Sightron Warranty, the Reality

[Mystic Precision]

Here's a problem with requiring an invoice/receipt. I ordered a Sightron from you which wasn't available at the time so I switched to a different model which Hirsch promptly shipped to me. The invoice you sent me doesn't accurately reflect the model actually shipped to me.

Going with what Peter has stated I'll still be covered should I ever need warranty because he'll have a record of the serial....I hope.

The scope was shipped from an authorised Sightron Dealer. You are covered. Didn't know about any change in the invoice. If you want a changed copy, just email/pm me with invoice number and what showed up. Doesn't change your coverage but it will be nice piece of mind for you.

IF the scope came the proper LEGAL route, you are covered. Easier and much faster if you already have an invoice so it takes us seconds to pull up the sale vs digging through files through maybe years of stuff.

No different then trying to return anything at any large retail store without a receipt... big PITA. With receipt, a few key strokes and life is good.

Jerry

 

[Nikon Travis M.]

Just a quick addendum to Jerry's posts above. Nikon Canada has three Canadian service centers, we have a lifetime warranty on all of our products excluding those with electronics (electronics are only covered for two years, optic lifetime) and effective tomorrow Nikon for all of North America will be instituting our "old"(?) warranty. We are returning to our no-fault policy, however for the first time in Canada this will be adopted. This will extend back to previously sold Canadian product as well.

However we do request a receipt to prove Canadian purchase and as Jerry mentioned above this is to protect against smuggling. When you buy something down South because its a few bucks cheaper than avoid the paperwork to save those bucks you're hurting Canadian business owners and employees at your local gun shop, Canadian industry reps like myself and all in the name of a few dollars. I don't wish to play the "what if" game that you legally purchased something on holidays and have the receipt during a hunting expedition. That's what people like me are for, to make that problem go away. Nikon Canada will do our best to accommodate any proper Nikon sale. But grey marketed stuff we just can't.

All that being said our repair rate is so low (percentage wise) we hope you'll never have to take advantage of it. Happy hunting/ shooting in 2015!

(If you would like any details about the new warranty program, please PM me)

 

[bearkilr]

However we do request a receipt to prove Canadian purchase and as Jerry mentioned above this is to protect against smuggling.

I wouldn't call it smuggling, seeing as it's perfectly legal under Canadian law to bring in an optic from the US. Rather it's dealer/distributor protection. A lot of manufacturers have this policy, most won't honor the warranty if it wasn't bought in the country of residency. Optics manufacturers seem to like using ITAR as a scapegoat for not honoring the warranty on a grey market product. There's nothing wrong with just stating outright that you won't honor warranty on grey market products.

 

[peterdobson]

bearkil, nothing to do with us, everything to do with USA law. May have mentioned this previously. We have to sign Declaration for HS about how scope was exported so it's our butt on the line. More than tired of explaining this. Goes for Nightforce as well.

 

[bearkilr]

bearkil, nothing to do with us, everything to do with USA law. May have mentioned this previously. We have to sign Declaration for HS about how scope was exported so it's our butt on the line. More than tired of explaining this. Goes for Nightforce as well.

Peter, I know it's a US law. What I'm saying is that it's fine for a manufacturer to honor a warranty only in the country where the product was purchased and the warranty service will be performed. There's no reason to even mention ITAR.

Swarovski has gone so far as to prohibit sales outside of the United States by their US dealers on all their products.

 

[peterdobson]

Swarovski has gone so far as to prohibit sales outside of the United States by their US dealers on all their products.

Thanks, didn't know this and of course this is why many businesses don't export from the USA. Registration is require with State Dept. and then CAD importers have to provide IIC, PO and end-user paperwork along with occasional declarations.

Regards,

Peter

 

[Mystic Precision]

Peter, I know it's a US law. What I'm saying is that it's fine for a manufacturer to honor a warranty only in the country where the product was purchased and the warranty service will be performed. There's no reason to even mention ITAR.

Swarovski has gone so far as to prohibit sales outside of the United States by their US dealers on all their products.

That would be fine but we are talking 2 different countries.... US Supply... Canadian Market.

US Warranty Depot.

How do you suppose we get the US product from Canada to the US and back again if it was never supposed to be in Canada in the first place?

Remember that paperwork I alluded to earlier....

Swarovski USA has figured out international sales without all the proper paperwork can lead to a big smoking problem for mother corp if Uncle Sam comes a knocking. So they are ahead of this by banning all non sanctioned sales. They set up distribution in each country or region so that all sales are considered local and there is a centralised import stream.

Anything outside this is contraband and not supported.

And if you think Uncle Sam doesn't follow gun parts? Good luck. If you can google a friend you haven't seen since high school, just think what Homeland Security can do with the Patriot Act.

