I shipped a 100-400 to them for repair in October---it still shows "in repair", so I signed into to "chat" with them and here is the chat log:
Dan Connolly: can I get a status/eta on W0091783
Jillian: Please give me one sec too check into this
Jillian: We had to send your camera to the factory for further repair. The turn around time is approximately 3-5 weeks.
Dan Connolly: it did show up as a lens correct?
Jillian: Correct
Dan Connolly: and does the price remain the same?
Jillian: At this pint it is i can not promise that the price will not go up but you will still have the choice to repair or not
Dan Connolly: I'm a bit confused, I could have shipped this to Canon--why did I ship to you?
Jillian: the manufacture usually would recommend you sent it to us and if we run into a problem we contact them to see if they can assist
Dan Connolly: bull-chit---I have shipped stuff to Canon for years, I wanted to try and alternate source and it still goes to Canon
Thats where the chat ends at this point---I will update this if "Jillian" comes back with an answer----she seems to be very quiet for the past 10 minutes........
I'm not sure what they've done wrong or could have done different. If they don't have the parts or technical ability it's basically your choice that you sent the lens there.
I am not happy with them neither.
I sent my Swiss B1 ball head to them, they charged me over $175 to replace the ball.
When i got my B1 back, the pre-lock mechanism is damaged (can't fre-lock with heavy gears).
They are offering a flat rate repair service with no limitations or restrictions mentioned on the their website----in this situation they did not ask for approval for a rate increase---they just sent it on and sending them the repair order is only adding a step in the process---then what do they mark up Canons price on the repair and pass it back to me?
I don't understand the problem you have with them. You sent a camera to them to repair, they couldn't, so they forwarded it to Canon. What would you have had them do - send it back to you so you could forward it to Canon? Ask you ahead of time whether you wanted it sent to Canon? I could see the latter might have been nice for them to do as a courtesy but since you sent it in for repair it doesn't seem unreasonable that they'd assume you want it repaired and so they sent it to Canon without asking.
I don't know, it just doesn't seem like they did something so wrong as to warrant a thread about it.
I think it's standard to inform the customer if repair bills will potentially increase an agreed upon or advertised price. If you take your car to a garage for a break job and they discover additional work will be required that affects the flat rate price for a break job, then they had better inform you of that. Seems basic to me.
campyone wrote:
What would you have had them do - send it back to you so you could forward it to Canon? Ask you ahead of time whether you wanted it sent to Canon?
Yes, they should have called to verify. This shouldn't only be looked at as an optional courtesy, but as a standard business practice.
CPS has a flat rate for repairing specific lenses, but it also says that some situations call for significantly more expense, and so they will issue a 'second' estimate for the repair. TANSTAAFL.
I expect PC would have issued the OP a revised estimate, after getting the info back from Canon.
No where did I read in the transcript that the repair cost went up. They get a discount on repairs from Canon, so presumably, the rate will not change. They also said that, if the rate went up, you would have a choice to have it fixed or not.
It sounds like a problem with something that has yet to happen, and may not ever happen.
"Dan Connolly: and does the price remain the same?
Jillian: At this pint it is i can not promise that the price will not go up but you will still have the choice to repair or not"
I really don't understand the last line of the transaction where you used profanity and snapped at the employee. How does that help? It just comes off as incredibly rude. Posting the conversation online isn't very classy either. Sorry...
I don't see a problem either. Even assuming a flat rate exists, that is for a certain class of repair. Sometimes the extent of repair needed cannot fully be determined until the device is disassembled. It may be that the repair will become a major, rather than a moderate for example. You should be able to refuse the repair at that point, with a customary minor charge for diagnosis, return shipping, etc.
EB-1 wrote:
I don't see a problem either. Even assuming a flat rate exists, that is for a certain class of repair. Sometimes the extent of repair needed cannot fully be determined until the device is disassembled. It may be that the repair will become a major, rather than a moderate for example. You should be able to refuse the repair at that point, with a customary minor charge for diagnosis, return shipping, etc.
EBH
yes but if you select an item for repair on their website it does not even ask what the fault is , it just gives you an instant 'quote' .
I dont know what the US law is but here (uk) a quote is quite different from an estimate. if you are given a quote then that is what you would have to pay. no more. the only way it could differ is if something that did not appear in the quote was wrong. (so a quote would have a detail of the work to be completed) . a garage could quote me for work on my car , and unless they call to say that extra work needs to be done I'm not going to pay any more than the quote. if they call and I agree to the extra work then I expect to pay extra.
now if the lens is sent in and something was more seriously wrong that needed to be sent away they should then they should have called to agree this and then action it. otherwise they could take your lens in for 1 price and just say it needed x more and bill you more which you will probably have to pay as they have your lens.
But I dont see how they could charge you more when no actual work is detailed.
But on the other side of the fence (the one that says if its too good to be true it is) . I cant also see how you can expect a lens or body to be repaired fully for that price.
EG I just chose a 1Ds2 on their site and got a 'quote' for $180 . well if the even only shutter has gone then how can they repair that for 180 bucks ?
Friend sent a lens to them in August they gave an est that he okayed and after 6 weeks they said that it was in texas and that were not a canon authorized repair facility on that lens. after a lot of back an forth they gave him a new lens for the estimate price. Don't know why they are an authorized facility on some lenses and not on others. I don't think they repair ANY Canon lenses on site.
Ben Horne wrote:
I really don't understand the last line of the transaction where you used profanity and snapped at the employee. How does that help? It just comes off as incredibly rude. Posting the conversation online isn't very classy either. Sorry...
My profanity was politely misspelled on purpose
Do you also believe?
Jillian: the manufacture usually would recommend you sent it to us and if we run into a problem we contact them to see if they can assist
I'm more surprised by the fact that you shipped the lens to them in October. It's coming up on mid-December now, so that means they've had the lens for a minimum of 5-6 weeks. Did it really take that long for them to figure out they need to send it to Canon, at which point you'll need to wait at least another 3-5 weeks to get it back? Three months is not a reasonable turnaround time.
lens for the estimate price. Don't know why they are an authorized facility on some lenses and not on others. I don't think they repair ANY Canon lenses on site.