Issues with Leica Camera USA

[PFMcFarland]

I'd heard/read all the complaints about the Leica Camera USA repair facility in Allendale, NJ on different forums, but had to experience them myself unfortunately.

I have a couple of Leica R system cameras, and a few lenses with accessories to go with them. My 1:2.8 28mm Elmarit-R suffered a focus control ring failure earlier this year, and after looking around to see who did work on that system, I came to the conclusion that only the NJ place would. That in itself should tell you something about how the cameras are constructed, and how few available repair parts there are.

So in May of this year I reluctantly sent my lens to Allendale, and quickly received an estimate of the repair costs (not cheap, but it is an expensive lens). Curiously, there was no estimate of how long it would be before the lens was fixed. So I let things go on for some time, and in August inquired about the status. "Your lens is being worked on" was the short answer I got, so I hoped it would be done within a few days.

After another long amount of time with no word from Leica, I again asked in October about the status, remarking that their technicians must take awfully long lunch breaks. I was told the lens would be back in my hands "...by the end of next week.", which would have been November 4th.

It was not repaired until November 18th, and then not shipped until November 24th. It almost got sent back to Allendale because I was not informed of the shipping, and was out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday with no Internet connection, and thus was not home for the first two delivery attempts (signature required).

It came wrapped in a plastic bag with the big Leica Red Dot, and then placed inside a bubble wrap bag, with bubble wrap pillow sheets holding it all snugly inside a good cardboard box. As it came out of the bag, I couldn't help but be amazed at how clean it was, and how smoothly the focus now worked (like buttah!). It was when I looked at the invoice that the scowl really crossed my brow. Three hours work. $300. And five and a half months waiting time for them to fix it.

I wrote them an e-mail today explaining how disappointed I was in being lied to about the work progress, and letting them know that if anything else breaks on my R system, I'll be chucking the whole kit before spending more time and money with them. Or Leica in general.

PF

[Santiago Montenegro]

Unacceptable-

[Philip]

A hundred dollars an hour. Whew.

At that rate, they should have no trouble getting more techs to shorten the waits.

.