[Prakticant]

I'm in need of sending DA* 50-135mm for repair (hard-landing on the conrete pavement).
My local authorized service centre keeps the lens for 3-4 weeks now (as free repair estimate) and calls me they may ship the glass to the Pentax/Ricoh service centre in France with estimate of 500 Euro repair (I got that lens for $600).
As I've heard some good words about German Pentax authorised (parts!!) service centre (Hamburg) my question is:
How is your experience with lens repairs in European service centres, i.e. France, Germany, UK?

[biz-engineer]

For Austria, Germany, I used the service indicated on Ricoh website in Germany, I sent two lenses, one lens for checking, one lens for repair, at first; they were very professional, and the technician acknowledged that my lens had a problem (as I described in the shipment) , and that could be fixed and asked that I send the camera as well. Then, one week later, the manager got aware of my repair case, and he said that the lenses have no problem or they could repair it but it would cost the price of a new lens (which is kind of funny: the lens has a problem, then it does not, then it does but cost a lot to repair). So, I told them to send everything back.

For my case, there was also the problem that I'm French learning German in Austria (if some Germans are reading, please don't laugh) and the repair center only spoke/wrote in German (I was very surprised because usually German are able to speak good English).

So , next time, if I need repair I'll deal with the UK or France , to be sure that we talk the same language.

[RKKS08]

@Prakticant
Can't help you with your question. Last and only time I dealt with Pentax service was in 1982, after my ME Super had met concrete pavement.

@biz-engineer

I'm French learning German in Austria (if some Germans are reading, please don't laugh)

I am German, and I did not laugh.

I was born and raised in Frankfurt am Main, but my mother was from the southern part of Austria, so I know about possible problems. That is, if you speak a southern Austrian dialect, and make use of the hundreds of words special to the Austrian version of German, and the many exceptions in grammar which are alternatively allowed in Austria, but not in Germany or Switzerland.

However, it is not as bad as it used to be in my youth - because of the many TV series one could see in national TV using either Bavarian or Frisian dialect. These were like foreign languages to everyone not from these parts of Germany. What is called "high German" is naturally spoken only in a small region around Hannover. The Hamburg area dialect is near to that, the main difference being the pronounciation of the consonant combination "st".

You would not have any problem if the Ricoh service was in Munich, as the Bavarian dialect is very near to Austrian German. Of course everyone in Bavaria can speak (a kind of) High German, but they don't like to do it.

I am always amused when the American skiing star Lindsey Vonn is heard on German television - she speaks quite fluently Bavarian German, because for many years her best friend was the retired German (Bavarian) skier Maria Riesch. When Lindsey trained in Germany, she was usually living at Maria's.

[adwb]

All I can add is UK service is ok but very very slow at the official repair centre , johnsons photopia, you might post a new question for UK members to comment on, there have been other repair centres mentioned favourably before in London I believe.