Why does Canon USA not honor consumer product warranties?

[skitron]

Mother-in-law bought a SX150, which 3 months later now has what appears to be a logic chip malfunction. Upon booting up it does everything as expected and then zooms to the long end upon where the user can no longer control it. Live view is still working but that's it.

Canon USA told her she dropped the camera and it isn't covered. Problem is (1) it wasn't dropped or knocked around, (2) there is no physical evidence it has been dropped or knocked around - it's mint cosmetically, and (3) the symptoms of the camera are not consistent with Canon USA's claim that it was dropped.

In this case the husband and the son-in-law of the unfortunate SX150 owner are currently 5D3 owners with a smattering of low to mid-priced L glass (i.e. 24-105, 100L, 70-200 IS II, etc) and up to now had an appetite to add substantially to the respective L collections.

But this incident has left a very foul taste in our mouths. First Canon USA implicitly calls her a liar, then they don't honor their stated warranty, and now she's the proud owner of a mint-looking brick...

Got news for Canon, they can forget ever getting another dime out of me. As for mom in law, she already switched to Nikon. As for me, I'll switch too when it's time to move the 5D3 body. Already moving out non essential lenses in the collection. I simply will not do business with Canon USA or any other company that pulls this sort of BS.

 

[jdramirez]

there is a gyroscope in some cameras which will determine which orientation the picture should be viewed.

if there is a sensor to determine impact force, then they may have a very accurate method to to deny warranty.

also, is she the only one who ever touches the camera? if someone was planning with it, like a grandkid, they might try to cover up dropping it. they also could have dropped it while it was in the bag so there aren't any scuffs sings or scratches.

she may not be a liar, but it is hard to know unless she locks it in a safe.

 

[Meh]

Got news for Canon, they can forget ever getting another dime out of me. As for mom in law, she already switched to Nikon. As for me, I'll switch too when it's time to move the 5D3 body. Already moving out non essential lenses in the collection. I simply will not do business with Canon USA or any other company that pulls this sort of BS.

Hmmmmm, seems like quite a rash response. You must somehow think that Nikon or any other consumer product company would never deny a warranty claim. Any company will deny a warranty claim on the slightest evidence of operator error... if not, they constantly be replacing cameras/phones/etc. because ppl drop them all the time even on to carpeted floors where there would be no visible damage.

 

[jdramirez]

some phones have a sticker inside that will tell the manufacturer if the phone was dropped in water.

 

[neuroanatomist]

[quote author=Canon]
We are sorry for your loss. Through the Canon Loyalty Program, we'd be pleased to offer you a 20% discount off the price of a refurbished camera of your choice, subject to availability. Thank you for choosing Canon.
[/quote]

:-X

 

[michi]

Gosh, if I changed companies every time a claim for any of my stuff was denied.......

 

[jdramirez]

Gosh, if I changed companies every time a claim for any of my stuff was denied.......

In his defense... about 10 years ago I had a crappy 1.3 megapixel Olympus that I maybe paid $100 for. Probably less... but still. And at one point the camera's usb port konks out and I contact Olympus for warranty work. I explain that I purchased it within a year and I registered it online. They said that they need the original warranty otherwise they can't do anything for me. That was the last Olympus product I ever bought and if they actually were good and made cutting edge gear right now, I wouldn't touch it.

Having said that, now that things are purchased online, it makes it so much easier to keep the receipt.

 

[GmwDarkroom]

Canon USA told her she dropped the camera and it isn't covered. Problem is (1) it wasn't dropped or knocked around, (2) there is no physical evidence it has been dropped or knocked around - it's mint cosmetically, and (3) the symptoms of the camera are not consistent with Canon USA's claim that it was dropped.

Did Canon supply an explanation of how or did you ask how they concluded that the camera was dropped?

Seems like a denial of a claim, especially with an assertion of misuse, should come with an explanation of the process of conclusion.

 

[jdramirez]

Canon USA told her she dropped the camera and it isn't covered. Problem is (1) it wasn't dropped or knocked around, (2) there is no physical evidence it has been dropped or knocked around - it's mint cosmetically, and (3) the symptoms of the camera are not consistent with Canon USA's claim that it was dropped.

Did Canon supply an explanation of how or did you ask how they concluded that the camera was dropped?

Seems like a denial of a claim, especially with an assertion of misuse, should come with an explanation of the process of conclusion.

Was the mother ever on Tosh.O dropping the camera? Did she get a redemption involving super glue?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I sell electronic scales, and its quite easy to tell if they are abused. Customers often claim that they did not abuse one, but my scales have a detector in them that tells me what level of overload it experienced during operation (not shipping), and how many times it happened.

In the case of a camera, someone could have knocked it off a table and picked it back up without her knowing.
When internal parts like a lens are jammed together, for example, the only explanation is shock, since the lens motors are not powerful enough to do it.

I've also received beatup items that were shipped to me in a mailing envelope, and the customer wonders why its not covered.

