I guess I really shouldn’t rant about this here, but I’m rather annoyed. A few days after posting off my camera to Nikon for repairs I hadn’t received any news. No estimate for the repair, no ‘Hi, we have your camera…’, nothing, nada, nowt. I checked with the US Postal Service and my camera had been delivered eight days previously. So off to the the Nikon web site I went and raised a support ticket – ‘No acknowledgement of receipt of camera sent for repair’.
In due course they asked me where I’d bought it – that’s easy: Amazon.com. This is the answer I got:
Thank you, “Gray market” Nikon products are those that were not imported and distributed by Nikon USA but were purchased by the end consumer in the USA. Nikon USA will not service gray market products under any circumstances, even for a fee.
A Nikon product purchased by a customer from an authorized Nikon dealer in another country will be serviced by Nikon USA as long as the customer provides the Nikon Worldwide Warranty that was supplied with the product and the sales receipt from the overseas dealer. This documentation must be presented for warranty and non-warranty service.
Any product sent to Nikon USA for non-warranty service is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If there is a question about the origin of a product, our factory service centers require the customer to provide documentation (such as a Nikon Inc. warranty or a sales receipt from an authorized Nikon dealer outside the USA) before any service will be performed. A non-USA sales receipt is mandatory to obtain service for a non-USA model.
We will be shipping your camera back to you.
The camera was registered with Nikon UK when I purchased it, and I registered the camera with Nikon USA prior to returning it for repair. They even provided me with a packing list and address labels to send the camera to them. At no time did they ask me to provide the camera’s warranty details or proof of purchase. WTF the camera is over two years old and out of warranty anyway. What sort of person keeps that sort of information, let alone carry it 5,000 miles when they emigrate? I hit the roof, and told them if they send it back I will be claiming compensation for a replacement camera and the money I’ve invested in Nikon software. I also gave them the Guarantee serial number.
The thing that really annoys me, is the fact that they did not request this information up front, did not have the decency to acknowledge receipt of the camera, or politely ask me why I was returning a non-USA sourced camera back to them for repair.
As of today I’ve had a message that says ‘We look to assist whenever we can and I do anticipate being able to assist.’ I do hope so. As to ‘What sort of person keeps that sort of information, let alone carry it 5,000 miles when they emigrate?’ – I do, I remembered where it is filed. But I’m reluctant to waste my time copying it and sending it to them, when they should be able to access this information from within their own systems.
Here’s hoping for a speedy and satisfying outcome. There is nothing like poor customer service to promote the loss of business, and good customer service will produce amazing brand loyalty. By way of example let’s hear if for Fuji who repaired my compact camera for free when it was damaged by my own stupidity.