Take a visit to the ATF website... they usually have a whole section on pending and closed legal cases against people for all manner of reasons.

One that caught my eye was Leupold scopes that were found where they definitely weren't supposed to be (very sandy there) and were traced back to a "friend" in the US... fun, fun, fun

Jerry

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

Funny, the folks that don't own them want no part of them and ##### about warranty coverage and the shooters that own em are impressed.

Something is broken with rationalization here.

I have SI, SII and SIII scopes, no warranty issues, no problems.

I am also very sure that our Precision times two brothers will look after us nicely.

The SI is mounted on a .50 cal B/P.

 

[Silvertip13]

So, all bull#### aside about the no receipt thing, I have two of these scopes without papers that I bought second hand, if I need repair can I send it back and pay to have it fixed? Or do I have to take it to the southern brothers then mail in for repair?

 

[Mystic Precision]

KT, there actually isn't anything wrong with the rationalisation going on here.

When someone buys something - anything, at any price - they believe it was a great choice, great value, great deal. No rational person goes out to consume the worst whatever on their coin.

So when an item doesn't function well for its intended task, consumers rationalise their purchase by leaning on anything they can.. like a celebrity endorser, some event trophy or "it was on sale" or whatever. Something to deflect from the truth that the value they believe just isn't there.

WRT scopes, there are so many products that simply do not excel at being scopes so what does a consumer do? Well, some will hang onto a feature offered by the manf like a warranty. And there are some companies that offer one heck of a warranty and make sure the consumer knows all about it. So much so, that is what the consumer defines as the best part of the scope.

BUT I buy a scope because I want an optical device, not friendly visits to shops or free return shipping to a warranty depot or no question support because I forgot a very expensive rifle is sitting beside my truck tire.

I want a device that gives me a precise and repeatable adjustment when I ask for it. For glass that lets me see the target and air I am shooting through. Something where WARRANTY is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the brand or product or how it will perform for me.

At the US Nationals in Phoenix this Oct, after spending roughly $3000 just to get there, stay there and eat there (forget about the shooting costs), I have little interest in knowing a scope failure can be resolved with only a short drive from my house.

I want 3 mins of Right wind and 1/2 min of elevation and I want it NOW..... and this is how I rationalise putting Sightrons on my competition rifles.

And we back it up with a solid warranty should the need arise....

YMMV

Jerry

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

Yeah, you make total sense Jerry.

My thinking is a bit reversed from some on here but parallel to a couple others.

I don't buy an item with one of the major factors being warranty because when that item sh its the bed at that particular moment what good is warranty, personally I want that item to do what I need it to do, hopefully in a reliable fashion.Warranty is after support and yes, a good one is a benefit at that time.

I work in the automotive industry where warranty is a "big seller", well what good is that warranty when it is Saturday night and you are hauling to tim-buck-twelve.You want a product that you know will preserve under the conditions you present.

Like you say, that optic better respond to the inputs you give it or what good is it.

Almost seems to some that good warranty trumps good product.

KT, there actually isn't anything wrong with the rationalisation going on here.

When someone buys something - anything, at any price - they believe it was a great choice, great value, great deal. No rational person goes out to consume the worst whatever on their coin.

So when an item doesn't function well for its intended task, consumers rationalise their purchase by leaning on anything they can.. like a celebrity endorser, some event trophy or "it was on sale" or whatever. Something to deflect from the truth that the value they believe just isn't there.

WRT scopes, there are so many products that simply do not excel at being scopes so what does a consumer do? Well, some will hang onto a feature offered by the manf like a warranty. And there are some companies that offer one heck of a warranty and make sure the consumer knows all about it. So much so, that is what the consumer defines as the best part of the scope.

BUT I buy a scope because I want an optical device, not friendly visits to shops or free return shipping to a warranty depot or no question support because I forgot a very expensive rifle is sitting beside my truck tire.

I want a device that gives me a precise and repeatable adjustment when I ask for it. For glass that lets me see the target and air I am shooting through. Something where WARRANTY is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the brand or product or how it will perform for me.

At the US Nationals in Phoenix this Oct, after spending roughly $3000 just to get there, stay there and eat there (forget about the shooting costs), I have little interest in knowing a scope failure can be resolved with only a short drive from my house.

I want 3 mins of Right wind and 1/2 min of elevation and I want it NOW..... and this is how I rationalise putting Sightrons on my competition rifles.

And we back it up with a solid warranty should the need arise....

YMMV

Jerry

 

[TheTooner]

...

Almost seems to some that good warranty trumps good product.

And good warranty costs money, and it costs more money if the product isn't that good. The money comes from the price paid by the consumer who buys it retail new. The more of that money that is spent on fulfilling warranty, the less was spent on making the thing right. The more that is spent on making it right, the less will be needed to fulfill warranty claims.

