KODAK customer service??????

[brook]

I purchased a Kodak digital Camera 2 years ago, for about $500. I thought I was buying a quality product, especially since it was a Kodak. Well two months ago we could not turn the camera on, so we where told to send the camera to teleplan, Kodak's out sourced repair facility, to have it repaired. After Teleplan inspected the camera, they informed us that the power grid is DEFECTIVE and that this unit has been DISCONTINUED by Kodak. Teleplan further informed us that we will have to pay $28.00 for the evaluation charge and to ship the camera back, within 20 days. After 20 days we lose the camera. We no longer have a $500 paper weight to look at.
I called Kodak as I was very disappointed and angry about the poor resolution from your contracted service centre. I was offered a new camera of comparable features for around $200, but my question is will this camera die in 2 years? Should I shell out a total of $700 to Kodak? Why should I pay that much for a Kodak camera when friends of mine have paid less for a digital camera, of a "presumed lesser quality", and theirs have out lasted my original camera by 2 years?

I have lost my faith in Kodak, and I still have not been given a fair deal on this matter, every time I call Kodak the only thing I get is "Sorry" "Sorry". They promised to E-mail me this "special offer", but I still have yet to receive it.

It is becoming apparent to me that Kodak is just sweeping my concerns under the carpet, by avoiding the issue, and throwing "special offers" at me.

I am still very angry with Kodak, so to elevate my anger, I tell my story to friends and those who I see looking at a Kodak camera in the stores I am in. Just so they do not end up in the mess I ended up in.

[rumrak]

I am fed up with Kodak as well, the C330 was given to me as a early xmas gift, had many various issues with them resulting in 3 returns to were I bought it then a 4th just at the end of the 30 days which I upgraded to the C340 in hopes would fix the issues in fact it created even more, wish I just got a refund instead of doing the upgrade. The worst of the issues just started bit over a month ago, when the shutter is pressed it auto focuses then when pressed further to take the picture it miss fires and or tries to refocus at times can take many attempts to get the shot and of course missing opportunities.

When I contacted Kodak about the issues they accepted the RMA but made me feel like I was receiving special treatment because they would honor the warranty (it was barely a month old and defective since day one)


They said I had to pay to ship there defective product to them for repairs and also include the batteries used and the charger (another issue was with the power, camera left aprox 20-30% power left in the bateries and claims them dead and won't turn on) and I even clearly stated the issue happens with all 4 sets of energizers and even there own Kodak brand so its not the charger or my batteries (mind you are also brand new).
so not only does this increase the shipping costs to me but I also have to do with out my other portable devices for 2 weeks, or so they say.

So I have to do a 5th return and Kodak is making it very frustrating and I just refuse to bother with it. Will just use the camera as is, upgrade to another brand later in the summer and will never touch another Kodak product again.

[btmonahan]

I also have had a terrible customer service experience with Kodak. I purchased a Kodak Easyshare V570 for about $450.00 Within one week the lens cover wouldn't retract and Kodak told us to mail it back in for repair. We packaged the camera and all of the accessories (docking station, cables, etc.) back into the original box. Within a few days we were told that the warranty wouldn't cover the damage and the repair would cost $145.00 and that our unit would be replaced with a refurbished unit. We argued that the repair should be under warranty for a brand-new camera, but to no avail. Finally we decided to go ahead with the repair.

They mailed back a box with only a refurbished camera in it- no accessories, docking station, etc. We called to ask for the rest of the items back and they insist we never sent them. We pointed out how would we benefit from a free docking station if we already had one, but they are adamant and no one will let us speak to a supervisor. It is insane. We have now spent upwards of $600.00 and have a refurbished (not even new) camera that we cannot use.

[mwfanelli]

I am confused. How long was your warranty period? If its under warranty after two years, read it and see what it says about replacing discontinued cameras. If its not under warranty, they are not obligated to do anything at all. If you are unsure about the quality of any camera, buy the extended warranty for peace of mind.

It can be frustrating, but you should be aware of what you are getting into before buying anything.

[wordscount]

Even I agree with you guys … kodak customer service is really bad but … I was just wondering if after 2 years your camera is still under warranty period… coz as far as I know 1 year warranty is normally offered…

[sasdhali]

Even I agree with you guys … kodak customer service is really bad but … I was just wondering if after 2 years your camera is still under warranty period… coz as far as I know 1 year warranty is normally offered…

Customer service from Kodak –break your head!!!

On 22nd of April 2005 I had purchased a digital camera – Kodak DX7440 from M/s Capital Chowringhee Pvt. limited at Kolkata, India. (serial no. KCKDF42706813).

During April , 2005 due to my utter bad luck the battery lock broke during the battery insertion and thereafter my trauma started.

The first surprise came when I found that there is no service centre for Kodak at Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand state. Thereafter I came to know that Kodak has very few service center in India. Disappointed, I went to Kolkatta to the shop from where I purchased the camera only to be told rudely that it is not their duty to service the camera. The service center address which was given to me by the showroom was of no use . With some deliberation I could finally locate one kodak service center which is at 67,Bentick street , Kolkata, namely Rashi peripherals pvt. Ltd. The service center located in a small room inside an old building was running lot of other businesses as well and Kodak was just one of them. I was surprised at the kind of servicing provided by Kodak in a big metropolitan city like Kolkata .

