Canon USA- no repairs of EF-M 11-22mm lens, instead get refurbished for US$169+

[JimS]

I bought this lens in August 20, 2015 from Henry's in Canada shipped to me in California. I have used the lens a little, and then last week the lens stopped working on either my M3 or M5. I would attach the lens, and within a minute the camera froze up with the aperture showing f/000. With either camera, the camera was completely unresponsive to any input, and fairly quickly the screen would go black.

So....I phoned Canon customer support, and they said mail it to the Factory Service Center in Costa Mesa, CA for repair.

Well, this afternoon I got an e-mail back from the Canon Factory Service Center, which stated:

Description of Problem/Symptoms:
Repairs are not performed on the model you sent for repair. We will exchange your original model with a new or factory refurbished product. Please respond to this estimate.

We have received your Canon Product for evaluation and repair or replacement. In an effort to provide our valued customers with a fast and economical repair solution for out-of-warranty products like yours, this model is exchanged as a whole unit when sent in for service. Below is our estimate for the exchange [=US$ 182.11].

Yikes!

 

[josephandrews222]

...we borrow each other's closing word (apparently, because it is one of my most-used email words)...yikes!

The 11-22mm EF-M lens is one of my favorites.

Actually, it is my favorite lens for everyday shooting.

I wonder what the Lens Rental guy(s) have to say about this 'policy' of not repairing the lens...

 

[neuroanatomist]

Just to point out, this could be because the lens serial number indicates it was purchased from Canada at a time when Canon USA was not selling or supporting the lens.

 

[Eagle Eye]

Just to point out, this could be because the lens serial number indicates it was purchased from Canada at a time when Canon USA was not selling or supporting the lens.

For sure. I'll add, though, that I spoke with folks in Newport News last week about a replacement part for my M5 (dang hot shoe cover) and they told me that there aren't any parts available for the M5, even for them to order. I may have misinterpreted, but it sounds like the EOS-M bodies may not be repairable in the USA, only replaceable.

 

[privatebydesign]

I broke my EF11-24, a different lens I know, but the point was I got it from Canada via a CPW deal, it got repaired by Canon USA under warranty for free even though it was my fault.

I'd think it's the replace it rather than work on it has some logic to it. How much work can you do before the importer cost of the lens is reached?

 

[neuroanatomist]

I broke my EF11-24, a different lens I know, but the point was I got it from Canada via a CPW deal, it got repaired by Canon USA under warranty for free even though it was my fault.

I'd think it's the replace it rather than work on it has some logic to it. How much work can you do before the importer cost of the lens is reached?

Sure, the warranty card says USA and Canada right on it. But when you bought the 11-24 from Canada, it was sold and supported by Canon USA. That wasn't the case for the OP's M11-22 (nor is it the case for mine).

 

[RunAndGun]

Maybe it is more economical to replace it completely, as opposed to the parts and labor to repair it.

 

[privatebydesign]

I broke my EF11-24, a different lens I know, but the point was I got it from Canada via a CPW deal, it got repaired by Canon USA under warranty for free even though it was my fault.

I'd think it's the replace it rather than work on it has some logic to it. How much work can you do before the importer cost of the lens is reached?

Sure, the warranty card says USA and Canada right on it. But when you bought the 11-24 from Canada, it was sold and supported by Canon USA. That wasn't the case for the OP's M11-22 (nor is it the case for mine).

Wasn't Henry's a legitimate Canon Canada import? Henry's are an official Canon dealer.

My point was that both our lenses came from Canada via official Canon importers, the only essential difference between the two transactions is cost and the fact that Canon USA, who own Canon Canada, didn't import the EF-M 11-22 at that time, though they do now.

This would imply Canon USA do have the ability to repair the lens now if it falls within the beancounters assessment of time cost equations, or that they won't work on non USA imports. As we haven't heard any other stories of Canon USA blocking non genuine imports, indeed I list one personal experience contrary to that, I suggested my experience lent weight to the idea that it was a beancounter decision rather than a policy of not working on non genuine imports.

 

[Rocky]

It may cost more than $182 to repair the lens. So they just sell you another lens for $182. I once have a 8X32 IS binocular from Canon. Its IS is not functioning. Canon USA wants $450 th repair it. I paid only $175 on sale.

 

[neuroanatomist]

It may cost more than $182 to repair the lens. So they just sell you another lens for $182. I once have a 8X32 IS binocular from Canon. Its IS is not functioning. Canon USA wants $450 th repair it. I paid only $175 on sale.

