[Alan19531953]

In the early part of 2012 I decided to retire my long serving Minolta SLR film camera and make the move to digital. After much deliberation I chose a Pentax K-r SLR. The main reason I chose Pentax is my wife had a Pentax camera many years ago and highly rated it. I only use my SLR camera on special occasions so it is little used. It always lives in a camera case and is very well looked after. I have a small pocket sized Nikon which gets the main use. On September this year I took the camera to Dorset to take some photos and it suddenly went wrong. I was puzzled. I then sent it to the Pentax service centre (JP Service solutions). Imagine my amazement when they told me it would cost £210 to repair!! I have written to Pentax about this and they haven't even bothered to write back to me!!! If this camera goes wrong again it is going straight in the bin and I am moving over to Canon. No way would I recommend Pentax to anybody.

[TER-OR]

Ah, the grass is greener over there obviously. Nothing ever goes wrong with the consumer-grade Canon cameras.

What did they tell you was wrong? My only repair experience (no repairs on the K10 or K5) was on a lens, which CRIS repaired very nicely. It was a little cheaper than a new (used) lens, and they calibrated it nicely as well as repaired.

[mrNewt]

Have you call Pentax head office and talk to them before taking the camera to those guys? What did they advice?

Looking at the JP Service solutions website, I don't see anything that shows they are a Pentax service center... looks like they are an independent company that specialize in fixing a lot of brands.
Pentax shows as one of their partners, but what does that mean!? What is their actual relation!? I doubt Pentax will sign them a check to fix their cameras... has the fix been approved to be done under warranty?

Based on that information... of course JP Service solutions will charge for something they will fix .
I fail to see how Pentax service is at fault here... I don't say they are brilliant... but don't see the connection... could also be wrong with my assumption, but based on the information at hand, I can't say otherwise.

[interested_observer]

It appears that Ricoh offers a 1 year warranty on Pentax products in the UK.

• European Warranty - RICOH IMAGING UK LTD.

The website above provides a process. Also, it points to their service center provider..

• Service Support Centre - RICOH IMAGING UK LTD.

I see that JP service indicates that Pentax is a "Partner", but has no indication that they are an authorized service center.

• Partners

Perhaps JP Service should have informed you that they do not perform Pentax warranty service when you spoke to them. However, that does not relieve Ricoh from replying to your initial inquiry.

[VisualDarkness]

In EU you have the right to put in a consumer complaint for two years for manufacturing faults. You can contact the store you bought it from instead if you if you hit a wall with the repair center. 210£ sounds like a common price on a bigger repair and you won't escape costs like that with any other brands. Heck, even standard age service of old cameras cost the same.

[GibbyTheMole]

I sympathize with your frustration at losing the use of your camera, but:

1) You bought your camera 2 years ago, so the standard 1-year warranty ran out a year ago. you can't expect them or anyone else to fix an out-of-warranty camera for free.
2) JP Service Solutions is not an official Pentax Service Center. So you're way off base complaining about Pentax factory service.

Regarding Canon, I had a Canon digital camera with a factory recall because of a sensor issue, which I found out about after the sensor went out. I called Canon and they refused to fix it because I was one day past the expiration of their recall. I could however, send my defective camera in to Canon for credit on a refurb model which after the credit, would have been significantly more than I would have paid for a new one at Amazon. Needless to say, I declined.

Between my wife and I, we've owned (and used the Hell out of) two *ist DS bodies, two K100Ds, three K-x bodies, and four Qs. That's a grand total of 11 Pentax cameras with not so much as a hiccup out of any of them. Plus, two of my friends have Pentax DSLRs & they continue to work great.

You could easily get another used K-r or K-x body for much less than what JP is quoting you for repair. Personally, that's what I'd do. I don't care how great any brand's products are, you will occasionally get a dud. It happens. You can't blame Pentax for something they're not responsible for, though.

[bdery]

If I understand you correctly, you asked an independent company to repair an out of warranty camera, and are surprised that they want to charge you for it?

Doesn't seem like you have much ground for complaining.

Everything that exists can break at some point. It's sad that your camera appears to be defective (you might be able to fix it, incidentally, it might be a battery issue, or something that a hard reset could fix). Canon cameras break just like any other. But if you want a Canon, by all means give them your money.

[David&karen]

Just to clarify, Canon is having their own issues. Look up "Canon 1DX mirror box issues" on google if you want a hair raising tale of woe.

David

[Giklab]

>2014
>Posting in such an obvious troll thread

[dansamy]

Obvious troll is obvious.

Where's the mighty ban hammer of Thor?

[mrNewt]

>2014
>Posting in such an obvious troll thread

Obvious troll is obvious.

Where's the mighty ban hammer of Thor?

OK I'll bite... how did you guys figured that one out!?
So far the only trolls I see is the two of you...

[dansamy]

Trolls tend to register, post some form of inflammatory post & disappear, never to be seen again.

This particular post, complaining about being charged to repair an out of warranty item & threatening to switch to a competitor is pretty classic, typical trolling. It's intended to make everybody else come to the defense of "their brand" & point out that the competitor's product also exhibits similar, or even worse, flaws.

For some real fun, go post on a gaming forum that their game sucks and this next game coming out will "kill" their game.

[stevebrot]

Nothing ever goes wrong with the consumer-grade Canon cameras.

Yep...According to Consumer Reports, Canon has a 4% rate of return/major repair for their dSLR line.


Steve

[Not a Number]

Umm, JP Service Solutions is the authorized service center for Ricoh/Pentax UK

Service Support Centre - RICOH IMAGING UK LTD.
Our UK Service Centre is located at the following address:
Johnsons Photopia Ltd
Hempstalls Lane
Newcastle under Lyme
Staffordshire
ST5 0SW

Contact Us
Contacting JP Service Solutions
Thank you for your interest in JP Service Solutions
Johnsons Photopia Ltd, Hempstalls Lane,
Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 0SW

Look before you leap to conclusions.

[dansamy]

Yep...According to Consumer Reports, Canon has a 4% rate of return/major repair for their dSLR line.


Steve

There's still a chance that YOU will get that one camera in 25 that's a complete lemon.