You agreed to the price when you bought the scope and they fix it at no cost to you when you have a problem with it.
Why would you complain?
Not a complaint per se.
But I think Leup has set themselves up as a maker of premium products, with premium service. That's a good thing.
But let's explore that a bit. My main beef is, they spend an absolute truckload of money creating the impression that the product is premium. I mean, think of the packaging and advertising they do. Conquests come in a simple box, simple little brochure with it. Leups come with a gorgeous box, a friggin' blankie, and several beautifully printed little booklets. Printed stuff costs big money! I don't need or want to pay for that!
Then there's the warranty. Yeah, it's great, but it's like being forced to buy a service contract with a washing machine. I'd rather pay significantly less, and get a decent warranty, than pay for a program that supports (to the point of outright replacement!) every single Leupold that was ever made. We've all heard the stories of guys running over their Leup with a truck and getting a new one (though they seem to have backed off this lately). Who pays for that? The guy buying a new Leupold scope, that's who.
I know other companies do this too, Leup just stands out to me partly because of all the other money they obviously spend on stuff that nobody else is spending money on. Like those STACKS of beautifully designed and printed FITMENT catalogs. That's nuts! Put a chart on your website, but why have an entire department of people working to design such gorgeous printed stuff??
Maybe I'm just extra-concious of this stuff because the economy has made me cheap <g>. I watch every dollar. Not into supporting pork.
I bet under 5% of Leupold scopes sold ever get returned for repairs in a lifetime of use.
I bet you don't know what you are talking about.
I own or have owned 7-8 Leupold scopes. This is the 3rd time I've sent one in for repair. Different scopes. I have another one (6-18 VXII that has dropped zero a couple times that probably SHOULD go in, too. So I'm more like 50% rather than 5%, personally. Now I might be a bit more picky about things than the average bloke but at least two of the scopes I sent back would have been sent back by ANYONE.
I bet under 5% of Leupold scopes sold ever get returned for repairs in a lifetime of use.
I bet you don't know what you are talking about.
I own or have owned 7-8 Leupold scopes. This is the 3rd time I've sent one in for repair. Different scopes. I have another one (6-18 VXII that has dropped zero a couple times that probably SHOULD go in, too. So I'm more like 50% rather than 5%, personally. Now I might be a bit more picky about things than the average bloke but at least two of the scopes I sent back would have been sent back by ANYONE.
Don't redfield's have a lifetime warranty? Leopold is going to go out of business since it costs $100 per scope for a lifetime warranty....
I bet under 5% of Leupold scopes sold ever get returned for repairs in a lifetime of use.
So then by your stats they're even marked up a bit more than they need to be...
If you don't like them, don't buy them.
Exactly. I didn't. As an example, I liked the actual Leupold scopes themselves just fine just didn't care to pay their price compared to other brands of similar quality that were more reasonably priced.
As I said in my previous post, it's nothing anyone should get their feelers hurts over, but this is the land of the free, so carry on....
If even 5% of the $203 million in sales (2008 numbers) gets returned, and if it costs an average of 30% of sales price to repair, replace, and ship these items that comes to over $3 million that needs to be covered somewhere. This is just for items sold and returned in 2008 and does not count all the items sold in the previous 60 years that got repaired or replaced in 2008.
The costs of their warranty are not insubstantial even if these numbers used are purely speculation. These costs are passed on to the consumer.
The fact that they stand behind their product is laudable but it does cost.
The Chosin Few November to December 1950, Korea. I'm not one of the Chosin Few but no more remarkable group of Americans ever existed.
If even 5% of the $203 million in sales (2008 numbers) gets returned, and if it costs an average of 30% of sales price to repair, replace, and ship these items that comes to over $3 million that needs to be covered somewhere. This is just for items sold and returned in 2008 and does not count all the items sold in the previous 60 years that got repaired or replaced in 2008.
The costs of their warranty are not insubstantial even if these numbers used are purely speculation. These costs are passed on to the consumer.
The fact that they stand behind their product is laudable but it does cost.
I'm not faulting your logic here at all..
But indulge me here.
Lets' say it's a given and those service costs MUST be passed on to the consumer..
And lets DIRECTLY tack that on to the sales of all Leupold products across the board.
3 million dollars is about 1.5 PERCENT of 203 million ..
OK lets argue the point that those Leupold sales figures are based on WHOLESALE prices roughly half of retail..
So, in order to show what the RETAIL consumer will likely pay to subsidize that generous service policy,let's double that amount ..
