Repair; camera lost in post

[batwister]

I've had a series of really unfortunate events with this camera. When purchased, it was listed as fully functional... it wasn't. The seller, after a great deal of correspondence, agreed to pay for the repair cost. He was on holiday at the time (conveniently) and had to make the transaction abroad. I sent the camera off to the repair specialist listing all the problems and it arrived to me partially repaired - the shutter was still playing up, which I clearly noted as a fault. They agreed to take another look, I sent it off again, rang them on Friday and they said it had been sent back. Rang them again today as it still hasn't arrived and their response was "that's strange". Waiting to hear back from them, but it's pretty clear the camera is lost.

I'm pretty devastated. Just as I would have taken responsibility had it been lost when I sent it out, once the camera was in the hands of the repair place it was their responsibility to get it back to me, and a tracked service would have made sense. But was it legally their responsibility? I'm not sure what to do about the situation. Should I expect to be compensated?

 

[BMbikerider]

Without full information I don't think anyone can make a full and proper judgement. I wild guess perhaps.

However one wild guess would be if it was dispatched by the repairer to you and the post Office have lost it, then it is between the Repairer and the Post office. I would have thought that the repairer would have used a special delivery parcel where it had to be signed for on delivery and it can be tracked where it went to from the time it was left with the PO to the time when it should have arrived on your doorstep. If the PO admit the lost it then they owe compensation to the repairer who in turn should pay you.

Incidentally who is the repair firm?

 

[R.Gould]

It should have been returned by Special delivery, that way compensation would be paid if the camera is lost, the repairer's I use always use special delivery, and will Email me the tracking number if asked for, I buy everything, including cameras, mail order, and the sender has always accepted that until the item is recivied and signed for it is their responsibility, and on the very odd occasion that something has gone astray, ( It has only happened twice in well over twenty years) I have always got compensation, so I would contact the repairers and ask them what they intend to do,
Richard

 

[Mike Wilde]

Sometimes that is life. I had two in for repair and the great old guy died. By the time I found out it they had been dumped as part of a clear out. The remains of the shop had great deals that I bought at an auction though that more than overcame the cost of the trashed cameras in need of fixing.

 

[Ian Grant]

There have been problems with the post in the past couple of months, I've had a few items take over a week. I made a comment to the Postman about a month ago and he told me the delivery van from Dudley (main sorting office) hadn't turned up 2 days running at our local sorting office. The Post Office should have given a proof of postage receipt and than covers up to £30 if there was no insurance/Special Delivery.

I had similar issues with repairs sent to Johnsons Photopia, the Mamiya/Tamron importers and service agents. First a 17mm Tamron lens that needed a new aperture mechanism, that came back with smearing on the inner surfaces of the lens cells and was unusable due to flare. A few years later they serviced my Mamiya 645S and it came back with the same faults, it went back and they rectified the flash synch but not the other issues, and meanwhile had managed to chip the corner of the pentaprism -internally. Apalling service.

Hang on in a few days it may still arrive.

Ian

 

[Steve Smith]

If you have paid the repairer to deliver it back to you then it is his responsibility. Might not be his fault if it gets lost but he still has to bear the responsibility.

It's the same as buying something by mail order or even Ebay. That's why if a seller states that he is not responsible for an item getting lost in the post then I won't buy from him.


Steve.

 

[removed account4]

things always get lost in the mail.
it is surprising that it wasn't insured or
tracked. seems like the repair place owes you
a camera that was in the same condition as
the final product they were shipping back to you.

good luck

 

[mopar_guy]

In August of this year I won an eBay auction on some items and they were mailed. The tracking information on Friday August 31 was that the package was "Out for Delivery". The tracking on that same evening was "Delivered to the Postal hub for international delivery". The box showed up on November 1. That is BETTER service than Fed-Ex provides.

 

[batwister]

I'll hang on for a few more days. Matters are made worse by my Hasselblad situation, which I daren't shoot with until it's had a CLA! Just hope I can get out again before Autumn is done.