NIKON TO END IT'S 3RD PARTY REPAIR PROGRAM

[dburanich]

Nikon ending sale of parts to 3rd party repair companies.
I have used the company interviewed, Kurt's Camera many times.
Great service, quick delivery.
It's a shame. All about the profits.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/2019-12-10-nikon-ends-authorized-third-party-repairs.html

 

[Allan]

I can see the economic reason behind it but unless they increase the number of technicians often long repair waits will get longer. It will also end the practice of just repairing what you want repaired. Nikon always has a standard they want to reach for repairs so they will fix things you don't really want fixed.

 

[dburanich]

I wonder what they will do on equipment they no longer service due to age.
I was able to take lenses to Kurt's that Nikon would no longer work with.

 

[7006]

I would think that is great news for repair companies in Canada for out of warranty gear.

 

[Jonathan F/2]

Nikon is really going to shoot themselves in the foot for this. I could understand cutting off non-authorized independent repair shops from parts, but authorized repair shops gave customers options especially on warranty repairs. Also for out-of-warranty repairs authorized independent repair shops are sometimes cheaper and faster. The problem is that Nikon Repair is very stiff when it comes to service and might be slow at times. This is also a good reason to buy non-gray market as well, because Nikon USA won't touch anything imported with a 10 foot pole!

Though, on the flip side I'm sure business has been very slow and in order to justify maintaining two repair centers, Nikon probably thought this was the most economically feasible course of action. The sad part is that we have Apple Stores all over the place, Samsung Galaxy showrooms at the mall and smartphone kiosks setup even in the smallest city Target stores. The photography industry is in the dumps!

 

[Butlerkid]

Another article.....

 

[bpdougd]

What are the repair options and policies from the competition (Canon, Sony, etc)?

 

[Palouse]

So, goodbye APS? And what impact will this have on Lens Rentals?

 

[gnagel]

So, goodbye APS? And what impact will this have on Lens Rentals?

I own a lot of older gear that is no longer under warranty...and some grey market lenses as well. I also drive to APS to drop off my gear and sometimes just wait there until my repair is done (also avoiding any S&H and insurance costs on heavy and expensive gear). If the third party repair services are no longer an option, Nikon will soon no longer be an option for me.

Glenn

 

[Palouse]

And more: http://www.dslrbodies.com/newsviews...9-nikon-canon/nikon-cuts-back-on-third-2.html

Thom notes, "The irony is that many of the repairs NikonUSA claims to do themselves are actually not done by them, but are farmed out to others. The Nikon LA repair center even ships some product across the border to be repaired in Mexico."

 

[Cleanimage]

It's hard to know how this will work out for Nikon and its customers. Since Nikon only authorizes 15 non-Nikon service facilities, most of us have gotten used to mailing our equipment in for repair. On the other hand, the points made by Dave and Glenn are well taken. For those who live near a repair facility, the convenience of going directly to get a camera repaired will be eliminated and the equipment that Nikon won't work on will just become paperweights or be relegated to the dump. That is certainly a good way to tick off longstanding customers just when Nikon needs them the most!

 

[Palouse]

This will impact the used equipment market too, where will KEH, Adorama, et al., do for any service needs? And Lens Rentals?

Here is a first comment from Roger Cicala responding to the news on Peta Pixel:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

 

[Butlerkid]

This will impact the used equipment market too, where will KEH, Adorama, et al., do for any service needs? And Lens Rentals?

Here is a first comment from Roger Cicala responding to the news on Peta Pixel:

View attachment 1651233

Hate to hear this. My 600mm and D5 are with Nikon Service right now!

 

[bpdougd]

When companies do this sort of stuff it is invariably a sign that they are in decline and in trouble. This will have reputational ripple effects with their sturdiest customers.

 

[Pa]

What are the repair options and policies from the competition (Canon, Sony, etc)?

Thom Hogan, in the article linked above, says:

Lest Sony owners get any joy from this, things seem worse over in the E/FE world. At the moment, only Canon is left providing repairs pretty much as they've been done in the past, and even there I get emails about issues and problems that happened when someone tried to get their camera or lens repaired.

 

[Pa]

I worry about what this will do to the value of my used Nikon gear.

 

[Butlerkid]

Currently Nikon is trying to introduce the Z cameras....and gain new users. I would think this would cause potential new users to really hesitate buying into the the Nikon brand.

That said, a friend fairly high up in Canon-world says that Canon repair service is not that great and is struggling also.

 

[vinman]

Currently Nikon is trying to introduce the Z cameras....and gain new users. I would think this would cause potential new users to really hesitate buying into the the Nikon brand.

That said, a friend fairly high up in Canon-world says that Canon repair service is not that great and is struggling also.

Im not so sure about the “new user” thing. With the exception of professionals who need the fastest turnaround possible for repairs, I don’t think many new users consider repair outside the manufacturers’ warranties. Most pros are well entrenched in specific brands.

That said, initially I can only imagine this will cause severe wait times in many cases, and that might cause reputation damage in the mid-term.

The only two potential remedies (that I can see) are more relaxed NPS membership policies (loaners AND membership requirements) and more repair centers. With Nikon’s history, I fear the first unlikely and the second next to never.

 

[Cleanimage]

Combine Nikon's financials with their plans to cut back where you can get your gear serviced and it certainly signals that they are in trouble. I know that I've felt hesitant about buying any new gear from them. Maybe its time to look for an alternative but where to look is a real question with the market declining so rapidly.

 

[Butlerkid]

Im not so sure about the “new user” thing. With the exception of professionals who need the fastest turnaround possible for repairs, I don’t think many new users consider repair outside the manufacturers’ warranties. Most pros are well entrenched in specific brands.

That said, initially I can only imagine this will cause severe wait times in many cases, and that might cause reputation damage in the mid-term.

The only two potential remedies (that I can see) are more relaxed NPS membership policies (loaners AND membership requirements) and more repair centers. With Nikon’s history, I fear the first unlikely and the second next to never.

I don't think they survive very long if they don't get new users. And from my experience, they have already relaxed NPS membership policies a LOT. With their struggles, I wouldn't think they would be considering expanding repair facilities. They could probably process a lot more repairs ( and faster) if they would significantly revised their processes. Right now the repair facilities don't seem very efficient at all....again from my experience.