Is this normal with Nikon.

Home · Register · Search · Software · Hosting · Software · Join Upload & Sell

FM Forum Rules
Nikon SLRs, primes, and zooms lenses reviews

FM Forums \| Nikon-mount SLRs \| Join Upload & Sell
1 2 end

okafoja
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #1 · Is this normal with Nikon.

My D800 is basically useless but Nikon will not allow me to ship it back to them yet. The AF is horrible including the center AF. This is so wired to me. I have been battling with them for over four weeks now. Last week they agreed to send me a shipping label but they changed their mind at the last minute. I got these two emails below from them last week.

Hello Mr. Amobi,

Before having you ship your camera again, we will be forwarding your sample images to Japan for research. Unfortunately, this may take some time. Please use center focus points if you are experiencing issues with other points. It may take some time to receive an answer. As soon as we have any information, we will update you.

Sincerely,

Kimberly
Nikon Support

Hello Mr. Amobi

I made an attempt to contact you earlier regarding our conversation. I do apologize to you for any inconvenience. I did look into your situation, and it was communicated that we would like you to allow us the time to send the pictures for review at our office in Japan unfortunately this may take some time please note that there is no need to send the camera in at this point. If you need to use the camera in the interim we request that you use center focus points if you are experiencing issues with other points. We will contact you as soon as we receive any updates. We greatly appreciate your patience regarding this matter.

Thank You for Calling Nikon

Are they kidding me. They have to forward my sample images to Japan. That does not make sense at all. I guess I would like to know what will happen if I decided to ship my camera to them without their permission. I mean will they return it without looking at it. I can't be shooting without a backup.

Aug 24, 2012 at 11:54 PM

gilead
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #2 · Is this normal with Nikon.

If you purchased it locally is it possible to return or exchange it?

Aug 25, 2012 at 12:00 AM

davidnholtjr
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #3 · Is this normal with Nikon.

I would try to return it to the place you bought it from. Send them the emails and explain that Nikon does not seem to want to help you and maybe they will take it back, then they can return it to Nikon as defective.

Aug 25, 2012 at 12:17 AM

okafoja
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #4 · Is this normal with Nikon.

I think it is now too late to return it to the place I bought it. The camera had issues from day one but I thought sending it back to Nikon will be easy. I never thought it will be this difficult. I did send it in to them before without consulting them but this time I am afraid to do so.

Aug 25, 2012 at 01:22 AM

James R
Online
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #5 · Is this normal with Nikon.

and now you know....

You see, they have to send your test image via freighter.

Aug 25, 2012 at 01:51 AM

daskibum
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #6 · Is this normal with Nikon.

Yup. Nikon service has gone in the crapper... more so than before. I was considering upgrading but given their track record and the current line of complaints I don't think my next purchase will be Nikon gear unless they can get their act together. Tis sad.

Aug 25, 2012 at 02:14 AM

lexdiamonnyc
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #7 · Is this normal with Nikon.

Thank sweet black baby Jesus I'm able to drop off and pick up from Nikon in person!!!! never had an issue with their service!!

Aug 25, 2012 at 02:29 AM

James R
Online
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #8 · Is this normal with Nikon.

lexdiamonnyc wrote:
Thank sweet black baby Jesus I'm able to drop off and pick up from Nikon in person!!!! never had an issue with their service!!

Same here. 30 min drive to El Segundo. Never had a problem, but, I've never run into the OP's situation.

Aug 25, 2012 at 02:37 AM

Antonio Tiki
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #9 · Is this normal with Nikon.

If the issue turns out to be a firmware upgrade that they are looking into, then yes it does make sense to hold off a bit.

Aug 25, 2012 at 02:49 AM

jamach
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #10 · Is this normal with Nikon.

okafoja wrote:
I think it is now too late to return it to the place I bought it. The camera had issues from day one but I thought sending it back to Nikon will be easy. I never thought it will be this difficult. I did send it in to them before without consulting them but this time I am afraid to do so.

Be afraid and lose about $3000, or send the piece of crap back to them and tell them to eat it, you are buying Canon. Then, buy a 5d3 and crap on Nikon

Be happy, its your money, not Nikon's

Joe

Aug 25, 2012 at 03:34 AM

James R
Online
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #11 · Is this normal with Nikon.

Joe,

You have a way with words.

Aug 25, 2012 at 04:53 AM

Frogfish
Online
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #12 · Is this normal with Nikon.

Check with your local consumer rights .... you may be able to get support from the place you bought it (in the UK they are responsible for anything they sold you, this may not be so in the USA). If the camera is of no use to you I'd ship it back to them, along with a lawyer's letter clearly stating your consumer rights, demanding a refund or a replacement.

Aug 25, 2012 at 04:55 AM

Bruce Sawle
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #13 · Is this normal with Nikon.

Nikpn provided me a shipping label 2 weeks ago with no fuss from me. I provided 2 sets of photos and the response from them was to send it in. I still have not sent it as I was on vacation when the email exchange with the UPS label came. I will probably send it in next week although I am still a little apprehensive.

Aug 25, 2012 at 01:49 PM

patriot
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #14 · Is this normal with Nikon.

The success rate of repairs for the D800 left bank AF defect, at least anecdotally as reported here and elsewhere, does not appear to be that great.

Many are coming back like mine did from Melville, consistent left and right banks, but requiring the max, or close to it, clicks in AF tuning. I have 3 lenses that needed 0 AF tuning on the center AF bank pre-repair, and 0 tuning on my D700, needing +20, +15 and +12 on the repaired D800. From what I've read, this kind of thing is common in more recent repairs.

