PO DB gone for fixing to Denmark and lost

[R_Medvid]

A few months ago I had found a Column Error in my Phase One P30 RF back and my local dealer sent it to Denmark for fixing (it was still on a one-year warranty).

Now arrives.... another P30 RF back with info that my back is somewhere lost in Danish Customs office  

This another back that I'm given:

1. Has scratches on the body and screen (while mine was flawless).

2. Has more than 16K count, while mine was about 3500 shots.

3. Works only with one of my AFD bodies, while shooting with another one doesn't work (shutter release doesn't activate).

4. Doesn't sync with my computers making the tethered shooting impossible (mine worked ok).


Is this a common practice?
(After hearing all I had to say, the dealer expressed a hope that this situation will be resolved somehow   .....)


----
UPD as of 16 Oct
I have received a fair replacement for my P30 DB from PO.
More details at the end of this thread.
Case closed.

[Graham Mitchell]

I can understand your frustration! If they behave so differently, could it be that they have different firmware versions installed?

[R_Medvid]

I can understand your frustration! If they behave so differently, could it be that they have different firmware versions installed?

Yes. I suspect so, but I have to look into the papers later to compare the specifications.

[Graham Mitchell]

Let us know how the back behaves when it has the same firmware installed as your original back.

As for the scratches, perhaps you can work out some small amount of compensation with P1. After all, the resale value of this unit is lower than your original unit. Or have them supply you with a back in the same condition.

нi пуху, анi пера!

[tho_mas]

2. Has more than 16K count, while mine was about 3500 shots.

as your first back was refurbished as well you actually don't know the count as refurbished backs come with the counter set to 1000 AFAIK. I wouldn't worry about the count anyhow.
But the entire story is kinda unbelivable... hope it will be solved for you.

[Kitty]

Did you buy refurbished DB? I used to buy a refurbished Lightphase many years ago.
The first DB is not good. So I change until the 3rd one which works well.
But outside is very old and actuation is more than 100K.

[R_Medvid]

Did you buy refurbished DB? I used to buy a refurbished Lightphase many years ago.
The first DB is not good. So I change until the 3rd one which works well.
But outside is very old and actuation is more than 100K.

Yes, I bought a refurbished (RF) back, and it was superb. And I want it back  

[BobDavid]

Yes, I bought a refurbished (RF) back, and it was superb. And I want it back  

The sqeaky wheel gets the grease. I'd be relentless about pursuing a replacement that matches the condition of the original. I'm sure they'll treat you well.

[Steve Hendrix]

The sqeaky wheel gets the grease. I'd be relentless about pursuing a replacement that matches the condition of the original. I'm sure they'll treat you well.

Agree. Just request that you would like a better conditioned unit - particularly in terms of no scratches, etc. As long as the shot count is not too far out of the ballpark, it shouldn't matter (in terms of re-sale price on your behalf), though 16,500 vs 3,500 is a bit more of a difference than I would like to see. But like has been stated, just request another unit, emphasize what is important to you - lower shot count, better superficial condition of the body, etc. In my experience, this request will be accepted, though it may take a bit for them to come up with the right one for you.


Steve Hendrix

[tho_mas]

--------------------
Steve Hendrix
Sales Manager
Capture Integration
404-543-8475
steve@captureintegration.com

any news? :-)

[Steve Hendrix]

any news? :-)

About.........?



Steve Hendrix

[tho_mas]

About.........?

the modified username and signature...

[Steve Hendrix]

the modified username and signature...

Oh! Well, I mentioned it in another thread, but it was kind of buried......I suppose I could post a thread just so everyone is clear.



Steve Hendrix

[Doug Peterson]

as your first back was refurbished as well you actually don't know the count as refurbished backs come with the counter set to 1000 AFAIK. I wouldn't worry about the count anyhow.
But the entire story is kinda unbelivable... hope it will be solved for you.

Every single Phase One refurb back* comes with the correct/true number of exposures. The only situation in which the counter is reset is if the main electronic board AND the sensor were damaged, in which case the unit would be "beyond repair" (would cost more to repair and thoroughly check than to make a new one) and therefore never make it into refurbished stock".

Agree with Steve: speak with your dealer and politely ask that Phase replace it with a more equal-condition unit or otherwise provide you some other compensation; Phase has excellent customer service and they will make things right. Do be patient though as specific refurbs become available as someone else upgrades a back.

*AFAIK this is standard with other mnfr as well, but I can't be sure; I am sure with Phase One.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________
Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Eizo & More
National: 877.217.9870  |  Cell: 740.707.2183
Newsletter: Read Latest or Sign Up

[tho_mas]

Every single Phase One refurb back* comes with the correct/true number of exposures.

Mine came with 1000. I asked about that even number and someone told me that's a counter reset for RF backs. misinformation obviously. Thanks for clarifying.

[R_Medvid]

Let us know how the back behaves when it has the same firmware installed as your original back.

As for the scratches, perhaps you can work out some small amount of compensation with P1. After all, the resale value of this unit is lower than your original unit. Or have them supply you with a back in the same condition.

нi пуху, анi пера!

Hi there,

May I thank all of you who responded to my (a bit anxious) post. A short update on my case:

1. I managed to turn on the tethered shooting.   Windows is very strangly reacting to a different IEEE1394 device, even if I do all the tweaking with the drivers as described in the PO Knowledge Base.

2. My two AFD bodies work with the back ok (it was my mistake and can be partially attributed to my frustration at the moment).

Presently I'm waiting for the answer on my request to make a more fair replacement.

I'm patient and polite, as I was adviced   I'm not here to flame, but I was really surprised that I had no polite "Excuse us" from the PO side. It's like you leave your Toyota Camry for a short fix, and when you come back to pick up your car they give you a 4-year-older (junkier) car with cracked bumper. No excuses, just a short note that "we cannot find your car, so this is the replacement".    No, really, it does remind me the Soviet-era style of service (and I was born in the USSR, as you might guess) when people were at the mercy of beaurocratic service everywhere. Amazing that I face it from a Western company....

Even more amazing is that when I entered my profile at phaseone.com I discovered that they had changed the SN of the back that I own to this new one without any notice   As if I bought it and registered it.... Dear people, is this normal???

[BobDavid]

Phase kind of blew it. They should have communicated more openly with the customer. Whatever their standard operating procedure is with refurbs, the customer deserves to be informed of the status of property that he/she owns. I think Phase should give you a new P30+ and apologize for the stress they put you through.

[ziocan]

it should be replaced by one equivalent or on better condition.
it is not customer fault if the back went lost by Phase one.
any replacement that does not meet the above condition, is is equivalent of having to deal with a shady car repair shop on the suburbia.
Phase pretend to be sort of BMW of the MF cameras, they should proposed that scratched and higer shutter count back as a temporary replacement until something better come up or offered a compensation with apologies.

very likely that the back that has been lost it has been delivered to someone else in the mean time.....

[Frank Doorhof]

Maybe this will fall the wrong way but don't take it like that.

As I see in the first post the back was lost in transport at customs, NOT when with phase one.
To be honest I find it great service they get you a new back.
I've lost something during transport a while ago and could wait until it was recovered, which took nearly 2 months.

Than again, this is a much more expensive item of course.
But they could also have said, please inform your insurance company.

So although the back is not as pristine as what you had I think it's already great service they replaced it for you and not let you wait.
When there's such a good service I think they will also respond to your question on the scratch.
Especially now the rest seems to work great.

[tesfoto]

As I see in the first post the back was lost in transport at customs, NOT when with phase one.
To be honest I find it great service they get you a new back.

But they could also have said, please inform your insurance company.

I agree, not many companies will give you this kind of service.