Optics warranties....they vary

[willfrye027]

Further point, other companies have better warranties that replace products that don't have replaceable components. Should it matter if it was their Victory or Conquest line? Just because your product is 'bomb-proof' or 'top-of-the-line' doesn't mean you can't also provide a good warranty service. This applies doubley-so for those product lines that aren't up to snuff. Why not have a better warranty for a product you know is more likely to break / get scratched? Better question as a consumer, why would I buy it?

Those products are typically inferior at the same price point—razor vs conquest I would choose the conquest again and just be more careful with them or live with a lens scratch because they are much better glass. I think if i totally destroyed the conquests they would have replaced them, although I wasn’t the original owner so who knows.

 

[NoWiser]

Further point, other companies have better warranties that replace products that don't have replaceable components. Should it matter if it was their Victory or Conquest line? Just because your product is 'bomb-proof' or 'top-of-the-line' doesn't mean you can't also provide a good warranty service. This applies doubley-so for those product lines that aren't up to snuff. Why not have a better warranty for a product you know is more likely to break / get scratched? Better question as a consumer, why would I buy it?

I'm very careful with my gear and have never broke or scratched a set of optics in 23 years of hunting. I want to pay for quality, not warranty. You can't tell me Vortex aren't overpriced for what you get when they are replacing binos for every Joe Schmoe that is running over their glass with their truck or leaving them out for the dog to use as a chew toy.

 

[Trial153]

I bet every set of low end binos with life time no questions ask warrenty has a premium of 25-35% of the retail price built in to cover all the warrenty claims

 

[Napperm4]

Thats the whole point of a “no fault” warranty and a big selling point for Vortex. Get them to fix for free what you screwed up. Zeiss advertises as much (something like 5 year no fault), but it has to be more than just cosmetic.

Vortex has to be more than cosmetic damage also by their own statement right on the repair request form.

 

[Cat99899]

I'm very careful with my gear and have never broke or scratched a set of optics in 23 years of hunting. I want to pay for quality, not warranty. You can't tell me Vortex aren't overpriced for what you get when they are replacing binos for every Joe Schmoe that is running over their glass with their truck or leaving them out for the dog to use as a chew toy.

The way I think about it is this, if a company offers what amounts to an unlimited lifetime warranty, it suggests that company trusts their product and customer to use that product in any situation. If a company offers a five year limited warranty, the company expects the product to break around the six year mark and for the customer to purchase a replacement. In a sense, a consumable vs. non-consumable mindset.

So if Swarovski goes from a lifetime to a five year warranty that only covers factory defects, what does that say about the trust the company has in its product or in those that use its product? What does that say about how management sees its customers and products? To me, this is a sign of changing management philosophies that are seeking to cut costs and tap into potential sources of income (repeat buyers rather than repairs).

I'm not trying to argue about Vortex's overall quality of optic, but the quality of their warranty. Plenty of other companies offer lifetime warranties including Steiner, Leupold, Nikon, Bushnell, etc. I would assume you believe their products are overpriced as well? Was Swarovski overpriced up until they changed their warranty policy?

 

[WRO]

Got a response back from Swarovski US about my recent SLC purchase. It jives with what I've heard about no warranty issues when purchased in North America. I don't see why this wouldn't apply to their entire line, but don't quote me on that.

"I hope you are well today and thank you for your interest in our products. The SLC line of binoculars comes with a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. The warranty does not cover wear and tear or damage. With that being said the warranty has not been changed to a five year warranty on the SLC. Depending on the country you are in the warranty can vary but is a limited lifetime warranty for new purchases in the US or Canada."

So if Swarovski goes from a lifetime to a five year warranty that only covers factory defects, what does that say about the trust the company has in its product or in those that use its product? What does that say about how management sees its customers and products? To me, this is a sign of changing management philosophies that are seeking to cut costs and tap into potential sources of income (repeat buyers rather than repairs).

They have a ton of trust in their products, still a limited lifetime US warranty. The difference is they are made by craftsman in Austria, not children the the Philippines or China. That costs more money and if you look at the retail points on products, the high end european products are much tighter than the Asian glass.

 

[Cat99899]

They have a ton of trust in their products, still a limited lifetime US warranty. The difference is they are made by craftsman in Austria, not children the the Philippines or China. That costs more money and if you look at the retail points on products, the high end european products are much tighter than the Asian glass.

