unhappy with canon support

[doyal]

Really upset right now.

Last week I took my pampered 5D2 with 24-105mm lens attached out of its camera bag proceeded to take the lens cap off and zoom. As I started zooming, the front element simply fell off and hit the ground. I couldn't believe it. It just fell out. The front element sustained cosmetic damage around the bezel and a circular washer? on the lens innards was displaced.

I called Canon repair and arranged for warranty servicing. Today I get an email with an $328.27 repair estimate!

So I call the Canon Factory Service Center today to try to sort this out. First I dealt with an argumentative representative who proceeds to tell me that the damage was caused by impact damage and that is why I'm being charged. This person wouldn't listen to me So I asked to speak to her supervisor.

I was pissed but remained cool and calm. I explained to Marvin the supervisor what happened and he said that he is 'escalating' the issue and that he or the Service Center will call me with an answer on Tuesday.

I'm not happy. We will see what happens on Tuesday. What happened to the lens is exactly the truth. I feel really pissed off right now because
A) I'm being called a liar and have to convince these people of the shoddy quality of this particular lens they shipped with my new camera.
B) The lens is only 6 or 7 weeks old and wasn't cheap.
C) Hassle

I'm not ranting but if this doesn't go my way I'm done with Canon.

[cdifoto]

Stop spamming forums.

[TheWengler]

Not too many people who wouldn't be pissed off about that one.

[doyal]

Stop spamming forums.


Hey you! Stop telling ME what to do. I'm allowed to post this message to whatever forums I may belong to

[cdifoto]

Let me get my torch so I can help you attack Canon HQ.

[NewTekBuzz]

Stop spamming forums.

??? where is this coming from cdi ???
you think this guy is spamming because he has 2 posts?

[cdifoto]

??? where is this coming from cdi ???
you think this guy is spamming because he has 2 posts?

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=631516

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=601237&forum_id=15

[NewTekBuzz]

I think your a little hardon the new guy, I'd be pissed too. besides, he didn't post it over and over in the same site... just 2 other sites.

[cdifoto]

I'm hard on everybody. I got to keep up my image.

[adam75south]

well i'd be pretty pissed too. that's just weird. i'd think they should be able to see that the rest of the lens/camera didn't sustain impact and only the front element.

[Spookonthe8ball]

Doyal - Your story is just a bit hard to believe. I'm not saying it didn't happen, but other things had to occur before the lens "fell out". In Canon's most affordable lens, at least 3 screws had to come out. The Canon logo ring is in front adhered to the metal or plastic ring with an adhesive. A loose screw cannot back out with that in place. It is impossible for those screws to just simply fall out, unless they were missing altogether or vastly stripped out during assembly. If the latter occured, then I would be on your side for Canon to replace or fix the lens for free.
Spook

[Rooz]

lol @ element just dropped out of the lens. thats a new one. is that even possible gven the plastic barrel normally keeps evrything in place ?

[michaelb]

Yea, it is weird. My 24-105 feels very solidly built - hard to believe, but anything is possible I guess. Have you guys heard the stories of people frying their sensors by leaving their long teles like the 500 f/4 pointed at the sun - incredible.

[Rooz]

i wonder if this is a symptom of a bigger problem with all manufacturers regarding QC ? i've had 2 tamron failures and a tokina failure right out of the box in the last 12 months. seems to me that there is alot more of this stuff going around ??

[droopy1592]

there was a post once that said they sent a lens in for calibration. Canon got it and sent a repair estimate for a gash front element ( tech prolly gashed during cal). Dude was furious.

[cdifoto]

i wonder if this is a symptom of a bigger problem with all manufacturers regarding QC ? i've had 2 tamron failures and a tokina failure right out of the box in the last 12 months. seems to me that there is alot more of this stuff going around ??
Yeah. Viruses are contagious.

[nqjudo]

Well, just to play Devil's advocate here I'll say that it definitely sounds like abuse or accidental impact. Of course, it is hard to say without seeing it first hand. Maybe if you posted some pics...

