Hawke scope developed internal fault - maker will not repair, nor replace

[zambezi]

I own riflescopes from Swarovski [x2], Element, Zeiss, and Hawke[x3].

The Hawke models I own are Eclipse, Vantage and Sidewinder. The first and last are performing like champs. The Eclipse has been on the air rifle since the 90s and the Sidewinder has been on my .223 since 2015.

The Vantage was bought around 2015 from new and sat variously on my 10/22 and Anschutz .22LRs. It has seen very little action, mostly shooting competitions in clement weather [I favour the .17hmr for vermin].

Mysteriously the Anni+Vantage stopped grouping around October. I tried different ammo, different shooters, clean barrel, fouled, etc. Definite POI wobble. To establish whether it was the rifle or scope, I changed the scope. Bingo. A £30 second hand Tasco sat on the same mounts that held the Vantage was once again delivering hole-in-hole from the Anschutz. Ergo the scope had gone south.

So I raised this with Hawke, and they invited me to send it in. They agreed 100% that there was an internal fault. Scope was irrepairable.




I buy optics that have good performance and good warranties. Hawke claim a lifetime warranty. But in my exchange with Hawke support, they qualified that support as below. The returned item is in mint external condition. In its original box. With all wrapping and supplied tools. It never suffered external trauma. Make no mistake, this is an internal hardware fail.

This certainly informs my buying in the future.

 

[Woodsmoke]

As it's an internal scope fault and Hawke have admitted liability, you might well find the good will offer actually covers the cost of a new scope entirely. I've always found Hawke a fantastic company to deal with when it comes to customer service

 

[Steff]

Even though Hawke Optics may be in the right, they would have done better to pack a new scope and ship it with a smiley on it. Their own cost would be hardly more than that induced by warding off this warranty claim.
A happy customer is also a future customer.

 

[The Singing Stalker]

I was not aware of Hawke offering a lifetime warranty so wouldn’t expect them to cover it, as they say if the lifetime warranty is brought in from 2018 then that’s it.
they are not terribly expensive so see what they offer you.

 

[willie_gunn]

The current replacement price of the Hawke 4-16x50 is £180. Not cheap, but not really in the same league as Swaro or Zeiss.

Vantage IR 4-16x50 AO Rimfire .17 HMR

An extensive range of scopes to suit all calibres and disciplines. All Vantage riflescopes feature our H2 optics in a variety of configurations. IR models feature precision glass etched reticles with multi-stage illumination in both red and green.. . Capped Low-Profile Turrets. 1 Inch Mono-Tube...

uk.hawkeoptics.com

Also from the correspondence you've posted it seems that, when originally purchased, the scope did not come with a lifetime warranty. This is also stated quite clearly on their webiste : HAWKE UK | Hawke No-Fault Lifetime Warranty

You originally bought the scope based on the warranty at the time, and presumably were happy with those terms and conditions? Unless Hawke have not honoured the warranty that applied back in 2015 I very much doubt you have any legal reason to complain. Whilst it might be nice if Hawke had sent you a freebie scope, it sounds like they are offering you a financial incentive to purchase a new one. You don't indicate how much that incentive might be, but it seems a reasonable compromise given the circumstances.

 

[User00040]

Buy Leupold next time, real lifetime warranty/replacement and made domestically.

Hawke scopes all made overseas.

 

[Scapegoat]

As I understand it from your original post,

• You bought a Hawke Vantage scope in 2015.
• That scope developed a fault and you sent it to Hawke who agreed it was an internal fault which they could not repair
• You asked them to honour their lifetime warranty, but they replied that it only applied to Hawke Scopes bought after Jan 2018.
• They then offered a goodwill gesture of help towards a new scope (however, you have not included details of what that offer actually looks like)

Did you keep the receipt and do you have documents showing what the warranty was on the scope you bought in 2015?

 

[riflerob]

I don't think you've got anything to complain about. Unless you have proof (the receipt and warranty card from 2015, showing that Hawke were offering a lifetime warranty back then), then they have no liability whatsoever to you.

They have gone 'above and beyond' in offering a (hopefully substantial) discount on a new scope.

 

[beanieboy]

I bought a Hawke Endurance (also have Sidewinder and Airmax) a number of years ago....definitely before 2018. It developed a fault a couple of years ago and I sent it to Hawke. Their inspection concluded that the adjustment spring had failed and that a new scope was in the post. True to their word, the new scope arrived within a few days. I remember singing their praises on one of these forums.

 

[John Gryphon]

I went arse up over a 50' cliff...the end result was that my VX 111 Leupold 2-7x33 was snapped in half. Circa 35 years ago.
The two halves were sent to Leupold and guess what came back....yes a new one.

After sales service ?
Somehow I ended up with a sling swivel unit breaking just last year..ALLEN USA wanted nothing to do with me.
I had simply asked them for a single ONE not a pair...that was the end of discussion for an item that probably owed them five bucks.....THERE WILL NEVER ANOTHER ALLEN PRODUCT IN MY HOUSE.

 

[zambezi]

they would have done better to pack a new scope and ship it with a smiley on it

Agree. I buy optics. Probably more than most. I also have a Swaro birding scope and 8x42 ELR binos. I am the market most of these companies try to reach. It looks to be a poor commercial decision to set aside their current "lifetime warranty" position, particularly as they acknowledge an internal failure.

For the absence of doubt, here are some images of the scope and original packaging on day on which I returned to Hawke two weeks ago. The images reveal a "cupboard queen" that should not have failed in such low usage. [I am beginning to wonder if the purchase was more recent than 2015. Cannot find receipt. In the absence of a receipt, I was asked by Hawke to supply redacted credit card statement showing purchase. I did find a cc statement with a Hawke purchase on it and submitted that. However, the amount paid probably indicated that was sum paid for the Sidewinder, not Vantage. Regardless, it demonstrated I buy Hawke. From new]

it sounds like they are offering you a financial incentive to purchase a new one. You don't indicate how much that incentive might be, but it seems a reasonable compromise given the circumstances.