(sigh) to quote myself: "I'm not trying to argue about Vortex's overall quality of optic, but the quality of their warranty." Great, Swarovski makes a better optic, why not offer a better warranty? The SLC's warranty plainly states 10 year (first 5 fully covered as the OP stated). You can trust the rep or you can trust what the company has written in black and white (Black and Grey?)
www.swarovskioptik.com/birding/slc-42-c21010301/slc-8x42-p5068621



If there is a seperate North American Warranty, I would like to see it on the website or somewhere readily accessible.

 

[Napperm4]

I may as well chime in with a few anecdotes.

My vortex warranty experience has been terrible. I’m sending another set in today so we will see if that changes.

I posted a rant / psa about this last year. Long story short -

I had a pair of vipers that were horrible to look through. Sent them in for a collimation to fix the double vision and blurriness. Sent them in under the VIP warranty. Vortex did a service and “cleaning”. They must’ve cleaned the objectives with sandpaper as the lenses came back gouged. I emailed with pictures and a complaint within 10 minutes of receiving them in the mail. The response was that it was a “cosmetic issue” even though you could see them when looking through the binos. Once I sent some photos of the scratches showing in the digiscope I was told they came that way to them and was still cosmetic as it wouldn’t affect the view. I sent the binos back immediately.

The only saving grace was that I was smart enough to take before photos and after providing them to vortex the issue was finally fixed. However I was without those binoculars for almost 2 months and racked up about $100 in shipping all said and done.

I’ve used the Leupold warranty several times and they’ve been nothing short or amazing. Last time I had a new spotter on the porch after an email before I sent the broken one in.

Fast forward to today. I picked up a pair of EL’s second hand for a steal. The seller didn’t have the connecting loops, bag, neck strap or ocular covers which I knew buying it.

I called Swarovski to do a check on the serial number and register the warranty. Easy as pie. I couldn’t find the connecting loops on the website so asked to order a pair. They were sent free of charge under the warranty. On top of that they also included the ocular cover and new eye cups so I didn’t have to put my eyes where someone else’s have been. All free of charge and without asking. Finally they gave me a discount on a field bag, strap and free express shipping to Canada.

Secondly - I have a pair of CL companions I purchased new about 6 or 8 years ago. They’ve been heavily used and I enquired about sending them for cleaning and to check the focus knob as it has some dust and has become grainy to move. The kicker is that a few years ago I machined an Outdoorsmans compatible stud and attached it with epoxy to them. I disclosed that and was told it has no effect on the warranty other than they may have to remove it to check the focus knob but she would note to not take it off if not needed. All warranty still in full effect.

Lastly - regarding the warranty period. I of course asked about this. There was a change in the EU law that caused the European companies to have to change the verbiage in their warranty. Because they are all headquartered in Europe they can’t list a separate warranty for North America as the American dictions are fully owned by the parent company. They can however at their discretion do whatever they want outside what they have written as a guarantee, which means that optics originally sourced from the NA warehouse have a full limited lifetime warranty at least for Swaro.

Personally I have 0 problems with even a 5 year warranty. I look at it the opposite of the guy above. 5 years against workmanship / manufacturer defects in optics isn’t like 100k miles / 5 years on a truck. It’s not planned obsolescence.

They stand behind the quality. Swaro, Leica and Zeiss all know that the top tier optics are likely a once in a lifetime purchase. If you haven’t broken them in 5 years of use they likely don’t have any manufacturer defects and probably won’t break. I guarantee this is tested and repeated many times in a lab.

Other companies like Leupold, Vortex etc that are using parts to keep the costs lower and subsidize the warranty claims offer a lifetime warranty because they know the parts will break eventually and entice people with a lower budget to buy the warranty over the quality knowing those people are investing in a lower priced optic but with the same lifetime expectancy of the big boys.

It comes down to budget in this case too. Not everyone can swing a pair of EL’s, SLC’s Atx/Stx/Btx with a few objectives etc. That’s a huge out of pocket expense. Companies like Maven, Vortex, Leupold etc target that market. Less up front cost for decent glass backed up by a guarantee they’ll repair the lower cost products for life if they do break.

In my opinion, regardless of your brand choice, you’ll be taken care of. Budget “best you can afford” and you’ll end up with a great optic that will last a lifetime. Especially when you’re hitting the $1000 range. I don’t buy any product based on its warranty because that’s not what I value. Others are the exact opposite.

