[eyespywithmyi]

About a year ago my lens rolled off a table and sustained a relatively minor crack to the housing above the focus indicator window. The window cover popped out but I was able to put it back in and a sliver of electrical tape hid and "protected" the crack, or at least made me feel like it did. Thankfully the lens functioned perfectly after this, my photos showed no change and the operation of the lens was also unchanged, phew! In October, literally out of the blue, the lens stopped retracting past ~190mm, I could extend the lens out fully but when it got to ~190mm it just stopped. When I say "out of the blue" I mean I was using it at 450mm, lowered it from my eye and retracted it and it would not.


I looked for any and all places that repair Pentax lenses and I couldn't find any, besides Precision, that would take a Pentax zoom lens, some took Pentax lenses but not zooms, so I went with Precision.

• I filled out the form and paid the flat rate fee, it said it was $389 and included shipping to return the lens to me, I insured it, shipped it, and it was received by Precision on October 20th.
• For two weeks it sat and I received no communication, when I called I was told they would call me when they'd analyzed the issue.
• On November 3rd, exactly two weeks after receipt, I called again and they told me that they couldn't fix it and had sent it to the factory in Japan and that I'd get a call to advise if I wanted them to fix it or not once they knew how much it would be. I explained that I'd paid ahead for the flat fee with the form and she told me I would still have to approve the repair.
• On December 1st, 6 weeks from when Precision had received it, I got an invoice in my email for $804.36, which included a $45 shipping fee. The reason for the repair was given as "Impact Damage." Which is not why the lens stopped retracting if it worked for a year after it's fall. I called and asked if they would be applying the $389 and removing the shipping fee since I paid for that already. We went round and round about what the form said and whether shipping was actually included and I asked her to look at the form, she did that while we were on the phone and said she was getting an error and couldn't get to the page so I generously offered to screenshot it for her and send it, when she got it she looked and said 'oh' and that she's not authorized to alter the invoice and would call me back. She called me the same day, to her credit, this is the first time I had someone there do what they said they would do, when they said they would do it, to say that I was never actually charged and that it was only an authorization, which is now off my account and since the charges are over the price on the estimate it would still be $804.36, including a $45 shipping fee. At this point I just wanted it over and I approved the charge. I asked how long it generally takes and she said 3-5 weeks. if it takes the full 5 weeks then I would receive it the first week of January and I will have been without my lens for 11 weeks.

Precision is... difficult to deal with. I will leave it at that until I get my lens back and see how it all shook out but I have to say that I am not super pleased. I'm going to look past the whole "Impact Damage" part since it technically did sustain impact damage at some point... I considered not fixing it and getting a new one but a new one is nearly $2000, I got mine from MPB for $1400 so getting another used copy wouldn't be any better than paying the $800 and get mine back, hopefully in factory refurbished condition. I would say "I'll never deal with Precision again" but given they're the only place that will handle certain Pentax lenses it seems it's something that must be endured. They effectively have, and not to be dramatic here but, a monopoly on Pentax lens repairs and thus they can pretty much get away with anything...

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Last edited by eyespywithmyi; 12-04-2020 at 10:19 AM. Reason: Missed a point I wanted to include re: impact damage

[aslyfox]

. . . I looked for any and all places that repair Pentax lenses and I couldn't find any, besides Precision, that would take a Pentax zoom lens, some took Pentax lenses but not zooms, so I went with Precision. . . . .

sorry to hear about your problems

and this is too late for you

but if anyone is looking for a possible repair for a 150-450mm or another lens

Phototronic here in Topeka repaired mine when it separated

Phototronic (aka Fix Old Cameras)
Call (785.233.0231), or drop in.
Love to talk camera repair with you,

so please do contact Phototronic during customer counter hours. [ Monday to Friday 12:30 to 6:00 ]

Due to an unmanageable volume of emails the email address is not listed. Please call between the posted customer hours so that you might have your questions pertaining to the repair of your equipment answered. If you decide to send equipment you are interested in getting repaired via a shipper or you drop equipment off personally you will then be supplied a contact email for your convenience.

phototronic.biz
119 NE US Highway 24 STE B, Topeka, KS 66608, US

(785) 233-0231

https://phototronic.biz/

[eyespywithmyi]

sorry to hear about your problems

and this is too late for you

but if anyone is looking for a possible repair for a 150-450mm or another lens

Phototronic here in Topeka repaired mine when it separated

Camera Repair - phototronic.biz

There was a reason why I didn't go with them and I am blanking on why at this moment but I sure wish I had! Not sure if Precision couldn't fix the lens if Phototronic could or maybe they'd have to send it back to Pentax, too, but maybe the experience would be quicker and more pleasant, not sure if the price would vary.

[Pentaph]

Precision is... difficult to deal with.

I am sorry to hear that. Gear damage is bad, but repair shop like that is even worse.