At least the reports of "made it worse" seems to be rare now, and we're starting to hear of more correct repairs as well (all AF banks correct, and lenses needing only a few clicks in either direction).

I'm in no rush to send mine back in for the FF issue, but it working, so I can wait until they sort this whole thing out.

Good luck with yours! Perhaps they have something being deployed that will improve your chances of a 100% fix when you do send it in, so the wait may be worth it vs. multiple trips in.

Aug 25, 2012 at 03:26 PM

jamach
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #15 · Is this normal with Nikon.

There are no words for this kind of behavior from Nikon, if it is happening. The current Nikon leadership stands on the bones of the people who made the company great. Thus far, they make Sony's with Nikon bodies, and a D4. They have no recognizable customer service. And they have no solution for the problems their products seem to have. 'Further research ' is not the answer.

I am also sure that there are consumer laws to protect consumers from products and manufacturers that fail to perform in the way they were intended and expected to.

By making a customer wait further past the warranty and exchange period is similar to telling the customer that their warranty is no good anyways, so they may as well wait.

The competition does not seem to engage in this sort of policy. That is why I am not mincing my words - if Nikon has descended into this new 'Nikon" then Canon is a viable alternative. Canon does not use Sony chips, they make their own chips I think, and they take care of their new product issues without screwing the customer. They have customer service.

All Nikon seems to have is a D4 and the new historical achievement of rebuilding production from a disaster recovery policy.

I have had 7 Nikons, including my current one, and it was my hope to buy a new D800 for Christmas. I will not be buying a new D800 for Christmas or anytime soon.

Some heads need to roll at Nikon and a cleanup and reorganization take place now.

Joe

Aug 25, 2012 at 03:33 PM

jamach
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #16 · Is this normal with Nikon.

James R wrote:
Joe,

You have a way with words.

Glad you liked them - Buy Canon

is the new Nikon motto

Aug 25, 2012 at 03:35 PM

patriot
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #17 · Is this normal with Nikon.

jamach wrote:
There are no words for this kind of behavior from Nikon, if it is happening. The current Nikon leadership stands on the bones of the people who made the company great. Thus far, they make Sony's with Nikon bodies, and a D4. They have no recognizable customer service. And they have no solution for the problems their products seem to have. 'Further research ' is not the answer.

I am also sure that there are consumer laws to protect consumers from products and manufacturers that fail to perform in the way they were intended and expected to.

By making a customer wait further past the warranty and exchange period is similar to telling the customer that their warranty is no good anyways, so they may as well wait.

The competition does not seem to engage in this sort of policy. That is why I am not mincing my words - if Nikon has descended into this new 'Nikon" then Canon is a viable alternative. Canon does not use Sony chips, they make their own chips I think, and they take care of their new product issues without screwing the customer. They have customer service.

All Nikon seems to have is a D4 and the new historical achievement of rebuilding production from a disaster recovery policy.

I have had 7 Nikons, including my current one, and it was my hope to buy a new D800 for Christmas. I will not be buying a new D800 for Christmas or anytime soon.

Some heads need to roll at Nikon and a cleanup and reorganization take place now.

Joe

I had a Canon 1D MkIII. They had to be "cajoled", i.e. outed, by the pro's, especially after RG got on them. The resale value of used MkIII's was greatly reduced, and many sports pros tried the supposedly inferior AF on the D3 ... and were so impressed many switched to Nikon. Canon has been trying to get many back.

Canon did learn a few things with that whole story about CS.

First, when they finally came clean, they extended the warranty. With Nikon coming up on 6 months without a decisive repair on the D800, owners need to be thinking about warranty expiration. Canon would take care of any MkIII, no questions asked. Nikon needs to establish the same thing with the D800 in order to instill confidence and protect resale values.

Second, Canon has been much more forthcoming with defects. They addressed the 5D MkIII light leak defect quickly and decisively ... no one is talking about that anymore. Canon learned what Western business have learned: consumers have short attention spans, so the best way to get a problem behind you, and forgotten about, is to get it out in the open quickly, and decisively correct it.

By not addressing the D800 left bank AF defect openly, Nikon leaves it for rumor and speculation to grow, and everyone free to try and see if there is a ghost in their closet. Unfortunately this leads many to see ghosts that don't exist, which only fuels the fire.

Aug 25, 2012 at 04:03 PM

runamuck
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #18 · Is this normal with Nikon.

The OP states it is ALL focus points that are basiscally worthless. This is apparently not a matter of left point error. What Nikon in Japan looking at pictures will do is of dubious value. What they should be doing is looking at the camera.

Every time I read a horror story like this, I am thankful I resisted the impulse to buy a D800 when I had the chance.

Sadly, this is starting to look like Canon's handling of focus problems.

Aug 25, 2012 at 04:07 PM

matt4626
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #19 · Is this normal with Nikon.

In the US we have the BBB (Better Business Bureau). I had a similar problem with another camera company....."we have to wait for Japan".....24 hours after the BBB contacted the company's US office a had a new item via Fedex.

Aug 25, 2012 at 09:51 PM

Catfur
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #20 · Is this normal with Nikon.

matt4626 wrote:
In the US we have the BBB (Better Business Bureau). I had a similar problem with another camera company....."we have to wait for Japan".....24 hours after the BBB contacted the company's US office a had a new item via Fedex.

Unsurprisingly, the BBB rates Nikon an "F" for customer service. They just don't give a damn.

Aug 25, 2012 at 10:59 PM

1 2 end
FM Forums \| Nikon-mount SLRs \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 end