Seems you're saying Canon would have repaired your binocs even though buying a new replacement was cheaper. That was true for my EOS M that died, too...their repair estimate (flat fee) was the same as a new one in Amazon (instead, I opted to pay a few dollars more for an imported M2).

So there are two examples where they would repair items when not cost effective to do so.

 

[monkey44]

Different product, but same logic. Four years old clothes dryer started making a racket ... we called repair guy, and with house call and fix (he knew what the problem was) was $99 house call, $180 parts and repair. So, for $279 we'd have an old dryer, with other parts probably ready to fail.

We looked at same brand new model at $409, so for $130 more, we had a new dryer. No thought required.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

For low end lenses, I believe that Canon sends large lots of them to outside companies where they are refurbished , likely in Mexico, they do not do the repairs in the Canon facilities. This is the same deal for low end Powershots. Boards from cameras also are sent in bulk to be refurbished, and then are used for repair.

As others have said, the cost is too high to repair them individually at US facilities, its cheaper to exchange for new or refurbished.

 

[JimS]

To clarify my situation (as the OP!), although I bought the lens from Henry's in Canada, it came with a Canon North American warranty (for both Canon U.S.A. and Canon Canada).

The warranty period of one year had expired when the lens stopped functioning. The impression I had is that Canon's decision to offer me a refurbished lens in lieu of repairing that one was purely an economic decision on Canon's part about the cost of the repair rather than a decision based upon the fact I bought it from Canada.

And FTR, I very carefully cleaned the contacts on the lens with a soft microfibre cloth as recommended by CA, and that did not help.

 

[tpatana]

I think it sounds reasonable offer from them. Since the warranty is already out, basically options are:

A: Repair it for a cost
B: Buy new (/refurbished)

If cost for A is fairly high, it's nice gesture from them to offer refurbished for fairly low price instead of charging you more for the repair.

 

[bholliman]

I think it sounds reasonable offer from them. Since the warranty is already out, basically options are:

A: Repair it for a cost
B: Buy new (/refurbished)

If cost for A is fairly high, it's nice gesture from them to offer refurbished for fairly low price instead of charging you more for the repair.

+1 Their refurb offer is less than 1/2 the normal refurb cost, so a fair offer in my opinion.

 

[JimS]

Refurb offer accepted - similar experience with Panasonic

I went ahead and paid Canon the $$ since the lens is worth that to me.

About a 8 months ago, I had a Panasonic DMC-FZ1000 bridge camera fail on me. SquareTrade refused to fix it under my warranty because they claimed it was an impact that caused the failure (I think it might have been rain, but there was no impact around the time of the failure). I then sent it to Panasonic. They said it would cost some fortune to repair, but they would sell me a refurbished model for ~$700 - which is more than what they are selling for new today at B&H.

 

[rrcphoto]

I bought this lens in August 20, 2015 from Henry's in Canada shipped to me in California. I have used the lens a little, and then last week the lens stopped working on either my M3 or M5. I would attach the lens, and within a minute the camera froze up with the aperture showing f/000. With either camera, the camera was completely unresponsive to any input, and fairly quickly the screen would go black.

So....I phoned Canon customer support, and they said mail it to the Factory Service Center in Costa Mesa, CA for repair.

Well, this afternoon I got an e-mail back from the Canon Factory Service Center, which stated:

Description of Problem/Symptoms:
Repairs are not performed on the model you sent for repair. We will exchange your original model with a new or factory refurbished product. Please respond to this estimate.

We have received your Canon Product for evaluation and repair or replacement. In an effort to provide our valued customers with a fast and economical repair solution for out-of-warranty products like yours, this model is exchanged as a whole unit when sent in for service. Below is our estimate for the exchange [=US$ 182.11].

Yikes!

isn't canon usa's minimum repair $$ greater than $169?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

isn't canon usa's minimum repair $$ greater than $169?

Not for lower end lenses. You can order and prepay for flat rate repair of a 50mm f/1.4, for example, online at the Canon web site. It cost me $79 a few years back. Its higher now, but not $169.

Some products are just exchanged for refurb, and they apparently send them to be repaired in batches. That makes sense, because one of the huge electronics refurbishing centers can run a batch of 1000 thru a refurb production line for a much lower cost. Chances are that there are 2 or 3 common issues, and they just replace all three parts.