Canon service centres - profiteering!!

dougdarter

dougdarter

Suspended / Banned
Messages
2,099
Name
Douglas
Edit My Images
Yes
I've managed to lose the little dust cover off the external power supply socket from my 580EX speedlite!

I rang two Canon service centres today, to try and source a new one. The first said he'd order one in, but it would cost me £7 in processing charges, as it had to be ordered in specially. I said I'd be quite happy to wait until he put an order in for other bits and pieces, but he said it would still cost £7 plus the price of the cover - 50p!!:bang:

The second I tried gave me the same story, but the processing charge would be £15:thinking:

Needless to say, I'll use a small piece of black PVC tape instead.

When I used to deal with Nikon when I was still working, a phone call to the Pro dept usuall resulted in the component being put in a jiffy bag, and posted the same day FOC if it was in stock, or a few days later if it wasn't.

This is not the first time I've been disappointed by Canon, and I suppose it won't be the last, but when I consider the many thousands of pounds I've spent on Canon gear, it does make me just a bit cross!!
 
Canon UK has long been known for it's money grabbing ways. They will charge you for a replacement instruction book that you can download for free from Canon USA.
 
Thats the problem with the 300lb industry Gorilla.
With cameras its canon.

If you work in IC design its Cadence.... I should know.
 
An update....

I have spent the best part of 2 hours on the phone with various 'customer service' representatives, both with Canon UK head office, and their service department, and got absolutely nowhere:bang: :bang: :bang:

What it boils down to is this - Canon UK could give a damn for their customers. Their customer service is apalling.

They are quite happy for their dealers to make a minimum charge for ordering a component which costs 50p, of £15.

They refuse absolutely to acknowledge that this is rank profiteering.

When asked if I could be supplied direct, as a gesture of customer goodwill, they thought it was unreasonable.

They told me that the only way I could get hold of the cover without going through a main agent, was to send the speedlite to them, (at a minimum charge of £22 payable upfront, and they would examine it, and fit a new cover, as they didn't think a customer capable of accomplishing this operation themselves. Presumably therefore, they dont expect their customer to remove the cover to access the remote power socket either??

I have actually resolved the problem now, Patrick at Aperture Photographic, who is a NIKON Main dealer, is going to order one in for me at no charge, because I do a fair bit of business with him. That's service!!
 
I've just had a similar thing happen to me. I've lost a lens cap off my Sigma and they charge £4.99 + £2.00 postage for a new one.
 
Doug - I'm absolutely appalled. I too have spent thousands on Canon over the last couple of years and I would be hopping mad if they expected me to pay an extortionate fee for an significant item.

Any other members suffered at the hands of Canon in this way? Think its time for a petition to Canon!!!!
 
As posted above
:nikon:
 
Wile E. coyote said:
As posted above
:nikon:
Click to expand...

nikon-are-crap.jpg
.......:thumbs:
 
Well, I'm going to come down in favour of the supplier. £7 is not a huge amount of money to cover things like producing a purchase order, paying the invoice, time spent on packing,postage, invoicing the customer etc.

It's not particularly nice to have to pay that amount for a small item but why should they be out of pocket?
 
dod said:
Well, I'm going to come down in favour of the supplier. £7 is not a huge amount of money to cover things like producing a purchase order, paying the invoice, time spent on packing,postage, invoicing the customer etc.

It's not particularly nice to have to pay that amount for a small item but why should they be out of pocket?
Click to expand...

But what price goodwill? No-one would argue against a supplier making money, but as Doug suggested, this could have been tagged to another order. All that has been achieved is that Doug is hacked off, rightly I think, and a few more of us have been educated in the ways of poor service from a brand we're normally very loyal to..... it doesn't add up.
 
well, i was after a cover for my 1N, a little screw-fit cap thingy that goes in the hole the remote shutter lead locks in to...£2 on ebay (incl P&P) - probably way way WAY under what a 'dealer' would sell. so if I need anything like that i.e. nothing major, ebay's the first place I head :)
but yes, for canon parts you pay an almighty joke of a premium.
 
dod said:
Well, I'm going to come down in favour of the supplier. £7 is not a huge amount of money to cover things like producing a purchase order, paying the invoice, time spent on packing,postage, invoicing the customer etc.

It's not particularly nice to have to pay that amount for a small item but why should they be out of pocket?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I just cant agree.

£7 is unreasonable, £15 even more so.

There is absolutely no way that this would have been the subject of a special order.... do you suggest that the supplier makes a special order for every single item he's asked to order from Canon?? I suspect not, even if the only reason is that Canon probably raise a charge for every invoice! This little 32p item could have been appended on another invoice, and even sending it to me in a FREE Special Delivery carriage paid envelope, it would still cost the dealer less than £4.

