[skyoftexas]

Any company should have enough product to supply its retail chain, parts for service and replacements for an anticipated failure rate BEFORE bringing them to market. And yes - I am a pro and need the gear for my daily work. Ricoh was kind enough to send me a new body rather than wait longer to repair the camera than I actually owned it. It was the right thing to do Wether or not that shorted someone else, that isn't something I have any control with. And while it may unfortunately cost more money in the EU, that has to do with issues out of Ricoh's control. And there should be NO reason I should have to pay to ship a broken camera to get repaired under warranty. Which, once again, Ricoh was kind of enough to pay for. It's called asking for service and getting it. Fry, if it makes you feel any better, I did end up having to rent a k1 for the weekend for a wedding. Since you think it's so outrageous we Yanks don't have to pay VAT and I was able to negotiate free shipping.

Look, I appreciate your consternation, and I'm glad for your resolution, but I have to same something here. You are quite articulate about what another business (Ricoh) should and should not do. But, your own MO is highly questionable. You are a pro, and you only have one camera? That's not very smart. It doesn't take a full frame camera to shoot real estate. You could pick up a K5 or K3 for not much money and have a back up. And, you rented "a" camera to shoot a wedding? Last weekend, one of my two cameras that I use malfunctioned during a wedding. I would never show up at a wedding with only one camera. Yet, you feel perfectly fine showing up with a rented camera that according to you may be prone to a malfunction. ???

[Rupert]

You are a pro, and you only have one camera?

I don't see the OP as a Pro, any more than I am because I shoot some squirrels as a part of my life of leisure. But.....that does not negate his misery at a malfunction, and difficulty in retaining a fast easy remedy. Most of us here are not Pro shooters, but the pain of a failure is still a serious problem for us when it happens.

Should we be penalized in service because Ricoh knows that most of us are hobbyists? I think not.

Regards!

[skyoftexas]

I don't see the OP as a Pro, any more than I am because I shoot some squirrels as a part of my life of leisure. But.....that does not negate his misery at a malfunction, and difficulty in retaining a fast easy remedy. Most of us here are not Pro shooters, but the pain of a failure is still a serious problem for us when it happens.

Should we be penalized in service because Ricoh knows that most of us are hobbyists? I think not.

Regards!

He labeled himself a pro. Says he does 15 real estate shoots a week, and apparently some weddings. That's pro enough in my books. People contract with him to show up with a camera and pay him for it. I appreciate his position, but if he only has one camera, he is operating on a high wire, and that is not smart. Still, I too, think Ricoh's US repair operation is deplorable.

[Rupert]

He won't meet the requirements for Nikon as a Pro shooter.......but my squirrels would most likely love to have him over me.

It really doesn't matter his status.....if he was a world known Pro shooter the service he would get currently is the same as we get.....not all that good, at best.

Regards!

[Ari]

Look, I appreciate your consternation, and I'm glad for your resolution, but I have to same something here. You are quite articulate about what another business (Ricoh) should and should not do. But, your own MO is highly questionable. You are a pro, and you only have one camera? That's not very smart. It doesn't take a full frame camera to shoot real estate. You could pick up a K5 or K3 for not much money and have a back up. And, you rented "a" camera to shoot a wedding? Last weekend, one of my two cameras that I use malfunctioned during a wedding. I would never show up at a wedding with only one camera. Yet, you feel perfectly fine showing up with a rented camera that according to you may be prone to a malfunction. ???

I wish you would have actually read my posts rather than cherrypick what you were looking for. I HAVE a backup - a k5iis (which I made clear in my first post). But the malfunctioned k1 left me with only one camera, which, as a Pro that shoots 15-30 houses a week, I know walking in to a shoot with only one body is a no-no. I rented the k1 so I WOULD have two cameras at the wedding. And I also had a 7D as a last resort (which I rented a lens for). But thank you for the completely incorrect critique of my business practices. I spend an average of $5,000 a year on equipment and most of that is to make sure I have redundancies in everything, from my computers I edit with to the cameras I shoot with.

