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I was charged for cleaning. But it wasn't clean.
Robby Gallagher, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Brookings | SD | USA | Posted: 4:40 PM on 12.04.10 |
->> Here is a bit of a rant about Canon's cleaning services.
I went out on a limb and sent my only camera in to Canon to see if they could repair the many issues I had been having with my 50D. I managed to find someone to lend me their second body.
Anyway, two weeks after I sent it in and okay the "repairs" the camera was returned to me. There was a temporary body cap taped on the body. I was charged $245. They found nothing wrong with the camera. However, they told me the did a complete clean and lube.
I got the camera back yesterday and there were finger prints all over the mirrors, both right inside the body and up near the view finder. There was also dust all inside the body. Canon refuses to fix my problem, but offer to do a new cleaning if I send my camera back in for 2 weeks and they would happily clean it again. I couldn't afford to send it the first time, what makes them think I can do it again?
Please tell me one of you have had this problem before. I thought Canon would help fix my problem... not make it worse. |
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Dave Prelosky, Photographer
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Lower Burrell | Pa | US | Posted: 4:52 PM on 12.04.10 |
| ->> Try asking the fake Chuck Westfall for help with fake repairs.. |
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John Korduner, Photographer
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Baton Rouge | LA | United States | Posted: 10:48 AM on 12.05.10 |
| ->> The longest turnaround I have ever had with Canon is 6 days, so it sounds like you're just having a bad month. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 11:31 AM on 12.05.10 |
| ->> robbie, I agree with john. that is a very long time to keep the lens. is this CPS or their "regular" repair service? I would keep calling and go up the food chain asking for supervisors. I wouldn't pay them any more money under any circumstances.... |
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Dave Prelosky, Photographer
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Israel Shirk, Photographer, Assistant
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Boise | ID | US | Posted: 1:11 PM on 12.05.10 |
| ->> Did you pay with a credit card? Protest the charge. It'll also penalize them an extra fee on top of the charge. |
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Jim Pierce, Photographer
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Waltham | MA | USA | Posted: 1:18 PM on 12.05.10 |
->> I would send it to Mid State camera reapair in RI. sent many bodies and lenses there and at most three days ship on Monday and get back wednesday.
Obviously try and work it out with Canon but this is another option.
Jim |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 1:37 PM on 12.05.10 |
->> Robbie -
1) Demand that they send you a shipping label so that you aren't out the shipping cost again.
2) If you use the body with a grip, send the grip in with it.
3) Make sure they know you are still experiencing the issues that you originally sent it in for. Include a very detailed description, including what lenses/grips were mounted, shooting conditions, etc. |
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Robin Loznak, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Al Goldis, Photographer
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East Lansing | MI | USA | Posted: 6:02 PM on 12.05.10 |
| ->> Which Canon repair center (including address) did you send it to? |
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Robert Beck, Photographer
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Carlsbad | CA | USA | Posted: 6:08 PM on 12.05.10 |
| ->> I have not had that problem. Of course, I don't use Canon. |
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Tami Chappell, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Atlanta | Ga | USA | Posted: 8:12 PM on 12.05.10 |
->> Robby
Contact the Canon rep in your area if you are not receiving proper care from Canon repair and explain the situation. No you should not have to pay shipping again. If its a private camera repair I don't know what else except as Israel said to dispute the charge. |
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Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 10:56 PM on 12.05.10 |
->> Keep in mind that a lot of repairs sent to Canon (and to Nikon) end up being sent out to other, independent repair companies.
So if this was not a CPS repair, there is a good chance it was not really looked at by Canon.
These other repair companies obviously must meet some standards set by Canon.
Either way, whether this was actually repaired by Canon in one of its facilities, or sent out to another company, if the camera came back in that condition, you have a pretty good complaint.
Mahalo! |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 11:05 PM on 12.05.10 |
->> Robbie,
Something doesn't make sense. They provide you with an estimate, then charge you $245 and that nothing was wrong so they cleaned it?