I suggest that at cost, and the price of a 2nd class stamp and jiffy bag, the supplier could send it to me at £2, and still make 100% profit on the whole shebang.

It is a matter of principle. I refuse to be charged £7 or £15 by a dealer to order a 32p spare part.

I don't remember the dealer asking me for an order charge when he ordered my 400mm 5.6L lens last week!!
 
dougdarter said:
I've managed to lose the little dust cover off the external power supply socket from my 580EX speedlite!
Click to expand...
Reading through this thread I think the moral of the story for everyone is 'Look after your kit'.
 
Mr THX said:
Reading through this thread I think the moral of the story for everyone is 'Look after your kit'.
Click to expand...

And you're absolutely right. BUT we will all have issues / forget things / lose things - part of being human. Monstrous profit at that expense is crass
 
Jonnyreb said:
And you're absolutely right. BUT we will all have issues / forget things / lose things - part of being human. Monstrous profit at that expense is crass
Click to expand...
True you can be as careful as you can, but accidents happen :(
 
dougdarter said:
I suggest that at cost, and the price of a 2nd class stamp and jiffy bag, the supplier could send it to me at £2, and still make 100% profit on the whole shebang.
Click to expand...
And I still suggest he can't. You're not including the time included for staff to go check stocks, order it, receive it, sort out the order, package it for you etc, etc. Even if they had it in stock they've had to go through the ordering process in order to have it there just in case someone wants it.

I'm not saying I'd be happy about £7 either but I can understand how they get to that figure. The thing is if you'd been looking for something for say £30 you'd probably still have been looking at a £7 handling and delivery fee. It's not profiteering, it's averaging out handling costs for this sort of thing. It just looks obscene, and I agree it does, when you have to order such a low value item.
 
I agree with you Jonny, but it happens the world over doesn't it.......small replacement items in relative proportion to the original purchase.

Lost my car keys a while ago ended up costing me best part of £110 for a new replacement set... coded etc

Never let the beggers out of my sight now :suspect:
 
its all relative

Big company - As a whole if they upset a few customers they arnt bothered.

Small company - if they upset a few customers they wont have a company.
 
I don't find that price so unreasonable, a tad expensive perhaps but not blatant theft.

Goodwill is all very well, but only if you're not doing it all day... phone time/chat time and ordering time can be a huge burden on business running costs if the times not being paid for.

I find it’s very easy to spend several hours a day booking, chatting and chasing small parts worth relatively nothing compared to the time being lost.... Id go bust if I didn't have a handling charge. I can easily image business like these needed a minimum turnover between £100 and £200 per hour (London price perhaps)...just to keep the shop open.
 
Jason said:
I've just had a similar thing happen to me. I've lost a lens cap off my Sigma and they charge £4.99 + £2.00 postage for a new one.
Click to expand...
Jason, I wouldn't normaly go to jessops for anything, but in this case they have an extensive stock of own brand lens caps for about £4, and apart from being in the high street, don't appear to charge p&p either on them either.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
I don't find that price so unreasonable, a tad expensive perhaps but not blatant theft.

Goodwill is all very well, but only if you're not doing it all day... phone time/chat time and ordering time can be a huge burden on business running costs if the times not being paid for.

I find it’s very easy to spend several hours a day booking, chatting and chasing small parts worth relatively nothing compared to the time being lost.... Id go bust if I didn't have a handling charge. I can easily image business like these needed a minimum turnover between £100 and £200 per hour (London price perhaps)...just to keep the shop open.
Click to expand...

Nobody suggested that the price was tantamount to theft. I'd have been happy with £3.50, but certainly not £7/£15.

Here's an example of what I consider reasonable:

Just before Christmas, some halfwit helped himself to the chromed plastic 'Shogun' badge from the rear of my car.

I rang Dobies Mitsubishi in Carlisle, and asked them if they had a spare. They hadn't, but said that they would order one, and it would be delivered to their stores dept overnight.

I called the next day, and was handed a packet containing TWO replacements, ("just in case it happens again")and the cost?? £4. I gave the storeman a tenner and told him to have a drink on me, and thanked him very much.

I didn't mid paying a tenner for something that wasn't worth a tenner, because of the friendly and efficient way with which the transaction had been handled. Certainly nobody tried to rip me off.

If this company selling Japanese spares can order and arrange delivery of a small item overnight, which in real terms is practically worthless, then why can't others??
 
Si240 said:
Jason, I wouldn't normaly go to jessops for anything, but in this case they have an extensive stock of own brand lens caps for about £4, and apart from being in the high street, don't appear to charge p&p either on them either.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. :thumbs:

£3.49 for a Hoya,£3.99 for a Jessops and they can even order a Sigma one in for £4.99.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top