ANOTHER ARCA-SWISS COMPLAINT

[lucio_j._gomes]

I'd like to know if any of you out there have had any success sending

your Arca-Swiss B1 in for service and received it back with the

problem fixed and in a reasonably quick time. I'm having trouble

turning the ball in almost any direction other than up/down.

I do clean it with a rag damp in alcohol, always loosen the lock

knob before storing and keep it in a pouch when not using the B1.

Are there any authorized service shops on the west coast?

Thanks for any help or comments.

[passakorn_pananont]

I had the same problem.. I sent it in and keep bugging them to send it back to me. Finally I got it back, total time was about 2 weeks.

I think if you told them when exactly you will need it back they will try to comply your need.

[wildpicture]

Just sent a posting to another thread yesterday about this subject. But here it comes again.

 

Early this year I bought an Arca Swiss B-1. It performed very well for a few weeks. it was silky smooth. Suddenly all smoothness was gone and it was difficult to move. I have no idea what caused this.

 

I asked Arca Swiss customer service for advice but they didn't bother to answer untill they got lots of negative comments in this forum. The answer was something like, you may have paid $400 for this thing but you are too stupid to read the manual. Well the manual is a single sheet of paper which hardly expalins anything.

 

My dealer (Isarfoto in Germany) was very helpfull. When I informed him about the problem he immediately sent me a new B-1 as replacement, while mine was sent to Arca Swiss for repair. Two weeks ago, my ballhead came back from Arca Swiss. It was smooth as in the beginning again. But it had taken Arca Swiss over 4 months to get it fixed. I think such a period is not acceptable. Luckily I had such a great dealer. I could buy the replacement head form him for just $150, so now I am the proud owner of two As- B-1's.

 

So my conclusion: When it works, the B-1 is a perfect ballhead. Just hope you don%2µ�¯ 1ª�ð3Ûet p�Åblems with it, because the Arca Swiss Customer Service seems to be just the opposite of what their name indicates.

[eajames]

I sent a relatively new poorly functioning B1 to Arca-Swiss in Chicago USA. I was told I would have it back in two weeks. Three weeks later I called back to inquire about the repair status only to learn that Arca-Swiss USA farms out repairs to some place called Precision Camera. Then the woman at Arca-Swiss suggested that I call Precision Camera! (Not my job I thought.) I asked her to inquire and call me back. She said that she would, but she did not. I called her back and learned that she had called Precision Camera but apparently had no plans to let me know what the status of the repair was. I think Arca Swiss has a real customer service problem. I suspect this is why Cameraworld doesn't carry there ballheads anymore, and I know that it is the reason behind my local (Seattle) well-known pro shop giving them the stiff arm. If I had it to do over again I would not buy an Arca Swiss Monoball. I realize that many people have had nothing but good luck with their monoballs, but the first one I ordered (from B&H) came without a warranty card and was defective out of the box. A few weeks later I received one from Cameraworld (with a warranty card); this one froze up repeatedly (despite following the directions) and soon developed a jerking motion that prompted me to send it in for repair. Design flaw or assembly issue - I don't know. All I know is that many people have wasted the same $400 that I have. The problem that Lucio described may be the same as the jerky motion problem that I experienced; this is a not the infamous freeze-up problem - although that's a real pain in the @$$ as well. Perhaps you're wonder how my B1 is working now. I will definately post my results when I get the thing back.

[chrisober]

I sent a old style monoball to Precision Camera Works for an overhaul and total time I was without was two weeks. This includes shipping there and back. They have very reasonable charges and Bob, the person who performed the work, does very good work. Standard overhaul and parts to get my old style monoball in like new shape only cost me $95. I sold my new B1 which never had a problem.

[ron_goodman]

I sent my B1 to Arca-Swiss in early July, saying I needed it back for a trip at the beginning of September. They spent about 6 weeks telling me they were waiting for a part from France. All of a sudden, about the middle of August, I got a call with an estimate from Precision Camera works, who repaired it(no new parts needed) and got it back to me in time for my trip. I think the moral is to send it to Precision in the first place, and avoid the middleman.

[bob_k]

The service from Arca-Swiss sounds absolutely awful. For the amount of money we pay for this stuff, we shouldn't put up with this garbage.

 

If they are going to treat us like that, let's do business elsewhere.

 

The Kirk ballhead is probably the way to go. It's slightly less expensive, just as good, and the service can't be any worse.

