Nikon Service Center in New Jersey, why so poor service lately.

Ebvette · Dec 7, 2012

I have used the Nikon Service Center in NJ for many years, and never have experienced any major problems. Well over a week ago I sent in my D-800 to have the left side focus issue fixed. Still have not received an email from Nikon providing me the fact they received the camera and issuing a service repair number, and status. NOTHIING... I checked UPS tracking, since camera was insured, and they stated the camera was received two days after I shipped at the NJ Nikon Center.

Also have a signed receipt of the person who received the camera, so next step I called the Nikon Service Center. I talked to a "not so nice" person, which I felt I must of interrupted her coffee break, who, after keeping me on hold for over 15 mins, told me the did recevied the camera, but they are backed up because they are so busy, and to call back in a couple of weeks if I don't have an email from them stating the service number. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? Come on Nikon, I have been buying and shooting your products for over 45 years, and this is what your service has amounted too. Give me a break on this. I followed up with email to service department three days ago, and have heard nothing.

Anybody else experience this for Nikon lately? I am very disappointed with Nikon.....:x

ghache · Dec 7, 2012

This is with everything these days. After sale services is ****, everywhere.

Derrel · Dec 7, 2012

The D800 left side focus issue has been so,so blown out of proportion on the web that I am positive Nikon has been innundated with D800 and D800e buyers who are absolutely convinced their camera "has that issue"...the way things work these days is one or two or three people have a problem with a product, and they write a negative review on, oh, let's just say, Amazon.com....where they bought their D800 from, along with their 28-300 $995 kit zoom....and they get the camera and take some sub-par pictures with their new 36 megapixel wonder...and the images are not good...and then next thing you know...they too are writing a negative review and sending their camera in to have it "fixed".

The left-side focus issue was a REAL, actual problem. But from what I have been able to discern, a LOT of people "think" they have a problem with their D800, but as is so often the case, it's often newbie error.

I bet Nikon's east- and west-coast repair facilities are SWAMPED with bodies from new full-frame shooters.

Ebvette · Dec 7, 2012

It maybe, but I am a professional and did the focus test with test screens and it does have a focus problem, that seems to have got worse the past month. That has nothing to do with Nikon not receipting they received the camera for repair. FYI...latest news is Nikon has LOST my D800...

Ebvette · Dec 7, 2012

Posted just recently about the poor service response from Nikon, well it has gotten worse, much worse...Sent camera for repair to the Melville, NY Service Center location, followed the directions on the Nikon Service and Repair website, sent via insured UPS, camera delivered to NIKON lobby and signed for by person initials LC, recorded Nikon received the expensive D800 camera on Monday. No email from Nikon stating they recieved the camera, sent inquiry email Wednesday, no reply, Thursday sent email and called Service center was told camera was received and is being processed, if I did not get service number call back on Friday. No service number received, called as instructed, was told they cannot find the camera. I asked if camera is not found will Nikon replace, and was told maybe. So as of today I am out a $3,000, camera that NIKON LOST. Tried numerous executive emails and numbers, either they emails were not good or no response from Nikon. So now I need to get my lawyer involved. I am a 44 year customer of Nikon, and this is how they treat ther long time customers.

At this point I highly recommend to stay away from Nikon and go to Canon.

pixmedic · Dec 7, 2012

sad as that is, i am sure you could find people that had the same experience with Canon, Pentax, Sony, and pretty much any manufacturer that mass produces anything.

still totally sucks. hope they get it resolved for you with either your camera or a new one.

Overread · Dec 7, 2012

Please don't cross post the same topic in multiple subsections. One thread is quite enough we don't need 3 on the same topic.

2WheelPhoto · Dec 7, 2012

I haven't noticed a focus prob with mine.

Overread · Dec 7, 2012

I wouldn't rush to get the lawyer involved just yet. There is a very high probability that they've had some organisational muck-up at their end and the camera the left hand has simply lost track of what the right hand is doing. Improper for a professional company, but it can happen (esp if there is a sudden surge in returns for repair).

I don't think adding the lawyer at this stage will do much - at least hold off contacting for the weekend. I think you need them to clearly admit that they've lost it fully and not just missplaced it (this tends to be more common that whoever takes it for repair forgets to sign a form and thus the camera gets "lost" in their system).

John27 · Dec 7, 2012

I wouldn't get too brand-bashy. Too many professionals across the globe have been using Nikon for far too long to say Canon is obviously superior because of one bad deal. (Canon shooter here, btw). Both brands are excellent, with their individual ups and downs.

You could have had the same experience with Canon, AND, the experience isn't over. You never know how they will respond in the end.

Bobby_C · Dec 8, 2012

One thing to note, these are NE service centers. We had a hurricane that wiped out a lot of this area and some parts are still recovering. I've been ordering a lot of photo stuff online and when it's shipped via USPS, it stops in the Kearny, NJ location for 3-5 days before it's processed.

I don't know the timeline of your transaction so I won't comment further. I will say that Nikon's customer service doesn't sound all that promising (and I just bought a D5100).

Good luck! Hope everything gets handled properly.

Mach0 · Dec 8, 2012

Bobby_C said:
One thing to note, these are NE service centers. We had a hurricane that wiped out a lot of this area and some parts are still recovering. I've been ordering a lot of photo stuff online and when it's shipped via USPS, it stops in the Kearny, NJ location for 3-5 days before it's processed.

I don't know the timeline of your transaction so I won't comment further. I will say that Nikon's customer service doesn't sound all that promising (and I just bought a D5100).

Good luck! Hope everything gets handled properly.

This is very true!!!! Many places are in rebuild phase.... OP maybe the person you spoke to was telling the truth.... Jersey did get hit the hardest. Imagine how backed up they were or how many cameras they were repairing got messed up due to insane flooding?

KmH · Dec 8, 2012

Ebvette said:
... but I am a professional ...

Do you have a NPS account?

Derrel · Dec 8, 2012

Check out Thom Hogan's most-recent column, December 6,2012, addressing the Nikon D800 issue, and how Nikon, USA is 'officially' handling the problems its customers are having...Nikon is absolutely SWAMPED with cameras, and is sending photos made by some D800's back to Japan for testing on the left-side focus issue!!! All in all, it's a pathetically POOR job of customer service that Nikon is providing.

Thom Hogan's Nikon Camera, DSLR, Lens, Flash, and Book site