I don't think you've got anything to complain about

If I had dinged the scope. Or if it had seen a tough working life, I would probably have just written it off. This unit is mint. Practically unused. And Hawke confirmed the nature of failure ["loose internal lens"]. It these circumstances, I think it reasonable to appeal to warranty.

I bought a Hawke Endurance (also have Sidewinder and Airmax) a number of years ago....definitely before 2018. It developed a fault a couple of years ago and I sent it to Hawke. Their inspection concluded that the adjustment spring had failed and that a new scope was in the post. True to their word, the new scope arrived within a few days. I remember singing their praises on one of these forums.

Given the specific circumstances of my Vantage, I expected same.

 

[zambezi]

The current replacement price of the Hawke 4-16x50 is £180.

The faulty unit is model 14291. It is a side-focus design, not AO. The closest example in the current Hawke model line up is probably the 14296 at £299.

it sounds like they are offering you a financial incentive to purchase a new one

Correct. But if any maker, selling goods at any price declines to make good on hardware they have adjudicated to be faulty, why would you invest further on new hardware from same producer?

 

[willie_gunn]

The faulty unit is model 14291. View attachment 245592 It is a side-focus design, not AO. The closest example in the current Hawke model line up is probably the 14296 at £299.

View attachment 245593



Correct. But if any maker, selling goods at any price declines to make good on hardware they have adjudicated to be faulty, why would you invest further on new hardware from same producer?

Possibly because, at £299, the new model scope is now covered by their Lifetime Warranty?

Your original scope, from everything you've described, was not.

 

[Dari]

My experience with Hawk warranty is 100% positive. In 2014 I bought Hawke Endurance 2.5-10x50 at Optics-trade.eu.
In 2021 ocular became loose and started to twist around, when I tried to change magnification.
I had receipt and 10 years warranty. I went to Optics-trade.eu, they sent it to Hawke and after a couple of time (Covid restrictions), I received massage, that scope can not be repaired.
Optics-trade.eu fully refunded the sum on the receipt, plus gave me generous discount on new scope. They didn't insist to take new Hawke scope, so I choose Delta titanium 2.5-15x50 SF, which I am very happy with.

 

[zambezi]

Possibly because, at £299, the new model scope is now covered by their Lifetime Warranty?

Possibly. Maybe.

I will not get into a position where I test how thoroughly they support any of their products going forward.

Not long ago I smashed my new Element Nexus scope by dropping it. My fault. I fully expected to pay for that repair. Yet Element replaced that unit FOC! That is outstanding service.

In stark contrast, the Vantage fail has been adjudicated by Hawke to be an internal failure. I.e. the Hawke product failed. How is that not a warranty issue?

generous discount on new scope. They didn't insist to take new Hawke scope, so I choose Delta titanium 2.5-15x50 SF,

This would be an agreeable outcome. And had I been offered a similar brand-independent discount, the scope replacement would have been from the Element range.

 

[bullet chucker]

I wonder if they are looking at not being cost effective, so offering you a deal on a replacement. If so you might be able to send it to that bloke mentioned on here that repairs optics. Worth an ask?

BC.

 

[willie_gunn]

Possibly. Maybe.

I will not get into a position where I test how thoroughly they support any of their products going forward.

Not long ago I smashed my new Element Nexus scope by dropping it. My fault. I fully expected to pay for that repair. Yet Element replaced that unit FOC! That is outstanding service.

In stark contrast, the Vantage fail has been adjudicated by Hawke to be an internal failure. I.e. the Hawke product failed. How is that not a warranty issue?

That depends entirely upon the warranty at the time of purchase, as the warranty is factored into the price you pay.

Here is the Cambridge Dictionary definition: "a written promise from a company to repair or replace a product that develops a fault within a particular period of time, or to do a piece of work again if it is not satisfactory."

What was the warranty on the Element Nexus, and what was the warranty on the Vantage?

I understand that your expectations were set by the former, but from everything you have described Hawke are under no obligations to provide the same for the latter. It would of course be nice if they did, but why should they?

If your domestic appliances break down outside the warranty period, do you expect them to be replaced with new for old too?

 

[zambezi]

what was the warranty on the Vantage?

From Dari's post in #44, pre "lifetime" warranty, Hawke offered 10-year warranties.

This scope was, at very most, 7 years old. And in mint condition per the photos.

So my expectation, even under the previous wording, was not unrealistic.

 

[willie_gunn]

From Dari's post in #44, pre "lifetime" warranty, Hawke offered 10-year warranties.

This scope was, at very most, 7 years old. And in mint condition per the photos.

So my expectation, even under the previous wording, was not unrealistic.

The warranty represents your contract with the manufacturer.

If Hawke is not willing to meet the terms of their warranty when you purchased the scope then you have every right to expect them to honour that.

You should send them a copy of the warranty, together with the original receipt or proof of purchase, and inform them that if they do not honour the terms of their warranty you will be seeking redress. You should also post a note to this effect on their facebook home page here: Hawke

That will likely be much more effective than posting about it on SD.

 

[zambezi]

That will likely be much more effective than posting about it on SD.

Some time back, there was a thread on here in which the collective SD sentiment was that we should share our experiences with providers of goods and services.

My posting here, with clarity on my position and Hawke's response, is in same vein.

It is not an attempt to alter the decision they have chosen in this case.

The sum of all our shared experiences helps to inform decision making when considering future purchases.