Nikon LOST My D4!!! Found It A Week Later. Then Sent It Back Broken.

LivLif

This has absolutely been the WORST customer service experience I have EVER had with a company. I'm an NPS member and have an important shoot coming up. I decided I might as well send in my main camera and have it cleaned and have them fix an issue that I have with my WT-5 transmitter (will not screw all the way into the D4). I was going to need its functionality to wirelessly tether the camera so we can upload images directly to the media outlets and the organization I'm shooting for. I sent in the camera, WT-5 and a Nikon 24mm 1.4 on 12/17/12. Nikon received them on 12/19/12. ON 12/21/12 I received a Service order number for the 24mm but nothing for the D4 or WT-5. This is what got me worried. They were all in the same box. How could I not receive a SO# for the D4 and WT-5 which was next to the lens in the box. I immediately called Nikon Customer care who contacts the NIkon service center. The service center tells them they can't find my camera or WT-5. At this point I'm sick to my stomach thinking about this situation. I can't believe that they would be careless enough to loose a $6000 camera. They said they will try to locate them and get back to me as soon as they find it. After calling everyday for SIX days talking to countless reps and two supervisors they finally find the camera and start the repair on 1/3/13. Today (1/8/13) I received the camera in the mail via UPS only to find that the WT-5 transmitter still doesn't work. I called into Customer care and they offered to send me a shipping label to have the camera repaired again. I can't believe I went through all of this and still have a broken camera. Where is the quality control? Do their repair technicians even check the functionality before leaving the service center? It's complete <> that I have to send in the camera again for repair. I'm so <> at Nikon right now. I even tried contacting David Dentry, who is in charge of the Nikon customer experience and Nikon NPS, and never got a reply. Nikon really dropped the ball on this.

SkintBrit

Wow LivLif, it certainly sounds like they did this time. I would certainly put the details you mention above, in a recorded letter to the head of the NPS, and demand a response.

Golf007sd

@LivLif I second SkinBrit remarks. This is TOTALY unacceptable. I would demand a loaner unit till they fix your issues!

Symphotic

Ah-oh...they've got my D800. Had it for a week, but I haven't heard a peep. Maybe I'll start calling tomorrow...

marpater

Wow, that is one bit of bad luck. Sounds to me that you must break out the pen and write a might letter to everyone and his brother!

spraynpray

I just sent a lens in to the Service Centre for repair and while reading all the instructions, I read that it says you must obtain an RMA for each item you send in for repair (doesn't include accessories like lens caps) and that accessories (lens caps etc.) should be listed. You should have three RMA's for your repair.

Did you fill in the form on-line and print your returns label yourself or does NPS imply some other system?

Swame_sp

Welcome to Nikon service... That's how they treat you. They lost my D7000 by sending it wrong address. Fortunately by friend was living there to send it back to them. But Nikon's reply on this was, it's not our fault, please go and collect it yourself.

I was like shut the he.. up!!!

Even after repair, same issue has popped up again now, have sent it back for repair 2 days ago. It just sucks to wait with no updates from these guys. Nikon, can you start to treat your customers well? You are a company because of us (the customers).

macfly

This is good to hear - well not really, but at least I know I'm not alone in what I've experienced so far!

While I have been enjoying my D800's, I have been really unimpressed with Nikon's phone support (it's so bad it actually makes American Airlines look good!) and I've been sorely missing CPS. Canon have it set up so you can phone CPS directly, talk to a person who knows what a f.stop is, works at the facility, can give you exact turnaround times and details of your repair, and in 20 years they've never had one slip up (with my gear anyway).

So far my experience with Nikon echoes all the other posts here, except I can't even get into NPS because no one there will take the time to look at my website, and see what I do for a living!

Honestly it never occured to me that Nikon USA would support Nikon's products so badly. I thought they were in a serious competition with Canon, but on service they loose so badly as to take Nikon products out of serious contention altogether.

When Canon (finally) get their high mp body sorted I think I'll just switch back. (Thank heavens the tax man allows us to write off all this gear!)

Golf007sd

If someone reading this is at CES, bring this matter to their attention. Get us a name, phone number of a person we, as a community, can talk to.

LivLif

Perfect idea Golf. There has to be some way of submitting this to the high ups.

Sanook

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Sanook

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SkintBrit

I just sent a lens in to the Service Centre for repair and while reading all the instructions, I read that it says you must obtain an RMA for each item you send in for repair (doesn't include accessories like lens caps) and that accessories (lens caps etc.) should be listed. You should have three RMA's for your repair.

Did you fill in the form on-line and print your returns label yourself or does NPS imply some other system?

The NPS welcome pack comes with all the "priority fast track" forms needed to send an item in for service. I don't remember ever needing an RMA? Unfortunately my own experience of Nikon Service is also marred with incompetence. Such a shame, as the people are great.

spraynpray

I just sent a lens in to the Service Centre for repair and while reading all the instructions, I read that it says you must obtain an RMA for each item you send in for repair (doesn't include accessories like lens caps) and that accessories (lens caps etc.) should be listed. You should have three RMA's for your repair.

Did you fill in the form on-line and print your returns label yourself or does NPS imply some other system?

The NPS welcome pack comes with all the "priority fast track" forms needed to send an item in for service. I don't remember ever needing an RMA? Unfortunately my own experience of Nikon Service is also marred with incompetence. Such a shame, as the people are great.

Ah, by 'the people' you probably mean the customer service people on the phone Skinty - they are nice people I agree but they need better people doing the administration behind them I think. The tech's seem good too (fortunately).