As a consumer you get to choose and you will pay, one way or the other, whether you realise it or not.

 

[yodave]

Yeah, you make total sense Jerry.

My thinking is a bit reversed from some on here but parallel to a couple others.

I don't buy an item with one of the major factors being warranty because when that item sh its the bed at that particular moment what good is warranty, personally I want that item to do what I need it to do, hopefully in a reliable fashion.Warranty is after support and yes, a good one is a benefit at that time.

I work in the automotive industry where warranty is a "big seller", well what good is that warranty when it is Saturday night and you are hauling to tim-buck-twelve.You want a product that you know will preserve under the conditions you present.

Like you say, that optic better respond to the inputs you give it or what good is it.

Almost seems to some that good warranty trumps good product.

one has to remember that you need a great warranty when you go in knowing your buying junk

 

[TheTooner]

Well I have 4 sightrons , 2 I bought new from a site sponcer and 2 I got off the EE about a year ago before any of this warrantie stuff was talked about. Now they want to change there warranty and the way I am reading it sounds like the 2 used ones won't be covered by warranty . Well I know one thing, anybody who is try to sell a used Sightron is going to have a tough time. I know I wouldn't spend that kind of money on anything that had no warrnty. Kinda like Weaver scopes that only cover the original purchaser I know I won't touch a used weaver with a 10 foot pole unless it is dirt cheap. yah some how I can more Leupolds and Zeiss in my future and less Sightrons

I will. The Classic K and Classic V lines are pretty good equipment for the money, suiting my purposes well enough, and my budget better. You can refer any you don't want to me, thanks.

 

[Benito]

The Sightron ESD (that is their red dot, unless I am mistaken) is warrantied for 2 years?

 

[leonard]

I see guys making a huff over having to ship to a 3rd party.

Usually companies do that to minimize cost to customers.

Also when my leupold started leaking nitrogen a few years ago it was out on warranty for the entire hunting season and al little longer actually, were talking 4 months here and they ended up just sending me a new one In a unopened box, so what took them so long is beyond me.

So before you start saying oh leupold warranty is so much better because its faster remember that shipping is rather quick these days middleman or not. What they do when they receive the part is what takes the most time.

Infact with having such a low fail rate, as long as the company takes care of you thats all you should really even care about.

Some people will nit pick anything.

I do rma's for my workplace and 3rd party rma's within Canada on American or European products is pretty standard practice really. Infact your better off 99% of the time.

 

[BigUglyMan]

This is my last comment on the subject.I am sure sightron makes nice glass but having to send a scope to a middleman who in turn has to send it south is a deal breaker for me. If the middleman had the authority to send me another optic or repair it so that I get it back in a reasonable time frame,that would be a different story.I should add that I read the international warranty online and it does indeed say scopes purchased outside the 50 US statesmen are covered for 10 years as opposed to lifetime for American owners.That is reason enough to spend my dollars elsewhere.
Mr Dobson, no need to pm me on the subject and as far as what I do for the shooting sports goes.........I throw a ton of money toward it on an all too regular basis.

I'm curious, what scopes do you know of that you can simply send across the border to the manufacturer yourself without doing the paperwork yourself?

 

[BigUglyMan]

Also when my leupold started leaking nitrogen a few years ago it was out on warranty for the entire hunting season and al little longer actually, were talking 4 months here and they ended up just sending me a new one In a unopened box, so what took them so long is beyond me.

And really, how many guys only have one hunting rifle and scope? Even if all my scopes were settled in rings on a rifle it only takes a few minutes to pop the scope off one rifle and slap it on another. A quick trip to the range and you're back up and running.

If you're a person with only one hunting rifle and one scope then do yourself a favour and pick up another used scope and put it on the shelf for a rainy day. You never know when you may need a spare.

 

[nomad 68]

I'm curious, what scopes do you know of that you can simply send across the border to the manufacturer yourself without doing the paperwork yourself?

Don't recall saying I do know of any. Every scope manufacturer that I own with the exception of Burris has a Canadian repair or replacement facility.I know that it is a huge pita to have a Burris warrantied and I am not looking forward to it if the need arises. Regardless,the 10 yr international warranty on Sightron is enough to steer me away. I'm not implying that Sightron is bad optics at all,In fact ,I'm sure that they are nice quality optics.However,some here are implying that they are fail proof. Bs, there is no such optic.Some here have even made the inference that if an optic comes with an exceptional warranty,it is likely junk.Again,that's Bs.

 

[Dogleg]

A big part of warranty is whether you believe the brand is even going to exist when you need it. Another is a Canadian repair facility; at least that shows some commitment to the market. Remember IOR?