How long does DAG take these days? - See follow-up thread

summicron1 · Nov 30, 2022

Does anyone here have a feel for how long I should expect DAG Camera Repair -- don goldberg -- to take to service a camera? I'm at 10 months and counting for an R3, email has not worked.

His web site is full of pleas to not call so he can work on cameras. I have not heard that he died.

Anyone have a feel or do I need to start calling? I hate to be one of "those" people, but at some point one does begin to wonder.

thanks

charlie trentelman
ogden

{Moderator's addition - see this thread for the resolution: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/dag-comes-through-were-cool.195685/}

GregY · Nov 30, 2022

I spoke to Don at the end of October. I don't know what his order is.. but i shipped him a camera.

logan2z · Nov 30, 2022

summicron1 said:
I have not heard that he died.

I exchanged email with him about a month ago. Thank goodness he's alive and well.

summicron1 · Nov 30, 2022

GregY said:
I spoke to Don at the end of October. I don't know what his order is.. but i shipped him a camera.

did he indicate how long it might take?
ct

GregY · Nov 30, 2022

summicron1 said:
did he indicate how long it might take?
ct

He said 4 wks... it was something simple.

gone · Nov 30, 2022

This sort of thing is why I gave up sending cameras off to be fixed. It's just basic courteousy to call or send an email to tell your customer whats happening. He's not the only game in town.

If I can't fix or economically replace a camera, then I don't need to own it. The customer always comes first. Period.

Steven Lee · Nov 30, 2022

I was quoted 6 weeks. It took exactly 6 weeks. I didn't need to call or send emails. The camera just showed up on my porch 6 weeks later.

summicron1 · Nov 30, 2022

Steven Lee said:
I was quoted 6 weeks. It took exactly 6 weeks. I didn't need to call or send emails. The camera just showed up on my porch 6 weeks later.

ok thanks. guess it's time for another email, or something.

(sigh).

ct

summicron1 · Nov 30, 2022

momus said:
This sort of thing is why I gave up sending cameras off to be fixed. It's just basic courteousy to call or send an email to tell your customer whats happening. He's not the only game in town.

If I can't fix or economically replace a camera, then I don't need to own it. The customer always comes first. Period.

yup. thanks

charlie

GregY · Nov 30, 2022

Steven Lee said:
I was quoted 6 weeks. It took exactly 6 weeks. I didn't need to call or send emails. The camera just showed up on my porch 6 weeks later.

momus said:
This sort of thing is why I gave up sending cameras off to be fixed. It's just basic courteousy to call or send an email to tell your customer whats happening. He's not the only game in town.

If I can't fix or economically replace a camera, then I don't need to own it. The customer always comes first. Period.

Don did a great job on my black paint M4 and had parts no one else had. The repair was done in a timely fashion. That's why i sent him my other camera last month. So far no complaints. & he's always answered my calls and emails.

summicron1 · Nov 30, 2022

GregY said:
Don did a great job on my black paint M4 and had parts no one else had. The repair was done in a timely fashion. That's why i sent him my other camera last month. So far no complaints. & he's always answered my calls and emails.

lucky.

ct

Steven Lee · Nov 30, 2022

momus said:
This sort of thing is why I gave up sending cameras off to be fixed. It's just basic courteousy to call or send an email to tell your customer whats happening. He's not the only game in town.

If I can't fix or economically replace a camera, then I don't need to own it. The customer always comes first. Period.

He replies to emails. That's how a transaction starts: you send an email describing what you need. He asks for clarifying questions and then gives you a quote and an ETA. He does not always respond to emails when people ask for updates when there's nothing to tell them. This is not a great service, but I can understand his frustration. But when there's new information he always lets you know. Once I did not respond to his email quickly enough (I was on a road trip) and he called me to provide an update over the phone.

Overall, DAG is a great small business to work with.

PrairiePhotographer · Nov 30, 2022

DAG did a fabulous job fixing the shutter curtains on my M3 in June. The entire cycle took approximately 3 weeks with good communication throughout

Kodachromeguy · Nov 30, 2022

Is Sherry Krauter still doing repairs? In 2018 or 2019, she told me she was ill and could not accept a lens for repair. I used DAG's services instead. Efficient, reasonable price, ex. work.

summicron1 · Nov 30, 2022

Steven Lee said:
He replies to emails. That's how a transaction starts: you send an email describing what you need. He asks for clarifying questions and then gives you a quote and an ETA. He does not always respond to emails when people ask for updates when there's nothing to tell them. This is not a great service, but I can understand his frustration. But when there's new information he always lets you know. Once I did not respond to his email quickly enough (I was on a road trip) and he called me to provide an update over the phone.

Overall, DAG is a great small business to work with.

Steve --- VERY sadly, this has not been my experience with don this time. No estimate ever given, no time line, as many emails ignored as answered. I really don't understand it -- in June i clearly told him if he didn't want to service the camera for any reason to just let me know and I'd send money to return it.

He said he'd get to it that week. I have heard nothing since. last night i sent him money and asked for the camera back.