The camera was deposited on 14.04.2006 which was within warranty period. The camera was returned on 24th april 2006 and a service charge of Rs557 was charged along with the charge for spare parts and taxes.

There after my truble started and the camera started behaving erratic. The power will be on even in off mode. After few days the camera went dead.

Due to my busy schedule and absence of any service centers at my place it was not possible for me to go for repair immediately and finally I could find some time on the month of July’06 and deposited the camera. It was told that the power circuit is faulty. However, after I insisted that it was only after there servicing the problems came up they gave a separate report that the power ckt is o.k. but there is problem with the flash circuit and replacement will cost about one fourth of the price of camera. Now I would like to know the following:

1) Why have Kodak taken service charge during the warranty period ?

2) Why my camera goes erratic after a simple replacement of battery lock?

3) Where from the faulty circuit crop up just after one year of purchase ,who is responsible for it and how to avoid getting filched from the authorized service center?

4) Do Kodak customers not deserve a better and a genuine servicing for their product?

I have posed the same questions to Kodak , but till date no reply has been given to me. I think Kodak is not very serious about providing proper service to its customer. I think future customers need to be beware of this fact before going to Kodak products. I am not sure how Kodak will increase its market share with these kind of service which will bound make serious dent in long run. I am going spread my experience to each of my friends and all the forums I know in future.

SASWATA DHALI
Ranchi , India

[dgupta]

[Delhi/NCR, India] All of you are lucky that you at least found someone to talk to at Kodak. As for me, I got a C533 a month back & recently the lens cover stopped shuffling back as the lens zooms out. So while I can review my snaps already taken, I can't take any more!

So that started my journey to catch hold of someone at Kodak. The Kodak India website turned out to be a useless exercise, spewing tech. specs. & a spurious 'Support Center' which provides no support but spews more tech. specs.? After some Googling, I was able to get the contact info. of the four Kodak offices located in the four corners of India. But guess what - the Delhi office was "under shifting" and the Mumbai office "telephone no. is incorrect".

So I'm still searching for a solution to my woes. Maybe I'll just get the camera repaired from one of the pavement-side smart alecs who abound in India, a blessing in disguise!

[Frans]

Getting a little off the track my dealings with Kodak has been similar. I brought a Kodak web cam to be used on a project. On some investigation I found the unit was make under contract by a Taiwan company. I wanted information on the codes used to access the USB for the device. I ask for a request for the information on the USB codes I was told that I was not important enough and they weren’t going to supply them.
Frans

[skcollar]

Kodak customer service......I did not know there was such a thing. Kodak does not seem to honor there warranties either. They have have had my camera for over 3 weeks. The problem with the camera was reported when I was away from home about a month before the warranty ran. I asked them if I could send the camera in a few weeks later when I would be at home. They said that they would honor the warranty because it was reported in the warranty period and all I would have to do is create another return authorization number.
Several days after I sent the camera in, I get an estimate from their repair subcontractor. Everyone at Kodak customer service said they will not honor the warranty, regardless of what I was told.
I learned an invaluable lesson, never buy Kodak products....they do not stand by their products and screw you out of the warranty. After this whole experience, I realize I got an overpriced piece of junk supported by sub-contractors of Kodak. After all of this I learned an invaluable lesson, dont buy Kodak......it is time to get real camera with a real warranty. I plan to shop around allot more this time, hopefully I will do better with my next purchase.

[skcollar]

Kodak customer service......I did not know there was such a thing. Kodak does not seem to honor there warranties either. They have have had my camera for over 3 weeks. The problem with the camera was reported when I was away from home about a month before the warranty ran. I asked them if I could send the camera in a few weeks later when I would be at home. They said that they would honor the warranty, but all I would have to do is create another return authorization number.
Several days after I sent the camera in, I get an estimate from their repair subcontractor. Everyone at Kodak customer service said they will not honor the warranty, regardless of what I was told.
I learned an invaluable lesson, never buy Kodak products....they do not stand by their products and screw you out of the warranty. I got an overpriced piece of junk and know it is time to get real camera. I plan to shop around quite a bit this time, hopefully I will do better with my next purchase.

