Nikon repair service - buyer beware

<p>I have been buying Nikon gear for many years. Now that I need something repaired I'm really regretting it.<br /> <br /> I sent a Coolscan scanner into Nikon's Melville NY office for repair and they sent me an estimate on 8/13. I immediately approved it and they charged it to my credit card.<br /> <br /> The online status form then showed it moving through their repair process. On 8/17 it showed as completed and ready to ship. Since then nothing has changed. I've called Nikon and keep getting promises that they will look into it and call me with an update but no one ever does call. Yesterday I spoke to a supervisor named Arshad who promised without a question of a doubt that it would go out overnight and that he would call me with the tracking number. Well, it didn't ship. I tried him back but the agent who answered said he was really busy and would have to get to me tomorrow.<br /> <br /> I tried their corporate number in Melville and have left voice mails but haven't heard anything at all back.<br /> <br /> Nikon may make great equipment but at this stage their customer "service" is about the worst I have experienced. They have my gear, they have charged me for the repair, but they haven't sent it back and I have no idea what is going on.<br /> <br /> I'm open to any suggestions on what to do next. In the meantime, buyer beware.<br /> <br /> Bill</p>

<p>My suggestion is for you to relax.</p>

<p>You are having them work on something that has been out of production for a while. No telling where they had to send to for parts.</p>

<p>I really think you should be happy that they could repair you scanner amd mot just tell you sorry we don't support that any more.</p>

<p>Also there web site is not the fastest on updates. I have had cameras back in my hands before the web site said it was shipped</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I have only had one experiencee wtih Nikon service, a lens I dropped. The estimate came it at half of what I was anticipating, the service was unbelieveably quick. Very, pleased.</p>

<p>Are you positive that they actually billed your credit card? My understanding of business is that you cannot be billed until the item ships. </p>

<p>It was my understanding that Nikon had stopped repairing scanners sometime ago<br>

and that it is necessary to seek and independent repair service. It will be informative<br>

to follow up on this question. I have the question into Nikon Repair now.</p>

<p>OK, my error. Just called Nikon service and they reported that they do<br>

infact still repair scanners. Sorry.</p>

<p>I have had mixed results with Nikon Service. Sent 2 items once... they only could find one. They were in the same box,,. Sent another two items 300mm Lens and 1.4TC - fast repair and perfect job. Sent D300 camera body only requesting cleaning and checkout. They shipped it back as irreparable and did not return my body cap or viewfinder thingie in the return package. Horrible communication on the last one as well.</p>

<p>APS in Illinois for Nikon repair. Melville has screwed me for the last time.</p>

<p>Also Tom, FWIW, *never* send any unnecessary items (lens or body caps, batteries, viewfinder thingies, etc.) unless they are needed to reproduce the problem. During the repair process they will become separated from your lens / camera and never find their way back to you.</p>

<p>Wow. A company with such a huge network of "support" that performs like the local bike shop. Not good Nikon. Not good.</p>

<p>Sent in a 200mm f/2 vr for super tiny fungus cleaning on 1 element, estimated to be $400 elsewhere and I decided to try Nikon. They quoted $600, no cleaning, strictly element replacement. I agreed. Then they take the lens apart, say the AF motor doesnt work which is BS coz it has been working. Estimate jumped to $1600. We said ok. 6 weeks later lens came back, after parts hold etc., the minute I put it on D800E it froze the camera with defective VR. No sorry no shipping reimbursements, I have to send it back again. Guess what, they say the hood has damage and wants me to replace it for $45. I say ok. The hood never arrive until a week after the lens gets fixed, and I think I waited 9 weeks overall. I always have to call for updates, no one ever call or email me. It's really quite terrible. If there is any Canon user please let me know about the service on the Canon side, I seriously almost switch to the dark side if I was not so impressed by the D800E and owning all the pro lenses from nikon. They do not even qualify for better business bureau or whatever it's called</p>

<p>I know my experience is not going to help the OP's current situation, but FWIW, back in the 1990's I have sent four items to Melville for repair:</p>

<ul>

<li>35-70mm/f2.8 AF had a problem in the zoom mechanism and was fixed within the first year under warranty.</li>