You need to contact them immediately and then do what was suggested:
1) Find a manager or supervisor. Explain that you sent the camera in and what has transpired. Do so without venting - what you want here is a acceptable solution.
2) Not only do they need to provide a shipping label but a priority position in getting it re-done. Explain that you are a photojournalism student and that this is your primary body and you can't wait two weeks. Anything they can do to expedite this would go a long way towards building what you hope will be a life long relationship.
3) Finally, I can't believe a cleaning cost $245. My tech charges me $50.
How they handle this should go a long way toward determining if you need to stay committed to Canon. IF this is a third party servicer, you need to find a new one if their service is like this.
Don't act like a kid on this Robbie; speak clearly and directly. Be serious. Ask them what they are going to do about this.
Let us know what happens. |
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Robby Gallagher, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Brookings | SD | USA | Posted: 1:42 AM on 12.06.10 |
->> First of all, I just want to make a correction. My name is spelled, Robby, not Robbie. Aside from that, I would like to thank you all for your help.
Secondly, I did call Canon. I was very professional about it. It was not done through CPS because I only own on body and one acceptable lens. In was "repair" was done in New Jersey.
I took my camera into Harold's Photo Center because the cost to send it was about $20 cheaper. When you are married and still in college with out a real job (I am working to part-time jobs and one freelance job), you save what you can.
I know most of you have read my recent posts about my camera issues. None of them were resolved when I sent my camera into Canon. The original charge was quoted to me as $180 and that would have covered the cleaning of my camera. However, since I had a list of things that had been going wrong with it, they took it completely apart and checked everything. They couldn't reproduce my problem. They charged me an extra $60 for that. They didn't fix anything. When I went to go pick up my camera, I opened up the body of my camera and it was finger printed and dusty. There was even a print up on the mirror inside my view-finder (no it was not a reflection of another mirror.
I called up canon and first of all they will not discuss the details of my "repair" with me because I sent it through a camera store. So they will only discuss such repairs with Harold's Photo center. I talked to 3 different supervisors and they all told me the same thing. They told me they would send me a shipping label and I could send my camera back in for cleaning free of charge. I explained to them that I cannot just send my camera in like that. It isn't that easy. My freelance work pays my bills and my regular jobs barely pay rent. I was lucky enough to find someone to loan me a comparable camera for 2 weeks. But I have talked to him and it isn't happening again for me.
I would contact the rep in my area, but they only come by once in a great while, and that is in Sioux Falls, 50 miles from where I am. Tomorrow, I will be talking to Canon again. Hopefully it goes a little bit better.
I guess if you know anyone in the area that would be willing to loan me a comparable body or better for a couple weeks while I send my camera back, I would be very appreciative. |
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Robby Gallagher, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Brookings | SD | USA | Posted: 1:46 AM on 12.06.10 |
| ->> Oh and I did send my body in with the grip and battery. But they said nothing was wrong with it, but I am still having the same issues. My camera is supposed to get roughly 6.3 fps. It has potential to, after stalling for 2 to 3 seconds. |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 8:31 AM on 12.06.10 |
->> Robby,
Lesson learned #1 = send it in directly. I think you just learned why it took 2 weeks - and perhaps why it cost so much. Did you pay the camera store or Canon?
Use Canon's label and send it in. It should be an overnight label. Send it in today, you should have it back Thursday. You keep saying you can't afford to be without a body, but if you are having this level of issues with it, what do you accomplish by holding on to it?
Also -rather than wasting your time arguing with people at Canon, who made it clear that they can't talk to you becasue you aren't the customer - go to the store that you used to send it in and demand that they get a complete explanation. Stand there and have them put Canon on a speaker phone.
The store is the one responsible for the repairs if you dealt with them and especially if you paid them. I'll suggest you're barking up the wrong tree. Are you certain they aren't the ones that botched the cleaning job? Perhaps they will give you a loaner while the work that you paid them (presumably) for is redone. |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 10:57 AM on 12.06.10 |
->> Mark makes a good point. ALWAYS try to avoid middlemen. ALWAYS. That $20 probably seems pretty insignificant now.
I really know NOTHING about Canon, but with Nikon, consumer classified gear is handled by a different service group than the professional line, maybe it's the same with Canon. Is the 50D considered 'pro' gear by Canon? If I were to send in a consumer piece of equipment to NPS they would simply forward it to the consumer products side (or so I'm told). Not that I would expect a D50 to come back from them (or Canon) looking like it had been pulled through a stuffed monkey's a$$.... Consumer or pro repairs should come back buffed and polished, I just expect the pro side to do it faster and to research problems a little deeper knowing that the chance of user error is one peg lower than average (just one).
As far as Mid-State goes. I have never heard anything but GLOWING comments about them. I was surprised to hear that when one of the guys who works for me dropped his D300 off for a new shutter, they simply shipped it off to Nikon. So even with them I would ask whether the repair was going to be done in-house or sent out to Canon or Nikon.
Another 'middleman' to be aware of is Staples. If you ship UPS through Staples and something goes wrong UPS will not talk to you either. If you have to file a claim you will have to do it with Staples who then files with UPS. You can setup your own UPS account on-line. I print my own UPS labels and pay for the shipping directly and just drop off at Staples. If (WHEN) I have UPS problems I am the customer of record and UPS has to deal with me or MY insurance company directly.
All you can do at this point is chalk it up to a valuable lesson learned. You can gauge how valuable a lesson is by how much it sucks. The more it sucks... The more value there is in learning it the first time.
E |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 11:11 AM on 12.06.10 |
->> Well Robby, you answered all the questions (I had at least) and I hope once again you learned a valuable lesson. it's not always a smart move to send a piece of expensive camera equipment to the "middle man" to save money. times are tough everywhere but when you cut corners on your gear that's just not a rational decision. I mean look at how much negative energy you've given to try and rectify this. that and the down time on having no gear....was it really worth the $20? especially when you only have one camera. mark, has a very good idea about trying to get the store to give you a loaner.
good luck with that. |
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Robby Gallagher, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Brookings | SD | USA | Posted: 11:55 AM on 12.06.10 |
| ->> They won't give me a loaner. They only sell new cameras and don't have anything they can loan out. I realize the "middleman" was not a great idea, however I also expected my camera to get fixed nonetheless. This is a lesson learned, I agree. Next time I will have a second body before I send mine in. |
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Geoffrey Bolte, Photographer, Assistant
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Spencer/Worcester | MA | USA | Posted: 12:39 PM on 12.06.10 |
->> Robby I have one issue with this, you mention you use your gear to pay the bills, but if it isn't working to the right specs in my mind you should be getting everything corrected. Are you a CPS member (guessing not as you went to a shop), I don't know about Canon, but as a Nikon NPS member I can get loaner gear when I send mine in. I do have to pay for shipping, but considering my D700 was in their hands for about a month, it was well worth the $25-$40 in overnight shipping to get a camera in my hands instead of the $715 (lensprotogo) would have charged me. Becoming a CPS member will probably be worth it for the future.
If anything you should be looking at getting a rental (especially now), as this is your money maker, and do what you can to get your camera repaired, cleaned correctly. Looking at rental places I see a 50D (borrowlenses) going for 89 a week, 159 for a 2 week rental. I know I wouldn't want to work with incorrectly working gear as it is your lively hood at stake.
You could lose work if your camera goes bad while on a job, as you do not have a back up. As it doesn't only hurt your potential on that job but also potential other work that the client you are working for could bring in.
Good luck in whichever way you may go. |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 1:44 PM on 12.06.10 |
->> Geoffrey skip the overnight to Mellville. We're in the same UPS zone as them so a ground shipment arrives next day. All my NPS loaners and repairs go back and forth ground and all land at their destination next day. Some land harder than others and sometimes by way of the neighbor's house but UPS (around here) does that regardless of shipping method :~/
A D3 double boxed with 2" of peanuts between boxes costs me $12 to ship. Also if you have commercial insurance skip the UPS insurance. UPS denies ALL claims. Better to insure privately and file a claim with YOUR insurance carrier and let them subrogate.... Can you tell my wife is a subro manager :) |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 2:50 PM on 12.06.10 |
->> Eric .. LOL. Yes, I can tell.