I am not a lawyer. But since they promised a flat rate repair cost for that lens, they should keep their promise. Yes, this particular lens might cost more than the flat price and they lost $. But maybe a lot more lenses sent in for repair only need simple touch and cost much less than the flat rate price. But I am sure they won't refund. How can they charge you more if they find repair cost more, but never refund to costumers when the cost is less? What is the purpose of "flat rate"?

I feel you.

[stevebrot]

I explained that I'd paid ahead for the flat fee with the form and she told me I would still have to approve the repair.

They don't offer a flat rate, though they don't explicitly say so either, the fine print being a sly dodge.* The $389 allows them to bind your payment card for that amount. The actual fee may be more and probably will not be less.

That said...their work-flow tracking and customer service is basically broken. The idea that a camera or lens can come in their door and not be accessioned into their system for days at a time is unacceptable. Likewise, it is unacceptable for a warranty repair to languish for weeks at a time waiting for approval from Ricoh.


Steve

* Note that this is a common practice for repair shops and not just for cameras.

check your local consumer protection statutes - I'm betting that what they did would violate any consumer protection statute. ordinary common or statutory law would take care of what happened (e.g., fraud, breach of contract, etc.), but a consumer protection suit will often provide much greater remedies (like reimbursement of legal fees, costs, and a statutory minimum amount of damages, plus interest on the total until paid).

[eyespywithmyi]

They don't offer a flat rate, though they don't explicitly say so either, the fine print being a sly dodge.* The $389 allows them to bind your payment card for that amount. The actual fee may be more and probably will not be less.

That said...their work-flow tracking and customer service is basically broken. The idea that a camera or lens can come in their door and not be accessioned into their system for days at a time is unacceptable. Likewise, it is unacceptable for a warranty repair to languish for weeks at a time waiting for approval from Ricoh.


Steve

* Note that this is a common practice for repair shops and not just for cameras.

You're correct, I missed the nuance initially and very much believed it was a flat rate and that I would only pay what was above and beyond the $389. In fact when I spoke with them before they diagnosed it, they said "any parts that exceed the $389." They really have been totally misleading every step of the way.

[KiloHotelphoto]

We should do a pool on when the OP gets the lens back. Maybe $5 a pick and split the proceeds between Pentax Forum, the OP and the person who picks the correct date or closes to it.

We could have some fun and help the OP pay for their repairs, maybe even get a day counter on the top of the home page tracking how long the lens has been out for service.

I would pick April 1st 2021.

[stevebrot]

They really have been totally misleading every step of the way.

Any time I have work done on the car, house, camera gear, etc., I always confirm whether the quote is firm and if not, what the rules are for bumping the cost.

Steve

[Not a Number]

Sounds familiar.
$600 to repair PENTAX LENS 24-70/2.8 ED SDM Precision Repair, terms of service renege - PentaxForums.com

Check the TOS.

[DeadJohn]

Precision is... difficult to deal with.

I agree. I was forced to deal with them for 2 in-warranty lens repairs. They rarely responded to phone calls and emails, their online system didn't show the status for what I sent them, and one lens had to be sent to them 3 times until they did the warranty repair correctly (they kept claiming it was working correctly despite my taping a note to the lens describing how they could easily replicate the problem).

I hesitate to buy new Pentax lenses because of Precision's poor warranty service.

[stevebrot]

I hesitate to buy new Pentax lenses because of Precision's poor warranty service.

They are Sony's exclusive repair service as well.


Steve

[BROO]

You should be careful not to drop it in the future. A big heavy lens dropped from a height sufficient to cause the damage you described could have cause any number of internal issues.
Move on and go and take some photos.

[eyespywithmyi]

You should be careful not to drop it in the future. A big heavy lens dropped from a height sufficient to cause the damage you described could have cause any number of internal issues.
Move on and go and take some photos.

I hadn't considered that dropping a $2000 piece of equipment could be bad, super helpful, thanks for the advice!

---------- Post added 12-04-20 at 03:56 PM ----------

Any time I have work done on the car, house, camera gear, etc., I always confirm whether the quote is firm and if not, what the rules are for bumping the cost.

Steve

A good rule of thumb, to be sure, but in this case I really had only two options once I'd made the faulty decision to send it to Precision in the first place as once they had it the trip down the rabbit hole was inevitable and having them get it back from the factory in Japan and paying for the shipping back would still result in me not getting my lens back until the new year, at least, and then I'd have to begin anew with another repair place and a new timeline and be without my lens even longer.

---------- Post added 12-04-20 at 03:58 PM ----------

We should do a pool on when the OP gets the lens back. Maybe $5 a pick and split the proceeds between Pentax Forum, the OP and the person who picks the correct date or closes to it.

We could have some fun and help the OP pay for their repairs, maybe even get a day counter on the top of the home page tracking how long the lens has been out for service.

I would pick April 1st 2021.

Ooof, April, that's grim. I'd put money on February something, oh wait, I already have money on this, nevermind!

[BROO]

You should be grateful that these guys fixed your lens. The only one that made a mistake was you.