[Zoinac]

I, sadly, have to deal with customer service and worst of all, repairs in the company that I work for. Let me tell you, every single unit I fix, just worked great, is brand new, and magically stopped working.
Every single one.
Regardless of serial numbers, sales records, obvious tampering, or neglect....
Not that your treatment is fair. But you have to respect the skepticism. Sad truth is there are more bad apples than good ones when it comes to people expecting free warranty repairs, and people being willing to lie outright to get free stuff.

If the front lens element fell off, it would be damaged on the outside, and appear quite like the damages sustained by an impact. Sure, you're dealing with an unfortunate set of circumstances. But that's more than likely due to how your damages appear than the actual quality of Canon's service. Remember, if they fixed everything for free just out of faith, then the costs for new lenses would be so outrageous that nobody could afford them. Them being skeptical, and looking at the evidence saves us all a lot of money.

The general approach, as I've seen it taken anyway. Is that anyone willing to stick with it and keep their story straight, usually is right. So be patient, you should be rewarded. Most people who are lying about the warranty situation tend to just give up and go away.

I've heard a lot of really good things about Canon's service. But it is important to realize that they can't do everything right. Appreciate the skepticism, they don't know you personally. Lots of people lie. and how your damages appear. I have absolute confidence than any major lens manufacturer would react to your circumstances the same way. Just be willing to stick with it, and I'm sure it'll work out.

[zmikers]

I, sadly, have to deal with customer service and worst of all, repairs in the company that I work for. Let me tell you, every single unit I fix, just worked great, is brand new, and magically stopped working.
Every single one.
Regardless of serial numbers, sales records, obvious tampering, or neglect....
Not that your treatment is fair. But you have to respect the skepticism. Sad truth is there are more bad apples than good ones when it comes to people expecting free warranty repairs, and people being willing to lie outright to get free stuff.

If the front lens element fell off, it would be damaged on the outside, and appear quite like the damages sustained by an impact. Sure, you're dealing with an unfortunate set of circumstances. But that's more than likely due to how your damages appear than the actual quality of Canon's service. Remember, if they fixed everything for free just out of faith, then the costs for new lenses would be so outrageous that nobody could afford them. Them being skeptical, and looking at the evidence saves us all a lot of money.

The general approach, as I've seen it taken anyway. Is that anyone willing to stick with it and keep their story straight, usually is right. So be patient, you should be rewarded. Most people who are lying about the warranty situation tend to just give up and go away.

I've heard a lot of really good things about Canon's service. But it is important to realize that they can't do everything right. Appreciate the skepticism, they don't know you personally. Lots of people lie. and how your damages appear. I have absolute confidence than any major lens manufacturer would react to your circumstances the same way. Just be willing to stick with it, and I'm sure it'll work out.

Sounds like sound advice to me!

[Nickcanada]

I've actually heard of this happening before. I'd be pissed.

[Honest Gaza]

??? where is this coming from cdi ???
you think this guy is spamming because he has 2 posts?

Two of which he has used to post this complaint as his first ever post. That's not good form :(
Here and Steve's Forum.

[zmikers]

Two of which he has used to post this complaint as his first ever post. That's not good form :(
Here and Steve's Forum.

At first I thought you were being a bit hard on the new guy too, sorry Don:p but I really hate it when the OP never even bothers to respond to other's advice or even acknowledges that others have taken the time to consider their problem. This is bad enough with senior members, but coming from a new member and his very first post..... "That's not good form!"

[thaKing]

At first I thought you were being a bit hard on the new guy too, sorry Don:p but I really hate it when the OP never even bothers to respond to other's advice or even acknowledges that others have taken the time to consider their problem.
i went back and re-read the other posts and no one has offered any suggestions...most were "that's weird" or "are you sure it happened that way?" type of responses...as far as acknowledging that others have responded, maybe he has been scared off - the first response he got was "stop spamming"...not a very nice welcome, IMO...

This is bad enough with senior members, but coming from a new member and his very first post..... "That's not good form!"
and when was it necessary that someone have other posts before stating they have a problem? is his problem out of the ordinary and maybe extreme, sure...but should that necessitate he have other posts before claiming his problem? i don't think so...