In any event, they should have taken care of it.

 

[tpatana]

The water-detector is typical in cell phones. Every smart phone also has 3-axis accelerometer, but it's up to the software to determine if they measure 24/7, and record it in case of drop/hit. If I was manufacturer, then yes because they don't consume next to nothing on current, and it's great way to indicate abuse.

As for cameras, I have no idea if they have similar feature. It'd be nice if they told how they came to that conclusion.

Long time ago the product my company sold, got returned from the field with a note "it just broke down, send new unit".

The units ran hot always, and they had peltier cooling elements on them. At the time the peltier element was possible to wire wrong way, so it'd heat the device instead of cooling. Unknown to the customer, the inside thermometer was logged, and as I connected to the device with my PC, I read max temperature somewhere around ~90°C (~200F), when it usually ran under 60C (<150F) at max. I emailed the customer if the "it just broke" -unit they had accidentally connected the peltier the wrong way. First they said no, but when I told that we actually read that the unit overheating way beyond what it should be able to do by itself, they confessed that "for short period of time" the peltier was connected wrong.

So no warranty for them.

As for OP, there's chance a kid knocked the camera down from table or something, and it can break even without any visible damage. Without knowing all the facts, it's difficult to judge who's right. For low-end cameras, I wonder if they get lot of spoof warranty attempts, so they might be more strict on those.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi
Sorry to hear of your predicament, I feel sure they will have sufficient proof of impact that if legal proceedings were undertaken they would not be found to be wrong for rejecting the warranty claim, and if that is the case EVERY other manufacturer would reject the warranty claim too!
Ask them for proof of impact damage. Threaten legal action if they cannot prove impact!

Did you mention to Canon your intention for the family to migrate, not that this will have much sway with a large corporation sadly!

One other question, has it been in a bag when either a taxi driver has thrown it in the trunk, or airport baggage handlers have played footie with it?

I have no experience with claiming from Canon, though from what I have heard they are among the more cooperative regarding warranty issues so is jumping ship wise?

Cheers Graham

But this incident has left a very foul taste in our mouths. First Canon USA implicitly calls her a liar, then they don't honor their stated warranty, and now she's the proud owner of a mint-looking brick...

Got news for Canon, they can forget ever getting another dime out of me. As for mom in law, she already switched to Nikon. As for me, I'll switch too when it's time to move the 5D3 body. Already moving out non essential lenses in the collection. I simply will not do business with Canon USA or any other company that pulls this sort of BS.

 

[michi]

Gosh, if I changed companies every time a claim for any of my stuff was denied.......

In his defense... about 10 years ago I had a crappy 1.3 megapixel Olympus that I maybe paid $100 for. Probably less... but still. And at one point the camera's usb port konks out and I contact Olympus for warranty work. I explain that I purchased it within a year and I registered it online. They said that they need the original warranty otherwise they can't do anything for me. That was the last Olympus product I ever bought and if they actually were good and made cutting edge gear right now, I wouldn't touch it.

Having said that, now that things are purchased online, it makes it so much easier to keep the receipt.

Agree with what you said, but if I already have a system like Canon which I know how to use as a tool, and a claim for a point and shoot gets denied, I'm not going to change my whole system around because of that. If he only had one other Canon, I can see that, but not a whole system. And like others said, it's not his camera, so he can't be sure it wasn't accidentally banged around and damaged. It would have been nice of Canon to say how they found out the camera was damaged, but again, to switch systems because of someone else's point and shoot, nah...

 

[skitron]

Canon USA told her she dropped the camera and it isn't covered. Problem is (1) it wasn't dropped or knocked around, (2) there is no physical evidence it has been dropped or knocked around - it's mint cosmetically, and (3) the symptoms of the camera are not consistent with Canon USA's claim that it was dropped.

Did Canon supply an explanation of how or did you ask how they concluded that the camera was dropped?

Seems like a denial of a claim, especially with an assertion of misuse, should come with an explanation of the process of conclusion.

No technical explanation whatsoever. Which is precisely why I 'm not going to do business with them anymore. For me to do business with a company they have to back up their claims with verifiable proof when they refuse to honor what was paid for. Canon USA didn't, so I'm not doing business with them any more and neither are two other people.

I'm sure Canon USA couldn't care less, and that's their choice, but it's a rather odd business model since honoring their warranty costs them maybe $100 in this case and by not honoring it, they miss out on a bare minimum of at least 2 full frames two APS-C, probably half a dozen L sales as the next upgrade cycles unfold.

 

[skitron]

Gosh, if I changed companies every time a claim for any of my stuff was denied.......

In his defense... about 10 years ago I had a crappy 1.3 megapixel Olympus that I maybe paid $100 for. Probably less... but still. And at one point the camera's usb port konks out and I contact Olympus for warranty work. I explain that I purchased it within a year and I registered it online. They said that they need the original warranty otherwise they can't do anything for me. That was the last Olympus product I ever bought and if they actually were good and made cutting edge gear right now, I wouldn't touch it.

