Sony buyers Beware!!

Jan 22, 2012
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Sony has the worst service center EVER. I gave Rx 100 3 for repair and it is now 3 weeks and every time I call, I get a set reply: It is in head office, we will revert soon. Disconnect.

I so hope I never buy Sony again. Grrrrr.
 
Good luck getting your camera back soon with a proper fix.

This, too, is part of the 'system' argument. Canon repair turnarounds are generally quite fast. Here are data from Lensrentals. It could be worse for you, you could have a broken Nikon or Olympus camera. ;)

daysrpr.jpg
 
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This is US Data, in other countries, everything could change. I've seen some horror stories about Sony Australia as well.

Sony USA is trying to get their act together, and is opening a professional service center with 3 day turnaround. I'd think that Lens Rentals qualified for that.

https://esupport.sony.com/info/1523/US/EN
 
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dilbert said:
sanj said:
I wonder why Zeiss is rated so low. I have had great experience dealing with them. Exception experience actually.

Long live the system! Its about the system!

This is a measure only of how long the service took, not the quality of the service or the interaction with the service team.

If you bring your car in to get fixed and I return it to you the very same day, that's good service, yeah? Now what if you need to bring it back in a couple of days for something that's still not right and again, same day service. Good quick service, that's all that matters, right, so you're happy that the second time is still a "same day service."

Of course, you could take a 1 day service lens back 39 times and still have it back before the Zeiss. I believe Roger had to send some Zeiss lenses back more than once, he published a scathing article a few years back.

When I sent my 35mmL in for repair, it took 2 days, and was perfect. Its a meaningless statistic by itself, but not everyone has to send things back over and over.
 
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dilbert said:
This is a measure only of how long the service took, not the quality of the service or the interaction with the service team.

True, but speed and high quality are not mutually exclusive. On the other hand, unless a replacement loaner is provided (free of charge) a long repair turnaround (>2 weeks) would be synonymous with a poor overall service experience for many people.
 
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neuroanatomist said:
dilbert said:
This is a measure only of how long the service took, not the quality of the service or the interaction with the service team.

True, but speed and high quality are not mutually exclusive. On the other hand, unless a replacement loaner is provided (free of charge) a long repair turnaround (>2 weeks) would be synonymous with a poor overall service experience for many people.

Speed, quality, price... pick any two. :)
 
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I have used Canon CPS twice for major repairs. My 10-22mm was destroyed when it was attached to the 50D and tumbled out of the van onto pavement. Canon replaced all but the front element assembly- $59.00 and 5 days.
On the other hand, my 100-400L with a sticking lock ring took 10 days. Come to find out, the lock ring was only part of the problem. Canon dismantled the entire lens to replace the entire zoom assembly. The lens came back with the look and feel of a brand new lens. All lens elements were perfectly clean. I had asked about dust visible on the inside and I was told that would be a major task to disassemble and clean the elements. $$$ more.
All said and done, they did all the repairs and cleaning for the original repair estimate(lock ring) with the total cost of $215.20!!!! :)
I got my $100/year money's worth.

Canon 10-22mm Lens- forced disassembly by Keith Breazeal, on Flickr
 
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Dylan777 said:
This is Sony Service in US?

Mumbai, India. When I call Canon they connect me direct with the guy who will service the camera. We know each other by first name. At Sony it is always a call center somewhere who is as clueless about everything as I am about nuclear physics.
 
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Two minute ago I bumped into a guy who took is A7 for sensor cleaning. His words - "The guy took off the lens, walked closer to the window to see spots. Attended a longish phone call while the camera lay open. Then blew on sensor with a hand air bulb and returned it."
 
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sanj said:
Dylan777 said:
This is Sony Service in US?

Mumbai, India. When I call Canon they connect me direct with the guy who will service the camera. We know each other by first name. At Sony it is always a call center somewhere who is as clueless about everything as I am about nuclear physics.

Well, maybe you can learn nuclear physics in the time it takes Sony to repair your camera. :)
 
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When I called Canon (Canada) for my one repair (dropped 400f5.6) the service rep was willing to stay on and talk about cameras for what seemed like as long as I wanted, after a few minutes I ended the conversation out of courtesy.
This is one of the few companies I know of that hires real enthusiasts to answer phone calls (Unless he was a Japanese Robot and I couldn't tell).

Seeing Fuji on that list from Lensrentals makes those beautiful dial covered bodies so much more enticing.
The XT-10 has a 100% electronic shutter now, no mechanical parts, 0 vibration. Next year they're supposed to release a big Macro lens and 400mm zoom, and hopefully a new sensor, could be a pricey year.
 
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sanj said:
Two minute ago I bumped into a guy who took is A7 for sensor cleaning. His words - "The guy took off the lens, walked closer to the window to see spots. Attended a longish phone call while the camera lay open. Then blew on sensor with a hand air bulb and returned it."

Why ask someone else to do such a fundamental thing that can be done easily at home in 5-45 minutes? I carry a sensor cleaning kit on my travels because you never know when you might need it.
 
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I have had nothing but good luck with Canon service when I needed them over the years -
1982 - An FTb CLA plus focus screen back quickly
1984 - An A-1 with a rotted shutter curtain from getting caught in a downpour - charged only for a CLA, no extra for parts
1985 - A FDn 132/2 with a dented hood from a college basketball player kicking it - back quickly for almost nothing
2013 - A EFs 17-85 with a dead focus system - fixed in 5 days for a very reasonable price
 
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sanj said:
Dylan777 said:
This is Sony Service in US?

Mumbai, India. When I call Canon they connect me direct with the guy who will service the camera. We know each other by first name. At Sony it is always a call center somewhere who is as clueless about everything as I am about nuclear physics.

My experience with Sony CS service in US wasn't bad at all. I had some issue with my A7s - camera doesn't go into sleep mode after 10seconds. I called and spoke with CS agent. We didn't not have a solution for it due to firmware issue. They did called me back couple times to try out different methods - couldn't fix it. Few weeks later Sony released new firmware and problem solved. This is not repair service, but I do feel they did their best.

As for Canon, I live 10-15mins away from Canon Service Center in Irvine California. Always received VIP service. Cleaning ects...only take 2days.
 
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