Anyone had to send in a Zeiss spotting scope for repair?

I sent one in about a month ago, and after a couple phone calls and email was I able to get a hold of someone to let me know that they had received it. The tracking number was not canceled out to show as delivered. We're talking a $2500 scope... I was getting a bit worried that I'd have to deal with insurance, which is a bigger PITA than Zeiss customer service

On top of this, I find out that it would take 3-4 months to get repairs done as the scope had to go to Germany for repairs... ok I understand. I was asked if I would like a loaner in the mean time. Sure, I thought that would be great...

Well, I've talked to a customer service rep, and left 3 messages over the course of the last 2 weeks with the "loaner" program gal, and still no contact, or anything. My fall is about to get rather busy, in about a month I will be headed into sheep country, and have a couple scouting trips lined up between now and then. I'm to the point that I'm about ready to go buy a Swaro, and when the Zeiss comes back, unload it.

Their customer service is a joke compared to every other spots optics company I've dealt with including Leupold, Leica, and Swaro.

Anyone else have similar dealings?

Sorry to hear that. I had a reticle break on an older conquest scope, they promptly upgraded me to an hd5 scope of my choice.

Purchased a 5-25 w/rapid z 1000; by the time I changed my mind on the reticle I could not return the scope and was having a hard time selling it without taking a major hit. I called customer service and sent in the scope with a letter explaining my situation. It took about two weeks until I had a scope with the varmint reticle.

I have since purchased a 3rd scope and another set of binos because of my positive experiences with their customer service. Good glass too

Bambi, my hunting pard Big Al had his Zeiss 85 T FL in for repairs for a broken focus mechanism 3 yrs ago now. His experience was almost identical to yours. 5 months later he finally got his spotter back, all the time had poor communication. He wasn't very impressed.

Germans operate at their own speed and they are NEVER wrong.

If I never have to deal with another German company, my life will be complete.

As they say, you can always tell a German, but you can't tell em much..

If their U.S. Customer Service is located in the South like their manufacturing facilities, well, that would explain it. Scab labor works at its own slow pace and low competence level. Maybe they were too busy putting up Confederate flags.

I used them recently for a bino. I had them back in less than a month - all was stellar from that end but there was zero communication.

Box was sitting at my front door for three days before I discovered it.

What does your Partner think of your post?

Get them back and buy a Swaro or Meopta .

I sent a conquest scope away that wouldn't hold zero,5 months later they offered me a terra?WTF 2 more months and receive my scope back.I buy sightron or leupold now.

Perhaps you should pull up your drawers and give your mouth a chance. Bless your heart...

He did. Meopta makes the Diascope for Zeiss. They also made the old conquest line for them.

Maybe that's why the repair process is slow, it's possible that it has to go back to the Czech Republic via Germany.

Get a Vortex and your problem is solved. Great optics, and the best CS going if you ever need it. Just sayin'...

"If their U.S. Customer Service is located in the South like their manufacturing facilities, well, that would explain it. Scab labor works at its own slow pace and low competence level. Maybe they were too busy putting up Confederate flags."

Rowdy,
Interesting perspective on customer service. Have you ever been to the South?
Have a nice day.
David

I meant for a Meopta S2...I can guarantee it will be taken care of promptly.

I've sent two pair of bino's back to Germany for service and both times it took about a month to a month and a half to get them back. I actually thought that was good time. You send them with one carrier here and by the time they get over there, they get transferred to another carrier (mine left USPS and went to DHL). Once that happened, I couldn't track them but I was communicating with a tech over there who confirmed their safe arrival. This was my personal experience, so when dealing with a big company like Zeiss, they probably wait till they get a certain amount of pieces before they make a shipment to the mother land. That's just good business as they can't be sending individual pieces every time there is a defective/broken item. I know it cost me close to $50 each way to send and receive my bino's. Service was free.

OTOH, Swarovski, I believe, has the ability to perform just about any repair on everything they sell here. Leica, well their stuff doesn't break (binos, spotters).

I'm so used to sending items back that I dont even pay attention to timing anymore. Your only other option is to throw it in the trash, so you have to tough it out. Hell, I'm over a year now on a piece of garbage custom rifle that is in a store room somewhere collecting dust.

I'd buy a new scope if you can swing it, and sell the other one when you get it back.

Leica don't sell enough of 'em any more to know for sure....

You need to try to say one nice thing per week about Leica in order to recover from distain over them. ....

I've had good experience with their customer service. I broke my binocular strap, sent it to them for repair with expectation to pay for it. They repaired it fairly quickly and there was no charge.

I love their products..........

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See....now that's much better.