BradS · Nov 30, 2022

Don's communication is absolutely horrible. I don't know how this is acceptable. I refuse to do business with him anymore. I know this is heresy and I'm liable to be burned at the stake but people need to know that, although he eventually does good work, he's like an black hole. You send him your camera and it's as if it disappeared into a black hole. It might be done in 3 weeks or 9 months and during that whole time, there is absolutely no communication from him - not an email saying, "I received your camera", no message saying, "I'm starting work on your camera", no discussion of unexpected issues, nothing, zero, zilch, silence...for MONTHS. You can expect to receive absolutely zero communication from him until he sends the bill. Again, I don't understand why people put up with this shit. Luckily there are many others who are perfectly capable of servicing the Leica M film cameras.

I'll go get my teflon coated, asbestos lined flack jacket now.

BradS · Nov 30, 2022

summicron1 said:
ok thanks. guess it's time for another email, or something.

(sigh).

ct

Call him and tell him to get to work on it or return it. Sadly, that what it takes.

GregY · Nov 30, 2022

Well Brad, one of the reasons is that Don has parts that others don't have. I'm not defending DAG's business practices. As far as receiving the camera....if you ship with a tracking # you know when your camera was delivered. I mailed mine in Austin 4 Nov and it was delivered Nov 7. I'm not so sure about your "many others"......We're pretty much running out of trained techs for Leicas. When I sent my M4 to Don, I phoned Horst Wenzel in Vancouver & Gerry Smith at Kinderman in Toronto. Gerry told me he was retiring, and Horst didn't have the parts to convert an M4 to take a Leicavit. Then I called Youxin Ye because i heard he worked quickly....same answer..no parts. So from Canada i sent the camera to Don. He also has CL parts and repairs the meters. So far it's always been win-win.

summicron1 · Nov 30, 2022

BradS said:
Call him and tell him to get to work on it or return it. Sadly, that what it takes.

I did. sent him $20 and told him to return it. I am especially frustrated that there are apparently cameras he likes to work on and people he likes to communicate with, and some he doesn't. Why I'm on the latter list I dunno but as I told him, I'm done.

Pioneer · Nov 30, 2022

Don did a terrific job on my Leica III. It returned 2 days past the 6 weeks he quoted. I did not call or email because it wasn't necessary.

I don't know what his backlog is but if he is considerably past a quoted repair time I would contact him by phone.

summicron1 · Nov 30, 2022

Pioneer said:
Don did a terrific job on my Leica III. It returned 2 days past the 6 weeks he quoted. I did not call or email because it wasn't necessary.

I don't know what his backlog is but if he is considerably past a quoted repair time I would contact him by phone.

i never got a quoted repair time. never got a quote. never got bupkis. Hence my frustration ... and last night's note to return it and be done with it.

maddoc2021jp · Dec 1, 2022

In February it will be 2 yrs that I sent my Minox RIGA to him for a repair. Had many email exchanges with him and called him last month. He always tells me how Leica US closed for 5 month during Covid and his repair work largely increased during that period. Looks like he has a huge backlog.

Mackinaw · Dec 1, 2022

No doubt Don is good, but some folks have waited well over a year to get their camera/lenses back. There are a few threads on RFF you may want to read. Not all are good.

Jim B.

beemermark · Dec 1, 2022

I've used DAG for decades and yes the wait time is somewhere between a week and a year. BUT he said he would repair an R3!!!! Then he is the only person in the world willing to take on that Herculean endeavor.

OrientPoint · Dec 2, 2022

BradS said:
Don's communication is absolutely horrible. I don't know how this is acceptable. I refuse to do business with him anymore. I know this is heresy and I'm liable to be burned at the stake but people need to know that, although he eventually does good work, he's like an black hole. You send him your camera and it's as if it disappeared into a black hole. It might be done in 3 weeks or 9 months and during that whole time, there is absolutely no communication from him - not an email saying, "I received your camera", no message saying, "I'm starting work on your camera", no discussion of unexpected issues, nothing, zero, zilch, silence...for MONTHS. You can expect to receive absolutely zero communication from him until he sends the bill. Again, I don't understand why people put up with this shit. Luckily there are many others who are perfectly capable of servicing the Leica M film cameras.

I'll go get my teflon coated, asbestos lined flack jacket now.

This was exactly my experience with him. A repair that was supposed to be turned around in 8 weeks took about 9 months with no communication in between, except for the time I called him a few months in and he confirmed that he did in fact have my camera in his possession.

In the end, he did a great job and the price was reasonable. I wasn't in a rush (it's not like I make a living using my Nikon SP) so it really wasn't a problem for me, but it would definitely be nice to receive some "signs of life" every few months past the date you were told it was going to be done by.

With regard to meeting deadlines, in my experience pretty much every currently active repair person or shop takes longer than they say they will, save for Frank Marshman who is always on-time, reasonable and communicative. I'd use Marshman any time.

How long does DAG take these days? - See follow-up thread

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