Minolta Refuse to Service Camera with Warranty

[morganoh]

I had bought a Minolta Xi around 3mths ago, and lately there's something wrong with the battery.

I when to Minolta servicing center and they refuse to service my camera, as they state that there's no dealer stamps on the warranty card and they require a receipt too.
(I could go back to the shop and ask for a stamp, but as for the receipt I had thrown it away)

I had read thought the details on the warranty card and it did not state that a receipt is a must for any camera to be sent in for repair.

How long have they launch the Xi in Spore? Less than 6mths? If the warranty card is a local warranty, does that means that my camera is less than 6mths old? They are very inflexible.

I had wrote them a complain and will wait for their reply.

 

[matthew]

Originally posted by morganoh

How long have they launch the Xi in Spore? Less than 6mths? If the warranty card is a local warranty, does that means that my camera is less than 6mths old? They are very inflexible.

I had wrote them a complain and will wait for their reply.

I have seen similar from other vendors - particularly NEC over their 'International Warantee'. Had a staff member overseas with a dead Versa laptop. NEC UK refused to service it as it was not 'registered' before the staff member had left on this trip. (New laptop purchased shortly before trip).

The Local NEC people were more forgiving, we found and faxed them the rego form, they entered it into the company database and then the UK office were prepared to service the machine.

What it comes down to is that the various 'local' offices of these big companies have to balance their books - various arcane accounting proceedures shuffle money between the various divisions of these mega corporations.

Like NEC UK, I would say the local Minolta office is afraid that head office will NOT reimburse them for the repair of your camera if the paper work is not perfect.

Years ago a place I used to work at had so many Apple Mac computers (and suitably qualified electronics technicians) that we became an Apple Service centre and did all our own repairs. Apple PAID us for each warantee repair we did to our own machines!. (Although no real money changed hands - it was credited to the account to which our spare parts were charged).


While I don't condone the behavour of any company trying to avoid customer service obligations, I do understand why they are being strict about it.

 

[iceman]

you went to funan center and the service staff that spoke to you is a guy?

let me share my experience when i sent my dynax 5xi for servicing. the counter staff kept repeating that it is a discountinued product and majority of the parts are obsolete (which i understand) and asked me not to repair it but to get a new camera (which i already had plans). what pissed me off was that he said what happens in the course of the repair, they damage some parts and cannot repay me as majority of the parts are obsolete !! i insisted that they try and ultimately, i spoke to the manager of the service center who agreed to attempt the repair (unfortunately they did not succeed).

if the warranty card did not state that a receipt is required, then you should exercise your rights to claim warranty (but get it stamped first).

cheers

 

[newuser]

Originally posted by morganoh
I had bought a Minolta Xi around 3mths ago, and lately there's something wrong with the battery.

I when to Minolta servicing center and they refuse to service my camera, as they state that there's no dealer stamps on the warranty card and they require a receipt too.
(I could go back to the shop and ask for a stamp, but as for the receipt I had thrown it away)

I had read thought the details on the warranty card and it did not state that a receipt is a must for any camera to be sent in for repair.

How long have they launch the Xi in Spore? Less than 6mths? If the warranty card is a local warranty, does that means that my camera is less than 6mths old? They are very inflexible.

I had wrote them a complain and will wait for their reply.

If the Xi is indeed launched less than 6mths, than it is easy to trace via the serial number, since the date of manufacture will be less than 1 year and you cannot possibly buy the camera before it was made!!!

So, the camera was definitely bought after the date of manufacture which is less than 1 year, hence it is under warranty!!

I use the manufacture date to argue my point sometimes when the date of manufacture falls within the warranty period and I don't have a receipt.

 

[morganoh]

Originally posted by iceman
you went to funan center and the service staff that spoke to you is a guy?

let me share my experience when i sent my dynax 5xi for servicing. the counter staff kept repeating that it is a discountinued product and majority of the parts are obsolete (which i understand) and asked me not to repair it but to get a new camera (which i already had plans). what pissed me off was that he said what happens in the course of the repair, they damage some parts and cannot repay me as majority of the parts are obsolete !! i insisted that they try and ultimately, i spoke to the manager of the service center who agreed to attempt the repair (unfortunately they did not succeed).

if the warranty card did not state that a receipt is required, then you should exercise your rights to claim warranty (but get it stamped first).

cheers

Its a lady, and the lady reject to service the Xi after she made a call to someone of a higher rank.

Does this kind of incidents happen to Canon & Nikon service center? Or its only Minolta that is giving all the trouble?

 

[wayangking]

hi all, i would also like to share some experience of mine.

sometime last year, i just bought a 700si. i think this model is quite old already and has since been discontinued. after using it for a month, i found that occasionally, the camera hangs and after switching it on and off, the film automatically rewinds. this happened to about 2 rolls and of course, i was frustrated as it was a new camera. as i would be going on a long overseas trip, i rushed down to the minolta service centre at funan and explained the situation i was in. the guy at the counter was friendly and even put a urgent tag on my camera repair. after getting back my camera and for about a year now, so far no problems.

 

[iceman]

hey, that was the same problem with my 5xi- in nepal (2000). at high altitudes, the film rewinds automatically.

in vietnam (2002), it hangs and the word help was displayed on the lcd.

 

[wayangking]

looks like its the same problem.

when my hanged, the word help was flashed across the screen. so LL had to take the battery out to restart the camera. once that was done, the film rewinded by itself!!! wasted 2 rolls!!

when i took it back servicing, i shot a couple of rolls to make sure nothing was wrong. i think there was some problem with the contacts in the camera.

 

[andylee]

Mr,iceman,everybody here in this thread,if the spare parts for that camera is discontinue,it means that japan has already stop producing it.inside a camera, there is a lot of parts.what happen if in the course of opening the camera something breaks and that part is critical to the funtion of the camera??where will they find the part to patch back???!!!as we know plastic parts will turn brittle after many years of usage,so how can those repairers garantee the camera will not die???for your info,5Xi is launch in 1992,it is 11yrs already.do you all think it's fair that the repairers tell us 1st beforehand about the complications that comes with the repair???so if they never tell you the complications beforehand & then you receive a call telling you that your camera died,what are you gonna do???

 

[iceman]

yes, i understand and there are risks involved. based on the symptoms, a trained maintenance would know the probable fault and the risks involved.

but it was the way that the message was conveyed by the service staff, which i did not bother to put in the post. if you were in my shoes then, probably you might have thought differently.

 

[Snapper]

I did get pretty good service from one of the service people there. Well, I think this could be a case of some misunderstanding. Hope this is isolated.

Though it is unfair for me to judge but I think it is only fair that Minolta advices you that there may be problems repairing the camera after it has been discontinued.

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[darr]

i had no problem with it. the warranty is international if i recall correctly. my card had no stamp or receipt also.

when i send my dimage x for repair middle of last year, it was only in the market for abt 1/2 year. and the camera came back with separate warranty on the repair.

lady? short curly hair? damn pretty :rbounce: