[Bristol Pete]

So finally, after two weeks of chasing Nikon, today they tell me that some internal parts of the camera have corroded and that this does not come under the warranty. They tell me I have to pay £300.00 for the camera to be repaired. However, I do not have that kind of money. They ask me what I want to do and all I can do at the moment is nothing.

Very, very annoyed and will be writing a serious letter of complaint to Nikon about it and the way my query has been handled. No calls, no mails, no letters, just sat there with me chasing it with daily phone calls.

What really upsets me is that I sell a lot of Nikon gear and whilst I am not immature enough to stop selling it, it really peeves me off.

Also, the girl on the phone advised me that the D3 is not weather shielded, to which I reply that she is misinformed and that the camera was used in mild rain with a rain jacket on. Christ - I know people who put cameras through serious grief. Have said it before but my Canons stood up to some serious weather.......no issues.

I suspect that somehow, someway the camera may have been faulty but the condensation from the one wet gig brought the issue to the fore. Also, the fact that the machine was boxed on the shelf at Nikon may not have helped if it were/was damp.

Very upset and as ever whilst I promote cognitive thinking sometimes I really wish my luck would change. That said, in perspective, my best mate and photographic inspiration has been diagnosed with skin cancer and the fear of loosing his friendship is far greater than any damned camera.

Rant over,

Pete.

[Tobers]

Jeez Pete - that's bad news. Really sorry to hear it. Sounds like the weather sealing cant have done its job and let some water in.

Why not ask the shop to to help you out and get it fixed? Might be worth a try.

[johnaalex]

Pete, sorry to hear about the grief you're having with Nikon and your friend's illness.

My experience of Nikon's customer service has never been good; 10 years ago I swore I would never buy Nikon again after recurring problems with a flash unit. Then came the 990 and I relented and now have a D300. It took them over 4 weeks to repair my 18-200VR and it wasn't just the time, it was the totally lack of urgency on their part and the way I was felt to be an annoyance

Good luck on both fronts!

[hot-fuzz]

DAM.
£300 to get a £3K camera fixed is probably the best that can happen.

What do Nikon say about their weather sealing, do they have guidlines such as "dont take it out in the rain" ?

Im sure there are people who have used a non-sealed Nikon in worse conditions and got away with it and you have just been unlucky.

Im really sorry thats happened as from what i saw briefly in the pub and from what people have said, it is a top camera (apart from the vertical grip button ??)

[Radiohead]

That's very poor - if the items are corroded that quickly there must have been a fault with the camera. Are you NPS?

[alfienoakes]

That's outrageous. Surely some mistake as there's no doubt the D3 is supposed to be weather shielded. Hope you manage to get it sorted and tbh after that sort of service the least they could do is give you some kind of sweetener.

[Tobers]

Just been thinking about this. I'd go completely mad at them. Complain like a good-un. Ensure they know you are a highly influential sports photographer with an enthusiastic internet following. Tell them the value of the kit you sell in the shop and how you are able to recommend Canon or Nikon, and how would they like you to discuss your experiences with your customers.

Write letters, email them, get up the ladder to the top man. Tell the Nikon rep who looks after your shop, and his boss. Create merry hell.

If nothing else it will give you a way to let off steam.

[denno75uk]

Cack about the camera. Tobers advice is deffo the way to go if you've got it in you. |Esp the bit about the rep for your branch. At least then your getting paid to vent spleen.

Even cacker about your mate. Even the longest tunnels have light at the end though, so hopefully you're both on the way to seeing it.

[jmbrailsford]

Hi Pete,

that's horrendous, what about the Sale of Goods Act and the fact that something should be fit for the task it's designed for? Although I've no doubt the clever wording of Weather 'shielded' is their get out as opposed to Weather 'Sealed'.

I'd be pushing this like hell and be as Tobers said going to the top, remember these Forums are read by 1000's of people and that's a lot of potential lost sales in my opinion.

Up here is Scotland we have a paper called the Sunday Mail and this is exactly what 'the Judge' columnist tackles every week, nothing like that down your way?

Hope you get this resolved, as you must be bloody furious I know I would be, how about a delivery of a few tons of horse manure to the steps of Nikon UK headquarters? If you need a driver......

Or I tell you what if you can't afford the £300 repair it I could loan you it, or we members chip in a few £ each and get it sorted that way. Pay it back some at a time

Mike.

[johnaalex]

Pete - another option could be to threaten legal action in a small claims court. I am sure that a decent brief could argue that the top of the range Nikon camera that is advertised as being weather shielded should not have packed up so soon after purchase and that the one you had was not up to its advertised purpose and should be replaced free of charge. Just a thought...

[salubrious_k]

Sorry to hear the bad news.

Make sure you write a letter of complaint, and don't do it over the phone or by email. Letters are accountable and therefore tend to have a much greater effect.

[RobDickinson]

++ Take them to the small claims court.

A £3k pro weather sealed camera shouldt corrode in a few weeks/months due to a bit of light rain.