[kool371]

I agree Kodak seems to stink on their Customer Service I contacted them Tuesday because I noticed last week that 2 of the screws that help hold the casing of the camera on are missing from the bottom. I tried to request to have the screws sent to me but they want $15 plus S&H for 2 tiny screws that in all realty only probably cost a penny a piece. I don't believe I should have to pay for these screws b/c I had sent it in about maybe 2 years ago to have the front half of the casing replaced as I had dropped it from probably not even a foot and after that the battery door would not stay completely closed. well I had it fixed no problem and these 2 screws that are missing are 2 of the few the had to have removed to fix it. I do not know when the fell out but I know that they are long gone. I explained my situation that I had sent it in for repair and that the screws that are missing were what had been removed to fix it and why should I have to pay for them especially $15 which is a ridiculously price. I was transfered from I think parts to I think repair as I was told maybe the could help me out with it. well I talked to them but I was told the unless I were to send the camera in for repair that the only way to get the screw is to pay that $15 + S&H. After that I was still upset as I see it as they should be able to send me the screws and at no charge as it would be easier and quicker for me to replace the screws then to send it in I ended up hanging up but before that I told them next time I am in the market again for a camera I would not choose Kodak. I am gonna try 3 more things to get this issue resolved as I like the quality of my camera and as Kodak is local to me and I believe in supporting local companies. I am first gonna call back in and see if my camera is still under warranty which I know its prob not and if not will it cost me to have them replace the 2 screws that should not have came out but did b/c they most likely failed to tighten them right or who knows they could have never have been put back and I over looked it till now. If it will cost me I am going to secondly ask to speak to a supervisor and if that fails to get me the screws. If not I will third and lastly write Kodak at their main offices and tell them I like their products and believe in supporting local businesses. And if none of that gets me any where I don't think I will ever buy a Kodak product again. Its funny that all the other screws are still there the ones that were never touched and whats left of the ones they did remove and reinstall but 2 of the ones they removed came out. I have never had a problem like this with any other companies I have had to call for replacement parts. I once had a floor fan that one of the supports broke on and I called to find out about a replacement part. they sent me 2 at no cost but they sent ones for a different by mistake so I called back and the said they would send me the right ones and not to worry about the wrong parts and that I could just toss them. I think any respectful business especial a large one like Kodak should willingly send a part like the screws at no cost no matter how long its been since it was fixed by them and as that those screws were what the removed to fix it and there no reason the should have fallen out.

[jamiec6]

I will never use the Kodak online store ordering because I paid for 2 day shipping and my order did not come on time. I spent 45 mins on hold with a Kodak customer service rep on the day before it was supposed to arrive just to confirm that it shipped on time ( it did not show up when I tried to track it on the DHL site). I finally spoke with a Kodak customer service rep who said it definitely shipped when it was supposed to and should be there on time. It did not come on time. I spent 1 hr and 15 mins on hold to speak with another Kodak customer service person who went to look up my order and hung up on me. I called Kodak back and was on hold another hour and 30 mins and finally hung up. I paid for 2 day shipping bc it was a gift and I was leaving town. It didnt come on time and the Kodak customer service did nothing to help. They simply cancelled my order so I could get another gift. Next thing I know they charged my account again and I call back, wait an hour and the Kodak customer service rep said sorry the guy didnt actually cancel your order. It will take 7 to 10 days for a refund. This is the WORST online shopping experience I have ever had. I would NOT recommend the Kodak store if you care about customer service!

[chai g]

I ordered a digital picture frame from Kodak.com, the ordering procedure was straightforward, and I chose Kodak.com but most other online retailers were out of stock close to the holiday season.

I paid extra for overnight shipping as my order was a gift and needed to be there overnight in time for the holiday.

A few days after the holiday I called the recipient to see if he had received the item, he had not. I then checked the shipping # Kodak had given me, it was not working.

I then emailed kodak using the form on their kodak.com online store. They sent an immediate form letter (email) back stating that the tracking numbers they give usually take 1-2 days to become valid (it was now almost 5 business days). The form letter also stated they would follow up with a reply within 24 hours. (The DHL Tracking Number NEVER worked).

5 days later, still no reply, so I called the 1-800 number I found on the web. I waited on hold for 1 hour, then was told to call a different 1 800 number, waited on hold again for another hour.

After finally speaking with a real human being (in India) I was told that they had left the package on the door. I explained that I did not authorize for them to leave the package on the door and that a $250 item should really require a signature. They explained that I would have to file a police report and then fax them the police report AND THEN they would re-ship the item. I explained that I no longer wanted the item re-shipped as it was a gift and a substitute gift had already been shipped. They said all they could do was reship the item (after I faxed a police report), and that they could not offer a refund.

I also asked about the date it was shipped, and they explained it was delivered two days after the scheduled ship date, which meant it was NOT delivered overnight as I had paid for. I asked for a refund on my shipping charges and they stated that they would refund my shipping upon their receipt of my police report. I then explained that one had nothing to do with the other, according to THEIR records, the item was shipped LATE, therefore I was entitled to a refund immediately, they said that I should then fill out an online form. Why? I'm speaking with you on the phone, NOW!

As I was about to call the police dept where my friend live (this was a gift for an out of state friend), my friend called to say that the kodak frame had been misdelivered by DHL to a house several blocks away to a person who was on vacation. When that person returned they found the frame sitting on their porch and delivered it to the correct address.


I'm still fighting with kodak.com to refund my shipping charges. There is no way to send a direct email to them, and their customer service number (located in India) is apparently unable to do anything but "forward" your information to "customer service".

This whole process has cost me hours and hours on the phone, in addition to the substitute gift I sent, and the embarrassment of numerous calls to my friend to see if they had ever received the original gift.

I'll never do business with Kodak again.

[Frog]

This thread belongs in the 'camera dealer feedback' forum.