Really Really REALLY Kind of Fed Up With CPS

I need some advice. I've been a loyal Cnaon user since I started shooting professionally over 3 years ago ( & as a hobbyist before that). Never had a real complaint about Canon or how they handle problems, even when I did have a problem with a product. Any problems have always been solved to my total satisfaction. However...this is fast changing. I bought a new Canon 5D MKIII from Best Buy on March 13, 2013. I am a member of CPS (Canon Professional Services) so waived the Best Buy extended warranty. Within 6 months, I began having a problem with getting random images that were hot neon green or pink. The first one was a wedding in Sept. 2013, a green one. I kind of shrugged it off as a weird freakish occurrence. It was only one image & not a crucial one. Then, it happened again, with a few neon pink images, so I called CPS & they told me to send it in, which I did. They "repaired" it on Dec. 12, 2013. The part description on the invoice showed "PCB ASS'Y Main" which i was told was the circuit board. In January it happened again (pink images). I called & was told to send the camera in again, which I did. This time the repair invoice showed "CMOS SENSOR ASS'Y W/O FB DATA", repair done on Feb. 7,2014. In the first week of March it happened again. I called CPS again, & explained how frustrating this was & how my confidence in this camera was completely undermined & I was about to start the busiest wedding season I've had yet as a photographer & I wanted to have the camera replaced. I was told this wasn't possible without the camera being sent back in & being examined & tested again. So I did, using the 3 day turnaround for Gold members. They did send me a loaner since I had a session during that time. When I hadn't heard anything for almost a week, I called & the Canon rep I'd been talking with checked on it & told me the camera was still with the 'engineers'. She was very polite & eager to help, said she didn't know what the hold up was, but that I could keep the loaner till we got word from the engineers on my camera (the loaner, btw, was fanTAStic! No issues & it just performed overall light years better than mine ever had, what the difference is I don't know). So finally the rep calls me back & says they are replacing the PCB Assembly. I asked if that wasn't what they replaced the first time & she said it was "related" but not exactly the same thing. I reiterated how leery I was with my camera now & it's repeated problem, especially since the engineers weren't able to replicate it so really couldn't say exactly what the casue was, & asked her if I had any avenue to pursue getting the camera replaced since the problems began well before the one year warranty arrived. She said no, but she would extend my warranty for 6 more months & if the problem happened again, she wanted me to call her directly & she wold have more ammunition to go to someone & say it needed to be replaced. So what choice did I have? I've had the camera back about one week, shot one wedding & one bridal. No neon images, but three times it's kind of frozen while I was shooting & there was a "Busy..." message on the display. It's never done that with me. I am just so disappointed in Canon's refusal to make this right. I mean, I paid over $3000 for this camera & they've had it THREE TIMES & still aren't sure what the problem is/was & now it's doing this other weird thing?? (I did email the rep to tell her about this, haven't heard anything back). What would you do in this situation?

Are you sure you don't have a memory card issue?

Nope, Woolburr, this happened on several different cards. Once it was both the CF & the SD card. it's also not an issue with theprogram I'm using to import, because the last time, we saw the images right after they were taken, in camera. (This is if you're talking about the green/pnk images. I have no idea what this new "Busy" problem is from. All I can tell you is it never happened before this last repair & it's done it with 2 different cards.)

It is difficult from their side of things too to try to fix a fault that doesn't happen for them. Especially if it's taking a month or more to actually play up. As you say, the one you had on loan was faultless, but I would imagine that in the same timeframe you had yours back that it was also.

What is Best Buys return policy for issues like this?

Lloydd wrote in post #16804834
It is difficult from their side of things too to try to fix a fault that doesn't happen for them. Especially if it's taking a month or more to actually play up. As you say, the one you had on loan was faultless, but I would imagine that in the same timeframe you had yours back that it was also.

What is Best Buys return policy for issues like this?

Because Canon actually had the camera when the year from purchase was up ( March 13th ) all they will do is send it to their repair department to see if they can find the problem & if they can, tell me what it will cost to fix it. No loaner while they have it. I have little hope their camera techs can find something that Canon has been unable to.

