Beware the 1D MKIII recall/repair

[charlesu]

I've had a very bad experience with the MK III recall and wanted others to be aware before they send theirs in. I was contacted in early December about sending mine in and was told an email would arrive with instructions, a mailing label, etc. I was told the repair would PROBABLY take 1-3 days but they were telling people up to 5 days.

I had a couple of more jobs to knock out before the holidays but shipped the camera about a week later. I got an email from Canon on 12-27 saying that they had received it on 12-20 and would start working on it on 12-27 and that it would be returned within 7 business days. And then......silence.

A week went by. I was OK because I had nothing scheduled into the New Year and was expecting the camera any day. But then 7 business days had come and gone and no camera. And no email. And no phone call (they already had my number and I had included it with the camera).

So I called Canon last week and was told that the mirror replacement had been completed but the body had started throwing error messages. So, they had shipped the camera from Virginia to New Jersey to be repaired by CPS. No word except that it was there and being repaired. Most importantly, no warning to me about the delays.

So I called CPS and was told that the camera was indeed there sitting in a locked cabinet waiting for evaluation. They said they expected it would be returned to me within a week. They confirmed that the mirror had been replaced but that the camera had indeed started throwing error messages. They gave me the two error numbers and that was all they could tell me.

Today the camera arrived back from Canon's repair center in California (not on the east coast as I had been told)! It was wrapped in bubble wrap with my original note and a repair order from Canon saying that the AF mirror had been adjusted and the latest firmware installed. No other explanation about the delays, additional problems, etc.

So apparently the mirror was not replaced. I have no idea how or why the camera got to California. There was no explanation of the additional repairs that was needed. No apologies for the delay and the lack of keeping me updated. Nothing.

On top of this all, I lost a commercial client. I had to postpone their job until this past weekend (when I was able to get a loaner from CPS). I had worked with them before so they seemed ok with the delay. Unfortunately, they weren't. When I showed up there was another pro there doing the shooting. They greeted me nicely but explained that they had gone ahead and booked another photographer.

Had I been informed of the delay, I could have renegotiated with my client sooner or requested a loaner from CPS earlier. Or made some other kind of arrangement. In a pinch I could have done the shoot with my 5D but it would not have been ideal.

So, be very wary of Canon's expectations about your MK III repairs. Also, don't believe them when you call and ask for an update or the location of your camera. I think I was just completely sold a bill of goods. Canon had my camera for nearly a month and apparently didn't even know where it was a good bit of this time. So much for a 1-3 day turnaround.

I do thank CPS for getting me a loaner 1DMKII N out, even if my client had already hired someone else.