To their credit, they've responded after my email and now I know they're awaiting parts.
I still feel that the 2 issues highlighted from ed9119's post still plague the service centre.
On top of this, the overall unpleasant experience is worsened by the fact that within a 12 month warrantied period of ownership, my camera has been away for one and a half months.
I love the X10 but the reliability of the camera AND the service support will prove a deterrent for me to own future X-cameras. As per the thread title, the warning is that currently (July 2012), the problem persists.
Unfortunately, it seems that the Singapore FF service center follows a typical local service culture - no results until 'bang table'. I remember getting my x100 back in May last year, had the sticky blades issue pop up right on the second week. My experience with Fujifilm was similarly terrible and is a semi long story:
1. I emailed the service centre regarding the problem, with detail descriptions as well as links to dpreview forums on the same problem. No reply from them for 1 week.
2. So, I took leave from work to send my camera in, and explicitly stated all the problems to both the counter staff and the technician. They assured me that my camera would be fixed in about 2 weeks, and that there was no worries, they had the parts and would change it if it was required.
3. So, I patiently waited for 2 weeks without chasing them at all. No call. Called them to check, they told me that it wasn't ready yet and they needed another week. I was slightly disappointed (new toy after all), but I didn't complain and waited for another week. No updates from them. So I called them, and I got forwarded to the technician, who told me that there wasn't anything wrong with the camera as detected by their software (he told me he just recalibrated the camera). I was already highly doubting that they even fixed the problem, and told them that accordingly to forums, the fixed was a lens assembly change. I asked him nicely if he was sure that there was nothing wrong with the camera. He told me that as far as the tests go, his hands were tied and they couldn't justify a lens assembly change, and that yes, there was nothing wrong with the camera.
4. So, already with doubts in my mind, I went down to the service centre. I replicated the exposure problems in less than 1 minute. They did not do ANYTHING to fix the camera. I asked to see the technician, and when he arrived, I took a few test shots with the camera, and asked him very politely whether a camera is supposed to work like this, with overexposed shots the smaller the aperture went. He instantly saw that my camera had a problem (which brings me to the question - was he even listening on my first trip down?). They apologised and said they will put the repair on priority and it would be ready within another week.
5. So, another week later. No calls from them. I called them up and asked to speak to the technician directly. He told me that my camera wasn't done because they didn't have the parts from Japan (which raises another question on why did he assure me that there was parts for the fix 1 month back?). At this point, I finally got pissed, and asked him what is going to be done. He asked me if I can wait another week. I said no and requested to speak to the management. He refused to forward my call, but said he would check and call me back in 15 minutes. And finally, he did call me back. The resolution? They offered to exchange the camera for a new set as a form of 'goodwill' in their words.
Entire warranty process took about 4-5 weeks, 3 trips down, and a lot of frustration. If the X100 wasn't such a good camera I wouldn't put up with such service at all.
If Fujifilm Singapore is actually willing to improve their customer service, that'll be great. But as it stands in my experience - typical staff who try to do as little, as slowly as they can (not to say that they aren't nice people, but just that they really suck at their jobs), willing to bullshit customers without delivering what they said. I mean, firstly, telling me that they had parts, then later, they don't have parts. Telling me 2 weeks, eventually becoming 5 weeks. Telling me that they are able to fix it, and eventually giving me a new set instead (perhaps they really don't know how to fix it?). And finally, telling me that they understand the problem with the camera, and I had to make a second trip down just to show it to them again.
I still have my x100, and I'll shudder if it spoils again, simply because of the service. And I even paid 170 for the extended warranty - wonder if thats actually a good idea in retrospect. Perhaps if Fujifilm is really looking to improve their service, they should just look at how many things went wrong in 1 singular warranty process. In all honesty, I had been polite in dealing with them throughout, never flaring up even when I was really pissed. I excused their crap due to the consideration that the x100 was new back them (about 3 months after release and lacking stock everywhere), and thus they didn't have experience with it.
But to hear of such crap after more than a year is inexcusable. Makes me wonder if the management is even bothering at all.