As for UPS denying all claims, that may be true, but when they damaged a 400mm f2.8 Nikon I sold to a fellow SS.com member, and pointed out that the packing had been approved and sealed at a UPS Distribution Center, they wrote the check (so it can actually happen, but you'd better have your ducks in a row..).
Robby, companies like Harrolds are nothing but photofinishers disguised as camera stores. You've learned about not going thru middlemen, so there's one more lesson you need to learn:
Use SS.com Sponsors. Build a relationship with at least one of them. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars to do it. But you need to do enough so that when you're in a jam someone can bail you out.
I use Jody at Roberts, as well as Jeff Snyder at Adorama on occassion. Call them when you need something. Tell them you're a member of SS.com. Buy something ( an accessory...doesn't have to be a new Mark IV). Give them the business. Keep their companies financially strong so they can bail you out when you need something. This is why buying strictly on the basis of lowest price doesn't always work. You should buy on the basis of best value not best price. When I couldn't find a Nikon D3S body 4 months ago I posted on here about a D3s refurb and surprise - someone said "Jody has some". I called Jody and he said he was going to call me because he remembered me asking about availability a week earlier. IF Jody charges me $2 more for something but saves me $500 on a body... well.. you get my drift.
If you search the archives here you'll see a incredible number of posts on how the sponsors have bailed member after member out.
One other idea. Call West Photo in Minneapolis. They rent equipment. See what they charge for a body rental. Or see if someone will rent you a body on here. Use the classifieds. I would, except I use Nikon.
When you're budget constrained, you need a good dealer more than when you don't. Spend the money where it will do you and the other guy some good. Where the guy on the other end of the phone doesn't know you and doesn't want to help you - no matter how low his price, if you're a professional - you'll need service - and the low ball price with no service is too high no matter how low it is.
Make sense?
Michael |
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Geoffrey Bolte, Photographer, Assistant
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Spencer/Worcester | MA | USA | Posted: 5:09 PM on 12.06.10 |
->> Eric I know, I ship ground when I ship my stuff to Melville, but when they ship me something its either overnight or 2 day depending on when I need it, especially if needed ASAP. My D700 will probably be heading to the Nikon SPA soon for shutter #3.... just unsure when. Probably in the next few days as I won't need it after thursday for a little bit.
Robby, Michael has it on the ball, I've done business with Jody and Jeff and they have been nothing but top notch, and I didn't purchase anything really expensive, very happy with both of them, Jeff got me a SB-900 in a few days when I fried both my SB-800s during an event. Saved me when I needed it.
Will be picking up a few camera bodies in the next 6 months and will check in with Jody and Jeff first. |
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Robby Gallagher, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Brookings | SD | USA | Posted: 12:52 AM on 12.07.10 |
| ->> Thanks everyone. The advice is greatly appreciated. I will look into everything you have talked about. Thanks again. |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 8:51 AM on 12.07.10 |
->> Thing #1 to look into - a backup body. And don't say you can't afford it, because quite clearly you can't afford not to.
I'll even go so far as to say that continuing to accept assignments - including weddings as offered on your website - is borderline reckless until you do so.
Here's a 10D with grip for $200.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=966893&highlight=10D
If you can't afford a $200 backup, then you certainly can't afford to defend yourself in a lawsuit from a disgruntled bride suing you because your only camera - which you have quite publicly stated has all sorts of problems - failed before you could take a single image of her special day, and now she is having to rent all the tuxedos again, fly in her wedding party and hire another photographer to get her formals done. I won't even go into the discussion of whether or not you are carrying errors and omissions or liability coverage.
