Trevor Carpenter
Forum Pro
Accidents are why you have insurance
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Panasonic haters!
- Thread starter Advent1sam
- Start date
larsbc
Forum Pro
I have to say that Panasonic must have received that message loud and strong for a couple of weeks now. If they have not already received that message then repeating it endlessly will not improve their ability to hear.
When Daniel Cox tried to act in his capacity as ambassador he was howled at. So when does the tirade stop and we wait to see if Panasonic has listened?
Note with a 3-year warranty in the USA (at least) then these lenses will be replaced by as brand new “refurbished” lens. After this time it might be reasonable to think that further problems come from wear and tear. If the repair then is very expensive we must all be well warned at this stage to take care of these lenses as they, by their nature, can be subject to a hard life in some of their use-life if used for adventure photography. Packing these lenses also seems to be an issue. Obviously packing a large lens in a manner that puts a lot of strain on the mount is not to be advised.
I have gleaned all this from lightly reading the considerable number of posts on this issue and surely most other concerned readers have also managed to absorb this already.
You have your concerns, which are real. Others have a different concern - that Panasonic products in general are very reliable but talk on these threads spills over into rants about the quality of Panasonic products in general and advices that some wish to punish Panasonic by never again buying a Panasonic product. Lets just stick to the issue which seems that a few 100-400 lens owners have been shocked by the costs of out of warranty repairs even if they have never needed an out of warranty repair on this type of lens.
This is the sole issue that needs to be sorted out and must be sorted out privately by Panasonic in a case by case basis. Post outrage on this forum.
Btw, my lens was purchased second-hand and Panasonic policy says warranty is not transferrable. My previous user sold it to me after 6 months of use. If I'd registered the lens on my name even after purchasing it second hand and got my warranty extended, Panasonic fine print says I'd have committed mail fraud. Where does it leave users like me?
And exactly how will Panasonic reach affected individuals if you delete their threads which express genuine problem and difficulty the user faced while dealing with Panasonic support. My thread had all factual data and proofs and I did not use any uncivil words.
Maybe I was more critical then usual as I was really unhappy after reading Daniel Cox's defense. I think the moderators on this forum need to act in the best interest of the community and not the company.
And what happens to your premium when you use the insurance? Possibly premium increase.
So Panasonic keeps the broken lens, charges my insurance 70% cost me refurbished lens, repairs the old lens and gives it to the next guy for another 70% cost. Customer on the other hand possible pays higher insurance premium.
This forum is getting way to nuts for logical discussions. I'm not going to participate any further.
G
greg 123
Guest
Apparently these concerns aren't heard. Deleting legitimate recounting of service experiences doesn't help remedy the situation. Here's an example going back over a year ago on a 35-100 2.8 lens reported on another forum.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/58919239
Last edited:
RobbieBear
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I see lots of Olympus lenses advertised for sale 'with balance of manufacturers warranty'
The Olympus warranty is not transferable either. This is fairly standard practice, at least in my experience.
Even if a seller gives you the original receipt, you would have to pretend to be them or try to say that they bought the lens for you as a present if you ever needed to claim against the warranty.
http://e-group.uk.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7332
Check the link above and scroll down to Oly response.
Taking a risk, when buying used, just like the rest of us. That's one reason why I often buy grey. At least, if the lens is faulty on arrival, it is easier to return than buying used from ebay.
Mark Ransom
Veteran Member
But it isn't just Panasonic that must hear the message - anybody who's considering buying an expensive Panasonic product should be informed. Someone in one of these threads suggested that Panasonic should be warning people up front that their lens will not be repairable - what should they do, put cigarette style warnings on their ads? That's never going to happen.
The best solution isn't to go on a case by case basis. I've made this suggestion a couple of times, and each time it gets deleted, probably because I'm choosing the wrong post to reply to. Hopefully responding to a mod will work out better.
If Panasonic would switch to a flat fee repair system, all this would go away. The unpredictability of repair cost really hurts them, as everybody must assume the worst.
James Stirling
Forum Pro
Yep, as you say plenty of folk claim that the warranty is still active. I do not know of any camera maker that would allow warranties to be transferred ,and the small print makes this very clear . I agree totally about grey import using the better companies such as Panamoz you get a BNIB item ,with in the case of Panamoz a legit 3yr UK based warranty all their repair/service work is carried out by a Glasgow based company.
What's more when you look at the sometimes optimistic price being asked for used gear , the BNIB grey item often costs about the same or less
Seriously? Imagine the whining here after someone is charged $500 to replace a small screw that fell out.