[mark_mitchell4]

I echo Bob's sentiments. Having several friends with B-1's & watching

them lock up repeatedly urged me to buy a Kirk BH-1. I had a couple of questions regarding tension & a very slight stiffness to the panning of the base. Rep at Kirk said continue to use & if not to my

satisfaction, return it for a new one. That is what customer service is suppose to be about.

[martin_hale]

Slightly off subject, but don't for one moment believe that the support from Kirk can't be any worse. I have a fairly new Kirk Window Mount from which a small but vital part has vibrated free and gone missing. I have both e-mailed and written to Kirk about getting a replacement part, at my expense, in order for me to fix the now useless Window Mount, but can't get any response from them. They are very fast to respond to orders for items in their product line but once they've got your money don't expect any favours.

[tom_hill1]

I'll echo comments on the BH-1. Though it's not perfectly silky smooth in all axis (panning is wonderful though), I've never had a problem with it. In fact, I have two and have never had a problem with either. I haven't tested their customer service yet so I can't comment there. They have been very good about keeping me up to date about my shipping orders.

 

Cheers

[lucio_j._gomes]

Just got an e-mail from Arca-Swiss, thanking me for my e-mail and

apologizing for the late reply, as they were at the Photokina show.

They asked me to send my B1 to their office in Chicago. Their e-mail

address is ARCASWISS@aol.com and the phone # (773) 248 2513.

I guess if we complain together to the manufacturers and let them know

our opinions, maybe they'll pay attention and will work to improve

their products. I just wish Arca Swiss would issue a recall on the B1

monoballs and let everybody know just what is wrong with this design.

There are just too many people out there experiencing similar

problems. Anyway, thank you all for your help.

[Robin Smith]

What? Can that paragon of ball heads be so unreliable? Has the world become flat?

 

It does seem to me that this head is so highly praised and yet attracts so many complaints. Something doesn't fit here.... It seems to me that the B1 is no longer a sound recommendation?

[bobatkins]

Mine works fine. Still smooth and it's never locked up. Based on my sample of one, it's still the best ballhead around for lenses up to 500mm. At 600mm and up, maybe the B1G is better if you don't mind the extra size and weight.

[brian_small]

For what it's worth, my experience with the Arca ballheads has been the same as that of Bob Atkins. Both my B1G's have worked flawlessly since the day I got them and are still as smooth today as when they first came out of the box 3 years ago. I've never had a "lock up" problem nor has there been any change in the overall quality of any functions of the heads. Perhaps with Arca Swiss products it's just the "luck of the draw". There may be nothing we as consumers can do until there is a problem after you've already made your purchase.

[bob_k]

I've heard and read enough complaints from different people that I'm thinking there has to be a significant problem with Arca-swiss B1 ballheads manufactured within the last year or two. Of course, not everyone has experience problems (yet), but there are more than enough reports about this issue to warrant a high degree of suspicion.

 

Quality no longer comes to mind when I see an Arca-swiss ballhead. Just the opposite -- we're probably getting really shoddy merchandise for our $400+.

 

And the problem is exacerbated with the prospect of facing terrible to non-existent customer service. The alternative, Kirk Enterprises, doesn't seem to be any better and may be worse, at least as far as customer service.

 

We're dirt. Please take our money and walk all over us.

[GerrySiegel]

One has to draw one's one conclusion. When you have had one since July 1997, and really like it, as I do, I have to say it still gets a favorable rating from me. (Only a survey of users with a statisticall y meaningful sample would tell if something has "changed".) Suspicion is always warranted in any industrial product, as I suspect it is as possible to get a crummy Leica as it is a poor Toyota. But look at the people still waiting for a supply from the dealers. I think those in line with their 400.00 are not all deluded. Maybe we will say there were vintage years for this item, I wonder.

[richard_mittleman]

I have had occassional lockup problems with the b-1, but what is more troublesome is the "stickiness"which makes it almost worthless for flight shots especially when a perched bird suddenly takes off. I use it with a 600/f4 and i wonder if those of us having the problems are all using the heavier lenses. It seems logical that it would function more smoothly with less weight on the head. Are those of you who are having problems, using it with a 600 and are those who are happy, using it with lighter lenses?

[dcphotog]

I recently bought two Arca B1's. One for me, one for my girlfriend. Hers locked up on an important shoot out of state. We gave it to our dealer and told him the damn instructions to unlock it didn't work. He shipped it to them and we had it back in under two weeks. It works fine now but hasn't been used very heavy since. But mine, which worked great until just recently, has developed the "jerks" especially when the air is damp. It smooths up as soon as the sun warms up and the light is gone. Will be contacting Arca if this happens again. I use a 400/2.8 by the way and it doesn't matter if I take the lens off the head as it still has the jerks. I am pretty sure it is caused my condensation building up against the clamping mechanism.