I'm sorry to be harsh here, but for quite some time you've been posting equipment concerns and appeals to borrow gear. It should be abundantly clear to you that a second body is not a wish list item, but a necessity. It simply is the cost of admission. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 9:20 AM on 12.07.10 |
| ->> robby, after another month and a half since your post about "my future" and re-reading some of your previous posts, I again have to say, this just might not be the field you need to be in. as mark stated, you are looking at potential financial disaster with the course you have set for yourself. again, I cannot reiterate that just because you "like" photography doesn't necessarily mean you should be hanging out your shingle and selling your services. I mean even when I started out I had two cameras, and back then cameras were mechanical beasts which hardly ever had issues with failing. I can't imagine not having a back-up camera in this day and age where they can decide not to work because the wind changes direction. None of us are wishing you any ill will but you are walking a tightrope that could be financially devastating. |
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Clark Brooks, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 10:46 AM on 12.07.10 |
->> +1 to Mark on the informative.
More tough love for you, Robby. It suicide/photo-roulette to offer professional services with one body (and one body, one flash, one set of pocket wizards.... you get the drift, right?). As Mark suggest, your first priority is buy a second body and you should make your goal to acquire enough gear to qualify you for CPS. Eat ramen noodles for the next six months if you have to, but get the gear you need so you don't get waxed or miss an assignment because you don't have the gear to get the job done.
It doesn't have to be brand new or pretty. It just has to work like a champ so if you have a equipment failure of some type you can keep on, keeping on.
Remember this saying, "Two is one, one is none". You gotta have two (or more of everything). Additionally, remember this: Always maintain a back up for your back up. You just never know when you will need it. |
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Bradley Leeb, Photographer
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Champaign | IL | USA | Posted: 11:28 AM on 12.07.10 |
->> ->> You gotta have two (or more of everything)
Clark Brooks = the Noah's Ark of Photography
:) |
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Robby Gallagher, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Brookings | SD | USA | Posted: 11:44 AM on 12.07.10 |
| ->> I appreciate the hard love. I am working on expanding my gear. I really am. This is the field or me, because it is not just something I "like to do," like I have stated before, Chuck, this is something I love to do. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 11:58 AM on 12.07.10 |
| ->> once again...."love" doesn't pay the bills. sad but true. |
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Jesse Beals, Photographer
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Tracyton | WA | USA | Posted: 4:18 AM on 12.08.10 |
| ->> Your a CPS member borrow a camera from Canon to try out while they fix your camera / clean it. |
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Brian Blanco, Photographer
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Tampa / Sarasota | FL | USA | Posted: 9:02 AM on 12.08.10 |
->> Robby,
If you really want to be treated like a professional you need to reevaluate your priorities.
You're on here obsessing about a few silly finger prints (that have zero ill effects on your images) all the while you're marketing yourself as a professional photojournalist - all while owning only a single (problematic) camera.
Do you not see this as a problem and the energy your spending on this as an odd allocation of your time? Do you not take assignments seriously? Do you not recognize the responsibility you take on the minute you accept a deadline-sensative assignment from an editor (or scarier yet... a bride)?
I don't mean to sound, well... "too Chuck Liddy" here, but seriously Robby you need to decide if this is what you want to do 'for real' because so far, your activity on this message board, and the contents of your own website, fall short of suggesting to me that this is something you are prepared to take seriously.
You can pick up this Canon 10D with a grip (since I can see you like to use those grips) from KEH right now for less than $200.00-
http://www.keh.com/camera/Canon-Digital-Camera-Bodies/1/sku-DC029991137020?...
I understand that young people getting into this field cannot simply wake up and instantly own all of the gear that more established shooters own but they also should know better than to market themselves as if they do... until... they actually do.
Until you buy a back up camera body (like the one above) you need to reevaluate what you're doing.
Man, I AM starting to sound like Liddy.... scary. Look, I don't mean to call you out personally as you actually strike me as a nice guy, and I started to send you this in an email but you're far from the only young/new shooter on this site doing this so maybe some of the others can take heed. |
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