[MarkJerling]

I didn't know Harbor Freight was in New Zealand They are the USA home for junk tools, but their new stuff can cost less than renting a tool for one day from a rental shop so they serve a purpose.

I had to google that. Man, that stuff's cheap. No doubt, for a reason.

[photogem]

.....We, unfortunately, live in the era where repair is becoming a thing of the past. Already, when dealing with many consumer goods, this is so. Dishwasher breaks? Often cheaper to replace than to repair. Fridge compressor fails? New one. Car gets a ding? New panel, no-one reshapes a panel anymore. Too many panels and airbags deployed? Car's written off as too expensive to repair. When last have we seen anyone rebuild a steering box or a fuel pump or a water pump? It's all throw away. Most phones now don't even have the option of replacing the battery.

We can bemoan the fact, but it's unlikely to change...

Actually in the EU many consumer goods have to be constructed by a new law that such parts can be easely replaced.

This is an intelligent and sensible step forward. I hate it that the battery of my smartphone can only be replaced with quite some risk ... same for notebooks ... that might change as well by law.

Not so (yet) in Switzerland.

[Ken Lee]

I had to google that. Man, that stuff's cheap. No doubt, for a reason.

They used to run full-page ads in the newspaper, giving away things such as small cheap screwdrivers or headlamps if you simply showed up at the store. Their stuff is cheap and a lot of people who work for a living refuse to shop there. However, there's some things that you can pick up there that work out pretty well sometimes. But I wouldn't get any tools that you really need to be dependable or robust.

[bspn]

Even the third tier appliance parts shops had nothing in stock. The only ones available were ebay retreads, and the comments were they normally failed within a few months of replacement.

You might try repairclinic dot com. I used to live a few miles from their location and even did work in the industrial park they are located in. I also was acquainted with an employee there who said the owner was all about customer service. I have bought a couple of parts for DYI repairs.

[R.Miller]

You might try repairclinic dot com.

Thanks! I'll look into them the next time I need parts for an appliance. The dishwasher has been replaced, but I'm sure something else will need servicing at some point.

[reh321]

I dropped my GR III and damaged the lens assembly. Sent it off to Precision and got the quote for repair today. $873.08. Seriously! I can't even come up with word to describe how frustrated and pissed of I am! As much as I love Pentax and my GRIII I seriously have to consider if I want to do business with a company that treats its customers like this. Are there any alternative choices for repair?

Can anyone provide contact info for Ricoh? They need to know that their terrible repair services are going to cost them business.

During the Age of Film, my wife borrowed a small Samsung camera with a zoom lens from me. It was dropped during a hand-off between her and a colleague {she was a college prof at the time}. Assuming it was still OK, I then photographed our younger daughter’s Preschool ‘graduation’ with it {happened only once}; when the film came back, all those pictures were out of focus. When I looked at it more carefully, I could see that the mechanism {it was a zoom lens} no longer held the lens correctly. I tried to fix it - my ‘fix’ didn’t hold, so I purchased another camera - I suspected fixing it would cost more than the camera was worth. The GRiii is so expensive because of the precision involved in its construction; I can fully believe that some part could be slightly bent or some such thing, so rebuilding it to original standards would be more difficult than simply replacing it; the deceleration when something hits the floor is terrible.

By way of contrast, here's a "good news" story. I have a Canon 90D that I bought used. I had it in the crook of my arm while carrying stuff in both hands; one of those things was a cup of hot tea. When I went to open a door with all that stuff, the tea sloshed out, and naturally inundated the camera which while water resistent itself, lacked a lens and was protected only by the plastic body-cap. Boogered the camera up right good. Camera went to Canon for repair last Thursday, and it was ready to be picked up the following Monday. Picked it up on Tuesday, and all indications are that it is better than it would have been if I'd bought it new. Even came with the latest firmware that hasn't even been published on the website yet.
Even the case had been cleaned (the previous owner must have been a smoker).