Having said that, now that things are purchased online, it makes it so much easier to keep the receipt.

Agree with what you said, but if I already have a system like Canon which I know how to use as a tool, and a claim for a point and shoot gets denied, I'm not going to change my whole system around because of that. If he only had one other Canon, I can see that, but not a whole system. And like others said, it's not his camera, so he can't be sure it wasn't accidentally banged around and damaged. It would have been nice of Canon to say how they found out the camera was damaged, but again, to switch systems because of someone else's point and shoot, nah...

Everyone has their own take on things and for me, I'm constantly rotating my gear in and out to minimize cost of ownership. Meaning I buy when price is right, use it a while, sell before an upgrade cycle and price-of-current plummet. Since the bodies are on a staggered introduction cycle it works out pretty good. It also makes it pretty easy to switch back and forth between systems. And since I'm not a fan-boy of either system, I don't really care which system I shoot with from an operator perspective.

And to be clear, I'm not bailing because of somebody else's point-n-shoot, I'm bailing because Canon USA has demonstrated for a second time they are not the kind of company I'm willing to do business with. The first was for a 3 months out of warranty repair on one of my L lenses that I paid for, sent back twice, and still have the original problem, and Canon USA says "too bad".

LOL, I suppose the pragmatic lesson here is if you want to use Canon gear, you should go ahead and buy grey market or from non-authorized resellers, and save the $ because it doesn't make sense to pay for a warranty they won't honor.

 

[jdramirez]

do you really suspect that Nikon is going to be that much better to deal with? Maybe sigma or tamron because they can't afford to alienate their customer base, but I doubt they are giving away free service either.

having said all that, I have heard of times where someone sends in something for service to Canon and they do the work for free even though it is it of warranty. so they aren't all bad.

 

[skitron]

do you really suspect that Nikon is going to be that much better to deal with? Maybe sigma or tamron because they can't afford to alienate their customer base, but I doubt they are giving away free service either.

having said all that, I have heard of times where someone sends in something for service to Canon and they do the work for free even though it is it of warranty. so they aren't all bad.

I have no idea whether Nikon is better, worse, the same, whatever. But for me anyway, continuing to do business with Canon USA is not going to happen due to two poor experiences - one my own and another a family member.

In my case an L lens only 3 months out of warranty (which they adamantly stated would not be covered) so for me, I can rule out that Canon USA covers expensive items just recently going out of warranty. Which is fair enough, I agreed to pay for repairs, the problem is repairs to fix the actual problem were not performed and Canon USA was not helpful to resolve the issue, yet still has my repair payment.

In mother in law's case, I can rule out that Canon USA covers items that are in warranty, and fails to provide any explanation that is meaningful as to why they refuse to perform their obligation.

So that's my experiences and why I won't do business with them anymore. Others may have direct first hand experiences that are better.

And again, the pragmatic lesson is just buy gray market or non-authorized reseller if you want to shoot Canon and don't waste money on warranties, either first party or third party. And as for me, I'll just rotate this gear out when the time is right and migrate to another vendor.

 

[sagittariansrock]

My experience with Canon repair has been very good, and I am not even a CPS member or a high-volume customer. They even replaced a T3i AFTER the warranty was over. I would just call them and ask for explanations. They seemed to be very common-sense oriented people and not rule-oriented over there.
Did they receive the camera and then email or mail you their decision? Or did you actually speak to someone?
Finally, if opting out of Canon hurts oneself more then that might not be the best decision, especially considering this is pretty likely with Nikon as well.
In any case, this post just doesn't jive with my experience with Canon...

 

[neuroanatomist]

do you really suspect that Nikon is going to be that much better to deal with? Maybe sigma or tamron because they can't afford to alienate their customer base, but I doubt they are giving away free service either.

having said all that, I have heard of times where someone sends in something for service to Canon and they do the work for free even though it is it of warranty. so they aren't all bad.

I have no idea whether Nikon is better, worse, the same, whatever.

According to Lensrentals' data, you can expect to wait nearly 5 times as long for Nikon to fix what's broken, whether you have to pay for it or not. Oh, and if you do have to pay for it, you'll pay more.

 

[skitron]

do you really suspect that Nikon is going to be that much better to deal with? Maybe sigma or tamron because they can't afford to alienate their customer base, but I doubt they are giving away free service either.

having said all that, I have heard of times where someone sends in something for service to Canon and they do the work for free even though it is it of warranty. so they aren't all bad.

I have no idea whether Nikon is better, worse, the same, whatever.

According to Lensrentals' data, you can expect to wait nearly 5 times as long for Nikon to fix what's broken, whether you have to pay for it or not. Oh, and if you do have to pay for it, you'll pay more.

Yup, there may be better choices than Nikon too. I'm certainly not married to that idea...