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January 30, 2005
Praise where Praise is Due
I've fallen out of the habit of getting electronic equipment repaired, even under warranty. I've found the processes that you typically go through to get stuff fixed to be so byzantine and stressful that it's easier to just assume the risk of a certain amount of systems failure. Many companies make it as hard as possible to work out how to send stuff back, operate their warranties to the minimum limit of the law, require you to comply with all manner of weird requirements. All to avoid their legal obligations or stated warranty cover.
Just before Christmas, one of the pair of cameras I use to take stereo photos stopped reliably taking photos. I use Fuji cameras for this because their vertical format allows me to attach a pair of cameras to a bar using their tripod points, with a separation of only 73mm (only slightly more than typical eyes-apart distance). I've owned 5 Fuji digital cameras over the years, taken thousands of pictures, and have never previously had a problem with any of them.
It was still in warranty, about ten months old, though I bought it as an end-of-line clearance item. My previous experiences with warranty repair didn't give me good heart, but I couldn't replace it easily, so if I didn't get it repaired I was faced with buying two new cameras. But then I looked at the Fuji UK website, complete with clear instructions for both in and out of warranty cameras and an unequivocal 'we'll do what we can to keep your camera running' message, and sent it off with a copy of the paypal receipt because I could no longer find the invoice.
I got a receipt for the camera after two days, and my camera back less than a week after that, repaired under warranty and in perfect working order.
Posted by Alison at January 30, 2005 06:25 PM
Comments
Sometimes, companies don't suck. The one time I tried to use Sony for warranty repair was a nightmare. My experience with Fuji, however, matches yours -- simple, direct, and it worked.
Posted by: Erik V. Olson at January 31, 2005 02:31 PM