[Rooz]

I've actually heard of this happening before. I'd be pissed.

i asked this before...how can it happen ? doesnt the plastic outer barrel contain the lens element ? unless this plastic casing was cracked or broken, then i cant see how the element itself could fall out. loose, yes, falling out ? not so sure.

another thing that makes it hard to believe is ***if*** this happened to you wouldnt you take pictures of it given how strange it is ? :confused: especially for warranty purposes etc, i'd be taking photos of the outer barrel, the lens out of its casing and a dozen other photos as evidence hat it had not been mishandled.

[Mark_48]

As it appears the OP is low on posts on any of the forums he posted on, I'm guessing he hasn't had the need to look for any advice or input on cameras or lenses at least until now.

It very well could be the OP is simply attempting to get a sense if anyone else has ever had this happen to their own lens or has anyone ever been stonewalled by Canon on what could or should be a warranty repair. If he found at least one other person that had something similar with a lens occur, this may help re-enforce his argument with Canon. If you're desperate for help and near panic wouldn't you yell out to a large audience of strangers to come to your aid.

Tuesday was the day of reckoning for good or bad news from Canon. I hope he reveals the outcome...

Bad comparison, but this crossed my mind...
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2008/06/05/dnt.ct.hit.and.run.wtnh

[adam75south]

people come to forums for different reasons. for me, it's a way to get advice and critiques on my work..and also pass the day at work. some people only do it when shit hits the fan. either way, we all have our place. i'd much rather him vent his frustrations here and make this forum more lively than any other forum. god knows it's been pretty dead lately. an off topic forum would be nice.

btw, i'm really looking forward to hearing more about the story.

[NewTekBuzz]

people come to forums for different reasons. for me, it's a way to get advice and critiques on my work..and also pass the day at work. some people only do it when shit hits the fan. either way, we all have our place. i'd much rather him vent his frustrations here and make this forum more lively than any other forum. god knows it's been pretty dead lately. an off topic forum would be nice.

btw, i'm really looking forward to hearing more about the story.

I agree with you adam, people are here for dif. reasons. some people are here to get the highest post count and others are looking for good sound advice or are here to give good sound advice.
Most of the time you wont hear from a newbie unless he/she has ran into trouble... once they feel they have your side, then they will ask for comments or ideas. but when you have someone right off the bat say your spamming... I wouldn't want to talk with that person either.
CDI, when I first came here and vented about B&H you were quick to run off at the mouth about what I did wrong, I see you haven't changed. LOL whatever.

Honest.... its not good form to come to a forum and ask for support from people with the same interest?
maybe he should have started his post with... long time reader, first time poster!! LOL
I'd be pissed if I spent $3500 on a camera and ANYTHING went wrong with it.

peace out!!

[zmikers]

I agree with you adam, people are here for dif. reasons. some people are here to get the highest post count and others are looking for good sound advice or are here to give good sound advice.
Most of the time you wont hear from a newbie unless he/she has ran into trouble... once they feel they have your side, then they will ask for comments or ideas. but when you have someone right off the bat say your spamming... I wouldn't want to talk with that person either.
CDI, when I first came here and vented about B&H you were quick to run off at the mouth about what I did wrong, I see you haven't changed. LOL whatever.

Honest.... its not good form to come to a forum and ask for support from people with the same interest?
maybe he should have started his post with... long time reader, first time poster!! LOL
I'd be pissed if I spent $3500 on a camera and ANYTHING went wrong with it.

peace out!!

I agree here. I think it's ok and encouraged for new members to join forums and ask for advice. I just don't like it when people post and run, that's all:o But like someone mentioned above, maybe he was scared off. This is a good point.

[Honest Gaza]

Honest.... its not good form to come to a forum and ask for support from people with the same interest?
maybe he should have started his post with... long time reader, first time poster!! LOL
I'd be pissed if I spent $3500 on a camera and ANYTHING went wrong with it.

peace out!!

