Canon 10x30is binoculars - BEWARE!

Yes, that title is for search engines.

This has gone beyond ridiculous.  Several exchanges back and forth with the "supervisor" (his title seems to change with each e-mail).  They will cover the repair as long as it wasn't caused by "misuse"... I get an e-mail with a zero balance and an estimate of the time for repair.  When that time passes with no word, I check their web site with my repair number:  "repair being processed."  Still no word on delivery.  Call to find out why it is taking so long, then get the outrageous invoice for over $846.  Call to find out what is going on - no one seems to know.  Then, they claim "water intrusion," which I ABSOLUTELY deny.  OK, then... they must have been dropped.  Also not true.

Now: if I let this whole thing drop, they will cover the new outrageous charge.  This quit being about money when I found out what a joke their repair service actually is... OK, not a joke, but lies, indifference, and deceitful business practices.

At this point, there is no telling if the binoculars will ever find their way back to us.  Or, what $$ they will try to extract with another "made up" charge.  Or, what state of repair they will be in.

Seriously - if they had said, "The repair of the binoculars would be more than the price of new" right off the bat, I would have probably just gone out and bought another.  I understand that things wear out.  But, this has gone on and on due to their lack of response.

Just be aware if you have any item to send for Canon repair: the estimate for cost and time for repair apparently has no relation to what the final cost will be and the time it will [i]really[/i] take.  You will be ignored or lied to.  If you are able to find a phone number to contact them, you will be put on hold and ultimately be given no useful information.  If you ask direct questions, you will be told, "I do not have that information."  Then, expect a punitive, higher bill to be forthcoming.

I have to shake my head with this one.  I currently use Canon cameras and have gotten good use out of them.  When they wear out, I toss 'em and buy another.  These binoculars were great... at first.  After two years, they began to disintegrate - all the rubber on the exterior became sticky to the touch.  For a piece of equipment designed to be used outdoors, this seems like a major shortcoming.

Save your money, avoid the frustration.  Pass on the Canon 10x30is binoculars.

---------------------------------

Some of you know I was a photographer/studio owner for over 30 years.  We used Hasselblad equipment prior to the switch to digital; in my opinion, it was the best that was available at the time.  Even so, with the use they received, regular service was part of the cost of doing business.  Authorized Hasselblad Service had a minimum service charge... stated that up front.  Some folks called that a "this is how much it is going to cost for us to look at it" charge.  Not true - that money was all applied to the service cost.  You just knew up front that was going to be the minimum.

There has been some discussion that this was Canon's first charge of $159 plus shipping.  NO WHERE on the invoice did it say that.  It said, "This is the charge, it will take 5 to 7 days for the repair."  Only when I questioned them on how long the repair was taking (hey, I was patient... waiting 19 days for a repair that was supposed to take "5 to 7 days"... we are heading out soon.  I wanted to know if I should expect it before we leave or if I have to make other arrangements for shipping) did this new charge come up.  I was not demanding, nor out of line - just looking for information, since they were not holding up their end of the service arrangement.

Then, the "Well, they didn't know there was more wrong with it when they estimated the $159.  So, they re-estimated it."  (Yes, that is a quote.)  Had I paid the first charge, I would have been out that money - forfeit it or pay the additional TWICE THE COST OF NEW charge.

The customer contact guy says he is "trying to work with me"... either he is underestimating my resolve or he doesn't know what the repair people are trying to pull.

No doubt, Canon thinks I am being ingracious regarding this situation... they have charged me, removed the charges, done nothing with the binoculars, charged me even more AFTER I called, then removed the charges again.  With the caveat "As of right now, there is no charge..."

As of right now, I am seriously pissed with the lack of response, indifference, arrogance, and deceitful attitude of those at Canon.  They seem to think I am the problem, when this would have been a complete non-issue had they returned e-mails and been honest in their dealings.  I received ZERO response from them (other than the canned "someone will contact you within 48 hours", but of course, no one ever got back to me) - and all I wanted was the damn address for where to send these Canon 10x30is binoculars (yep, for the search engines again) for repair.  I never asked for something for nothing.  Never asked for preferential treatment.  I just wanted to get them fixed... or tell me that they aren't fixable.  SOMETHING - some kind of reply.

When they realized they had dropped the ball, a customer service guy (Raymond) tried to make it up to me with a free repair... which their repair people tried to turn into an $846 repair.  And, now, they will drop that $846 charge to repair those Canon 10x30is binoculars... until they decide to charge me again.  I understand the veiled threat: "As of right now..."

I would be delighted to present Canon's point of view here... something beyond "I'm working for you."  Believe me, I keep EVERY e-mail exchange, and every invoice (I now have 4 different invoices for this single situation).  Dates, names of who I talked to or exchanged an e-mail with.  They obviously prefer to make contact via e-mail (IF they respond), since NO ONE AT CANON has called me regarding this situation.  Shows how little concern they really have.

If you want to see the original forum post that started this ridiculous exchange, here it is...

http://forums.usa.canon.com/t5/General-Discussion/How-do-you-get-Canon-Customer-Service-to-respond-to-a-request/m-p/12805#M314

I don't think I was being unreasonable, even posted when it seemed they were trying to help.  Had they simply responded to 6 e-mails over the period of months (it wasn't like I was sending them one after another - I was patient, waiting for a reply... which didn't come until AFTER I made that first post above).

BEWARE if you try to get service done on the Canon 10x30is binoculars.

;-)