Re: [Leica] re: Don Chatterton's Leicas

["Ken Iisaka" <ken@iisaka.org>]

Very often, the origin marked on the box is different from what is
stamped on the equipment.  Don Chatterton could not be blamed for such a
discrepancy, and it would not be fair to ask a dealer to open the seal.

Leica bodies and lenses in their original sealed boxes are traded at
astronomical prices.  An unopened M4 black paint goes well into tens of
thousands of dollars, if you can locate one, for example.

Again, regardless of their origin, Leica is Leica is Leica.  We are not
to decide where the final assembly is done.

Ken Iisaka  <ken at iisaka dot org> http://www.iisaka.org
Still lost in Mill Valley in Marin County, California
- ----- Original Message -----
From: Da-Jie Lin <dajielin@home.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Monday, July 03, 2000 3:54 PM
Subject: [Leica] re: Don Chatterton's Leicas


> I want to mention my experience with this Mr. Chatterton.  I bought a
> brand new Leica R-5 from him a few years ago.  On the phone, I
> emphasized that I want to make sure the one he had for sale is "made
in
> Germany" and he said yes, 100%.  After receiving it, I opened the
> "sealed" bag and found out it is not German-made.  The "made in P****"
> was marked on the black leather so you definitely needed to open the
bag
> to find out.  I called him and he didnot want to take it back or help
me
> to deal with Leica.  He asked me to deal with Leica myself.  Further
> more, the camera came in with a small area of leather peeled off so I
> had to glue it back myself.  That made me to question Leica's QC until
I
> purchased some more R-stuffs (they are all in prefect condition).  My
> friends even told me that Leica doesn't seal the cameras and lenses at
> all.  I am not 100% sure about this but the lenses I purchsed in US,
> Taiwan, and Japan, all of them don't come in a sealed bag.  Although I
> still got passport warranty crad from Leica USA on this R-5 but from
> then I never bought from him again.
>
>