[David Bruce Kawchak]

Westmill, the story gets funnier. Good news from Pentax repair it will be $200.00 either way. Hope its not both though. I still love this camera.

[MSL]

Westmill, the story gets funnier. Good news from Pentax repair it will be $200.00 either way. Hope its not both though. I still love this camera.

If it is both, just buy a used one off of someone on the forums as there are usually a few for sale at any one time (and lots of K5 at the moment)

[westmill]

Westmill, the story gets funnier. Good news from Pentax repair it will be $200.00 either way. Hope its not both though. I still love this camera.

Heyyyy thats good news indeed. Maybe sell after short while of using .... just a thought lol.
I must admit, i expected it to be more. Although failure after such little use.... prob should be free.

Looks like you got off lightly lol.... reminds me of the OJ simpson farce lol

[David Bruce Kawchak]

MSL and Westmill,

Yep I was just getting ready to do that and look for a used body. I also have the battery grip for my K20D so I would probably stick to a K20D. Would like a K5. Guess I will check it out.

Thanks David Bruce

[David Bruce Kawchak]

Sent my K20D to Arizona to Pentax for repairs. I was told before I sent it that if either my sensor or shutter needed replace it would cost $200.00. $400.00 if it was both. I guess the company that actually repairs the cameras is called C.R.I.S. camera repair services. I got an e-mail from them today with their estimate. I needed a new sensor. Price to repair $499.00!!!!!!!!! For a K20D I bought in 2008. After Pentax said it would be $200.00. Are they ffffffen nuts? I will call Pentax tomorrow. I have steam blowing out my ears as I am typing this. Anybody else ever get sucker punched like this?

[eddie1960]

Sorry to hear this. While it is below the norm it is not unheard of for a sensor to fail @ 25K . I wouldn't expect them to offset it on what is a 4 year old camera, Shutter life estimations are not guarantees
Unfortunately sensor replacement is an expensive process requiring a lot of labour. Add in the cost of the sensor and it adds up quickly. $499 is a more believable cost than the $200 range (not sure why they would have said $200 for sensor replacement - maybe parts only)
The only mistake CRIS made IMO was quoting a probable price before looking at the camera. far better to just quote an estimate fee and possibly give a range of possible costs (including the higher costs).
for a K20 I wouldn't pay that price myself, you could likely come across a lightly used one for much less or even a K7 in the same range

[David Bruce Kawchak]

Thank you Eddie. The total cost I was quoted from Pentax was originally $200.00. An investment I was willing to make. It cost me $52.00 to ship and insure it to Pentax. I just bought a used K20D with a little over 7000 clicks on it with a battery grip and kit lens here through these forums for $500.00. It doesn't make sense to replace the sensor. I am calling Pentax today. If I get no satisfaction it will be the last Pentax I ever own and I now own 4 Pentaxes. I will make it my mission to discourage everyone from buying a Pentax on ever group and site relating to any Pentax products. They will have lost a loyal customer.

[sterretje]

David, you really think it will be better at the other side? I doubt it very much.

[Marc Sabatella]

Indeed, it's hard to tell what you expect them to do. If it's repairable, they'll repair it, and charge you for it, and being an older model whose parts have not been manufactured for several years, it might be expensive. I can't imagine the realities of this would be different for any other company. Certainly I've never encountered anything different in my life.

[David Bruce Kawchak]

I was quoted a price of $200.00 and was told defintely it would not be more than that.The reality came in at $500.00 Big difference. Pentax repair should step up to the plate and keep their word. Customer service is important.
I have owned Pentaxes since 1977. This is the first time I have been shafted by Pentax. If that is the case I will not buy another Pentax in the future and I will make sure everybody I deal with knows not to purchase a Pentax.
Even though that wouldn't harm their sales ever site from Amazon to FaceBook to camera photo sites will get a negative response from me.

[MSL]

I was quoted a price of $200.00 and was told defintely it would not be more than that.The reality came in at $500.00 Big difference. Pentax repair should step up to the plate and keep their word. Customer service is important.