[senu]

I hope your friends Skin cancer diagnosis is an early one , and it is one of the less aggressive sorts
It is quite Ok to put the camera troubles in perspective in relation to that TBH
However I agree with all that has be written above
It is not unlikely your camera was going to "break" and is therefore neither fit for purpose under the sale of good act, nor is it good business on Nikons part to feel you they can fob you off , just because they feel they have a big enough user base to lose you

It is time to put your annoyance into effort
You sell the cameras, not just to earn your keep, but your very capable use of them is unpaid advertisement for Nikon
I would like to think these Forums and you being a valued member of the community also serve that purpose
£300 to repair it so soon after purchase, and used not underwater or in the tropical rain monsoon is not funny
Neither is your account of relentlessly pursuing them ..only to get this rather lukewarm reply
I think you should make you annoyance and disgust known in a very controlled manner copying as many of their top brass as possible
I don't think fixing it gratis is going to put them out of business and in future, get names of people you speak to and times so that the remark by the girl on the phone never gets repeated if Nikon put "weatherproof" on the D3 as a selling point

Short answer: As empathetic as you feel about your Pal, do your best to make anyone in Nikon reading your letter feel uncomfortable..even if it means a subtle small claims court threat.. They can ill afford the bad publicity despite thier market share in the camera world. Disposable income is not rising and thay need all the goodwill they can get TBH
Good luck

[Bristol Pete]

Well, I am not sure where to go or what to do.

However I have spoken to my local Nikon rep and asked for his assistance in this without actually using him as a patsy.

What annoys me is the dismissive attitude towards me despite the fact that in the last three months I have bought a

D3, 70-200, 24-70 nano, 85MM, 50MM and three Nikon flash guns as well as sold numerous Nikon cameras and specifically three D3's along with numerous D300's and other consumables.

I actually think that there is a downside to working in the industry as I am aware how the average consumer with issues gets treated and that is hard to take. It seems that unless you have serious kit and are classed as a 'pro' you are not looked after.

The reality of this is that if I had the money, I would without a doubt move back to Canon over this, simply as a personal statement of distaste towards the way Nikon have handled the whole thing.

I just cant believe that 'the' flagship camera, not just Nikons, but the whole industry has packed up and I am being asked to pay for something to sort it as this issue falls outside the warranty.

Having discussed the situation with other snappers, we all feel that the word corroded is very strong. What could this mean? Corrosion is a long term thing surely?

Utter crap. Here is the list of thing to be sorted -

D3 (2035831)
Equipment shows signs of liquid/corrosion damage
Fit new spare parts
Repair/adjust auto focus mechanism/circuit. Check and adjust AF accuracy.
Check, test and clean equipment
This job may be re-estimated if further faults are found during repair
Labour Billable 81.04
2.00 162.08
1B002-042 REMOTE CONNECTOR 14.37
1 14.37
1S025-021 REMOTE TERMINAL FPC 8.06
1 8.06
1S025-020 CONNECTION FPC 15.24
1 15.24
1F998-592 REAR LCD UNIT 43.98
1 43.98
1K683-597 IF COVER 16.89
1 16.89
EN-EL4 Li-ion Battery Unit ()
Check, test and clean equipment
Labour Goodwill 0.00
1.00 0.00
Estimate Total
Estimate Total
Tax Amount
Freight cost
306.23
45.61
260.62


Pete.

[salubrious_k]

It's lucky they only charged you £0.00 for the Labour Goodwill, as opposed to the £81.04 they charged you for the Labour Billable!

[senu]

I think you have a letter to write ,
and maybe a legal type person to see it before it goes to a company you have effectively put your weght behind in this manner and are getiing disinterested shrugs unless you are willing to spend even more
Although I only have the "lesser" D200 and Im hoping to get the bosses to get me a D300 in a couple on months. Im wondering if we shouldn't just try a 5D..
Just wondering . I would hate to chase after a company which can spend millions sponsoring events and shows but will turn tighfisted when the very kit its trying to push pulls a wobbly from one of its more talented users
Sleep on it
but
Give them a run for thier money whichever way you chose to go about it

[RobDickinson]

Ahh but the 5D isnt weather sealed like the D300 or D3! hm....

[senu]

The weather is always "dry" in my neck of the woods.. ( Yeah, right.. in the UK.., would you believe..)
My 30D and the D200 are still going strong..

[Throttle]

Sorry to hear about all the bad luck but would it not be worthwhile trying to contact Trading standards and getting them to send a letter maybe over

The Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended) says that goods should be as follows:

* Of satisfactory quality.

This means the goods must meet the standards that any reasonable person would expect, taking into account the description, the price and all other relevant information. In some circumstances, the retailer may be liable for any statement made by the manufacturer about the goods.

Satisfactory quality includes the appearance and finish of the goods, their safety and durability and whether they are free from defects (including minor faults)

* Fit for the purpose

that goods of this type are generally sold. They must also be fit for any specific or particular purpose made known to the seller at the time of the agreement.
* As described

- goods should correspond with any description applied to them.


If its supposed to have weather sealing surely it should be capable of being used in mild rain and with a rain jacket on ?

[Liquid101]

The right letter, written in the right way should easily sort this out. I can't believe that Nikon could let this happen.

My bet is, you've hit the wrong monkey on the wrong day, and they're applying the 'law' too the word - for the sake of it.

