Initial reaction NOT favorable

[dpalugyay]

...because it flies in the face of your "logic".

You want something fixed under warranty, send it in while it's under warranty. I'm sure the people you work with at your worlds largest computer manufacturer would tell you that. This little life lesson you are learning (I hope) can be applied to many things as you continue to go through life.

I'm done arguing with you, as I've just now realized it's pointless. Good luck with your camera. About your common sense...well...good luck with your life.

 

[Bruce Spell]

Good luck with your camera. About your common sense...well...good
luck with your life.

I'll take all the luck I can get. I sincerely hope you never have to have anything serviced with yours. As for life, seems I've done ok up to now. Some of us don't have your luxury to go through life always being right.
--
Bruce

 

[Thomas Kolenich]

I am with the service department also. It is out of warrantee. I had a E-3 less than a year old and a 35-100 more than a year old. The lens would not focus. I sent in both camera and lens.

They charged me $125 to put a new collar on the lens and $50 to check out the camera. They found no problem in the camera.

So I got my 35-100 fixed for $175 and confirmed that my E-3 was OK. I use this camera professionally and I did not mind paying for that repair.

I have been using Olympus professionally since 2001 and Olympus always comes through, sometimes at NC and sometimes with what I consider a nominal charge.

I know a photographer who had to send his Canon 1D MKII into Canon three times to get his backfocus fixed and they charged him.

There are no perfect companies, just companies trying to make a profit and bring out new products. You can't do one without the other.

Tom Kolenich

 

[Thomas Kolenich]

The E-3 costs more in Europe than the US. You are paying for that 2 year warrantee.

Tom Kolenich

 

[Bootstrap]

experience with Olympus Service.

Several months ago I had an issue with my very out of warranty 8mm FE. I initiated a call to the service center, was quoted a flat rate price for repair which was substantially more than $100. I shipped the lens, pre-authorized the repair, and had it back in one week.

At the time I called, they had no idea what was wrong, only that there was an issue. When the lens was returned, the package included a detailed packing slip indicating exactly what was done.
I have no complaints, at all.

--
Bill Turner
Eschew Prolixity.
Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

 

[TXforester]

This is one reason why I thought they should
bear some of the repair cost even though mine is technically out of
warranty.

Maybe that is what they are doing. Bearing some of the cost. Maybe they assume that whatever the problem is, it will cost more than $100 to fix. Maybe their reasoning is you should bear part of the cost also considering you waited till the warranty had run out before sending it in.

--

Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: I don't think they wanted me to say anything. It was just their way of having a bit of fun, the swines. Strange thing is they make such bloody good cameras.

 

[Mahmoud Mousef]

Seems pretty lame to me. Consider me an unhappy customer at the moment.

Not sure about design issues with your cam, but if a known fault, it should be repaired free, I reckon, despite being out of warranty.

If Olympus aren't acknowledging a design fault (if it exists) or communicating these things to their service department or contractor, then they are being sub-par.

 

[knoblock]

In the United States a product must be merchantable when it is sold, so any defects that would prevent use of the product for its intended purpose should be fixed at the manufacturer's expense. A company ought to be bound by ethics to fix any design flaws.

That said, it is prudent to buy an extended warranty on an expensive item if the cost of the warranty is low enough to make it worthwhile.

--
Steve

http://www.flickr.com/photos/knoblock/
http://picasaweb.google.com/steve.knoblock

Film will only become art when its materials are as inexpensive as pencil and paper. -- Jean Cocteau

 

[photoski]

For what it's worth, I used to work in the mobile phone industry for a manufacturer. Most repair centers use "cookbook" procedures for repairing consumer electronic products. It is too time consuming to try and diagnose every possible component and fault when a certain repair procedure will capture 99% of the potential faults. Hopefully, in testing, faults outside of the norm will be captured. They also usually have flat rates. We used to charge $70 no matter what was wrong with the phone. For cameras, I would imagine they have several tiered "flat rates" depending on the symptom. that's how they can tell you how much it will cost before they know the specific defect.

Return and repair processing is a challenging part of any business. To me it sounds like Olympus is doing fine here, you actually get to speak with them to make your case. They do have to make judgment calls on what they will comp. Continue the dialogue with them.

How things really work in product design, development, manufacturing, and support is often not what the layperson envisions.

Mike

 

[photoski]

Sounds reasonable.

 

[photoski]

I don't believe there is any law (int eh US) that makes a company provide a warranty for their products. Certainly nothing that tells them it has to be a year. Competition, design, risk managment, warranty costs, quality perception are what drive lenghts of warranty.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

... I have to say that I heard, "It's been a problem since day-1" at least a dozen times a day, and usually on product that was out of warranty. After a while you tend to get a little shell-shocked by it; you're just oblivious to it being said.
--
D620L -> D540 -> C750UZ -> E-500 -> E-510 -> E-3 + E-30

 

[Rriley]

for people who find themselves in Bruce's position with E3 AF
, just a thought, maybe a longshot
http:
forum.fourthirdsphoto.com/showthread.php?t=48090
--
ʎǝlıɹ

plɹoʍ ǝɥʇ ɟo doʇ uo ǝɹɐ ǝʍ 'ɐılɐɹʇsnɐ uı

 

[olyflyer]

...and a 3 page fault description was written when I stumbled over your post.

for people who find themselves in Bruce's position with E3 AF
, just a thought, maybe a longshot
http://forum.43photo.com/showthread.php?t=48090

I read it, unpacked the camera and did some quick tests. My problem is still there, no doubt. I think the guy just drew some quick conclusions, like the grip theory Tony had over there.

Thank you for the link anyway, but my camera must go today.
--
http://www.olyflyer.blogspot.com/

 

[Rriley]

was worth a shot
but it should work out anyways

--
ʎǝlıɹ

plɹoʍ ǝɥʇ ɟo doʇ uo ǝɹɐ ǝʍ 'ɐılɐɹʇsnɐ uı

 

[olyflyer]

was worth a shot

Definitely. Although I was sceptical and though first, no way, I still gave it a chance and unpacked the camera. Too bad it did not help.

but it should work out anyways

I certainly hope so, otherwise you'll find me somewhere else before September-October. For now, I froze every Oly investment from my part. I planned to buy some more lenses and some other stuff, like the EC-14, but I am not making the same mistake onece again, like in December when I bought the 50-200 SWD. I think that was a real stupid move from my side. Not sure it is better somewhere else, but there is certainly no reason not to try, especially if my camera gets back to me unfixed.
--
http://www.olyflyer.blogspot.com/

 

[Rriley]

i can understand that
id probably do the same...

--
ʎǝlıɹ

plɹoʍ ǝɥʇ ɟo doʇ uo ǝɹɐ ǝʍ 'ɐılɐɹʇsnɐ uı

 

[tko]

How could they know what the problem is w/o taking it apart, and finding the problem? At that point, over 70% of the work is done, they just have to adjust it or replace the parts and put it back together.

The $100 is a flat fee estimate based on a book rate. Some cameras might cost more, some might cost less. I doubt they keep track of the hours of each technician.

Have you explained anywhere why you think your deserve a repair for free? "It was broken from the start and I didn't bother to do anything about it" doesn't seem like a good excuse, do you have a better one?