If you have anything in writing from Pentax then you can forward that to CRIS, and you can forward CRIS's quote back to Pentax. But if you don't have it in writing, how can CRIS be sure of what you were or were not told? Do you have a contact name for the person you spoke to at Pentax? The more documentation you can provide the better your case. Otherwise I understand your frustrations, but don't see the point in venting publicly. I have a dead, high end printer on my desk, with a well known problem that was never corrected by the manufacturer, despite it appearing across a large number of their products - and not just printers. I'm not impressed with their responses, and I suspect the reason I got it at a discount when I bought it new is that the problem was already known, even by the retailer, if not by the general public. No matter how tempting their products may be now, and no matter how good a rating an individual product from them may get, I simply won't buy from them. But I'm not out to convert the public based on my one experience.

[eddie1960]

If you have anything in writing from Pentax then you can forward that to CRIS, and you can forward CRIS's quote back to Pentax. But if you don't have it in writing, how can CRIS be sure of what you were or were not told? Do you have a contact name for the person you spoke to at Pentax? The more documentation you can provide the better your case. Otherwise I understand your frustrations, but don't see the point in venting publicly. I have a dead, high end printer on my desk, with a well known problem that was never corrected by the manufacturer, despite it appearing across a large number of their products - and not just printers. I'm not impressed with their responses, and I suspect the reason I got it at a discount when I bought it new is that the problem was already known, even by the retailer, if not by the general public. No matter how tempting their products may be now, and no matter how good a rating an individual product from them may get, I simply won't buy from them. But I'm not out to convert the public based on my one experience.

Having spent a lot of years in retail I know that upset customers cost a lot. they tell more people about bad experiences and they hold the grudge for a long time versus a customer who has a positive experience who may tell up to 3 people according to research.
That being said without some written verification of the CRIS offer there is little recourse.

[MSL]

Having spent a lot of years in retail I know that upset customers cost a lot. they tell more people about bad experiences and they hold the grudge for a long time versus a customer who has a positive experience who may tell up to 3 people according to research.

I'm sure the statistics are true - only because a person with a negative experience will readily vent about it, while a positive experience is only shared when someone else is looking for the same product or service. I'm just not sure I see the point of the OP tell members of this forum about his intentions for future ranting as it does little to solve the current problem, and this is the wrong audience for that sort of rant. I guess I'm the exception in that I don't see a need to rant about bad experiences, at least not in public forums.

[eddie1960]

I'm sure the statistics are true - only because a person with a negative experience will readily vent about it, while a positive experience is only shared when someone else is looking for the same product or service. I'm just not sure I see the point of the OP tell members of this forum about his intentions for future ranting as it does little to solve the current problem, and this is the wrong audience for that sort of rant. I guess I'm the exception in that I don't see a need to rant about bad experiences, at least not in public forums.

I wouldn't be inclined to rant in a forum at the stage he is at. It's an unfortunate occurrence to be sure, but there is no reason to believe any other brand would be different under the same circumstances. Nikon in fact would be worse because you would not have the option of seeking a lower cost shop since they no longer will sell them parts.
Bad service has caused me to not shop several places over the years, and a couple i've warned people off of (usually computer dealers)
but i doubt i would go to every fan page and every electronic face of the brand and badmouth them.

[David Bruce Kawchak]

First off I talked to a Pentax employee about my camera. At no time was I told my camera would be going to a contractor that repairs cameras for Pentax. The Pentax employee told me the price would be $200.00 not the repair shop. My camera was shipped and addressed to Pentax Service Dept. My quote came from C.H.R.I.S. camera services. I had no idea my camera went out to a separate company. I would not have sent my camera out for repairs based on $500.00 repair fee. Shame on me to believe a Pentax employee I called at the Pentax service number I got off of the Pentax website, huh how stupid of me to think I was talking to the right person. I called camera repair shops in Pennsylvania to find out how much they would repair it for. The answer I got was we won't touch the K20D. The parts are too expensive with labor to repair it. I was also told I was the third K20D owner to call with the same problem on their sensor with roughly the same number of shots taken in the 25,000 range. Evidently there is a problem with the Samsung sensor used in the K20D. I used to design trade show exhibits for multimillion dollar companies and I am now 1/2 owner of a restaurant. One of the things I pride myself in is customer service. What ever has to be done to make a customer happy I do. On a larger scale Pentax should stand behind what it says. And the note about me complaining. I will complain. I am the customer who was not told the truth. Hopefully it doesn't happen to you.