Swarovski warranty on used gear

[sf jakey]

I am looking at a pair of used NL pure. How is Swaro to deal with on warranty/servicing for second hand owners? They have been incredible on my EL but I purchased new in 2003.

 

[wyosteve]

They honor the warranty on successive buyers as long as they're notified of the sale and new owner in my experience.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Yes warranty is transferable and a non issue.

 

[robby denning]

They've been good in past years, but slowed down turnaround time this year. Like everyone, they were affected by supply chain issues, but they're slowly getting back on their feet. I sent my SLCs with a broken 1/4-20 and misaligned in mid-november and got the email last week they're on the repair bench.

I saw on Muley Crazy IG with Ryan Hatch that the avg cost if there is one is about $100. I've seen them from free to about $150, so fair estimate.

 

[Reed104R]

For conventional binoculars made after 2007, Swarovski provides a 10 year transferable warranty for parts and labor covering manufacturer's defects. They will typically cover beyond the prescribed limits. If you are not the original owner, they will ask who you purchased the optic from. If you did not purchase it from the registered owner, I'm not sure the warranty will apply.

For binoculars made prior to 2007, the warranty covers 10 years for parts and labor and an additional 20 years for parts only.

This information is from their website. Swarovski customer service is excellent, but they can sometimes be difficult to get on the phone.

 

[handwerk]

In my experience they have been great, just call them with serial # to change to your ownership and to make sure they aren't stolen or grey market.

 

[westernarcher]

I just received my SLCs back 2 weeks ago. I sent them in for broken focus wheel in mid November. they replaced both prisms (said they were hazy) and clean them all up to brand new specs. Did I say no cost? Ya!! you just have to go thru proper channels on their website to set up a claim. These were bought used too. They'll actually give them a new serial number too when rebuilt like they did.

 

[Spiral Horn]

My experience was mixed.

On binoculars - bought a new (old stock) 8x42 SLC that had issues with the hinge and focus wheel. They fixed it under warranty for no charge. Very happy with that. However, I made the mistake of being honest on the follow-up survey = the repair was fine but I’d attempted to contact them multiple times over the course of several weeks and could not get a human or return call. Service manager responded quite annoyed and aggressively to the survey. His response was way over the top as I noted the repair was well done and just suggested they could improve comms with customers. After all, aren’t surveys looking for honest feedback?

Riflescopes - far different experience here. Had a Z5 that was trouble from the very start - fogged internally on its first trip to the range, then later on had a wandering zero, etc. They fixed the fogging issue under warranty, but made me pay to have the zero repaired. Said I damaged it - however, it had not been dropped, remounted, etc - just started wandering. After repair it worked for a few hunts and then began wandering again. But I no longer have faith in it or the durability of SW repairs and now it is sitting on a shelf.

YMMV

 

[elkguide]

I've had nothing but excellent repairs done by them. Fast, quality and great communication. Every time that I have used their repair services, it has been because of my screw ups!

 

[nobody]

My experience was mixed.

On binoculars - bought a new (old stock) 8x42 SLC that had issues with the hinge and focus wheel. They fixed it under warranty for no charge. Very happy with that. However, I made the mistake of being honest on the follow-up survey = the repair was fine but I’d attempted to contact them multiple times over the course of several weeks and could not get a human or return call. Service manager responded quite annoyed and aggressively to the survey. His response was way over the top as I noted the repair was well done and just suggested they could improve comms with customers. After all, aren’t surveys looking for honest feedback?

Riflescopes - far different experience here. Had a Z5 that was trouble from the very start - fogged internally on its first trip to the range, then later on had a wandering zero, etc. They fixed the fogging issue under warranty, but made me pay to have the zero repaired. Said I damaged it - however, it had not been dropped, remounted, etc - just started wandering. After repair it worked for a few hunts and then began wandering again. But I no longer have faith in it or the durability of SW repairs and now it is sitting on a shelf.

