Optics Guarantees?

Monkey Spanker

Well-Known Member
I have various optics by Leica, Schmidt & Bender and Swarovski all of which I have bought second hand. I only have paperwork for one scope which is a Hungarian S&B with a 30 year guarantee. Thankfully they are all serviceable at present. I'm wondering where I stand when it comes to repairs or servicing if I am not the original purchaser or have no paperwork at all? :confused:
Anyone have any experience with the aftersales of any of these companies in such circumstances?
 
i may be wrong but i think that the warranty is a legal contract with the initial purchaser and is not transferable to another owner or thats what it says in my small print on my items
BUT If he never sent in the warranty card,..then YOU are the original owner ;)

All the best ash
 
mick ,

i think you will find all you need to do is all leica and swars tell the the serial numbers on the optics and they will send you out a new warranty card to fill out . i can help you out with leica 's contact number but not the other ! :D

cheers lee
 
Monkey Spanner,

I bought a couple of years back a german S&B 6x42 (old type with plastic gloss finish and old logo) the up/down turret failed after a week or so and was stuck down at its furthest point.

I took it to one of the RFD's near me and they sent it back to S&B and the whole optic was overhauled, i.e. the turret was replaced, it was stripped and cleaned, glass polished and it was put back together and re-gassed.

This cost me only the carrage which was £85 recorded insured delivery. Well worth it as it cost me £150 (as they knew it was damaged) and i later sold it for £300 to fund a Hung S&B 8x56.

I've heard that Ziess are absolutely rubbish with regards to aftersales service as one of my mates (RFD) used to be a stocklist and fell out with them over their poor performance. Leica are supposed to be as good as S&B. Swaro i've yet to deal with, but the odds and sods that i do hear (having recently bought a large mag TDS ret scope) is that they are as good as S&B.

I think it was on here where i read someone telling a newbie that S&B only make rifle scopes for a dam reason!

Tom
 
My old Swarovski binoculars started giving me double vision, I'd had them for 16 years and had absolutely no paperwork for them, but I took them to the local gunshop (Swaro dealer) who sent them back, I got a brand new pair free of charge only having to cover the postage (which was a tenner). They have a lifetime gurantee, and they honour it.
 
Roz,

Wow that is good - if you think of what your old ones would have cost and the rate of inflation (16 years of depriciation too) that was really good of Swaro -
 
Absolutely! I'd expected them to come back repaired, but was somewhat surprised when I opened the box!
I did this through PD Malloch gunshop in Perth, outstanding service from them and Swarovski.
 
Blimey! that's reassuring! Hopefully they will never go wrong but it is nice to know they look after their customers. I started with so many cheap binos which all failed in some way or another. Buy cheap - buy twice or even more!
Just goes to show why it's worth getting a decent pair of the well known brands as they will literally last a lifetime with repairs if required. :D
 
Hi mate

I bought a s/h doctor optic which played up, sort of black dots inside. It cost me £30 quid to send it back. Got it back all sorted with no further charge.

Needless to say I was very pleased.

Ghost
 
No apologies for resurrecting a 12 year old thread 😂
It came up in a search.

So my 6x42 Schmidt and Bender German scope, around 25 years old developed a fault today, a faint black line when looking through the optics.
Although I purchased it brand new from Ladds gun shop in Crediton I don't have any paperwork, not even sure if I registered it.

Have you chaps any experience with requesting a repair?
Or is it even worth it?

Thanks

Richard
 
No apologies for resurrecting a 12 year old thread 😂
It came up in a search.

So my 6x42 Schmidt and Bender German scope, around 25 years old developed a fault today, a faint black line when looking through the optics.
Although I purchased it brand new from Ladds gun shop in Crediton I don't have any paperwork, not even sure if I registered it.

Have you chaps any experience with requesting a repair?
Or is it even worth it?

Thanks

Richard
Just contact S&B and it will be sorted great to deal with.
 
Thanks, yes I have emailed them, should be interesting with such an old scope
Cheers
Richard
I have a pair Swaro Bins and when I queried the warranty they asked for the serial number and when I sent it to them they replied saying my Swaro bins only had a ten year warranty.
Not that I have any problem with them, I was just interested because I have lost any paperwork that came with them.
 
My old Swarovski binoculars started giving me double vision, I'd had them for 16 years and had absolutely no paperwork for them, but I took them to the local gunshop (Swaro dealer) who sent them back, I got a brand new pair free of charge only having to cover the postage (which was a tenner). They have a lifetime gurantee, and they honour it.
Yep same here, swaro 10x42 sent mine back (they are donkeys years old ) as one eye keep misting up, camecback like new, all foc apart from insurance, well pleased
 
I was suprised to read the comment above regarding Zeiss having poor after service (although a comment from 2009), being in the Alpha product range.

We hear often on here about the excellent service from Swarovski and S&B, both companies we hear referred to as Alpha products and the associated Alpha price when purchasing.

What about what would be called as the next level down the chain, the Nightforce, IOR, Minox etc. Do the offer the same no quibble, no charge or very minimal charge guarantee or repairs even on products years old?
 
I was suprised to read the comment above regarding Zeiss having poor after service (although a comment from 2009), being in the Alpha product range.

We hear often on here about the excellent service from Swarovski and S&B, both companies we hear referred to as Alpha products and the associated Alpha price when purchasing.

What about what would be called as the next level down the chain, the Nightforce, IOR, Minox etc. Do the offer the same no quibble, no charge or very minimal charge guarantee or repairs even on products years old?
Re:Zeiss;
I had a pair of Zeiss Terra (maybe not 100% sure, but the cheap ones) binos as a truck pair, and they literally fell apart, got the RFD to send back and all Zeiss said was that they had been ‘ abused’ and wouldn’t do anything....Suffice to say I gave up and have since not bought any Zeiss products.
I generally use vortex now as the warranty is great and seem to be on a par quality wise just about.
 
What is it with us as consumers when we expect a company to replace, without quibble any worn out or knackered item we send them?

A pair of cheap binos which were the "truck pair" just fell apart on their own did they? Or were they simply left in the glove box or on the dash to rattle about until the inevitable happened, and that somehow becomes the manufacturer's problem?

I regularly see the same with boots. People post a picture of a pair of boots that have clearly been worn for several months of hard graft without even a hint of wax or grease/conditioner, scuffed to buggery and then dried out on a radiator and then folk complain that they aren't waterproof, expecting Meindl or whoever to replace the without asking questions. .

Spend good money on good kit, and take the responsibility to look after it properly. Surprisingly, manufacturer's are in business to make money. A business model where a premium product could be replaced FOC under every single circumstance won't last very long.

As for warranties. Buy the product from a recognised dealer and retain the proof of sale and the box. Most can be registered online in a matter of minutes for the full or in some cases extended and transferable warranty. If you then sell it on the new buyer can be assured of any warranty remaining.

Similarly, if you buy used optics, research the brand and how they honour warranties. Find a buyer who has registered the warranty (if it's transferable) and ask for proof so you can benefit should it go wrong.
 
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