Just returned from the UPS store. After two years wrestling with Leica I just sent a $3000 pair of rangefinding binoculars to the president of Leica USA, Roger Horn along with a letter requesting specific actions. I'll let you know of their response.
My ongoing impressions of Leica remain the same: amazing products, poor customer service, horrible forecasting, disingenuous release date claims.
Some of my prior Leica experiences:
-paid and ordered a camera that was delayed 2 years. I literally had to pay out of pocket for expedited shipment to get the thing delivered hours before the family was to leave for a make a wish trip so we could document my child's experiences at that special and stressful time in life. (Thank goodness she is now in remission) You never forget a company when they hold your money and miss delivery dates and then charge a mega drop-ship expedite fee to finally get you what you're owed.
I then bought a 1000r range finder that is plastic. The plastic peeled off in first 90 days of use. I requested the service where they send a prepaid Leica ship box TWICE and it never arrived. I asked for money back to buy a better product and they denied me. They wouldn't offer rapid replacement either. I sold it for a large loss and spent $3000 on another one of their rangefinders.
I then bought two of the ER5 scopes pre-announced in 2014 and formally in early 2015. I waited 2.5 years and they haven't yet delivered that product. I've even written Brian Bell and Roger Horn on this topic and phoned twice. Earlier this week I asked for a refund and await to see if I'll get the money back for unfulfilled product.
I tried to buy scopes on their Black Friday sale this year: no scopes for sale, no dealers aware of the sale, no Leica employees available to answer phones. Why have a sale?
Last year I called NJ to check inventory to buy scopes that may not exist and was told Leica is upgrading their inventory system and they can't check stock on hand or ship for 4-6 weeks. Name another company that goes out of business for 4-6 weeks during a computer upgrade?
In the same time period I've owned more than a half dozen Swarovski products and a few Schmidt and Benders and a couple Zeiss. NONE of their competitors have had these issues and with a defective Zeiss and a missing parts issue with Swarovski it was handled professionally and immediately.
I sympathize with Leica USA as they claim the issues are systemic from Germany and they are victims of corporate. However, they are senior business leaders and they can push back or resign if they wish to protect their integrity. Seriously, Leica USA should refuse to publish release dates on product until they are certain they will meet dates. I seriously doubt Leica would fire all US management if they pushed back in this area. Leica's reputation is in the mud and it is all due to the inability to establish and maintain credibility, handle customer satisfaction and execute.
I'll let the readers know if I get any satisfaction from Leica USA after dealing with them for two years on my latest documented issues since day of purchase. (Including being forwarded to developers that worked with gunwerks on the software)
My ongoing impressions of Leica remain the same: amazing products, poor customer service, horrible forecasting, disingenuous release date claims.
Some of my prior Leica experiences:
-paid and ordered a camera that was delayed 2 years. I literally had to pay out of pocket for expedited shipment to get the thing delivered hours before the family was to leave for a make a wish trip so we could document my child's experiences at that special and stressful time in life. (Thank goodness she is now in remission) You never forget a company when they hold your money and miss delivery dates and then charge a mega drop-ship expedite fee to finally get you what you're owed.
I then bought a 1000r range finder that is plastic. The plastic peeled off in first 90 days of use. I requested the service where they send a prepaid Leica ship box TWICE and it never arrived. I asked for money back to buy a better product and they denied me. They wouldn't offer rapid replacement either. I sold it for a large loss and spent $3000 on another one of their rangefinders.
I then bought two of the ER5 scopes pre-announced in 2014 and formally in early 2015. I waited 2.5 years and they haven't yet delivered that product. I've even written Brian Bell and Roger Horn on this topic and phoned twice. Earlier this week I asked for a refund and await to see if I'll get the money back for unfulfilled product.
I tried to buy scopes on their Black Friday sale this year: no scopes for sale, no dealers aware of the sale, no Leica employees available to answer phones. Why have a sale?
Last year I called NJ to check inventory to buy scopes that may not exist and was told Leica is upgrading their inventory system and they can't check stock on hand or ship for 4-6 weeks. Name another company that goes out of business for 4-6 weeks during a computer upgrade?
In the same time period I've owned more than a half dozen Swarovski products and a few Schmidt and Benders and a couple Zeiss. NONE of their competitors have had these issues and with a defective Zeiss and a missing parts issue with Swarovski it was handled professionally and immediately.
I sympathize with Leica USA as they claim the issues are systemic from Germany and they are victims of corporate. However, they are senior business leaders and they can push back or resign if they wish to protect their integrity. Seriously, Leica USA should refuse to publish release dates on product until they are certain they will meet dates. I seriously doubt Leica would fire all US management if they pushed back in this area. Leica's reputation is in the mud and it is all due to the inability to establish and maintain credibility, handle customer satisfaction and execute.
I'll let the readers know if I get any satisfaction from Leica USA after dealing with them for two years on my latest documented issues since day of purchase. (Including being forwarded to developers that worked with gunwerks on the software)