Well, I have been known from time to time to be somewhat immoderate in my condemnation of Ricoh/Precision's business practices, so I feel obligated to mention my latest adventure. As to the 55mm SDM lens that's been to Japan several times, Precision says they got it back and had shipped it to me. However, someone made a mistake and sent it via UPS to get it to my P.O. Box (which I use because it is more secure than my doorless garage, and eliminates the need to be home to sign for the package). They should have used UPS/Surepost (which is what they've done in the past with no problems) or USPS/Priority Mail. Regular UPS cannot deliver to USPS P.O. Boxes. Ooops.
So the package is at a "customer care center" two or three counties away. When I found out about it I sent Precision an email this morning, just a few hours ago. Just now, they called me and apologized once they understood the problem, and arranged to have the package redirected to my home address (I'll have to be sure to be here, but they also sent me an email with a tracking number so I can make sure I will).
I was impressed by their having taken care of the problem so promptly.

[UncleVanya]

Well, I have been known from time to time to be somewhat immoderate in my condemnation of Ricoh/Precision's business practices, so I feel obligated to mention my latest adventure. As to the 55mm SDM lens that's been to Japan several times, Precision says they got it back and had shipped it to me. However, someone made a mistake and sent it via UPS to get it to my P.O. Box (which I use because it is more secure than my doorless garage, and eliminates the need to be home to sign for the package). They should have used UPS/Surepost (which is what they've done in the past with no problems) or USPS/Priority Mail. Regular UPS cannot deliver to USPS P.O. Boxes. Ooops.
So the package is at a "customer care center" two or three counties away. When I found out about it I sent Precision an email this morning, just a few hours ago. Just now, they called me and apologized once they understood the problem, and arranged to have the package redirected to my home address (I'll have to be sure to be here, but they also sent me an email with a tracking number so I can make sure I will).
I was impressed by their having taken care of the problem so promptly.

I too have been critical (based on personal interactions) but it does seem they have grown in their customer interaction skills over time.

[Buckeyemikie]

I recently had my K-1 repaired by Precision. It took two months & cost was $727. I had my A*200 macro with anA series t/c attached when it slipped out of my hands & dropped 31 inches to the carpeted floor. The macro/t/c came off the camera, taking the bayonet mount with it. Since that combination is an absolute tank, no damage. Insurance coved the cost. The diopter adjustment no longer renders a sharp viewfinder image.
Decided to live with that since I’ll only use it as a b/u for tripod mounted landscapes. I use a Hoodman loupe to check focus. And I didn’t want the additional cost/hassle of sending it back.

The fact that the focus ring on my 77 Ltd is stuck between 6 & 8 feet also played into my decision not to send the K-1 back. BTW, two of my Three Amigos have had the same focus failure. Guess my 43 is next. I presume from the discussion in this thread, there’s no alternative to Precision?

[OrchidJulie]

I presume from the discussion in this thread, there’s no alternative to Precision?

For warranty work, Precision is the only shop. For non-warranty repairs, there are authorized repair shops, although there have been reports of parts availability issues from time to time.


Pentax Repair Facilities (Wordwide listing) - PentaxForums.com

There's a largish list in that thread, look for an outfit convenient to you and contact them in advance for a quote.

[UncleVanya]

I recently had my K-1 repaired by Precision. It took two months & cost was $727. I had my A*200 macro with anA series t/c attached when it slipped out of my hands & dropped 31 inches to the carpeted floor. The macro/t/c came off the camera, taking the bayonet mount with it. Since that combination is an absolute tank, no damage. Insurance coved the cost. The diopter adjustment no longer renders a sharp viewfinder image.
Decided to live with that since I’ll only use it as a b/u for tripod mounted landscapes. I use a Hoodman loupe to check focus. And I didn’t want the additional cost/hassle of sending it back.

The fact that the focus ring on my 77 Ltd is stuck between 6 & 8 feet also played into my decision not to send the K-1 back. BTW, two of my Three Amigos have had the same focus failure. Guess my 43 is next. I presume from the discussion in this thread, there’s no alternative to Precision?

What is the focus issue?

[Buckeyemikie]

It won’t auto focus or manual focus. The auto focus action of my K-1 MkII moved the lens focus ring to the minimum focus & stopped there and won’t move.

[pschlute]

It won’t auto focus or manual focus. The auto focus action of my K-1 MkII moved the lens focus ring to the minimum focus & stopped there and won’t move.

Perhaps a screw inside the lens has worked a little loose and is preventing movement. If it is no longer in-warranty, any decent photo repair shop should be able to fix it.