[wtlwdwgn]

It's been shipped! The only problem is there's been no charge yet. Is it coming back unrepaired?

[Not a Number]

Is it coming back unrepaired?

Is it still under warranty?

[mariakruse]

Well, that might explain the "not authorized to sell parts" response that we have been getting from CRIS. I've had very good experience with CRIS so curious to know why they are changing. (But we will never know)

Precision says "Since 1948" CRIS says "Since 1984"

K-5II, IIs, and K-3 are not on the list of models @ Precision. Nor are any of the Q models.

---------- Post added 07-28-14 at 01:08 PM ----------



Maybe wishful thinking but I thought this blurb was interesting. Of course 48 hour turn around only works if you actually have the parts in stock and don't have to wait 3 months for it to come from Japan.

They have had my new K-3 since Oct. 30, this year and say they won't have the back ordered part until Nov. 24th, they don't know how long after that I will have my camera back. Poor machine will have spent more time with repair than with me. This speaks badly of the quality control at Ricoh. No new camera should go bad in less than 2 months.
maria

[wtlwdwgn]

Is it still under warranty?

No. It dates from 2007 so it's long out of warranty. I just checked and my card has been charged the repair fee so it should come back just fine. Whew!

[smigol]

I sent in my 16-50 for a decentered/titled element to Precision. I'd done the firmware hack to disable the SDM motors.

It came back cleaned, motors replaced with SDM enabled, and still decentered/tilted. I'm talking with them about whether they can fix that problem.

FWIW, the tilt appeared when I sent it off to CRIS back in the day when there was no SDM fix.

They were pretty quick with the work that they did do, so that's nice. I'll use them again if I can get this tilt issue solved.

[pyoon399]

I dont understand how the "flat quote" from Precision works- so we just send in the camera and pay 200 without there being any given conditions?

FYI - I need to get my camera sensor cleaned and get my lens release button replaced.

[Mikesul]

I dont understand how the "flat quote" from Precision works- so we just send in the camera and pay 200 without there being any given conditions?

FYI - I need to get my camera sensor cleaned and get my lens release button replaced.

Do you mean they do not look at the lens/camera and give a quote based on the repair needed? That seems unlikely and disturbing if true.

[Homo_erectus]

It seems to be a flat rate.

Keh is doing the same thing except they tell you upfront that if the cost of repairs is more than the flat price they will contact you to get an okay before doing the repair.

[reh321]

Do you mean they do not look at the lens/camera and give a quote based on the repair needed? That seems unlikely and disturbing if true.

Back in the day, you'd send a camera in to the repair place and they took it apart before they gave you an estimate.
One of my unfortunate encounters with water involved a Canon rangefinder camera; I decided the estimate was more than the camera was worth (and I ended up getting my first SLR - a Pentax ME Super); so they returned it to me for only the deposit I'd already made; I did notice that the camera kind of worked at that point, so I figured their inspection process had helped a little.
These days they seem to just have a series of service points. When my Nikon scanner failed, they came back very quickly with an "estimate", with a rider that the final cost might be more if they "found more". Again I declined the service and bought a replacement, but in this case I'm quite sure they hadn't done anything other than confirm the symptoms I'd already reported.

[vonBaloney]

CRIS did the same thing on older gear (i.e. not the latest models) -- it was mandated by Pentax. They didn't actually charge those prices in the end (even if they took money up front, they gave some of it back if it was a minor repair), it was a "flat estimate" not a flat repair cost. Basically they wanted to discourage people from sending their "not really worth repairing" cameras to get estimates when most of them were going to end up being more than the cost for just buying a used/working replacement and also to push you to buy a newer model. If they are constantly evaluating cameras, giving estimates which are then refused and sending the camera back, it just wastes every time's time I believe is the thinking...

[pyoon399]

Im assuming that even if the cost of the actual repair comes out to be less that you end up paying the full 200.
Can anyone verify the validity of the assumption?

[vonBaloney]

Im assuming that even if the cost of the actual repair comes out to be less that you end up paying the full 200.
Can anyone verify the validity of the assumption?

I would not assume that, but I wouldn't not assume it either if I was putting money down.

With CRIS I just refused to pay up front and told them to send me a real estimate (because I was doing fairly minor stuff -- even one repair I thought was a big deal turned out to be only half as much as the "flat" estimate.)

It sort of sounds like from assertions earlier in the thread and the fact that Ricoh apparently has a list of shops that includes more than Precision Camera, that for non-warranty work we may have a choice of authorized repair centers (possibly still including CRIS). The truth or untruth of this also needs to be found out, as I simply wouldn't use Precision unless I was forced to...

[Not a Number]

I dont understand how the "flat quote" from Precision works- so we just send in the camera and pay 200 without there being any given conditions?

https://www.precisioncamera.com/termsandconditions.html

Terms and Conditions:

1. Your credit card will not be charged until the repair is completed and your unit is ready for shipment.

You are not paying anything until actual work is done.

[pyoon399]

https://www.precisioncamera.com/termsandconditions.html

Terms and Conditions:

1. Your credit card will not be charged until the repair is completed and your unit is ready for shipment.

You are not paying anything until actual work is done.

Thanks!

[wtlwdwgn]

I would not assume that, but I wouldn't not assume it either if I was putting money down.

With CRIS I just refused to pay up front and told them to send me a real estimate (because I was doing fairly minor stuff -- even one repair I thought was a big deal turned out to be only half as much as the "flat" estimate.)

It sort of sounds like from assertions earlier in the thread and the fact that Ricoh apparently has a list of shops that includes more than Precision Camera, that for non-warranty work we may have a choice of authorized repair centers (possibly still including CRIS). The truth or untruth of this also needs to be found out, as I simply wouldn't use Precision unless I was forced to...

CRIS no longer services any Pentax DSLRs. They said Pentax came and took away all of their parts and test equipment.