lecia Noctivid, nor any other Lecia product. They want to charge over $500 to clean and adjust my spotting scope. I want to reiterate; it has been used but not abused. I do not need new lenses, new prisms, etc. Simply cleaning, adjusting the tension ring, and replacing the eyecup. And quite honestly If I had to pay $50- $100 for this because I don’t have the warranty paperwork, I would be okay(ish) with that. But over $500 just seems absurd.

Anyways, I am truly disappointed. Not just because I spent $50 to insure and ship the scope to Leica for them to do nothing, but especially because I was wanting this to be my litmus test whether I wanted to take the plunge and pursue buying a Noctivid and possibly selling my Zeiss SF.

Hopefully, yet another poor Leica customer service experience, this time at my expense, will help potential future purchasers be that much more discerning before investing in such expensive optics.

I agree, I have same problem with my Leica televid 77, but chipped prism. Leica will not even reply to my mail, so may have to get another service person to take a look. Pity really, as they make good gear, but like Zeiss, they do not want items back, and have shortened the warranty, so as not to have to have anything to do with faults. Thank God for Swarovski, they are excellent.

 

[Rg548]

I have had Leica in the past, but never had to use any warranty. But, I am a big Leica fan.
However, I recently bought some Zeiss 8x56 T*FL, second hand but mint condition.
Zeiss serviced these for me, collimation, clean, and improved the focuser, completely free, even though they were 2nd hand.
I also have Swaro CL8x25 which went back to Swarovski under warranty. Obviously it was free, but it did take a lot longer than the Zeiss.
On this alone, I will buy Zeiss or Swarovski again, I've been looking at some 8x42's.
All three are supreme in the optics department, we are just splitting hairs, so a good warranty can become the deciding factor.... it has with me.
Well done Zeiss, in my book at least, you have gained a customer.

Leica..... you're not doing yourselves any favours from what I've read, and what a shame that is, because Leica is legendary in the optics world, binos and camera lenses!!

Off to use my Zeiss now!!

 

[ZDHart]

Excellent update on Leica warranty for products purchased in the USA & Canada. Very nice to see.

Leica Sport Optics Warranty Program

Leica Sport Optics NEW USA and Canada Warranty Program

leicacamerausa.com

 

[b-lilja]

Well...I actually question how sustainable the "free repair" model really is for optics manufacturers. It's a bit of a Ponzi scheme. I suspect optics manufacturers are a bit on the ropes these days. At a minimum, I'm willing to bet a lot of these manufacturers internally subsidize many of their divisions - possible including sport optics.

I have taken advantage of a lot of these "no fault" type warranties. The leading example is Nikon. Once, I was letting folks look at a mola from the Pt. Reyes lighthouse and a person managed to knock over my ED60 v2, which I'd owned since new - but it was 25 years old. The objective ring was bent. Nikon let me know they were unable to properly fix it. They sent me a brand new Monarch 60, retailing for $1600. ED60s were selling on ebay for $300 or so at that point. Sure, I was thrilled. But I did wonder how they could keep something like that up.

As I recently posted, I just had our 8x32 BNs serviced by Leica - the focus was gritty. They came back noticeably better than ever. It was much less, a little more than $200, but well worth it. Leica does it right - there is something special about getting a signed service card back, little plastic Leica bag, etc. It feels a little...Leica. A sprinkling of holy water and faerie dust.

You could always send them to an independent optical repairer. I am willing to bet it will be a similar price.

In a different hobby world, high end hifi equipment needs to be regularly recapped, at significant cost. Many say every ten years. Having done it many times, I can say it is well worth it, keeping the sound as good as new.

I would much rather pay my way and enable these great companies to stay in business, than get something for nothing. The market can sometimes drive a race to the bottom, and it feels like this is one of those cases. Easy for a sales team to drive sales now by promising something that won't hit the bottom line for a decade.

I think $500 for a 20 years clean up and relaunch of a loved and classic scope is well worth it.

 

[Rg548]

Well...I actually question how sustainable the "free repair" model really is for optics manufacturers. It's a bit of a Ponzi scheme. I suspect optics manufacturers are a bit on the ropes these days. At a minimum, I'm willing to bet a lot of these manufacturers internally subsidize many of their divisions - possible including sport optics.

I have taken advantage of a lot of these "no fault" type warranties. The leading example is Nikon. Once, I was letting folks look at a mola from the Pt. Reyes lighthouse and a person managed to knock over my ED60 v2, which I'd owned since new - but it was 25 years old. The objective ring was bent. Nikon let me know they were unable to properly fix it. They sent me a brand new Monarch 60, retailing for $1600. ED60s were selling on ebay for $300 or so at that point. Sure, I was thrilled. But I did wonder how they could keep something like that up.

As I recently posted, I just had our 8x32 BNs serviced by Leica - the focus was gritty. They came back noticeably better than ever. It was much less, a little more than $200, but well worth it. Leica does it right - there is something special about getting a signed service card back, little plastic Leica bag, etc. It feels a little...Leica. A sprinkling of holy water and faerie dust.

You could always send them to an independent optical repairer. I am willing to bet it will be a similar price.