So a whopping THREE percent of the retail price.
Still, not that much, in the big scheme of things..
Less than half of the state SALES Tax on each retail Luepold purchase.
And, probably money much better spent than some of the advertising/marketing Leupold does.
Just a thought.
Last edited by jim62; 03/19/10.
To all gunmaker critics- "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.."- Teddy Roosevelt
Careful guys.. Jeff O is going to be back on here claiming Leupold has to put $100 into the price of every scope.
I know.. logic and mathematics can be dangerous things..
I figured Leupold had a solid economic reasons for maintaining that service policy all these years without bankrupting themselves.
Last edited by jim62; 03/19/10.
To all gunmaker critics- "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.."- Teddy Roosevelt
Friend of mine bought a Leuppold off E-Bay.It was a 6.5x20x40 old scope he wanted on his 22-250.He bought it for 250.00.When he got it - the scope would not keep a good seal.He sent it in to Leupold in one of my old boxes and they sent him a letter saying they could not correct the problem.He told them to send it back to him -and they did - a new scope - not his old one.Talk about floored !!! So I figured I would call them and see what they said about the Redfields - they said, send it to us.I did ,and told them that it was from the 70's -they said send it anyways -they sent it back to me cleaned up and good as new. NOW THATS SERVICE !! I dont care what scope company you believe in - you cant beat that !!
Jim, You make a good argument and your math is sound.
My post which you quoted is of course merely speculation as to cost of warranty repair and shipping but it does not include the scope sent in for service today that was purchased in 1975.
I would think (only speculation again) that the true cost for the warranty work is somewhat higher than 3% of retail due to the sheer number of items Leupy has in circulation. I still think the total per product is under the $100 postulated by Jeff but I'd think 5-7% of retail would be reasonable.
Of course Leupold looks at this generous policy not as an expense but as an investment instead. We had a saying in my Quality Assurance lab that said,
"Quality doesn't cost, it pays"
The Chosin Few November to December 1950, Korea. I'm not one of the Chosin Few but no more remarkable group of Americans ever existed.
That's a pretty good story since I've heard that Leupold is not doing any kind of work on the old Redfields. On their website they give an address to send the old scope to for warranty or repairs.
The part you highlited in Bold Print - yes I do see that as a problem...keep in mind- I said every scope at one time or another has had this problem..I would not expect to put a Leupold Rifleman( I dont own any )on a 30-06 and expect it not to have some problems somewhere,,,Rods are the same way - you can buy a good quality rod from say All Star from Houston hdqtrs and the rod will last you a lifetime - or you can buy an All Star rod that has "china" at the end of the rod handle and it may last 2 years ...you get what you pay for and you pay for what you get.
That's a pretty good story since I've heard that Leupold is not doing any kind of work on the old Redfields. On their website they give an address to send the old scope to for warranty or repairs.
No Sir - this was not recently - this was about 2 months after Redfield bit the dust - years ago..I have been with leupold for some 40 plus years -but again - I have owned just about evry manufacture of scopes.They did NOT replace my scope - they cleaned ir -purged and resealed it.Looks just as good today as it did when bought some odd years ago. I have been with Ford for 32 years and I get the same kind of service from them - when I want to buy a new truck - it takes me all of about 2 hours!! Loyalty is still alive and well in SOME companies /
So I figured I would call them and see what they said about the Redfields - they said, send it to us.I did ,and told them that it was from the 70's -they said send it anyways -they sent it back to me cleaned up and good as new. NOW THATS SERVICE !! I dont care what scope company you believe in - you cant beat that !!
The first part of that post about the Leupold scope off of Ebay, I believe. Nothing new there as ALL Luepold scopes have ALWAYS had a full, transferable lifetime warrantee.
As a shooter,you would have to be have been living under a rock the last 40 years not to know that.
But tat last part about the Denver made Redfeld being serviced by the for free??..
I do NOT beleive that one , Sorry.
You are the first person I have ever heard of who claims to have a scope Leupold serviced that they did not build.
I'd sure like to see a copy of your service receipt from Leupold showing they serviced that Denver Refield at no charge .
There are a lot of folks here on the 'fire who have been "with" Leupold as owners for many, many years and have a few old Redfields lying..
I'm am sure they would LOVE to take advanatage of Leupold's generous policy of servicing old Redfeilds they never made for select costomers who have "been with" Leupold a while...
Last edited by jim62; 03/19/10.
To all gunmaker critics- "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.."- Teddy Roosevelt
