Re: [Leica] Tri Elmar repair: now more general

[John Collier <jbcollier@shaw.ca>]

Assuming that repairs are possible outside Germany* then a Leica item 
can be repaired at any official repair depot during its warranty 
period. Passport coverage repairs are only available through the 
issuing distributor (this may have changed what with so many 
distributors now offering a passport warranty). If you bought an item 
in France but send it to Leica USA for warranty repair, they would 
first check with the French distributor to make sure it was an official 
import. If so, they would repair it free of charge though their own 
warranty repairs may have a higher priority. If it was a grey** item, 
then they can either repair it and bill you; or, ship it to Germany, at 
your expense, for Leica AG to do the  repairs.

After the warranty has expired it is a straight fee for service 
regardless of how the item was distributed.

John Collier

* I have heard that all Asph lenses go to Germany for repair. Whether 
this is true or not, I do not know.

**Grey items are sold by unofficial distributors. Unofficial 
distributors maintain no repair or parts depot, have no country wide 
sales staff and so are able to sell the gear for a lower price. 
Warranty repairs are carefully tracked and part of the expense is borne 
by the official distributor. The official distributors either bill each 
other for that portion when they do another's warranty repair; or, have 
reciprocal repair agreements. Grey distributors are not a part of any 
of this and it is not fair for the official distributor to be stuck for 
the bill so to speak. Why Leica sells to unofficial distributors is a 
question I cannot answer nor have I been able to receive an answer from 
the unofficial distributors on this list.

Note to Austin before he gets riled up: This is an explanation of 
current practice NOT an apology for it.

On Monday, January 13, 2003, at 12:00 PM, Frank Farmer wrote:

>  If you purchase a non-passport (or non-US) lens can/will Leica in NJ 
> still
> repair the product under warranty (if any remains) or as a service for 
> pay (if
> warranty has expired)?  Perhaps a stupid question, I was just 
> wondering.

- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html