Nightforce Customer Service - not happy

t_carlson

WKR
Joined
Nov 1, 2022
Messages
593
Location
Montana
Vortex has 278
Does that include the sweatshop labor?

In all seriousness though, I'm guessing Vortex probably just tosses any defective or damaged scope in the trash and sends a brand new one. Sometimes, its cheaper to do that than it is to fix them. Kind of like how the USFS firefighters only use a hose once. Its cheaper to buy a new hose from China than it is to pay a gov't employee to roll one up.

That's just a guess, though.
 
Joined
Dec 20, 2019
Messages
1,133
I highly doubt they have an entire repair department.
They probably put it in line to be worked in with a usa made scope tech. And he fixes it when its your turn.
It takes 8 weeks to get a scope through the military program to. Wonder why the sales dept is so backed up.

That makes a lot of sense. I never thought about it that way. They don't have a repair department, just a solo technician. And the 8 week delay in shipping discount orders is because they are experiencing inordinately high demand. Not because they don't run assembly lines for all of their scopes at once or because they prioritize vendor orders.
 

sndmn11

"DADDY"
Joined
Mar 28, 2017
Messages
10,418
Location
Morrison, Colorado
I was having a problem with my zero stop on the NX8. I emailed NF and they promptly replied, asked me to try something to try and fix it, and once I did and it didn't work, asked me to send it in.

This was on a hunting rifle I was supposed to take on a Colorado deer hunt - right now.

I took my backup gun and mailed in the NF. I just got an email from NF - only 8 weeks wait before they get to the scope. Hell of a customer service department and turnaround when you need something. "see ya in 8 weeks".

That's my rant. I just hear nothing but good things about NF and all the fanboys and then this.
What issue was occuring with the zero stop?
 
Joined
Jul 20, 2019
Messages
2,561
I think its the frustration of not being able to take it on your hunt that is speaking…I am not sure what was wrong with your zero stop, but you can use your scope without one. Doesn’t impact its ability to hold zero or track. 8 weeks isn’t unreasonable, and you would likely have it back in less than that. I would have hunted without a zero stop and sent it in after the hunt.

Vortex’s warranty is great, set the standard for great customer service. I have a couple rifles with vortex scopes. We have an HS-T on my son’s 6.5. Horse took off on us with a loose scabbard carrying my son’s rifle and it smacked into a tree, scope taking the entire impact. Busted it up bad. Vortex had us a new one on the doorstep in 10 days. However, all my personal rifles that I hunt with wear nightforce or trijicon.
 

ljalberta

WKR
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
1,679
I sent a spotter to Nikon (ED50). They held it for about 10 months before returning it and advising they wouldn’t fix it. I made numerous requests for updates and to return the spotter throughout if they couldn’t repair it. Never again on Nikon for me.

8 weeks isn’t ideal, and the timing is unfortunate, but that doesn’t seem entirely unreasonable to me. I’m happy knowing that it make take some time if I have a scope issue, but that their scopes are generally built to minimize issues.

Of course, if the damage was user-caused, you can’t really blame Nightforce for that one, or the unfortunate timing of the incident (not saying it was).
 
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 16, 2017
Messages
8,750
Location
Central Oregon
That makes a lot of sense. I never thought about it that way. They don't have a repair department, just a solo technician. And the 8 week delay in shipping discount orders is because they are experiencing inordinately high demand. Not because they don't run assembly lines for all of their scopes at once or because they prioritize vendor orders.
I mean i don't know that for fact. But also on the military program he told me the scope is built to order.
Your not just getting one that is ear marked for a store, its wait your turn we fill your order when we get to it.
 

alaska_bou

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 9, 2020
Messages
240
I have a number of NF scopes, and one needed sent in last year after a hard drop. Shot fine, dialed fine and it never lost zero but the parallax started running out of focus at long range. They quoted me a turnaround time similar to what they told you, but to my surprise I had it back in less than two weeks.
 

Dioni A

Basque Assassin
Shoot2HuntU
Joined
Mar 29, 2016
Messages
1,789
Location
Nampa, Idaho
I thought they were great to deal with when I lost the windage cap on my NX8. They mailed me one for free and wished me luck on the rest of my season.
 

Chris B

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 20, 2019
Messages
239
Wait a minute, I thought every scope brand except Leupold never needed to be sent in to be repaired ?
 

Marbles

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
May 16, 2020
Messages
4,469
Location
AK
Hardly worth a rant. But, you can always buy a Vortex/Leupold/Swaro/S&B or whatever brand and sell the NF when you get it back.
 
OP
M

mdfanatic1980

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 8, 2016
Messages
130
Location
Abilene, TX
I "thought" I might have had a tracking issue, and since I've had an issue with the zero stop since I bought it as a demo, I figured the time was now. Was tracking an issue? Not sure - lot's of variables. I have to believe it was something with me. But the zero stop has never worked - you loosen the torque screws on top and it doesn't allow the zero stop to spin freely.

I expect better than 8 weeks on a $2200+ NF that has a reputation like NF does. I've had dealings with Swaro binoculars, Leupold scope, and Zeiss and it's a 1-2 week turnaround.

I knew the fanboys would jump in the fight. Hey, I was a NF fanboy until this myself. I'm just speaking some experience of what really happened. I bought the scope to hunt - I guess we'll wait and test it in the 2023 season.
 
Joined
Jul 20, 2019
Messages
2,561
I "thought" I might have had a tracking issue, and since I've had an issue with the zero stop since I bought it as a demo, I figured the time was now. Was tracking an issue? Not sure - lot's of variables. I have to believe it was something with me. But the zero stop has never worked - you loosen the torque screws on top and it doesn't allow the zero stop to spin freely.

I expect better than 8 weeks on a $2200+ NF that has a reputation like NF does. I've had dealings with Swaro binoculars, Leupold scope, and Zeiss and it's a 1-2 week turnaround.

I knew the fanboys would jump in the fight. Hey, I was a NF fanboy until this myself. I'm just speaking some experience of what really happened. I bought the scope to hunt - I guess we'll wait and test it in the 2023 season.
Or sell it and go buy a swaro, leupy, or Zeiss. That way nobody will have to listen to you complain about turn around times…
 

Huntin Fool

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 18, 2022
Messages
172
It’s not hard to believe you had a bad experience with NF customer service, after all it’s usually only companies with great warranties and good customer service, that have problems
 

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