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12-20-2010, 05:26 PM   #1
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Beware: Foto Walser GmbH & Co. KG

e-bay seller http://stores.ebay.de/foto-walser

Below are a couple of pictures of the lens I bought from these guys the other day. It was listed as "new"

A clever idea - sending second-rate goods to second-rate customers at "worldwide" addresses (non EU, non US etc.) to which shipping is expensive, since it would not be worth it for the buyer to return the item due to shipping costs exceeding the value of the goods in question. The backside is, of course, covered with a return/refund policy where the buyer has to bear the cost of return shipping.

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12-21-2010, 08:08 AM   #2
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This is their international policy:
QuoteQuote:
2. Package transportable merchandise is to be returned whereas the seller bears the shipping risk in this respect. The customer is to bear the costs for the return shipment if the delivered merchandise complies with the merchandise ordered and if the price of the merchandise which is to be returned does not exceed an amount of 40.00 EUR or if the customer, in the case of a higher price of the merchandise, has not yet rendered the return service or a contractually stipulated partial payment at the time of cancellation. Otherwise the return shipment is free of charge for the customer. In any case the customer bears the costs for the initial delivery of the merchandise to him/her. Non-package transportable merchandise will be picked up at the customer's location.
Foto-Walser Spezialversand

I already dealt several times with Walser and never had problems. Once I had to return a lens and got a refund of the shipping costs.
What exactly did they tell you?
12-21-2010, 12:53 PM   #3
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Thanks for the head's up
12-22-2010, 12:13 AM   #4
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some quotes from the Walser shop

QuoteOriginally posted by blende8 Quote
...What exactly did they tell you?
1. We are sorry, this should be a new item. I think there was a mistake in our stock. We immediatelly change the item into a new one. Please send us the lense back with return note, you filled out.

I said no. Postage - 80 Euro, lens is worth 40. 120 already paid out. Another 80 to return it to them. This making the total I'd spend exceed 200 Euro with nothing left in my hands and having to trust them and wait to receive from them - guess what - yes, another plastic fantastic lens of dubious origins. No thanks.

2. We will get you a discount of 20€.
Please let us know your bank details and then we can transfer you the money back.


I said no.

3. We can offer you two Opportunities:
1st you can send us the parcel back and then we can change your lens or
2nd we can give you a discount for your lens. We can credit the value if the goods, that´s in your case 41,00€.
Please tell me your decision.


I said neither. Reasoning - same as (1) above

I basically told them to stuff it where the sun doesn't shine, having got rather bored with the whole issue and the shop's attitude. I don't owe them a penny, nor do I have to continue corresponding with their "tell unhappy customers to screw themselves" department. This is when they made it entertaining again. Susan Langer, account manager, wrote to me:

4. I ask my chief to find a solution. I have following offer for you:
Please destroy the lens totally and then send us a picture. When we get it then we can send you a new one without postage.
I hope this is also in your Interest and when you get the new lens then change the negative rating.
Waiting for the picture and have a merry Christmas


You don't see this every day, do you?

I said "How weird!" and "I wish you wouldn't make such bizarre demands of me". Her boss (chief!) must be rather peculiar.

Then Daniela Wiedemann, head of sales department, wrote this:

5. Please be assured, I completely understand that you consider our demand to be bizarre. But only at first sight.
In the end, a picture of the destroyed lens would be a proof for our book-keeping people that the defective item can be booked out and sent to you newly.


So, this is what it's all about. Making sure their accountants sleep well at night!

It’s very important for us that there are no defective or damaged Walimex lenses offered for sale. This is why we have to be 100% sure that the bad lens will Be re-cycled. Product quality is a priority topic for us, I hope you will understand this position.

It has to (capital b) Be recycled you see. Since the lens in question is a Cosina, I have to stop trying to apply logic to this peculiar organisation and what it does or suggests to do.

Keep 'em coming, Herr Walser!

12-22-2010, 12:25 AM   #5
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Sorry, but I love the "destroy it and take pictures" part of that. lol

Although I have nothing to add about your tragic lens experience (I would be so mad), I had a related experience with Rio MP3 players back in the day. The hard drive in it would lock, so the final solution (after much trouble shooting with their repair people on the phone) was to "gently" tap the one particular corner on something hard to bump the drive in to place so it would spin. Define gently; the question I should have asked. So I bumped it, it work. It stopped hours later, I bumped it. I broke it. They would not cover warranty because of abuse.

