If your the owner of a Sigma Lens and need it serviced at CR Kennedy, I'm just giving you a warning.
Throw the lens away and either buy the proper Nikon, Canon, or what ever fits the camera your using. I know I'm probably one of a very very small crowd of people that have had a problem, but I'm far from going to be the last. Now as I have a pretty big soap box to stand on, I'm about to get up there and roar.
1) When I took my camera and lens into them for re-calibration and checking (as it has never really been sharp even right down to f8), the service technicians (or that's who I think they were) told me about a week and it really shouldn't take much longer.
2) So after almost a week I planned on popping in to collect my camera and newly calibrated lens but was informed it was not done yet and it should be ready very early the next week and I should call Tuesday.
3)Tuesday of the next week (so 2 weeks for a 1 week check) the camera still hasn't been done (even though it was "started" a week ago) and to call Thursday for a very accurate time as to when it will be finished.
4) The call is placed on Thursday and I'm told it should be ready Friday and I should call to check and make sure so it can be collected.
5) Call Friday morning and it's redirected straight to the Sydney Office. The lady on the other end of the phone informs me that Melbourne is relocating to a new warehouse and won't be contactable till Monday afternoon Tuesday Morning and she can email them any questions I might have.
6) Call Monday making sure they understand that if my camera is not ready I don't really care anymore I just need it back. I have lost 2 bookings and untold dollars and that I'm at the point where some form of reimbursement might be in order for the money I have lost unable to work. I'm also informed that the lens calibration has started and it should be ready Tuesday.
7) Tuesday I call and I'm told it will be finished and ready to collect Wednesday. When prompted as to a time for collection I was told I should call prior, as there are no guarantee's. I then explained yet again what was happening and the lengths I would go, we came to an agreement that they would ship my camera to me overnight via courier. I was also told they would call and or email me the tracking number.
8) Wednesday Morning and after not receiving a call or email with the tracking number I call and receive the number and check online to see where it is, and before I could even enter the password the delivery man arrives and my camera and lens finally made it back into my hands. After 20-30 test shots it looks absolutely no different. So it took 3 weeks for my camera and lens to be calibrated, checked, and fine tuned for the images to look no different.
What's the morale of this story? Well there are a couple.
1) DON'T SKIMP ON EQUIPMENT!! This is the first and last time I will say this. I was in a bit of a pickle at the time and need a lens FAST. This was the only one available so I went and bought it WITHOUT USING IT FIRST!! Go to the stores and try out the gear, If I had of tested it first, I would have never bought it.
2) THE CUSTOMER COMES FIRST! Yep I have burnt 1 or 2 bridges in my time photographically and when I worked in retail. Sometimes things just never go right and you do have to be that guy or gal that bails at the last minuet and screw's the pooch. I have always tried to give enough time so people can find alternatives. But to have a company lie and misinform me as much as they did, that's some of the worst customer service ever.
OK they never changed me for the work on the camera or the shipping, but I think that's the least they could do. I must admit though, I will never buy anything from Sigma again, or anything that is related to the CR Kennedy company's again. If I can ABSOLUTELY make sure of it.
Throw the lens away and either buy the proper Nikon, Canon, or what ever fits the camera your using. I know I'm probably one of a very very small crowd of people that have had a problem, but I'm far from going to be the last. Now as I have a pretty big soap box to stand on, I'm about to get up there and roar.
1) When I took my camera and lens into them for re-calibration and checking (as it has never really been sharp even right down to f8), the service technicians (or that's who I think they were) told me about a week and it really shouldn't take much longer.
2) So after almost a week I planned on popping in to collect my camera and newly calibrated lens but was informed it was not done yet and it should be ready very early the next week and I should call Tuesday.
3)Tuesday of the next week (so 2 weeks for a 1 week check) the camera still hasn't been done (even though it was "started" a week ago) and to call Thursday for a very accurate time as to when it will be finished.
4) The call is placed on Thursday and I'm told it should be ready Friday and I should call to check and make sure so it can be collected.
5) Call Friday morning and it's redirected straight to the Sydney Office. The lady on the other end of the phone informs me that Melbourne is relocating to a new warehouse and won't be contactable till Monday afternoon Tuesday Morning and she can email them any questions I might have.
6) Call Monday making sure they understand that if my camera is not ready I don't really care anymore I just need it back. I have lost 2 bookings and untold dollars and that I'm at the point where some form of reimbursement might be in order for the money I have lost unable to work. I'm also informed that the lens calibration has started and it should be ready Tuesday.
7) Tuesday I call and I'm told it will be finished and ready to collect Wednesday. When prompted as to a time for collection I was told I should call prior, as there are no guarantee's. I then explained yet again what was happening and the lengths I would go, we came to an agreement that they would ship my camera to me overnight via courier. I was also told they would call and or email me the tracking number.
8) Wednesday Morning and after not receiving a call or email with the tracking number I call and receive the number and check online to see where it is, and before I could even enter the password the delivery man arrives and my camera and lens finally made it back into my hands. After 20-30 test shots it looks absolutely no different. So it took 3 weeks for my camera and lens to be calibrated, checked, and fine tuned for the images to look no different.
What's the morale of this story? Well there are a couple.
1) DON'T SKIMP ON EQUIPMENT!! This is the first and last time I will say this. I was in a bit of a pickle at the time and need a lens FAST. This was the only one available so I went and bought it WITHOUT USING IT FIRST!! Go to the stores and try out the gear, If I had of tested it first, I would have never bought it.
2) THE CUSTOMER COMES FIRST! Yep I have burnt 1 or 2 bridges in my time photographically and when I worked in retail. Sometimes things just never go right and you do have to be that guy or gal that bails at the last minuet and screw's the pooch. I have always tried to give enough time so people can find alternatives. But to have a company lie and misinform me as much as they did, that's some of the worst customer service ever.
OK they never changed me for the work on the camera or the shipping, but I think that's the least they could do. I must admit though, I will never buy anything from Sigma again, or anything that is related to the CR Kennedy company's again. If I can ABSOLUTELY make sure of it.
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