Swarovski Service
Equipment
Anyone deal with Swaro customer service lately? I recently sent in a pair of SLC 10X42s that are around 8 years old. The didn't want to focus as crisply as before and the eye cups were worn out.
Swaro called this week and want $175 to replace a broken prism and recommended I spend another 175 to replace the lens as they are tell me have micro scratches that will eventually effect the clarity.
Granted these binos are 8 years old, didn't expect to have to shell out close to 400 bucks (add tax and shipping back) to have them repaired. I wasn't expecting a free repair or replacement, but just surprised at the costs.
Anyone else have a current experiences with SONA?
I lost one of the rubber lens covers on my ELs last fall. Emailed them about buying a new set. Had a new pair free of charge in 2 days. Granted, not the same as a broken prism or scratched lens but good fast service.
I have a spotting scope that had a lose eyepiece and I sent it in for repair a few months ago. They fixed it and sent it back free of charge. Everything went smooth with the entire process. The spotting scope was only a few years old. I thought when I was sending it in I read that after 3 years the warranty isn’t as good, but I could be wrong.
I had a problem with an eyepiece that would no longer retract for eyeglass wearers on my 10X42 EL'S as a result of a hard impact. My binos are at least 15 years old. They corrected the problem, thoroughly cleaned them and replaced the rubber eyecups. They were then returned to me at no charge. My only cost was shipping to them and insurance. My total cost was $44.00 by way of US Postal service. I was also notified by email of service receipt and completion of work. Overall, I was more than satisfied with there service.
Wore the rubber lens covers out after 20 years. Called and got the replacements free in 3 days.
Well, lenses and prisms are hardly a rubber eyepiece. I would fully expect to pay for a repair.
Great customer service doesn't mean free of charge...
My Swarovski binoculars had a chip in the lens caused by me, I sent them in and they repaired them with updated glass and the charge was $250. I was more than happy with the service. The turn around time was about 6 weeks. I also put insurance on them through the post office.
From: HDE 14-Jul-18 Well, lenses and prisms are hardly a rubber eyepiece. I would fully expect to pay for a repair. Great customer service doesn't mean free of charge...
***Amen HDE! $400 doesn't sound that bad for those binos to have those particular parts replaced. Some people must not realize the cost on parts like that and the time to do the repairs.
No problem here when I had my 15’s serviced a year or so ago...Just paid shipping and insurance...
This is why I use vortex now. Never any questions asked and if it can't be repaired,NEW PAIR!
HDE never said free of charge. I'm not sure how the prism became damaged. Didn't come on here asking for free or expect free. Read the original post.
1. I'm a little shocked the the repair price with the up-sell attempt to get me to buy new lenses due to "micro scratched lenses" 2. What I have seen based on posts on this and other sites is a very inconsistent costs associated with their service.
I did read the original post. That comment was for those who think customer service equals freebies, hence the separate line.
Doesn't mean that anyone who has posted up till now thinks CS should be a freebie either...
Their warranty is actually pretty lousy by todays standards when a lot of manufacturers are offering lifetime warranty whatever the reason they are not working. Run over them with your truck and Vortex, Leupold, Nikon and others are replacing them. Shawn
I’ve had a pair 25 years and they are all I use. I had them run over by a truck in a Illinois corn field after a friend dropped them out of the truck. Minor damage. I sent them back a few years ago and had a complete over haul. Lens, rubber coating, eye pieces and more. I’m not sure they didn’t send a new pair. $135 total. Last year I lost an eye piece. They sent me two pairs by the end of the week at no charge. Great company and an awesome product.
One of the best customer services out there in my experience
Ive had good luck with swarovskis service, their turn around time is quick …. much better than leica! I cant speak for the other companies mentioned but Swarovski is far better glass than leupold vortex or Nikon. I just feel like you get what you pay for!
Dropped my new compacts 20 feet out of a tree and hit a rock . They were bent and one of the cups broken. Sent them back to get repair and figured I would have to pay something. Repaired and returned no charge, no questions asked. Less than 5 weeks total time, pretty happy with that. My Leica experience was less than stellar.
"Swarovski is far better glass than leupold vortex or Nikon."
Same glass, different finishing grind. Vortex has come a long way since they started. Anymore for those who use binos a couple times a year for a few days, it is a complete waste of money to buy Swaro's and better money spent going with Vortex.
And Now Vortex is made in China so cheaper for them to replace any defects or warranty !!!
I have a set of Bruntons and after 8 years the eye piece fell off. They said send um in . They sent me a brand new pair. All i had to do is pay shipping. $1800 binos ! And I bought them at a flee market for $300.
