Just wanted to let everyone know about a great experience with Swarovski USA. I bought a Z6 1.7-10X42 from a fellow here in AR back in November. It came from the factory with the BR reticle and it was my intention to send it back and have a German #4 reticle installed. Finally got around to contacting them in March and they said no problem $175 to swap the reticle including return postage. Only problem was I was the second owner of the scope and it was registered to the original purchaser. Their policy is to attempt to contact the original owner and verify the scope was sold or otherwise changed hands. If the original owner responds then they will perform the service if not they wait 30 days and then allow you to proceed with the repair. Only company I've ever had do this and while it was a little hassle in terms of the wait I appreciate the care they extend to their client base. The previous owner apparently never replied to their inquiries and after 30 days on the money I got an email with instructions and a return authorization number to send the scope in to their Rhode Island repair facility. Nice touch.
Sent the scope in USPS priority mail on Thursday May 6th and got an email from Swarovski on Monday the 10th that they received the scope and everything was received in good order.
Today (Sunday the 16th) as I'm heading out to run some errands the Fedex truck blocks me in and hands me a package from Swarovski. 6 day turn around including shipping!
The invoice said they replaced the reticle with a German #4, checked the tracking, purged with nitrogen and did a leak test, a shock test, inspected for operation and clarity of lenses and a couple other things.
That's awesome service in all respects. Great communication every step of the way... Great job Swarovski!
It makes you wonder what has happened in the scope world to make them so friendly. When I asked them about unfreezing the turrets and focus on a couple of old Habichts they said they didn't service them anymore - and wouldn't even advise on how to approach the problems.
BTW Peter, I've still got your book waiting here. When I hear planes are flying your way, I'll send it.
Posts: 5188 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 31 March 2009
Lost the rubber eyepiece guard on an old Kahles scope. Swarovski asked for the serial number of the scope, and a couple days later I had a new eye guard free of charge.
Posts: 20177 | Location: Very NW NJ up in the Mountains | Registered: 14 June 2009
Sambar-When sending in a scope earlier this year, their form has a list of what scopes they no longer service. Sorry to hear yours was one of them. The one I send in was around 25 years old so yours must have been pretty old.
Originally posted by ghostrider272: Have had nothing but good experience as well.
Sambar-When sending in a scope earlier this year, their form has a list of what scopes they no longer service. Sorry to hear yours was one of them. The one I send in was around 25 years old so yours must have been pretty old.
My scopes are/were the old Habicht reticle-movement models sold at least until 1979. According to the Gun Digest of that year, Swarovski had already started making the image-movement Nova then, for which they charged about 15 per cent more.
That price differential is interesting because, as some partisan defender of the modern decadence has observed, image-movement is easier to assemble, since the guts can just be dropped in from the rear. (It should also be cheaper to repair when it stuffs up - which is much more likely, of course - for similar reasons.)
Posts: 5188 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 31 March 2009
