Two years ago I spent some weeks traveling in China. My K10d felt down from a table and the glass of the viewfinder broke. By Pentax' international webpages I found their service center in Shanghai. Not able to get contact by phone I went by taxi. The danish company told me that Pentax didn't renew their contract one year earlier! They replied positive when I asked them if its correct that Pentax' webpages have not been updated for the last 1-2 years. -Many others are coming here, all the time... They called the new service center and got confirmed that they had a new glass for my viewfinder.
I immediately went over to RICOH China Service Center in 1199 Fu Xing Zhong Road. Because this was my last day in Shanghai I asked them if it was possible for them to change the glass immediately. Unfortunately not. The service man was not in office. -Then I will try to do it by myself or get help from a camera shop in the southern China, I replied. -Let me just purchase the glass and bring it with me. Sorry, we are not allowed to sell you the glass as a sparepart! I protested. Sorry, but this is regulated by Ricoh China. They are not allowing us to sell spareparts directly to customers. We have to repair your camera. -Does that mean that I am not allowed to purchase the glass you have in your hand? Yes, we are sorry, they replied.
Unable to delay my departure I spent the last 10 days in a humid and hot Guangdong province. I was still able to use the camera but didn't like all the humidity that got into the viewfinder... Finally in Hong Kong a small second hand shop in CyberCity Center repaired my K10d in half an hour! From the same shop I purchased 1 more K10d (1100 HK$ ) and 4-5 pentax lenses.
I am sure that if you try to call RICOH China Service Center in Shanghai (
Asia | Service Contacts | Support | RICOH IMAGING ) then they will give the same reply; -We're not allowed to sell Pentax spareparts to you directly! -It's your problem that you are a owner of a Pentax camera! -We don't care about that!
All together, a very negative experience. I hope I will never more have to disturb a Ricoh Service Center!