High end binos give you better build quality, better focus mechanics and better customer service. You don’t get any better glass itself. Today’s binoculars in nearly every brand have far superior glass and coatings than the high end had 15-20 years ago.
squid - I send in my 20 year old pair of 8.5x42 els this spring. Total repair price was $250. Lot wrong with them after ~100 days/year of use the last 2 decades. Your cost was in line with what I paid.
They feel and work like new now. Kinda like a car - you don't realize how beat up they are when it happens slowly over the years.
so whats the point of a lifetime warranty if you have to pay for fixes?
I have two pairs of Leopaulds and 1 Vortex. I have sent the leopaulds in several times for repairs and they have fixed and or replaced them with no questions. The vortex are newer, last year one lens got destroyed, not sure what happen. Sent them in, a couple of weeks latter received them back lens replaced. Shipping is the only thing I ever had to pay for. My openion is that Swarovski are some of the best glasses out there, but the high end Vortex are almost as good at a more affordable price and it seems that Vortex has a better warranty.
SBH - I don't have the warranty from the 20 year old box for my binoculars, but I found this on their site:
"In procuring this optical product from Swarovski Optik you now own a top-quality instrument for which we grant a worldwide warranty of 10 years from the date of purchase in accordance with the following conditions:
If defects in material and/or workmanship appear, we will take over material costs for the entire warranty period. We reserve the right in such instances to repair or replace the instrument or the defective part at our discretion. During the first five years we will take over the costs for materials and work.
This guarantee in no way limits the statutory warranty obligations. In the event that the range of products is changed, we reserve the right to repair defective instruments or to replace them with those of equal value."
The countries that make the best optics have a very different philosophy than the consumers in the US. Where the big three are made (Germany and Austria) the consumers only have a 10 year warranty.
We in the US are of the "use it 'til it breaks mentality" and we also expect a full lifetime warranty. People in Europe think more long term about their big purchases (consider that new home construction in the US would be considered shoddy work in Germany). We simply look at purchases as being more temporary, even disposable in many cases.
I have a Swarovski spotting scope and doubt that I'll ever use the warranty.
I have two pairs of ELs, a SLC and ATX right now and none of them ever seen the warranty dept. Had a older pair of SLCs that dropped off a ledge in the Daks and they replaired and replaced about everything for a nominal fee. It was well worth it. I have more days use the can count on all my swaro products without so much as a hitch.
Bought a set of 12x Vortex Razors before I bought my 12X ELs. I sent them back with a focus issue after few weeks use early fall, later that winter I took them to southern AZ on coues deer hunt, guess what ...focus shit the bed again. Vortex range finder, used the warranty on that also. Bought an AR that had Viper pst on it, the zero stop broke on that. Vortex was excellent on all their warranty work. Only problem is I used it on every vortex product I owned. Vortex isn’t even a consideration for me at this point.
I wouldn’t hesitate to to pay the repair for those SLCs
Have had my 8x30s for 23 years and I’ve beat the hell out of them, still going strong. Great little glass for Midwest whitetail hunting. Had my 10x42s for western hunting for 15 years with the same treatment. Probably some of the most dependable equipment I use every season. Only used the warranty once and the customer service was outstanding.
Vortex shouldn’t even be in the same discussion as Swaro. Buy once, cry once, but they’re worth it.
Just so you know Splitlimb13: Your "new" pair of Vortex was some other guys "pair" the year before. At Vortex "new" means refurbished. So basically the Vortex hype machine is just playing musical chairs with china/Japanese junk binoculars... JS
I thought this thread was about Swaros how did Vortex pop its head in here.ones a high end glass the other a medium end glass no comparison.
I use and abuse my Swaros pretty hard. I hadn't had them long when I broke the focus mechanism. Completely my fault. They were the new ELs, and so they had to send them back to Switzerland or wherever to fix. I can't remember exact cost, and can't remember if I paid shipping. I think they charged me $200 maybe? Something around there.
Honestly it was well worth it. Especially when it was my fault they broke in the first place.
I think expecting a warranty is fine for a defect in workmanship. Expecting a lifetime warranty for breakage that is my fault or from my use is not reasonable in my opinion. I can't use the piss out of them for 10 years and then expect a new pair just because.