He didn't come looking for support...he wanted an uprising :D

If his first post had said "I've experienced a bit of a problem and was hoping for some feedback from members of this forum....." I'd be a little more understanding.

[Mark_48]

I'm a regular contributing member of another forum that has a point rating system for good advice given and it's displayed publicly along with any post you make. Give good advice or a helpful post and you're rewarded with points from other members. Bad advice and you lose points. It seems to work well as an incentive to help people rather than hinder. Also serves as a guide when someone gives advice whether they're worth listening to. It would be interesting if something like that were implemented here.

I fess up that I did a "post & run" on a couple of Honda Accord boards when I was having some problems with emissions controls. Got the help I wanted, graciously thanked everyone, and I haven't been back. Good bunch of helpful and knowledgable people there that I'd recommend to anyone.

[Mark_48]

He didn't come looking for support...he wanted an uprising :D

If his first post had said "I've experienced a bit of a problem and was hoping for some feedback from members of this forum....." I'd be a little more understanding.

Belly up to bar, order a tall cold one, and unload your problems on the barkeep and any others nearby.
Welcome to the Digital Camera Resource Pub :)

[michaelb]

I, sadly, have to deal with customer service and worst of all, repairs in the company that I work for. Let me tell you, every single unit I fix, just worked great, is brand new, and magically stopped working.
Every single one.
Regardless of serial numbers, sales records, obvious tampering, or neglect....
Not that your treatment is fair. But you have to respect the skepticism. Sad truth is there are more bad apples than good ones when it comes to people expecting free warranty repairs, and people being willing to lie outright to get free stuff.

If the front lens element fell off, it would be damaged on the outside, and appear quite like the damages sustained by an impact. Sure, you're dealing with an unfortunate set of circumstances. But that's more than likely due to how your damages appear than the actual quality of Canon's service. Remember, if they fixed everything for free just out of faith, then the costs for new lenses would be so outrageous that nobody could afford them. Them being skeptical, and looking at the evidence saves us all a lot of money.

The general approach, as I've seen it taken anyway. Is that anyone willing to stick with it and keep their story straight, usually is right. So be patient, you should be rewarded. Most people who are lying about the warranty situation tend to just give up and go away.

I've heard a lot of really good things about Canon's service. But it is important to realize that they can't do everything right. Appreciate the skepticism, they don't know you personally. Lots of people lie. and how your damages appear. I have absolute confidence than any major lens manufacturer would react to your circumstances the same way. Just be willing to stick with it, and I'm sure it'll work out.


Just have to second this as well thought out, excellent advice.

[SpecialK]

Originally Posted by Zoinac
I, sadly, have to deal with customer service and worst of all, repairs in the company that I work for. Let me tell you, every single unit I fix, just worked great, is brand new, and magically stopped working.
Every single one.
Regardless of serial numbers, sales records, obvious tampering, or neglect....
Not that your treatment is fair. But you have to respect the skepticism. Sad truth is there are more bad apples than good ones when it comes to people expecting free warranty repairs, and people being willing to lie outright to get free stuff.

If the front lens element fell off, it would be damaged on the outside, and appear quite like the damages sustained by an impact. Sure, you're dealing with an unfortunate set of circumstances. But that's more than likely due to how your damages appear than the actual quality of Canon's service. Remember, if they fixed everything for free just out of faith, then the costs for new lenses would be so outrageous that nobody could afford them. Them being skeptical, and looking at the evidence saves us all a lot of money.

The general approach, as I've seen it taken anyway. Is that anyone willing to stick with it and keep their story straight, usually is right. So be patient, you should be rewarded. Most people who are lying about the warranty situation tend to just give up and go away.

I've heard a lot of really good things about Canon's service. But it is important to realize that they can't do everything right. Appreciate the skepticism, they don't know you personally. Lots of people lie. and how your damages appear. I have absolute confidence than any major lens manufacturer would react to your circumstances the same way. Just be willing to stick with it, and I'm sure it'll work out.


michaelb...
Just have to second this as well thought out, excellent advice.


Haven't figured out the double quote thing, but...

