Not so great Zeiss warranty experience

[bowhunter-tw]

I “recently” had a v4 4-16 x 50 scope replaced through zeiss. I say recently because this process took quite some time. After a 3 or 4 weeks of processing I finally get a scope in the mail, Shows up overnight from the shipping notification. Excitedly open the box, and I was sent a 4-16 x 44. Get on the phone with zeiss next business day and explained what happened. I am told that the 44 is better because I can mount it closer to the bore axis and wont notice the lack of light gathering capability and I should just keep it. I explain I already have rings mounted to the gun for the 50 and dont want to buy and mount new rings so no benefit there, Replies “well maybe you want to buy new rings”...”you should consider keeping the 44”. Fed up with talking to the guy I say I will consider it, with the intent of calling back the next day to talk to someone else. Send the 44 back and find out the original reticle I ordered is now out of stock but there is one “b class” that came back from a dealer and can be sent as a replacement. I told them that is fine AS LONG AS IT CHECKS OUT AS NEW. Get an email, Scope has been inspected and is brand new.... get the scope, open the box.... (see picture) I know it is very minimal, but I sent a pristine scope, that had only a internal manufacture defect and was told the scope I am getting checks out as brand new. I am very careful with my guns and try very hard not to damage them. Kinda disappointed with the whole experience I’ve had with them.

Rant over. There glass looks great but that experience will probably steer me clear of their products in the future.

 

 

[Viper]

Well, that's not good news. I have the same scope. I haven't had any trouble with it yet...I hope I never do. I've heard the same thing about Leica. I don't get why these high-end companies don't have better service. I have had very good CS with Leupold.

[firstcoueswas80]

I've had only amazing service from Zeiss and Leica.

[bowhunter-tw]

Im sure they will take care of it if I want to send it back. Just frustrating, a month and a half and two scopes later, the guys there have been very nice; even the guy telling me to keep the 44, that was just odd for customer service I thought.

[azelkhunter2]

I had a terrible experience with Zeiss customer service a few yrs back.

I sent in one of there high end rifle scopes after the retical fell to the bottom of the scope the first time the rifle was fired. 

I called customer service and was given a repair order number and the scope was sent back. I was told it should take 6/8 weeks to get it back. At about the 8 week mark I called for an update and was told a few more weeks. This went on for 4 more months. I was finally told that the scope had been sent back to me and I should get it any day. I asked for a tracking number and was told she would need to call me back. I never received the scope and never received a call back and nobody could provide me a tracking number. After several more weeks and several heated conversations with different employees I was told that they never received the scope in the first place. I then had to go through UPS and prove to them that in had if fact been delivered and who signed for it. Then I was told it had been received but was lost. After several months I was told they would give me a new scope but the model I sent in was no longer available. I gave them a list of scopes that would be an acceptable replacement and was told I would receive a NIB scope. Needless to say I did not receive the scope I was told I would and the one I did receive looked like it had been dragged behind a truck....I disputed the charge with Amex and after several more months received a refund for the full amount from Amex....all this after I involved the shop I purchased it from who was a zeiss dealer and the local zeiss rep. 

[wish2hunt]

This is why i stick with bushnell.

[Viper]

I think I still have a business card from a Zeiss rep. I better find it and hang on to it...if it will even help.

[PRDATR]

"Fed up with talking to the guy I say I will consider it"

You should have been more assertive.

[firstcoueswas80]

here's the secret:

 

Call Doug at Cameraland. He will give you a name and a number. You contact that person, tell them Doug from Cameraland sent you. Just like that, perfect customer service. 

[PRDATR]

1 hour ago, firstcoueswas80 said:

here's the secret:

 

Call Doug at Cameraland. He will give you a name and a number. You contact that person, tell them Doug from Cameraland sent you. Just like that, perfect customer service. 

Spent many days in my misspent youth bouncing between Greenwich Village and NYC in the 60's. Cameraland even back then had the latest stuff. If you didn't like the price, wait 20 seconds. It was always fun to barter a price but you always got top notch service for quality stuff. If you had a problem with a camera months later you could go back and they took care of you.

[Redman]

I had a terrible experience with Zeiss took about 4 months to get a simple turret and mounting screw-  but from a $2K scope one would think it wouldn't have been that bad- the lack of communication and run around is what pissed me off.

I started hammering them on Instagram and FB - then Doug from Cameraland offered to help,  before he needed to, a manager from Zeiss called me and asked me to stop my social media posts and I got the turret and screw shortly after. The manager took good care of me... and was very communicative 

 

[wish2hunt]

33 minutes ago, Redman said:

I had a terrible experience with Zeiss took about 4 months to get a simple turret and mounting screw-  but from a $2K scope one would think it wouldn't have been that bad- the lack of communication and run around is what pissed me off.

I started hammering them on Instagram and FB - then Doug from Cameraland offered to help,  before he needed to, a manager from Zeiss called me and asked me to stop my social media posts and I got the turret and screw shortly after. The manager took good care of me... and was very communicative 

 

It shouldn’t have to come to that.

[yotebuster]

I’ve had optics replaced from warranty and they were always refurbished.  You sent a used scope that was broke and received a used scope that worked.  The 44 part was BS, I’ll give you that.  

[lancetkenyon]

Send it back.  I would not accept that as a "new" scope.

[bowhunter-tw]

10 hours ago, yotebuster said:

I’ve had optics replaced from warranty and they were always refurbished.  You sent a used scope that was broke and received a used scope that worked.  The 44 part was BS, I’ll give you that.  

I would have preferred getting my old scope fixed and sent back to me as it was well taken care of with no external blemishes, I sent it in because the illuminated reticle would intermittently come on. I had no intent of getting a new scope, but they told me they dont repair, they destroy the old one and send a new one.

 

9 hours ago, lancetkenyon said:

Send it back.  I would not accept that as a "new" scope.

I sent them an email, They are going to take care of me, no questions or arguing.