There are no free lunches, the customer will end up paying for whatever level of service they get, one way or another.
Trevor Carpenter
Forum Pro
so if there is a company out there who can fix 100-400s , what's all the fuss about. If one company can do it than surely others can as well.
larsbc
Forum Pro
No one's asking for a "free lunch." They're asking that repair fees be somewhat related to the actual repair cost. $500 for a screw that fell out beats paying $1000+ for a re-certified lens.
Mark Ransom
Veteran Member
Well that's another problem. There should be a class of repairs that are sent to Japan for full disassembly, and another that can be repaired locally for less. At the moment it looks like there's only Japan, even for a loose screw.
larsbc
Forum Pro
- Advent1Sam is the one that started this thread so you can go ahead and blame him if you don't like another Panasonic support-related thread being started.
- We have no idea whether or not Panasonic got the message because they've been absolutely silent on the issue aside from the one bit of info they passed to Dpreview in Anne's thread.
It will die down on its own. These threads always do, until another incident pops up.
Not so much comfort for those of us where Panasonic only provides 1-yr warranties.
If you go by what Panasonic says (from Anne's thread), it doesn't matter what level of repair is required. If the foot is broken, you can't buy a new one because they don't provide parts. The cost of repair is automatically USD$1000+ for a re-certified lens. You're using a mid- to worst-case example of damage while we (or a least I) are considering the minor damage cases that still results in a massive repair bill.
Additionally, some *potential* buyers of that lens object to their out-of-warranty repair policy and are second-guessing whether it is a wise purchase. And to some degree, I'm also against this support policy because it is hurting Panasonic's reputation. I *DO* want Panasonic to thrive in this market but this kind of support policy for their prestige line of lenses is a terrible, terrible idea.
That doesn't exclude the option of charging a flat rate for repairs. Sorting it out on a case-by-case basis doesn't promote confidence in their out-of-warranty support because it then becomes a lottery as to whether or not they'll stick you with the full re-certified lens price for a repair. Anne's result certainly didn't make a lot of people feel good about Panasonic's support.
RobbieBear
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Too true.
Been looking at buying my lad either an Oly 25 or a Panny 20.
Used 20 mk2 lenses go for £190+. I could buy a grey for £205
The Oly 25 is even worse. Used ones go for over £200 with many asking up to £250 for them. I could buy a grey for £195 delivered which is probably what I will do. Will check out Panamoz.
Yf the repair then is very expensive we must all be well warned at this stage to take care of these lenses as they, by their nature, can be subject to a hard life in some of their use-life if used for adventure photography. Packing these lenses also seems to be an issue. Obviously packing a large lens in a manner that puts a lot of strain on the mount is not to be advised.
Kent Ekasak
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same as OP.. I have use m43 almost 10 years since the launch of GF1..
GF1-GX1-G7-GF7-GX85.. 5 bodies (soon to be 6).. 7 lenses.. ZERO problem.. Very reliable, durable, and user friendly tools..
GF1-GX1-G7-GF7-GX85.. 5 bodies (soon to be 6).. 7 lenses.. ZERO problem.. Very reliable, durable, and user friendly tools..
Wellington100
Forum Pro
I have owned a number of Fuji Nikon Canon and Panny cameras over the years and all have proven to be reliable but Panny definitely counts in this camp. Lets face it, they have had a deal with Leica for years to build low end cameras for Leica as well as lenses and Leica design lenses used by Panny.
There is no way Leica would be in a tight manufacturing relationship with Panny if their products were not good. Leica sell Panny made cameras at a huge premium, if the products were bad, this would not have happened.
RobbieBear
Senior Member
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So where is your evidence for that statement? You want to chuck accusations like that at Panasonic, you better have some evidence, otherwise you are truly plumbing the depths.
and gives it to the next guy for another 70% cost. Customer on the other hand possible pays higher insurance premium.
Too true - your accusation above being a perfect example!
I would recommend that you are true to your word.
I insure my gear against accidents or theft. Most sensible folk do. If I had an accident and damaged my lens I would not seek recourse from the manufacturer, even if it was days old. I would be placing a call to my insurer. Despite your protestations that this practice is nuts, I can assure you that it is perfectly normal and what normal folk do.
James Stirling
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Boss of Sony
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Panasonic lenses have high sample variation, and apparently less reliable quality control than Olympus. This has been well established by now. Multiple reviewers have found that even Panasonic's expensive lenses like the Leica branded ones suffer from unusually unreliable sample variation, and often do not have a uniform central sharp area wide open. Not a big problem for me, but it seems to bother some people.
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