Venting on Promaster

[poker]

I a bit ticked off Promaster right now.

1) I bought a Promaster Junior Ball Head a couple months ago. While on the tripod, my two year old son knocked it over. The release/tighten plate lever broke off. I compared the build on a single axis bogen head I have and the same piece on that head is made of a resin/plastic which probably can take some flex before breaking. The Promaster lever is made of that wannabe metal composite. You know what I'm talking about. It looks like graphite...but it's probably not.

2) My wife bought me a small Promaster sling style camera bag for my birthday. In less than two weeks the side zipper pocket material is detaching from the zipper.

So now begins the communication to exercise the manufacturer's warranty. Let's see what happens. I don't expect them to fix the ball head but I hope I can buy a replacement part.

Just venting because I don't like buying new camera gear that breaks so easy....

[another view]

That's a hassle... Try the dealer you bought it from first though - they might be able to help you out. I have a local dealer who stocks a lot of Promaster stuff, and they bend over backwards to help out. If I ever need camera warranty service, they'll send it in and pay the shipping. For something like a bag, I'd bet that they would just exchange it on the spot.

It comes down to how well a dealer wants to take care of their customers, but I agree that two problems like this is frustrating.