Swarovski warranty/return

[NOCK NOCK]

I’m a bit shocked!
Had a 3 year old pair of slc’s have the barrel hinge? Break.
Instructed to send them in for repair (recommended shipping insurance)
Cost to me $85.

I am less than impressed with swaro’s now. If you make/sell high end binos, they should not break for any reason when they have been well taken care of and never dropped/banged around.
Have owned Bushnell, Nikon, Leupold binos and never had one break in 40 years.

I am a big user/fan of Festool products. Why? Because they build a great product and back it up. Never have to pay for shipping, they repair it for free, and usually add in some extra parts that I would normally have to buy.

I get that the ins. Is my choice, but at least they could send a shipping label.
Not impressed!

[bear]

I had to fix my Leica’s. Same deal. I had to pay to ship them one way.  Not that big of a deal that would keep me from buying high end glass from them. I’m planning on shipping my Swaro spotter back after duck season. It’s part of the game

[Karl Blanchard]

Is there any optics company that pays shipping both ways Vortex has the best warranty in the game but you still have to pay to get them there

[elkhunter00]

I was very impressed with them. Had SLC for almost 20 years. Not keeping as clean or maintained as I should have. Wife dropped them on pit run this summer and finally marred the glass. I paid shipping one way plus $100. Got them back in a month and they are literally brand new. Everything replaced

[bearhunter99]

Was it $85 plus the cost of shipping?

If that is the case, I would be a little been to    I can understand paying the shipping to them, but not having to pay a fee for them to fix something that shouldn’t have broken in the first place


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ipkus]

I have a pair of 10x42 SLC’s that are exactly 30 years old.

First issue was 20 years ago, had a fogged up tube a week before we were leaving to pack into Wyoming deer country.  Called them and explained the situation, the gal said they were running about 6 weeks to repair but to immediately overnight them and she’d see what she could do.  I got them back 3 days later and had to check the serial number because they had rebuilt everything.  No charge for the repair or return shipping.

Last year broke the barrel hinge, not sure how.  No rush on my end so I sent them in.  $90 and again they came back completely rebuilt.

I don’t baby my outdoor gear, but am conscious of how I treat my optics.  They still live a dangerous life at times.  I’ve had a pair of outstanding binoculars for 3 decades that have cost me about $140 in maintenance over that time, and they are literally as good today as they were when I bought them.  Unless Swarovski changed how they operate, I’m 1000% a satisfied customer.

I think people’s warranty expectations aren’t always realistic.  I saw what fix it for free no matter what did got the high end fishing rod companies, it’s not sustainable nor should it be expected.

[NOCK NOCK]

Mostly surprised they broke so easy….combine that with they should handle the shipping (send the customer a label) pretty sure they get a deal on costs.

This is why I mentioned Festool. Their CS is above top notch…..and it should be when an orbital sander costs $600.

I also deal with Woodland mills, not a top brand in mills, but their CS in AMAZING!!! If an entry level mill company can have the absolute best CS, I see no reason why Swarovski can’t. JMHO

Ps, still happy with glass/quality, just think for the initial cost, they could do better.

[gee_unit360]

Is there any optics company that pays shipping both ways Vortex has the best warranty in the game but you still have to pay to get them there

Vortex pays for the shipping label both ways. Just sent my binos in and got a brand new pair free. Zero cost shipping both ways.

[Karl Blanchard]

Is there any optics company that pays shipping both ways Vortex has the best warranty in the game but you still have to pay to get them there

Vortex pays for the shipping label both ways. Just sent my binos in and got a brand new pair free. Zero cost shipping both ways.

maybe a more recent thing used to have quite a few Vortex pieces (all of which had to go back at some point) and was always on the hook for going there. Been a few years though.

[b23]

I sometimes wonder if it depends on who you talk to what the problem is and maybe even how you treat them. 

This past year I had some EL Range 10x42's that weren't aligned properly.  They weren't really bad but it was enough to make it noticeable as well as they just didn't seem to be up to Swaro clarity.  Called them up and was connected with a pretty cool dude and explained my problem.  He agreed they sounded messed up and emailed me a shipping label to send them back. 

The bad, they took twice as long to get back then he originally thought but they ended up sending them back to Austria for repair.

The good, when I got them back they were amazingly clear almost to the point of questioning if they were the same set but they were.

The really good, it didn't cost me a single dollar.

Now, completely unrelated but the flip side of that I talked to someone at Dead Air earlier today, I don't want to say his name so we'll call him Jake, who I must have woke up from a nap or something because he was bordering on me just hanging up and calling back hoping to get someone else and I wasn't even calling to complain about anything. 

So to my original point, I sometimes think it's luck of the draw in who you get connected with and how it goes. 

[huntnphool]

 Sorry to hear your bino’s broke. I’ve sent my binos and spotter in a couple times now for cleaning and one minor issue, have been very happy with their service.

[snit]

I've sent back my Leica Geovids a few times in the last 10-11 years. I believe the "warranty" is actually only 5 years (or less), and if I remember correctly, while "under warranty" I didn't pay for shipping but I do believe it depends on who you talk to. They've been back while officially "off warranty" and I've paid freight one way, but never for any parts/labor..so I'm very happy that Leica still stands behind their product (and they still send me replacement eye cups, as I go through a pair every year...they are the Achilles heal of the Geovids).

Not sure you can compare glass to a saw (had to look up what a festool was), but when trigger springs break in a $10,000+ Perazzi shotgun...you buy another spring for $50-100. Same goes for the ejector @ $250/ea. They might last 5000 rounds or 100,000 rounds; but I feel glass is kinda in their own column vs other items. JMO

[NOCK NOCK]

The comparison is of the higher end of quality products.......and their CS.
In the real world, $2800 for a pair of binos puts them in that category. Same applies to Festool products, their orbital sander is aprox $500 more than a Dewalt.

AS stated still happy with them, just disappointed in how easily/quickly they broke, and the lack of customer service due to it.
It's just the way the world is going........

[huntnnw]

Is there any optics company that pays shipping both ways Vortex has the best warranty in the game but you still have to pay to get them there

When my 14 yr old Steiners broke they sent me a shipping label. Then replaced with a upgraded LRF Binos

[NOCK NOCK]

Is there any optics company that pays shipping both ways Vortex has the best warranty in the game but you still have to pay to get them there

When my 14 yr old Steiners broke they sent me a shipping label. Then replaced with a upgraded LRF Binos

THIS  is what I'm talking about. When its time for another set, or other glass, I will look to other companies. If you're Swarovski, you should not want this to happen. 
CS is hugely important to me....shows a company values their customers.