In a different hobby world, high end hifi equipment needs to be regularly recapped, at significant cost. Many say every ten years. Having done it many times, I can say it is well worth it, keeping the sound as good as new.

I would much rather pay my way and enable these great companies to stay in business, than get something for nothing. The market can sometimes drive a race to the bottom, and it feels like this is one of those cases. Easy for a sales team to drive sales now by promising something that won't hit the bottom line for a decade.

I think $500 for a 20 years clean up and relaunch of a loved and classic scope is well worth it.

Always good to hear another side of the debate, and very well put. It has made me question my own reply #23...... perhaps you are right.

 

[Lucia Rodrigues]

Hello all. I have lurked around Birdforum for years now but have never felt compelled to add my two cents to any one thing. However, after dealing with Leica and their service department yesterday I can officially say that I feel compelled. Sadly, it is because of such a negative and bad experience.

When it comes to optics I always want to try new and different models, regardless of brand and price point. Also, before it seems like I am just here to bash Leica, I will admit that the Leica Noctivid, regardless of weight and ease of handling compared to other binoculars, produces the absolute best image that my eyes have ever seen. This is comparing them to Nikon EDG II, Zeiss SF, Swaro EL SV and SLC, Ultravid HD and HD +, Steiner Peregrine XP (the North American version of the Discovery XP), Meopta Meostar, and many other non “premium” binoculars.

I will also admit that I own and have owned many of those that I listed. My current set up includes a Steiner Peregrine XP 8x44 for archery hunting, Leupold Bx-4 Pro Guide 10x42 for my wife’s car, Leupold BX-5 8x42 for my car, Zeiss SF 8x42 (mine) for birding/travel, and a Swaro SLC 10x42 (my wife’s) for birding/travel. I also have a Steiner Shadowquest XP 8x56 (North American version of the Nighthunter XP) for looking at the stars. Needless to say, I have a lot of binoculars/optics. Also, needless to say, my wife thinks I have too many. However I am digressing.

A few weeks ago I called Leica customer service and explained that I had a Leica Televid 77 spotting scope that I wanted cleaned up and adjusted. I could see some dust specs on the prism, the locking ring for the eyepiece was not holding tension anymore, and the eyecup had fallen off. Problems from use, but not abuse. The glass was/is still pristine. The person I spoke with told me to send it in and they would clean and make the adjustments needed. I even told the customer service person that I did not have any paperwork for it (my father, the original purchaser, had thrown these out years ago). They told me that it was not a problem and to send it in. So I did so.

Well I received two invoices yesterday, one for the eyepiece and one for the spotting scope body. The charges list out $312.50 to clean, lubricate and adjust to spotting scope body, $35 for shipping, and $187.50 to clean, lubricate, and adjust the eyepiece. It also says included in the price is the repair of my eyepiece’s zoom mechanism, which is strange because my eyepiece’s zoom was just fine. It was the locking ring on the scopes body which had lost tension. And lastly a mere $13.50 for the rotating eyecup sleeve.

I immediately called Leica customer service thinking that there was an error. I was informed that without the warranty paperwork (which I had previously been told I did not need to send in to have my scope serviced) the charges were correct. This is astounding. Sadly, this is also the reason I will never buy the Lecia Noctivid, nor any other Lecia product. They want to charge over $500 to clean and adjust my spotting scope. I want to reiterate; it has been used but not abused. I do not need new lenses, new prisms, etc. Simply cleaning, adjusting the tension ring, and replacing the eyecup. And quite honestly If I had to pay $50- $100 for this because I don’t have the warranty paperwork, I would be okay(ish) with that. But over $500 just seems absurd.

Anyways, I am truly disappointed. Not just because I spent $50 to insure and ship the scope to Leica for them to do nothing, but especially because I was wanting this to be my litmus test whether I wanted to take the plunge and pursue buying a Noctivid and possibly selling my Zeiss SF.

Hopefully, yet another poor Leica customer service experience, this time at my expense, will help potential future purchasers be that much more discerning before investing in such expensive optics.

I concur with the opinion expressed regarding Leica service. I own a Leica spotting scope, live in Cape Town South Africa, where it was purchased and about 5 years ago went to the great expense of sending it to Germany for cleaning. Six months later I got it back. It was sent from Germany to Portugal, back to Germany and then returned to me, NOTHING had been done, Even the cracked eyepiece cap had not been replaced. I was so relieved to have it back that I dropped the matter entirely.

 

[jan van daalen]

I concur with the opinion expressed regarding Leica service. I own a Leica spotting scope, live in Cape Town South Africa, where it was purchased and about 5 years ago went to the great expense of sending it to Germany for cleaning. Six months later I got it back. It was sent from Germany to Portugal, back to Germany and then returned to me, NOTHING had been done, Even the cracked eyepiece cap had not been replaced. I was so relieved to have it back that I dropped the matter entirely.

Lucia,

Which model do you have, the "old" Televid (Made by Meopta) or the current one (Made by Leica)?
There are no spare parts left for the first Televids, so it makes sense (depending on which side one is).
I did see offers in the past from Leica to owners for a replacement at reduced costs, but I'm not sure if this was a Leica initiative or a distributors one.
You can always ask to yours, if you have the older model of course.

Jan