I recently tried to have a replacement on an Ulfrotte woolpower jacket. The zipper broke. I had it just barely over their one year warranty period. They wouldn't replace. At first I was ticked. I love the freaking jacket. Warm. But then I cooled off. I did use the absolute tar out of that jacket in the year I had it. So obviously, it just wasn't up to snuff for my usage. So I'll not be buying another one. Lesson learned
10 year warranty. A company that has $250 in a prism and the “best lenses” in the world. Yet, they charge you $2500 for the Binos. I know there is more to it then that but, it gives you a real good idea of the mark up on them. Then to say they aren’t covered. What a joke. What a hour I Le joke this is to their consumers. Sounds like swaro’s are becoming the Yeti coolers of the optics world. Time will tell.
Don't remeber which ones I got but likely won't buy another pair. Don't feel it's worth the Franklin's for as much as I use them.
WV Mountaineer: Swaros have a 10 year warranty in the rest of the world, but lifetime in the US and Canada. The reason is because people here view their purchases as more disposable than in the rest of the world.
Comparing Swarovski to Vortex/Yeti doesn't make sense. Swarovski has been making optics since the 1940's (or earlier). Most of my underwear is older than Vortex or Yeti.
Curt, perhaps you should go back and re read what I typed. I never compared them to Voretex's. I said what a Joke of a warranty they have compared to what they and their following claim. Because it sure doesn't sound like they have a lifetime warranty any where. Much less in the US. Seems like they charge for some and, not for others to keep warranty work costs net neutral.
What you think is an incorrect comparison to Yeti coolers is not incorrect in the way it was meant. Swarvoski IS pricing themselves out of existence. Just like Yeti has been doing. Add in a warranty that is starting to fall behind their competitors and, Swaro's are no longer the clear choice for people looking for top tier glass. Proven by the many more choices of high dollar glass available now versus 10 years ago. Time line irrelevant, this kinda sounds like what is/has happened to a certain company in the cooler market. Because these same circumstances are what has caused Yeti's head long dive in market share as well.
Do you want optics where you are likely to need to use the warranty? I don't.
A friend of mine is a recent convert to Vortex, but he admitted it is only because a Vortex rep is a good friend and he can get a loaner replacement in a pinch - an option that is not available to most of us - because he knows he will eventually need it. And he has needed it.
There are guys who can have their binocs fail on a hunt and feel relieved they can get a free warranty replacement when they get home. And there are those who will pay to mitigate the risk of hunt disruption cause by optics failure. For the latter, Swarovski's (and Leica.....and Ziess…..and not Vortex) will remain the obvious choice.
I won’t speculate as some have taken the liberty to do in regards the Swarovski business model.
The fact remains for me is a bought ELs 12 years ago.Beat The Heck out of them for same period.Sent in for refurbishing ($100) and sold them for $100 less than original purchase 2 days on the market.
The guy called and emailed me several times later thanking me for the deal I gave him
VALUE
I guess I could have bought less glass and invested the difference and come out ahead but I chose to spend my discretionary dollars looking through great comfortable glass.
I make a living looking through Biomicroscopes (Zeiss) for hours on a day and the visual comfort of top end glass in the only way I will ever roll.
Zeiss for work and Swars for play make Johnny a happy boy
Justin, I read what you typed. I know you didn't mention Vortex. I meant the first sentence for you and the second sentence for everybody else. No problem, bud.
I really meant what I said. Most of my underwear is older than either of the companies Vortex or Yeti. I've taken good care of my underwear and have never had to send any of it back for warranty work. In fact, if my underwear was ever damaged, or in some cases totaled, it was entirely my fault and I take full responsibility.
I don't need a sales rep or company to check up on me to make me feel better about a purchase.
Equipment failing while in use is just part of buying stuff from other people. Misusing, abusing, and being careless is your own fault and if that is the case, maybe you should grow up and be more careful.
The only glass that matters is the one that does not put strain on your eyes the moment you look through them and the amount of time it takes for your eyes to refocus once you take them down. Brand has nothing to do with it and utility has everything to do with it.
Disclaimer: "you" and "your" is used in a generic sense.
Thought I would come back in and report my status since I started the thread.
My SLC's were confirmed received by SONA on 6/21. I received my first call from SONA on 7/13 I paid the repair fee on 7/17 Bino's showed up today and I'm pretty sure it is a new set. I had some tell tale wear signs on them after having them for 8 years and using them for 100+ days per year and they are nowhere to be found. They also shipped with new lens caps.
For the amount of the repairs, the fast turn around and the like new set, I'm quite happy with the service.
who would have thought.....^^ good choice, money well spent. You will have years of enjoyment and use from those binoculars. Swarovski for me is always an esay decision. Top shelf company, people and products.
as Gomer would say
SURPRISE SURPRISE.
best in class optics and warranty
as Gomer would say
SURPRISE SURPRISE.
best in class optics and warranty
