As long as we're discussing customer service...

There is a thread on the C-Brats forum discussing binoculars.  These get regular use on a cruising boat, and a good set is important.  About 5 years ago, we bought a set of Canon image stabilizing binoculars.  They weren't the "high end," but they did a great job.  Image stabilizing is nice to have on a moving boat.

A couple years ago, the exterior of those binoculars started feeling "sticky."  It was pretty apparent that the rubberized skin was disintegrating.  I contacted Canon Customer Service to ask if anything could be done for them.  I got a "we received your e-mail and you will be contacted within 48 hours" canned response.  No one ever followed up.

We have other binoculars on the boat, but over the past two years, I have contacted Canon Customer Service 5 more times... with the same result of no response from them beyond the canned "we received your e-mail..."  I would get a little ticked each time, then forget about it... until the next time I pulled out the binoculars or a discussion of binoculars would come up (as in the C-Brats forum).

I contacted Canon Customer Service again yesterday (got the canned response), but then got on a Canon users forum... and posted by situation.  This forum is set up by, and moderated by, Canon.  Yep, I got an immediate response that wasn't completely canned.  I also got the information I needed about the procedure to send the binoculars in for estimate and repair.

And then a follow up private message from a Canon rep who was checking into all the previous contacts I had made.  He has his work cut out for him, if he really intends to dig back over the past two years.  But, since he contacted me, I gave him some information so he could start looking.  Some things I just chalk up to poor or disinterested "customer service" and make a mental note to not buy anything from that company anymore.  Not really what I wanted to do with Canon, since we do have several Canon cameras that get a lot of use.

So, I'm glad this came back up.  The binoculars are on their way back to Canon.  We'll see where this goes.  I'm not holding my breath.