---------- Post added 06-28-16 at 01:56 PM ----------

I don't see the OP as a Pro, any more than I am because I shoot some squirrels as a part of my life of leisure. But.....that does not negate his misery at a malfunction, and difficulty in retaining a fast easy remedy. Most of us here are not Pro shooters, but the pain of a failure is still a serious problem for us when it happens.

Should we be penalized in service because Ricoh knows that most of us are hobbyists? I think not.

Regards!

Rupert, nobody should be penalized, no matter what they use their gear for. But I generate 100% of my income from photography; I would think that that qualifies me as a pro.

[niceshot]

I wish you would have actually read my posts rather than cherrypick what you were looking for. I HAVE a backup - a k5iis (which I made clear in my first post). But the malfunctioned k1 left me with only one camera, which, as a Pro that shoots 15-30 houses a week, I know walking in to a shoot with only one body is a no-no. I rented the k1 so I WOULD have two cameras at the wedding. And I also had a 7D as a last resort (which I rented a lens for). But thank you for the completely incorrect critique of my business practices. I spend an average of $5,000 a year on equipment and most of that is to make sure I have redundancies in everything, from my computers I edit with to the cameras I shoot with.

---------- Post added 06-28-16 at 01:56 PM ----------



Rupert, nobody should be penalized, no matter what they use their gear for. But I generate 100% of my income from photography; I would think that that qualifies me as a pro.

Yup that is your informed reader , giving his best opinion . And we all know how that one goes. Ari I think you have underscored the problems that Ricoh needs to address severely . Thx

[Rico]

I wish you would have actually read my posts rather than cherrypick what you were looking for. I HAVE a backup - a k5iis (which I made clear in my first post). But the malfunctioned k1 left me with only one camera, which, as a Pro that shoots 15-30 houses a week, I know walking in to a shoot with only one body is a no-no. I rented the k1 so I WOULD have two cameras at the wedding. And I also had a 7D as a last resort (which I rented a lens for). But thank you for the completely incorrect critique of my business practices. I spend an average of $5,000 a year on equipment and most of that is to make sure I have redundancies in everything, from my computers I edit with to the cameras I shoot with.

---------- Post added 06-28-16 at 01:56 PM ----------



Rupert, nobody should be penalized, no matter what they use their gear for. But I generate 100% of my income from photography; I would think that that qualifies me as a pro.

If you are a "Pro" why not have two K-1's that way you would have been covered? Unfortunately Ari the photography world doesn't revolve around you when your camera fails. Repairs are repairs. If you think some other brand would have treated you differently you can always move on.

[monochrome]

Yup that is your informed reader , giving his best opinion . And we all know how that one goes. Ari I think you have underscored the problems that Ricoh needs to address severely . Thx

NikonForums

Everyone there is so much better informed and there are no product or service issues either.

[Dave L]

I'm close to pulling the trigger on a K-1 because here in the UK, the prices are likely to rise this year due to the recent drop in the pound versus the dollar and yen. So I've checked my rights, in case mine should fail. Other UK readers may be interested in these extracts:

For the first 30 days, you are entitled to a replacement or refund if there's a fault (apart from misuse). Let's you go elsewhere to buy, if you need to.

For the next 5 months, any fault is assumed to have been there from the start unless the seller can prove otherwise. And you can get a full or part refund instead of repair if either of the following applies:

• a repair or replacement would cause you significant inconvenience
• the repair would take an unreasonably long amount of time.

So in the UK, we should not have to rely on the goodwill of the seller or Ricoh in many of the problem cases mentioned in this thread, we could demand a refund if necessary and go find our own replacement. Within the first 6 months. It puts my mind at rest, I think I will pull that trigger.

[Ari]

If you are a "Pro" why not have two K-1's that way you would have been covered? Unfortunately Ari the photography world doesn't revolve around you when your camera fails. Repairs are repairs. If you think some other brand would have treated you differently you can always move on.