[eajames]

They suck. If the cost was $100, their value would be okay minus...But as you and I know, they go for 4X that amount. Consider the cost of two-day shipping from Seattle to Chicago; add a four week wait, and then open up a package with a jerky/sticky ballhead. My answer: Don't do it. Buy a $40 Bogen or a 10-year-old Arca Flush, but don't spent $400 on one of these pieces of S that they have been shipping recently. Don't do it.

[wildpicture]

Quite a few people seem to have had some kind of problem with their Arca Swiss ballheads.

 

One problem is the lock up problem which usually is solved very easily. Another problem is the stickyness or loss of smoothness. I have expereinced this myself with my brandnew B-1. The only solution for this problem seems to be to ship the ballhead back to Arca Swiss and have it repaired. What causes this problem is unknown, but since it seems to be occuring only lately, there may have been production problems. I have read somewhere that AS have moved production from their Swiss factory to France (to be in the European Union).But we can only guess about this.

 

Again I would like to say that when the AS B-1 works, it works perfectly. It simply can not be compared with a much cheaper Manfrotto/Bogen head. I have used them for many years and there is a world of difference. But there is also a world of difference in price.

 

A problem however is the Arca Swiss Customer Service. They simply don't seem to understand the value of their customers. Why I don't know. Maybe they are not experienced this way. Maybe the are overworked. Or maybe they are engineers, who love their product (their baby) and regard it as the best and just ca��-Ât ac>û1Dpt any critisism on it. I don't know. Maybe it is just that in my work as a business consultant I have been involved in teaching companies on the subject of customer satisfaction and might have become extra sensitive to a companies behaviour on this subject.

 

Just an old piece of advice to any customer service (which they should already know for years): Be happy with complaints as they will teach you and help you improve products and service. And be carefull about complaining comstomers. A happy customer will share his opinion with 5 others, an unhappy customer will share it with 22 others. With the advent of internet and newsgroups this last number will not be actual anymore, it is more likely to explode.

 

Regards,

Hans

 

P.s. From my experince the B-1 will perform better (smoother) when there is some weight mounted. With a 500mm or 600mm mounted it is smoother then with just a 50mm lens.

[randy_bienia]

Ok, I own a B l G,and so far,its been great, but now all you folks have me paranoid. In case mine does lock up, what is the solution to unlock it?

[mark_mitchell4]

FWIW - take this into consideration. I'm traveling through the N. GA mountains yesterday with a friend. He absolutely had to have a B-1, and it was delivered last Wednesday. The gorgeous colors are still 2-3 weeks away, but a couple of photo opportunities came along. My friend pull his tripod from the truck, and within three minutes, the ballhead had locked up. As such, he knew how to unlock it. Immediately he noticed it was now jerking when a body/any lense was mounted, regardless of weight. After fumbling with the head for another 5 minutes, it had locked up a second time. He asked to use my tripod (G340 with a BH-1) - 15 minutes later he made the decision.

The B-1 is getting returned Monday. Quality is a valued constant, not based on heresay or tradition. At one time, A-S produced great ballheads in low volumes, catering to both the whims of it's engineers and to it's loyal following. As production constants change, and production is ramped up, quality often suffers. There is no question to me, that is the case here. Demand increases, volume increases, production values decline, it is that simple. Seeing several friends now suffer through this with their B-1's solidified my decision in a BH-1.

[lucio_j._gomes]

A question for those of you who have sent your Arca Swiss B1s to be

serviced in Chicago. What do you send along with the ball head?

Do they need proof of purchase, serial number, etc.? I think I

remember filling in a warranty card. Do they have this information

on file so they know who the ball head belongs to? Thanks for info.

[eajames]

When I sent mine in the woman said that no additional info was needed if I had filled out the warranty card and submitted it at the time of purchase. Just in case, I sent a copy of my copy of the warranty and a copy of the original receipt. One or all of the above seemed to suffice.

[steve_c.1]

I have a Bogen 3435 aka Manfrotto 468. It costs about $195.00 at B&H. While it may not be as smooth as ARCA-SWISS is supposed to be, it had never given me a problem. It has a tension control that has click-stops, holds 22 pounds. A steal at the price. It is also available for the same price with a quick release mechanism, or you can add the quick release of your choice. I put a Gitzo 1285 on it so that it uses the same plates as my Gitzo 1276.