I understand your point about their reluctance ot fix a problem they can't duplicate, but I sent them the images from the last malfunction so they KNOW it's been happening. It's not my fault they can't duplicate it. In my opinion they should take the camera back, see if they can find the problem, sell it as a refurbished. They've gotten tens of thousands of dollars from me in the last 3 years. They should back their product. Yes, I'm a little miffed. But this is my business, my livelihood. I'm supposed to go into a wedding I've been paid nearly $3000 to shoot with this dread riding my shoulder that my camera might give me a few of these random unusable images? I think I've given Canon more than enough opportinitoes to find it & fix it - if they can't, they should pony up a replacement.

Lloydd wrote in post #16804834
What is Best Buys return policy for issues like this?

Best Buy, IMHO has the worst return policy possible. I returned something that was unopened more than 6 years ago, it was such a PIA I have not been in one of their stores since that experience and I will never go in one again.

I'd call CPS and tell them you need them to replace the camera. Explain to them this is your job and you have to have tools that work. If they push back, tell them you will be looking elsewhere for your future camera needs.

rick_reno wrote in post #16804878
Best Buy, IMHO has the worst return policy possible. I returned something that was unopened more than 6 years ago, it was such a PIA I have not been in one of their stores since that experience and I will never go in one again.

I'd call CPS and tell them you need them to replace the camera. Explain to them this is your job and you have to have tools that work. If they push back, tell them you will be looking elsewhere for your future camera needs.

I did that pretty much, tho I did obviously take the camera back. I didn't feel I had any choice they were going to ship it back regardless of what I said.

I had that busy issue on a lower tier camera that Canada CPS would not cover, replaced the PCB to fix it at several hundred dollars. Camera would show busy and then completely freeze up and I'd have to pull the battery to clear it, and that fix would not last very long either.
The busy issue may not be related to your first colours issue, and may be something entirely new inherent to the new PCB.

Fair call. Hopefully they stand by it and offer a full replacement then. Like you say, the fact you need it for your job, you've spent thousands with them and are a CPS member should help that along.

rick_reno wrote in post #16804878
Best Buy, IMHO has the worst return policy possible. I returned something that was unopened more than 6 years ago, it was such a PIA I have not been in one of their stores since that experience and I will never go in one again.

I'd call CPS and tell them you need them to replace the camera. Explain to them this is your job and you have to have tools that work. If they push back, tell them you will be looking elsewhere for your future camera needs.

Wow, 6 years is a long time to hold a grudge. They have let me return and exchange things with zero hassle for several years now. Since they match prices for just about all of the major online retailers i shop there often.

Lloydd wrote in post #16805114
Fair call. Hopefully they stand by it and offer a full replacement then. Like you say, the fact you need it for your job, you've spent thousands with them and are a CPS member should help that along.

I sure hope so. I have loved being a Canon girl, but this sure is giving me a bad taste in my mouth after spending so much money on Canon equipment. I expected more of a willingness to make me happy after seeing I had a legitimate problem occurring way before the first year was up.

Well, the stuff is about to hit the fan - I just culled my sneak peek images from my wedding this past Sat. & lo & behold, there's one bright neon green image in there. No more Mrs. Nice Guy. No more "Send it in & we'll evaluate it". I've already emailed the CPS rep & attached the image & I better get a call nice & early tomorrow morning. I've got a wedding Sat., an engagement next Fri. and a 10 hr wedding day the next day. I better see some speed put on getting this resolved. I'm am ticked the heck off. But trying to hold it down & give CPS the benefit of the doubt that they will at last make this right.

Might be time to go Noink.

Better yet, I hear the new Sonys are nice.

20droger wrote in post #16808695
Might be time to go Noink.

Better yet, I hear the new Sonys are nice.

Lol I hear ya! Ot would be SUCH a major pain (not to mention investment) to have to totally switch gear - the lenses alone, oy!!

Michelle Brooks Photography wrote in post #16808919
Lol I hear ya! Ot would be SUCH a major pain (not to mention investment) to have to totally switch gear - the lenses alone, oy!!

I don't know, I sold off all my L glass. You don't take much of a hit on them.