Why are you questioning my Pro status because I have one ff and one APS as a backup? And why shouldn't a company be as responsive as they were after I pushed the issue at the beginning, rather than having to be a squeaky wheel? I buy camera bodies on an 18 month cycle for depreciation reasons. No matter your "status" as a photographer, I'd like to see how thrilled you'd be if you suddenly found out your camera was going to be in repair longer than you've actually owned it. Next time I won't say anything about how I was able to get satisfactory results in the hopes my fellow Pentaxians knew it was possible to get great customer service from Ricoh. Thanks to everyone for questioning my career, my spending habits and my work habits for sharing my story. This used to be a friendly forum where people shared info to help others, not to open themselves up to this idiocy. I'll keep my mouth shut from now on and just stick to the marketplace.

[Rico]

Why are you questioning my Pro status because I have one ff and one APS as a backup? And why shouldn't a company be as responsive as they were after I pushed the issue at the beginning, rather than having to be a squeaky wheel? I buy camera bodies on an 18 month cycle for depreciation reasons. No matter your "status" as a photographer, I'd like to see how thrilled you'd be if you suddenly found out your camera was going to be in repair longer than you've actually owned it. Next time I won't say anything about how I was able to get satisfactory results in the hopes my fellow Pentaxians knew it was possible to get great customer service from Ricoh. Thanks to everyone for questioning my career, my spending habits and my work habits for sharing my story. This used to be a friendly forum where people shared info to help others, not to open themselves up to this idiocy. I'll keep my mouth shut from now on and just stick to the marketplace.

Wow slow down Ari. I am not even going to read your post. You came on here proclaiming your "Pro" status that Pentax needed to move you to the front of the line. My logic if I were a "Pro" would be to have a second K-1 if it were that vital to my production. Anything can happen like having a catastrophic drop that disables a camera or a system failure. I wouldn't want to be stuck waiting for warranty repair to resolve the problem of not having a camera especially with a newly launched camera such as the K-1.

[niceshot]

Why are you questioning my Pro status because I have one ff and one APS as a backup? And why shouldn't a company be as responsive as they were after I pushed the issue at the beginning, rather than having to be a squeaky wheel? I buy camera bodies on an 18 month cycle for depreciation reasons. No matter your "status" as a photographer, I'd like to see how thrilled you'd be if you suddenly found out your camera was going to be in repair longer than you've actually owned it. Next time I won't say anything about how I was able to get satisfactory results in the hopes my fellow Pentaxians knew it was possible to get great customer service from Ricoh. Thanks to everyone for questioning my career, my spending habits and my work habits for sharing my story. This used to be a friendly forum where people shared info to help others, not to open themselves up to this idiocy. I'll keep my mouth shut from now on and just stick to the marketplace.

It is a shame if you dare to tell the truth the wolves come out to bite, anyway Ari as far as I am concerned your comments are most certainly welcome.

[Rico]

It is a shame if you dare to tell the truth the wolves come out to bite, anyway Ari as far as I am concerned your comments are most certainly welcome.

Good grief man were are the wolves coming out?

We are talking warrantee repair here aren't we? I have dealt with warrantee repair before. It is what it is. So what did Ari teach us if you contact as many people as possible this will trigger speeding up your warrantee repair. The people who don't do that have to wait in line behind people like Ari.

I say good for Ari. Not only was the repair speed up they received a brand new replacement instead.

[Rupert]

Rupert, nobody should be penalized, no matter what they use their gear for. But I generate 100% of my income from photography; I would think that that qualifies me as a pro.

Pardon me...I was thinking you were a Realtor and that was your main business.....I guess I misunderstood or misread your post...which is not uncommon for me. My apology!

So...I guess this means you are not interested in shooting my squirrels for free?....they will be so disappointed. My work is never satisfactory for them. Realtors are tough to deal with...but nothing like a bunch of picky squirrels.

Best Regards!

[niceshot]

Pardon me...I was thinking you were a Realtor and that was your main business.....I guess I misunderstood or misread your post...which is not uncommon for me. My apology!

So...I guess this means you are not interested in shooting my squirrels for free?....they will be so disappointed. My work is never satisfactory for them. Realtors are tough to deal with...but nothing like a bunch of picky squirrels.

Best Regards!

LOL htat is great