To me - the quality of the image and product trumps the warranty. If my STX, EL’s or Companions are damaged through my own fault I don’t mind the little cost to repair them. If they’re destroyed or stolen - I have them insured for that. Other folks are different and find peace of mind in knowing that they can drop their spotter down a cliff and get a new one. Naturally the company uses cheaper parts and includes that risk in the price which means they cut a corner compared to other companies.

To me it’s always worth it to buy Swaro. Great warranty included, arguably the best glass out there, holds its value and quality for decades.

 

[sneaky]

The way I think about it is this, if a company offers what amounts to an unlimited lifetime warranty, it suggests that company trusts their product and customer to use that product in any situation. If a company offers a five year limited warranty, the company expects the product to break around the six year mark and for the customer to purchase a replacement. In a sense, a consumable vs. non-consumable mindset.

So if Swarovski goes from a lifetime to a five year warranty that only covers factory defects, what does that say about the trust the company has in its product or in those that use its product? What does that say about how management sees its customers and products? To me, this is a sign of changing management philosophies that are seeking to cut costs and tap into potential sources of income (repeat buyers rather than repairs).

I'm not trying to argue about Vortex's overall quality of optic, but the quality of their warranty. Plenty of other companies offer lifetime warranties including Steiner, Leupold, Nikon, Bushnell, etc. I would assume you believe their products are overpriced as well? Was Swarovski overpriced up until they changed their warranty policy?

I believe Swarovski probably changed their warranty because of every idiot who sends their binos or scopes back for the littlest things. People abuse warranties, that's not even debatable. There comes a time when a company has to say we've got to get a handle on this. I'd still buy a Swaro product ten times before I would ever buy a Vortex product. I haven't been overly impressed with any of their optics I've used.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[sneaky]

(sigh) to quote myself: "I'm not trying to argue about Vortex's overall quality of optic, but the quality of their warranty." Great, Swarovski makes a better optic, why not offer a better warranty? The SLC's warranty plainly states 10 year (first 5 fully covered as the OP stated). You can trust the rep or you can trust what the company has written in black and white (Black and Grey?)
www.swarovskioptik.com/birding/slc-42-c21010301/slc-8x42-p5068621

View attachment 109238

If there is a seperate North American Warranty, I would like to see it on the website or somewhere readily accessible.

Multiple guys have posted in this thread that they've talked to Swaro directly and told that they are still covered under a lifetime warranty. Perhaps you could call and confirm for yourself just to verify and put your mind at ease.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Tomly]

I received a call from them 2 or 3 weeks later and they stated that other than the broken eyepiece, no significant issues were found. They recommended that I replace all of the lenses, and that I would basically have a brand new pair of binoculars. I agreed and for less than $300 out of pocket, I had "brand new" binos. When I received them, I was pleased to discover that they had put a new rubber skin on them and they now looked and smelled new.

Was the $300 the cost of purchasing off eBay or the cost of repair by Swarovski? How long sho was this?

 

[couesbitten]

This all took place about 3 years ago. I won the binos on eBay for $900(+/-), the $300 was for me to purchase all new lenses from Swarovski, all of the work was performed under warranty, so no charge, but I had to purchase replacement lenses for the damaged lens and other 3 lenses. They also fully cleaned them on the interior and exterior, re-purged them with nitrogen and put the new rubber skin on at no cost. In the end, I had a virtually new pair of 10x42 EL binos for a little less than $1200.

 

[willfrye027]

Happy to report back on my great Leica warranty experience.

My duovids were fixed (focus/diopter issue) free of charge despite no warranty paperwork. Had them back about 2 weeks from sending them in, plus they cleaned them up nicely. Nice work Leica!

 

[SomeJackassOnAForum]

(sigh) to quote myself: "I'm not trying to argue about Vortex's overall quality of optic, but the quality of their warranty." Great, Swarovski makes a better optic, why not offer a better warranty? The SLC's warranty plainly states 10 year (first 5 fully covered as the OP stated). You can trust the rep or you can trust what the company has written in black and white (Black and Grey?)
www.swarovskioptik.com/birding/slc-42-c21010301/slc-8x42-p5068621

View attachment 109238

If there is a seperate North American Warranty, I would like to see it on the website or somewhere readily accessible.

Not to necro bump a thread, but what you're looking for is published on their North American repair portal:

Home

 

[WRO]

Not to necro bump a thread, but what you're looking for is published on their North American repair portal:

Home

If Swarovski wanted to do a Vortex warranty, the price would have to raise 40% from what the rep told me..

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