YMMV

This sounds about like my experience with a rangefinder last year. Ordered it, they took five-ever to get it shipped out. When it finally showed up, the illumination was extremely weak. Couldn't make out the readout in low light. Emailed them, nothing. Crickets. Multiple emails, I finally decided to call. Got the most un-helpful individual ever on the phone. He had the audacity to tell me I "obviously didn't hunt, because hunters only needed their rangefinder in low light, and so the display was designed specifically for hunters in low light." I told him my Vortex and Sig rangefinders worked just fine in all light conditions, and that the problem was obviously theirs, and I expected them to fix it. He finally reluctantly agreed to look at it, but that they were going to charge me for the repairs. I told them that if they were going to charge me I would just throw it away, and he finally agreed to take it back. It went into a black hole for 16 weeks, and I only got it back after posting about the debacle on here. They ignored emails, phone calls, voicemails, but they saw my post and were quick to get me taken care of. Then the guy called and asked if I would change my post. I told him no, that It needed to stay up, because I was providing feedback for them to improve on. He told me I would taint their reputation and that this type of service wasn't normal. I told him it didn't matter if it wasn't the norm, because it was the norm for me. I had a sample size of 1, and the experience sucked. Plus the rangefinder ended up being a $700 pile of crap that wouldn't do 30% of what it was advertised to do, even in perfect conditions.

As @Spiral Horn said above, YMMV. But my one experience with my lone Swaro product cured me of that itch very fast. I'll never own one, period. Their warranty service is abysmal in today's day and age, there's just no excuse for long lead times or zero communication. From what I understand, the warranty will be transferrable OP. But it won't change their poor customer service. It seemed to me they were great communicators when it came to "damage control," but didn't care until then.

 

[Reed104R]

Vortex is the only company I am aware of that offers a no questions asked lifetime warranty on rangefinders. I wouldn't even consider purchasing anything else.

 

[atmat]

I bought used ELs and a used ATS. The ATS had bubbles in the eyepiece, so I got it super cheap.

Called Swaro, switched product registration to my name (they needed full name of prior owners), sent it in, and had product back in 6 weeks fixed for free.

 

[barn_owl]

Was a non issue for me too, a couple years back.
Reached out to them on their website, explained to them I got mine second hand, then sent it in. Swaro gave me no problems.

 

[SwiftShot]

For the price they should be no questions asked.

 

[atmat]

For the price they should be no questions asked.

I don’t understand this logic. Because they are quality and cost money, they should replace them when you run it over with you truck?

 

[SwiftShot]

I don’t understand this logic. Because they are quality and cost money, they should replace them when you run it over with you truck?

Not saying when you run it over with a truck. A 10 year warranty is not that good. Most rifles stay in a gun safe for most of the year. That is probably 90 percent so that means the actual use warranty is crap. One year of use or less and it is not covered. Also you might want to actually talk to a Swar rep at a show about profit margin. It is not no 10 percent.

 

[atmat]

Not saying when you run it over with a truck. A 10 year warranty is not that good. Most rifles stay in a gun safe for most of the year. That is probably 90 percent so that means the actual use warranty is crap. One year of use or less and it is not covered. Also you might want to actually talk to a Swar rep at a show about profit margin. It is not no 10 percent.

I see what you’re saying. But that’s not a typical “no questions asked” warranty, as those usually include owner damage.

I don’t know why anyone would buy a Swaro scope though. They’re not known as rugged scopes. But that’s a different story.

 

[Reed104R]

Based on the Swarovski website, if you were to buy a new pair of NL's today, my 2005 SLC's would actually still have a warranty for two years after the NL warranty expired. I know Swarovski normally extends coverage, but it should be taken into consideration if contemplating the purchase of a new pair of $3000 NL's.

 

[IdahoBeav]

For the price they should be no questions asked.

I'd think that if they were going to do that, they'd either have to increase the price even more or cut back on labor and materials costs, i.e. make a lesser product. What many don't realize about about a no-questions-asked unlimited warranty is that the replacement costs are factored into the purchase price. You're paying for all those warranty replacements, but some people get excited for a $500 quality piece of glass that they pay $1500 for and comes with an unlimited replacement warranty. I don't understand the craze about these type of warranties. A quality product doesn't fail, but in the rare case it does, it is repairable. You don't just throw it in the trash and ship out a new one.

 

[digger]

I sent back some SLC thatI bought new. They kept them 5 months and sent them back untouched.
I called in and then sent them back. 2 months later they came back fixed.
Luckily I have several binoculars.