BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="laservet" data-source="post: 619624" data-attributes="member: 22995">I have one direct, and one indirect experience.Indirect first, an acquaintance left his Zeiss 8x20's out on his deck overnight and they were damaged by a heavy rainfall. These were not the current version, but a previous non-waterproof model (Design Selection?). He sent them in to Zeiss for repair and the bill was $400, nearly the price of a new one.Direct, after 18 months my Leica Duovid's diopter adjustment no longer retained the adjustment when I changed magnification. I called Leica USA and described the problem to tech support and they said it needed to be sent in for repair. They transferred me to the warranty person and she looked up my information. She found the registration of my other four Leicas, but I had failed to send in the warranty card on the Duovids (they were a surprise Christmas present and in my excitement I never sent in the card). She said, "That might be a problem." I simply took them to my dealer who wrote a letter verifying that I was the original purchaser and the purchase date, he overnighted them to Leica, and two weeks later I received a letter from Leica that they were being repaired under warranty at no charge and should be back in four weeks. Six weeks later I received what appear to be a brand spanking new pair, sealed in plastic, inside a black velvet drawstring bag with "Leica Service" on it, all new accessories (strap, rain guard, case). The Duovids work perfectly. Oddly enough, there is no serial number on these binoculars, none that I can find.Some random thoughts:I have both Leica and Zeiss binoculars and I feel very comfortable taking my Leicas into any situation because of the no-fault warranty. I am much more protective of my Zeiss because their warranty doesn't cover damage.Leica's warranty is not transferrable, while Zeiss' warranty is. This may be one reason Leica is a stickler about registration.When I bought my Leica BA's the Passport no-fault warranty was only in force for the first three years, then it reverted to a regular defective parts and labor warranty like the Zeiss. In newer Leicas the Passport warranty is in effect for life (in the US, at least), not sure when they expanded the coverage. I've considered selling my 10x32 and 8x50 BAs and replacing them with Ulravids for the better warranty coverage, but for the price difference I'd be better off taking my chances and either paying for repair or replacing them if they are damaged.Someone mentioned print on the coatings of their Leicas. I found that on my 8x50 BA's eyepieces -- it is an imprint of the raised print on the inside of the rubber rainguard. It wouldn't come off with the usual cleaning solutions, so I washed them in the kitchen sink with Dawn dishwashing detergent and the imprint came off leaving the coatings pristine. The imprint is tenacious but superficial.</blockquote>

Verification