1 camera, 3 bad repairs by Canon.

Has Canon ever treated you like a dope?

My neighbor, Lois, has returned her 400D to Canon Service three times during this past year with the same complaint, soft images. They even had her send her 100-400L lens with the camera body on the second trip. Three trips to service and it was never repaired!

I now have this 400D here on my desk. I tested it this week using my "serviced" 100-400, her 100-400 and other Canon lenses that we know are good... This camera just doesn't make sharp images. It isn't front or back focus. After three trips to service the image still isn't ever close to sharp under any condition.

Look, this isn't the first camera that I've used or tested. Between the two of us we own 6 canon DSLR's and 15 newer Canon lenses. We are both experienced shooters, we know how these cameras work and we know what good digital images should look like.

I sent her camera in last time... The phone folks are nice and the turn around time was reasonable but the camera was not repaired and it is still unusable. Three trips through Canon Service, her warranty just expired and the camera has not been repaired...

Please, someone, drop me a private e-mail (it is in my profile) if you know who at Canon will take care of this PRONTO...

Who is the big cheese at Canon Service? Who can I talk to? I need someone who will cut all the crap and get her straightened out...

Don't ask... I'm not posting pix for a bunch of who struck John public discussion stuff... I'll take this up with someone at Canon first...

Do you think this is owner error, Mr. Funny? How do you feel when you are treated like a dope?

Best bet is to call the service center and explain the problem, and ask to speak to a manager. When things are this bad I tend to call the CEO, who not surprisingly get things moving pretty quick. That's probably not practical in the US. Perhaps try and find an email address for Chuck Westfall.

tim wrote in post #4061534
Perhaps try and find an email address for Chuck Westfall.

That would be cwestfall (at) cusa.canon.com, I believe.

I'm sensing some anger here (as they say on TV), and it sounds justified. May I respectfully suggest that you take 10 deep breaths and proof-read your email five times before you send it. I suspect that desperation and exasperation are more likely to attrract sympathetic help from the Canon hierarchy than a rant. Just my view.

xarqi is right, friendly, polite emails are far more effective angry ones. People get defensive reading an angry email, whereas if you can get the reader on your side they're far more likely to want to help you.

one more urgind you to keep cool in the letter. you'll get a much better response and results if you state your argumently calmy but very clearly with some evidence of bad shots and explain that you both have experience with dslrs and canon's at that.

i do hope they'll respond better this time. best of luck.

Thanks folks... Rest assured that I can contain my excitement and make a good case if I can get the ear of someone above this mob who have given Lois the run around for a year...

Someone at DP Review gave me a link to a Russian language forum where photos are posted showing this problem: At Photo.club.ru http://club.foto.ru …7&mode=l&page=1​#listStart
We get the same results using L lenses shooting at f8 and f11... There isn't any question about it, Lois has a bad 400D...

I posted this same plea looking for a contact person at DPR and Fred Miranda's... The POTN forum is by far the most civil of the lot...

I was in a very similar position with my front-focusing XT -- three trips to Canon Factory Service, numerous calls to Canon Customer Service and Repair centers, months of time wasted, the camera warranty running down and an overall patronizing attitude.

If you have any patience left, you need to email Canon Customer Service Support and complain. Often. Daily. Keep it polite but firmly assert that there is a problem and its not been taken care of after three trips to factory service. Email to Customer Service is often monitored by higher ups who can help.

If this doesn't work or if you're completely out of patience, PM me and I'll give you the name of the Canon guy who helped me when I was about to completely give up and sell the XT for $99.95 on ebay.

Even if the waranty is finish Canon have the obligation to put the camera in good shape or replace it as the problem start under waranty. My girlfriend have a similar experience with her GL-1 video camera. The same problem appear again and again until the waranty finish. At this time Canon want to be paid, she refuse, finaly Canon give up because they know this was a wining legal case for us. They have to sale a product that work for a resonable time end or not of the waranty (especially at this product price) . Give them an ultimatum last try at repair or a new one (registred letter with the whole story and record of all the visit to the shop service, etc...)

Roy NN7DX wrote in post #4061189
Has Canon ever treated you like a dope?

Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, turned it into a pillowcase. Do a search on "$1200".

Oddly as I type this I'm wearing a Canon golf shirt.

cosworth wrote in post #4063301
Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, turned it into a pillowcase. Do a search on "$1200".
Oddly as I type this I'm wearing a Canon golf shirt.

Perhaps I'm having a dizzy spell (with a slight touch of gas) but I got the spins trying to work out just which "$1200" result I should be looking at...

Great that you got some versatile sports atire and bedding out of the deal...

Me? I like nice clothes and a comfy place to lay my weary head as much as the next guy but I'd rather get the camera fixed...

I spent over $1600 in repairs, shipping and pissing about with Canon with one issue. No free shirt. That was provided by my mother at Christmas.

Canon repair can (expletive insert at your desire) themselves.