Personally, I would't let this go on a D50, never mind a D3. I'm suspect that if you manage to speak to the right person at the right level, this problem will vanish into thin air, and you'll have a perfectly working D3 on your doorstep within a week at no charge.

The first call should always be to the reseller - it's up to them to sort it out on your behalf.

[pixelpixel]

If this is under a year old then you should have never contacted Nikon. You should be very aware of this from working in retail. Aside from that, Nikon have provided a product that is not fit for it purpose. It does not do what it says on the box.

Last week I had my DSC-H7 in the Manchester sunshine (Rain) and I was bricking it that it would still work a few days later. Well the thing is still working and I had now cover and no hood on it. No trying to say anything but if my dsc-h7 can survive the same weather conditions as your D3 then you have some major issues with that camera.

I am with Liquid101 you just need to contact them again and hit lucky ...can you not do it from work. Say your ringing on behalf of a customer and just ask a general question to the Nikon support team.

[That Woman]

Canon are quite good.

[Artie Fufkin]

I agree you must write a letter...and if that doesn't work, write another.

In recent years I have had trouble with a Marantz CD player, an Acer laptop and a jar of ASDA soup!

In each instance, on writing a letter of complaint, I was fobbed off.

So, in each case, I wrote another follow-up letter which did the trick. Be firm and factual but be polite. Once a company realises that you aren't going away, they will [in my experience] sort matters to a satisfactory conclusion.

Best of luck.

[Radiohead]

One other thing Pete - is your kit not insured for accidental damage anyway?

That said - Canon are as bad - look at the trouble people had trying to return clearly faulty 1D MkIII's.

Speak to the right person at Nikon, get registered with NPS if you're not already, and you won't have to pay a penny.

The important thing here is to not over-react.

[dazza74]

Sorry to hear this Pete, I know it's not much consolation but having written of a Nikon due to water damage I feared the damage to yours could be worse than a £300 repair bill. In saying that does seem a strange attitude to take by Nikon given you've the flagship camera, I would have thought they would take care of D3 owners a bit better. Makes me wonder how many D3's survived the Switzerland v Turkey match the other night

[shaolin101]

I would definitly take it up with the retailer first. It has broken far too quickly and will be a breach of the quality conditions of the contract. This allows you to terminate the contract and get a refund so no need for a replacement if you didn't want one.

Stick in a claim for the camera and any lost profit due to not being able to take pictures! Ask for some expectation loss too due to your dissapointment at not having the product - they can only say no!

Was it paid for with a credit card? Claim from them under the Consumer Credit Act?

There is also the Consumer Protection Act which may help but i am not too sure of the in's and out's of that - but it is strict liability so you dont need to show fault - it does have minimum and maximum monetary values though but i cannot remember what they are right now.

There are so many ways to try to help consumers now that i think it would be worth persuing.

Even those EU Directive helped to rely on a gurantee which could be worth a look.

[Spooky]

Nothing to add Pete that hasn't been said already, hoping that a letter to the right person with the right tone does the trick and you dont need to claim against anyone.
Totally gutted for ya, I would be a broken man if my camera was broken never mind if a mate was taken ill.
Guys if it came to it lets do a whip round to get Pete his camera back, its the very least we could do.

[sue_hall]

Originally Posted by jmbrailsford

Or I tell you what if you can't afford the £300 repair it I could loan you it, or we members chip in a few £ each and get it sorted that way. Pay it back some at a time

Mike.

Pete,

We'll second that offer mate. My other half and I both love your pictures especially the street stuff and would hate to see you without a camera.

If you need a loan of the cash, let us know, and like wise we'd also be happy to chip in to any pot that the forum members wanted to put together to get you snapping again.

Rob N Sue

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

What a nightmare Pete. In my experience in retail the bigger the manufacturer the more arrogant a posture they take on this sort of thing. I guess you are in a hideous position as you are essentially the retailer who usually buffers the customer from all this sort of crap. I do find is strange that they can sell a weather sealed camera body for professional use then charge you when for an LCD display as it failed because it got wet.....Good luck mate and I hope you get a working unit back asap

Gordon

[danburbridge]

From the Nikon website:

"Countermeasures against dust, moisture and electromagnetic interference

The D3 goes the extra mile to protect against invasive moisture, dust and even electromagnetic interference. A comprehensive series of O-rings and other specialized seals, combined with additional Nikon engineering, keeps you shooting when lesser cameras would fail"

And from the D3 Brochure:

"The pursuit of uncompromised quality
Nikon's philosophy is simple: no shortcuts. From design
through assembly to the showroom floor, uncompromising
standards mean that every camera produced is of
exceptional quality. Nikon cameras like the D3 are tested
relentlessly to ensure that they perform in any situation.
Nikon engineers punish new equipment mercilessly. They
expose cameras to extremes of cold, heat, moisture,
vibration and any other condition that may be encountered
on (and even above) the Earth. Standards like these are
rare, but for Nikon, they are essential."

Hmmmm - the phrase - "not fit for purpose" seems to spring to mind.....

Sorry to hear about the hassle you have had and more importantly about your mate