<li>500mm/f4 P aperture jammed in Africa. Melville fixed it for about $200.</li>

<li>20mm/f2.8 AF also had the aperture diaphragm jammed, in Antarctica. Melville fixed it for $200 also.</li>

<li>CLA my old F4 for about $200: very stupid move on my part. After using the F5 and F100, I never liked the F4's controls any more and therefore never used it. Eventually its electronics failed and that camera is now dead.</li>

</ul>

<p>In year 2000 I moved back to California.</p>

<ul>

<li>In 2005 my new SB-800 was giving inconsistent flash results. El Segundo fixed it under warranty.</li>

<li>Also in 2005 I dropped my 17-55mm/f2.8 AF-S. El Segundo changed the lens mount for $135.</li>

<li>In 2009 a gust of wind blew my tripod down in the Antarctic and my 70-200mm AF-S VR hit solid rock. The lens was still fine except that the manual focus ring became very stiff. El Segundo wanted $500 to change the helicoid inside the 70-200 and I told them no thank you.</li>

</ul>

<p>Each one of those 6 repairs took about 2 weeks each time and Nikon Melville or El Segundo did a decent job. Sometimes their repair cost can be high and sometimes thy are very reasonable such as the 17-55 DX fix.</p>

<p>I'm just happy they are still repairing their products!</p>

<p>I have nothing but excellent things to say about Nikon repair here in Los Angeles. El Segundo have always been fast, reliable, fair in cost & have always seemingly gone above & beyond call of duty.<br>

<br />As for Canon repair. All I can tell you is what my friends who shoot Canon tell me. If you're not a Pro with Pro status. Repairs slow if they'll even believe you when you tell them what's wrong. They're constantly sending in their equipment for calibration etc. If you hand deliver - as a woman, no help ever cause no woman seems to know what to do with a camera. This from a woman Canon shooter who threated to go over to Nikon.<br>

So as for changing to Canon - - go for it. ;-) I doubt you'll have better service.<br>

For me Sony's the worst company. They want nothing to do with you even if the item's still under warranty & if out of warranty. Don't bother them at all.</p>

<p>I've had only three experiences with Nikon USA service. Not enough to conclude anything. Just enough to contribute to the anecdotal fog:</p>

<ol>

<li>During the 1990s I had a question about a closeup feature on a Nikon 35mm film P&S camera. A Nikon rep answered the question but sounded a bit snippy and impatient about it. Apparently the normal/closeup switch was simply much stiffer and harder to move than I'd expected so I thought it was jammed or defective.</li>

<li>In 2006 my D2H needed some repairs/parts replacements, handled under warranty. Service was reasonably quick (about 2-3 weeks) and communication was clear and satisfactory. If I'd stopped there my recommendation would have been very positive.</li>

<li>In 2011 I tried to take advantage of the extended warranty on the D2H to cover a defect to which Nikon had admitted (the manufacturer, not Nikon USA the distributor). <a href="00ZTxC">The entire experience was a mess</a>, with poor communication and overall indifference toward my questions adding to the frustration.</li>

</ol>

<p>In contrast my experiences with the USA distributors for Olympus and Pentax/Ricoh have been entirely positive. Communication has been quick, clear, with responses from actual human beings rather than navigating an auto-non-responsive buffer before actually communicating with a live person.</p>

<p>At this point - not just for Nikon but for any electronic product - I'd strongly consider taking advantage of extended warranties or other purchase protection programs (offered by some credit cards). It would depend on whether the extended warranty was cost effective, and taking into account the costs of insured shipping to resolve problems, cost of replacement of the product, etc. For a laptop PC purchase this year I got an extended warranty that included repairs for damage due to dropping, etc. I didn't bother with that for my desktop since the risk was low.</p>

In my experience, they are about 70% on the ball, but they should be more like 99%. When

theyve done it right, they exceeded my expectations.

<p>Maybe I should add to my experience this. One of my experiences was sending in my old D200 (my first dslr) for a check before I went to sell it. The rubber grip had started to come lose a little in a place & I requested they'd fix that with some glue or something.<br>

The something they did was to completely replace it.<br>

The camera came back looking new.<br>

And yes, it was back in days, if even a week.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>My understanding of business is that you cannot be billed until the item ships.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I don't know what Nikon does but a business can require payment up front or at other times as a condition for doing business with them.</p>