Yep, I'm a CS manager and we sort of have to look at the overall complaint - sometimes at first without supporting evidence. In many cases the customer does not explain the facts very well, is rude and argumentative, and sometimes wrong.

On occasion, the extreme problem the customer claims to have had is the first we have heard of it, and so we may be a bit skeptical.

Still, we side with the customer if it is a 50-50 thing...

[zmikers]

I'm a regular contributing member of another forum that has a point rating system for good advice given and it's displayed publicly along with any post you make. Give good advice or a helpful post and you're rewarded with points from other members. Bad advice and you lose points. It seems to work well as an incentive to help people rather than hinder. Also serves as a guide when someone gives advice whether they're worth listening to. It would be interesting if something like that were implemented here.

I fess up that I did a "post & run" on a couple of Honda Accord boards when I was having some problems with emissions controls. Got the help I wanted, graciously thanked everyone, and I haven't been back. Good bunch of helpful and knowledgable people there that I'd recommend to anyone.

You see, but that's not a post and run. You said that you graciously thanked everyone. No problem with that at all.

[adam75south]

i'd REALLY like to hear the rest of the story...without going to another forum. i'm lazy

[Mark_48]

i'd REALLY like to hear the rest of the story...without going to another forum. i'm lazy

As of about 30 minutes ago, the other linked forums have had no further responses from the OP. I'm sort of interested too.

[adam75south]

i call dibs on his 5d II.

[doyal]

Update..

Well Tuesday came and went and 'Marvin' the supervisor at Canon Customer Service didn't call me back as promised. I waited till 2:30PM this afternoon and then once again called Canon Customer Service to speak to 'Marvin' . After giving my Repair Order Number to another individual I was once again told that the damage was caused by 'impact damage' . After explaining to the nameless individual on the phone that the issue had been elevated and the reason I was calling was because I was told on Saturday by 'Marvin the supervisor' that he would call me Tuesday to discuss this issue, I was placed on hold for 5 minutes.

I was then told that Marvin had left for the day and I should call him tomorrow. I informed the phone agent that I was the one expecting a call and that this should be passed on to 'Marvin'. I was told a message has been left for him.

[doyal]

For those people who have said my story is hard to believe I have no response. For those people who believe I should see it from Canon's point of view I can only say this. On December 5th 2008 I purchased a Canon 5D2 Kit which cost $3,532.75. As with all my equipment I have taken very good care of it and have not abused it it any way shape or form. On January 9th of this year I took the camera out of it's bag, removed the lens cap, proceeded to extend the zoom and the front glass element simply fell off the lens and hit the floor.

Thus far I have been treated discourteously by Canon ecare. A phone representatives acted in an unprofessional manner while discussing my case and told me I wasn't being truthful, whilst also giggling I assume with her coworkers. Another representative told me to send my lens in for repair and then proceeded to ask if I needed anything else; How about a shipping label!! Another has failed to call me back as promised to discuss my issue.

I must say that so far Canon's phone support leaves a lot to be desired in so many ways. Not once has any Canon representative shown compassion or apologized for my experience. I'm made to feel like I'm the one who has done something wrong & I haven't.

[adam75south]

so you haven't sent it in yet? maybe once they look at it they will be able to see that there's no damage on anything besides the front element. if you still have the lens can we see pictures of it?

[Mark_48]

As you haven't had it that long, I wonder if a call to where you made your purchase might be helpful, particularly if they are a significant dealer such as B&H or Adorama (not sure where you are located, but you had used the word "whilst", so maybe the UK?). They may have a bit more influence with Canon, just try to get someone up the ladder a ways. Try to get everything you can documented including names, dates, and times of people you've contacted. If you still have the lens in your possession, although from your first post it sounded like they may have it, get some pictures of it from several angles. If the front element fell out as you say, it would seem to suggest something may have been missing internally to the lens that keeps it in place and possibly once disassembled it may become evident the lens was faulty. By the same token if an impact took place to the front element while still in the lens body, there may be evidence of shearing of retaining screws or something else to allow the front element to fall out.