Anyways, I really doubt they will send you a new one if you send pictures of it broken.
12-22-2010, 12:53 AM   #6
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well, not so long ago PayPal asked a friend of mine to destroy a fake Nokia phone, because he did some research and found out that was a very good chinese "clone".

to get hismoney back, he was asked by PayPal to destroy it and sent them a picture with it crashed.
12-22-2010, 01:09 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by calculator01 Quote
I love the "destroy it and take pictures"
Not simply destroy but "destroy the lens totally"!!! Like annihilate it using antimatter particle beam? I wonder... But then if it was destroyed totally there would be nothing to take pictures of :-)

12-22-2010, 02:05 AM   #8
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Unbelievable.
Never heard something like this.
12-22-2010, 02:09 AM   #9
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I had only one problem with Foto Walser, I bought a studio flash (Walimex Pro) and the halogen lamp didn't work.
So I contacted them, they wanted a photo of the damage, I responded that the damage isn't visible... Two days later I received a new lamp.
12-22-2010, 02:20 AM   #10
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I got a lens in Minolta mount instead of Pentax KAF2, the box was marked as Pentax, but inside was a Minolta lens.

The swapped it within a few days and refunded me the postage (even twice, but we handled that later). When calling them, there lines were busy, but they called back after a short while.

They must have a huge warehouse, causing sometimes a minor amount of chaotic situations, but my experience and what I read from your post gives me the impression that they do react quickly and professional. I would have offered a customer the very same options: exchange with return a partly problematical item, discount the item or replace a completely defective item gratis.

I haven't seen to many shops acting that way, so in my opinion, they try to clear up their mistake(s).

What's your problem with that?
12-22-2010, 02:31 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Vranx Quote
What's your problem with that?
Would you not have a problem with a vendor who asked you to completely destroy the only piece of evidence you have of the fact that this vendor failed to fulfil their contractual obligations to you?

And I LOUDLY DECLARE I DO NOT CARE HOW THEY RUN THEIR BUSINESS which includes the size of their warehouses or the number of chaotic situations they manage to create, maintain, or resolve. I pay the money - that is what I, customer, do. And I expect to receive what I paid for. They fail to deliver what they advertise. I tell others to be prepared, to avoid disappointment. Especially for those living outside Germany or the EU.

Last edited by Mikhail_Kriviniouk; 12-22-2010 at 02:39 AM.
12-22-2010, 05:22 AM   #12
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Tuition

Consider the cost to you as "tuition;" that is, the price you pay to learn something. Sometimes the 'price' is high, but it looks like you will not get fair relief from the vendor. You have done your duty to the rest of us by squawking a word of warning about the experience. Your service in that regard is greatly appreciated.

Life is short. Keep and use, or pitch the lens. Now, it's time to move on.... rediscover the song in your heart... lesson learned.

Cheers and enjoy the season... M
12-22-2010, 05:30 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Michaelina2 Quote
...the price you pay to learn something
Oh yes indeed!
12-22-2010, 06:33 AM   #14
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Received this today from Daniela Wiedemann, head of sales department:

Dear Mr. Kriviniouk,

your new lens will be dispatched even before Christmas.

I hope you can accept my apologies for the circumstances and the inconvenience caused.

Wishing you a happy Christmas season and all the best for the new year 2011.
12-22-2010, 09:00 AM   #15
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This is the latest exchange with them:

Hallo mikhail_kriviniouk (mikhail_kriviniouk@yahoo.co.uk),
Ihre Bestellung wird heute dem Paketdienst ?bergeben.

Ihr Paket wird an folgende Adresse geschickt:

...
Ru?land


The house number and the apartment number were missing, so I replied to them straight away saying:

The correct address is

Russian Federation
<....>

tel. <...>



please make sure to put the phone number next to the address on the address
label.

The address in the message below is incomplete
.....


To this Silvia Fischer, account manager, replied as follows:

Hello,

your order is on the way, we can?t change it anylonger.

We wish you a merry Xmas.



Mit besten Gr??en aus Burgheim.
Best regards from Burgheim.


Hey Herr Walser! keep 'em coming!

Last edited by Mikhail_Kriviniouk; 12-22-2010 at 10:14 AM.
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